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Hi, my name is Carmen Dean and I will be your instructor for the History of Art. Because
this class will require a lot of group participation, I want to make sure we all get to know each
other and I’d like to start by telling you a little bit about myself.
Here’s a picture of me thinking about how to make this class enjoyable for all of you.
I was born in Los Angeles and I’ve lived here all my life. I enjoy LA particularly
because of the art and cultural offerings and experiences that can be found here.
I enjoy spending time with my family. We can be very silly at times, as you can see. I
have a twin sister who lives in San Francisco. We’re very close and we share a lot of similar
interests. I have two children. Here they are on the top right young and energetic and
in the picture below they are all grown up. Both are involved in the educational community
as well. My daughter teaches high school in Mexico and my son is working on his PhD in
English literature and teaching college courses.
I love taking pictures and experimenting with photography.
I’ve worked in the field of education for more than 30 years. I began as a classroom
teacher.
Most recently I was an instructional technology consultant for the Los Angeles County Office
of Education where I provided professional development. As you can see, I loved my job.
I also volunteer on the Board of Directors for a non-profit which I helped found called
Metafour productions. Part of our nonprofit sponsors a website where students create art
with meaning to help this world become a better place.
So let’s talk a little bit about what you can expect from this course. This course offers
a survey of art history by an examination of major works and eras. To be successful
in this class you will need to read, observe and participate in class assignments. Through
group discussions, reflections and projects you will demonstrate the ability to establish
relevant connections and critical ways of looking at and thinking about art.
Your grade in this class will consist of: 20% group discussions, 20% reflections, 20%
Museum Responses, and 40% a digital narrative Project. You will learn more about each of
these assignments as the course progresses.
Using webinars, articles, images, and museum visits, you will examine key issues in the
field of art history, by exploring a series of questions that art historians ask.
The first of these questions is: How old is the object? Art historians have a number of
methods for determining this including: physical, documentary, and stylistic evidence.
The second question is: What is the style of the piece? Style can be determined by period
or region.
And can also be determined by an artist’s personal style.
The next question is: What is the subject of the work? Subjects may include narrative,
landscape, genre, still life and more.
Who created the work?
Who paid for the work of art? Often the patron has a great deal to do with the subject matter
and style of a piece.
These are just samples of some of the ways we will approach looking at art together in
this class. I look forward to getting to know each of you and learning your thoughts and
ideas. See you online!