10 Art Theory Course Programs

The honors minor program in Art Theory and Criticism merges diverse aspects of visual studies into a unique curriculum, providing the students with an understanding of the major intellectual trends and debates in the visual arts, including art history, theory, criticism, and museum studies. This comprises a study of the new philosophies of vision that have emerged over the past decades and affected our ways of seeing and the new technologies and media that have redefined lifestyles and social relations.

Each year over 500 students across the Claremont Colleges enroll in thirty-nine courses offered by the Scripps Art faculty in: art theory, book arts, ceramics, digital art, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Courses are designed to integrate theory and practice, enabling students to express their knowledge through research and diverse creative forms that can foster and enhance social discourse. The Art Department offers a rich and distinctive program that prepares our majors to pursue graduate work and careers in art, media, education, and the non-profit sector.

Art: Critical and Contextual Studies involves short projects on subjects such as the function of art, curation, autobiography and art, beauty, the representation of women and modern architecture. Expanding upon these starting points you will research your own areas of interest, producing essays and a practical outcome. You can choose to work in ways which suit your skills and interests; for example, producing an illustrated gallery guide, scripts, architectural models, films, photography and painting. The course will extend your knowledge of art and design across all disciplines, and develop your critical thinking skills.

The study of art & art history is central to a liberal arts education, especially in a world increasingly shaped by images and seemingly endless visual information.

Suitable for the graphic design major, an advanced studio minor allows you to continue your visual art studies in a hands-on manner at a more advanced level.

How can an art object convey meaning? The Art History concentration offers students the opportunity to analyze visual images and deepen their understanding of the role such images play in societies and cultures, past and present.

The Smith art department embraces the history of art, studio practice and architecture. We are committed to cultivating visual literacy and understanding artistic production in different cultures throughout time and our own media-saturated presence in all three areas.

Over the course of the summer, we offer a range of art and design subjects that will give you a broad introduction to the subject area,

Art, Graphic Arts, Theatre and Music, it’s all here. Whether it’s on the stage or at the design board, we have many different options.

A combined historical and thematic survey of select fields that comprise the Humanities and the various approaches and methods they employ in furthering our understanding of the human experience.