(Offered as ARHA 267 and ASLC 267) The book has played (and continues to play) a central role in the Islamic world. As a technology, it gives physical form to the Qur’an, an orally proclaimed text, allowing Islam’s scripture to be read, touched, held, and easily transported. It is a carrier of divine blessing, but also of wisdom, authority, tradition, and affiliation. The earliest Islamic books were either very fragile, being made of papyrus, or expensive, being made of animal skin (parchment).

(Offered as ARHA 257, ARCH 257, and BLST 253) Creole dwellings were first erected by enslaved builders working under Diego Colón (the son of Christopher Columbus) on the island of Hispaniola. By the end of the first wave of European expansion in the early nineteenth century, the creole style existed across imperial domains in the Caribbean, North and South America, Africa, the Indian Ocean, and even Asia.

(Offered as ARHA 257, ARCH 257, and BLST 253) Creole dwellings were first erected by enslaved builders working under Diego Colón (the son of Christopher Columbus) on the island of Hispaniola. By the end of the first wave of European expansion in the early nineteenth century, the creole style existed across imperial domains in the Caribbean, North and South America, Africa, the Indian Ocean, and even Asia.

(Offered as ARHA 221 and FAMS 221) This introductory course is designed for students with no prior experience in video production. The aim is both technical and creative. We will begin with the literal foundation of the moving image—the frame—before moving through shot and scene construction, lighting, sound-image concepts, and final edit. In addition to instruction in production equipment and facilities, the course will also explore cinematic form and structure through weekly readings, screenings and discussion.

(Offered as ARHA 186 and LLAS 186) This course provides an introduction to the Pre-Columbian art and architecture of the Americas. It explores major traditions in architecture and city planning, murals, sculpture, painting, masks, and textiles. The first half of the semester concentrates on Preclassic and Classic Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America); the second on Postclassic Mesoamerica, North America, and the Andes.

Limit 25 students. Fall 2024: Visiting Professor Couch.

(Offered as ARHA 159 and ARCH 159) This course is an examination of the emergence, development, and dissolution of European modernist art, architecture and design. The course begins with the innovations of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, created in consort with the growth of modern urbanism, colonialist politics, and psychological experimentation. Distinctions between the terms modernity, modernism, and the avant-garde will be explored as we unpack the complex equations between art, politics, and social change in the first half of the twentieth century.

(Offered as ASLC 140 and ARHA 140) The multicultural course introduces students to the visual arts of Asia. In an active learning environment, we will study architecture, sculpture, painting and other material objects found in countries such as India, China and Japan from the earliest times to the present. Illustrated class lectures, group discussions, and regular writing exercises will exercise our skills in visual analysis, critical thinking, and art historical interpretation.

(Offered as ARHA 125, ARCH 125, and BLST 125) This introductory course is a survey of the spaces and places that have defined urban Africa over time. From the ancient pyramids of Giza to modern metropolises like Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Dakar, Senegal, Africa has long incubated some of the world's most diverse urban centers.  This course introduces students to African urban environments while also engaging the social, political, economic, and cultural phenomena that have shaped the lives of these locales.

(Offered as ARHA 125, ARCH 125, and BLST 125) This introductory course is a survey of the spaces and places that have defined urban Africa over time. From the ancient pyramids of Giza to modern metropolises like Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Dakar, Senegal, Africa has long incubated some of the world's most diverse urban centers.  This course introduces students to African urban environments while also engaging the social, political, economic, and cultural phenomena that have shaped the lives of these locales.

(Offered as ARCH 122 and ARHA 122) The proliferation of photo-realistic rendering software has brought a sense of fatigue with digital imagery in the architectural design discipline. This fatigue is bringing a renewed interest in hand-drawn representations of architectural and urban environments. In this course, students will learn and develop abilities to hand-sketch buildings and urban spaces, doing it onsite and in a relatively quick manner. Students will learn the basics of three techniques appropriate for the task: pencil, ink, and watercolor.