ART 356 - Social Structures of Aesthetics, Philosophy and Criticism in the Arts Credits: 3

Deals with general questions about art. Topics will be to handle abstract ideas, to discuss rationally, to distinguish between objective and subjective statements, to imagine possibilities, and to recognize necessary conditions within a definition. Criticism deals with responding to a specific work as well as a body of work. Two important functions considered are to interpret the meaning of the work and to demonstrate support judgments about the aesthetic merits of the work. Includes exposure to the arts through attendance at various performances, exhibitions, museums, and field trips. The aim is to explore the philosophical and historical aspects of the arts and how they are valued through art criticism. This knowledge will be applied to the environment of art education.