Art History
Instructor: Kathryn Shields
Art history courses at Guilford College are designed to help students develop the skills of careful looking, intentional research, and clear writing. We study both the formal design elements and visual language of artworks as well as their underlying meaning. Teachers help students begin developing a deeper level of understanding of art by exploring an artist’s intentions, the context behind the creation of an artwork, critical responses to art, and the historical impact these pieces have had over time.
Studying art history helps art majors by making them more aware of their own discipline and by teaching them ways to more fully articulate ideas, both verbally and visually. The art history professor also advises Senior Thesis students and contributes feedback during thesis critiques.
Art history courses include Introduction to the Visual Arts; Arts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas; Modern Art; Contemporary Art; and History of Photography, in addition to special topics courses, like Photography and a Sense of Place and The History of Portraits and Self-Portraits. A minor in art history is available to all Guilford students.