Fine Arts (ART)
Dr. Mark A. Pottinger
Chair of the Department
The Fine Arts Department offers a minor in Music, Art History, and Digital Media/Studio Art with courses in a wide variety of chronological and topical subjects. The goals of the minors in Fine Arts at Manhattan College are to instruct students in the broad historical and cultural context in which the artwork is developed as well as study the current literature, theory, and technology affecting areas of the discipline today. A minor in Music, Art History, or Digital Media/Studio Art is an ideal choice for a variety of careers. In addition to preparing students for advanced training in Art or Music, the minor is also a wonderful asset in assisting the careers of historians, sociologists, psychologists, teachers, philosophers, copyright lawyers, non-for-profit business managers, writers, critics, journalists, museum curators, librarians, graphic designers, graphic illustrators, photographers, film producers, and advertising executives. To this end, several internship programs are in place to connect students with major record labels, local radio stations, New York City museums, private art galleries, and graphic design firms.
Requirements for a Minor in Music: Fifteen credits of Music, including LLRN 207 (ART 102 may serve as a substitute), ART 208 or ART 209 (three semesters of ART 129, 130, 131, 132, or 133 may serve as a substitute), ART 220, and six credits either on the 300 level (including ART 300, ART 310, ART 330, or ART 390) or from special topic courses in Music (ART 400), presuming a different subject each time. ART 410 and CO-OP 403-04 may serve as a substitute for ART 400 or a 300-level course, presuming that the independent study or the internship focuses on a subject area within Music. The minor contract must be signed and approved by the Chairperson. A minimum grade of C is required for courses to satisfy these requirements.
Requirements for a Minor in Art History: Fifteen credits of Art History, including LLRN 209 (ART 120 may serve as a substitute), and twelve credits either on the 300-level (including ART 320, 321, 322, 323, and 360) or from special topic courses in Art History (ART 402), presuming a different subject each time. ART 404, ART 412, and CO-OP 403-04 may serve as a substitute for ART 402 or a 300-level course, presuming that the independent study or the internship focuses on a subject area within Art History. The minor contract must be signed and approved by the Chairperson. A minimum grade of C is required for courses to satisfy these requirements.
Requirements for a Minor in Digital Media/Studio Art: Fifteen credits of Digital Media, including ART 212, ART 213, ART 214, ART 390, and three credits of ART 402. LLRN 209 or ART 120 may serve as a substitute for ART 402. ART 412 or CO-OP 403-04 may also serve as s substitute for one of the required courses listed above, presuming that the independent study or the internship focuses on a subject area within Digital Media/Studio Art. The minor contract must be signed and approved by the Chairperson. A minimum grade of C is required for courses to satisfy these requirements.
Music Courses
102. Introduction to World Music. A select study of the world’s musical traditions from regions in Africa, the Americas, and the Near and Far East. Through listening and class discussion, students will become familiar with various forms of music making in their historical and cultural contexts. (Cr. 3)
129. *Beginning Vocal Instruction. The elements of vocal production, breathing, control and proper placement of the human voice. May be repeated or combined with ART 130 for a maximum of three credits. (Cr. 1)
130. *Advanced Vocal Instruction. Continuation of ART 129. Study of more advanced vocal literature. May be repeated or combined with ART 129 for a maximum of three credits. Prerequisite: ART 129 or permission of instructor. (Cr. 1)
131. *The Manhattan College Singers. The study and performance of works for mixed vocal ensemble. A public concert is given each term. The student must attend all rehearsals, sectionals, and the final performance for credit. Two hours a week. (Cr. 1)
132. *The Manhattan College Orchestra. The study and performance of works for string and wind orchestra. May be repeated for credit. A public concert is given each term. A short audition is required. The student must attend all rehearsals, sectionals, and the final performance for credit. Two hours a week. (Cr. 1)
133. *The Manhattan College Jazz Band. The study and performance of works for jazz ensemble. May be repeated for credit. A public concert is given each term. The student must attend all rehearsals, sectionals, and the final performance for credit. Two hours a week. (Cr. 1)
*Students may not exceed three credits total in any combination of ART 129, 130, 131, 132, or 133.
208. Piano-MIDI Workshop. A course for those with much, little, or no previous experience, designed to promote the understanding of different styles of music through the study of the piano. The course includes instruction in piano technique, music composition, and MIDI software (e.g., ProTools and Finale) and hardware (e.g., recording equipment, synthesizers, and soundboards). No prior background in computing is necessary. (Cr. 3)
209. Guitar-MIDI Workshop. A course for those with much, little, or no previous experience, designed to promote the understanding of different styles of music through the study of the guitar. The course includes instruction in guitar technique, music composition, and MIDI software (e.g., ProTools and Finale) and hardware (e.g., recording equipment, synthesizers, and sound-boards). No prior background in computing is necessary. Students are required to provide their own guitar. (Cr. 3)
220. The Fundamentals of Music Theory. A study of the rudiments of music and the basic principles of harmony. Topics include rhythm, musical notation, scales, key signatures, intervals, triads, seventh chords, harmonic function, harmonic progression, and elementary counterpoint. Activities include simple composition, harmonization, analysis, ear-training, and dictation drills. (Cr. 3)
300. History of Rock & Roll. Presents a thoughtful approach to the appreciation and understanding of the history of rock and roll. Students are introduced to a variety of factors that influenced the creation of this music including historical, social, philosophical, and aesthetic influences. The musician’s intent, working conditions and biographical factors will also be discussed as they pertain to the creative process. Students will reinforce and expand their analytical skills by reading about and discussing the various styles of music combined to create rock and roll, including blues, country, bluegrass, and gospel music. (Cr. 3)
310. History of the Broadway Musical. Presents the history of the Broadway musical within the larger context of staged musical productions, from the beginnings of operetta to the current trends on Broadway today. The primary focus of study is the development of musical theater in New York City and its implications for the genre worldwide. Students will learn about various musical and theatrical concepts, as well as the political and socio-economic concerns of the Broadway musical of the past and of today. The opportunity for field study will be encouraged through backstage tours, attendance to current productions on Broadway, and lecture presentations at various theaters or other relevant locations in the city. (Cr. 3)
330. History of Jazz. This course investigates the evolution of jazz from its origins in late 19th-century New Orleans to its present-day manifestation as an international musical idiom. With emphasis on contextualization, specific focus is directed to the diverse but interconnected issues of race, culture, politics, commerce, and technology. Equal focus is directed to the music itself. Through the practice of critical listening, students will be conditioned to recognize various jazz styles and their constituent (musical) parts related to rhythm, improvisation, harmony, form, and instrumentation. (Cr. 3)
390. Digital Audio Recording and Editing. See Digital Media/Studio Art.
400. Special Topics in Music. An intensive study of a single composer, genre, period, culture, or issue facing music scholarship today. The subject studied will vary from semester to semester. Previous Special Topic courses include “History of Opera,” “Popular Music Criticism and Journalism,” “Issues in Contemporary Popular Music,” “Music and Romanticism,” “Psychology of Music,” “Gender and Sexuality in Popular Music,” and “Music of the Latin Caribbean.” (Cr. 3)
410. Independent Study. Individual study of a major composer or an aesthetic issue facing music scholarship today with a member of the department. Open only to students who secure the approval of the Chair of the Department and the consent of the individual instructor. A student may elect this course only once for credit towards the Minor in Music. (Cr. 3)
Art History Courses
120. Monuments and Masterpieces from the Non-Western World. A survey and analytical study of selected major architectural monuments and masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and photography from Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cultures. Monuments are placed within cultural and art historical contexts. (Cr. 3)
320. Ancient Art. History of art in the Western tradition from the Paleolithic Age (20,000 B.C.) to the 4th century A.D. Examines the development of civilization in the Near East, Egypt, the early Aegean cultures, the emergence of Greek art, from the Bronze age through the Hellenistic period; and explores the rise and expansion of the Roman Empire; and the period from the beginning of the Christian era to the rule of Emperor Constantine in the 4th-century A.D. A museum assignment requires a visit to the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Brooklyn Museum. (Cr. 3)
321. Medieval Art. The history of art in the Middle Ages, beginning with Early Christian art and continuing through Late Gothic. A museum assignment requires a visit to the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Brooklyn Museum. (Cr. 3)
322. Renaissance Art. This class begins with the early Renaissance in Florence, continues with the High Renaissance in Italy, and concludes with the Renaissance in the North. The basic concepts that distinguish the Renaissance from the Medieval period and modern times are discussed. Individual work is placed within the context of contemporary history, emphasizing humanism, the emerging individualism of the artist, the revival of interest in the ancient world, and the varied responses to the classical heritage. A museum assignment requires a visit to the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Brooklyn Museum. (Cr. 3)
323. Revolutions in Art: 1750-1950. From its roots in the Enlightenment and French Revolution to its radical conclusion in the paintings of the Post-Impressionists, 19th-century art constantly challenged the status quo. This course will examine the innovations of the major artists and movements that led to the clash between an authoritative classicism and a refractory romanticism, the birth of landscape painting, the emergence of a subversive avant-garde, and the development of a radical new painting that became the foundation of modern art. The focus will be on how artists as diverse as David, Goya, Turner, Daumier, Courbet, Monet, Cezanne, van Gogh, and Munch developed new visions in response to the century’s political, social, and technological upheaval, including the rise of Napoleon, urbanization and the modernization of Paris, empirical scientific discoveries, the challenge to bourgeois values, and the exploration of the human psyche by Sigmund Freud. Emphasis is on the mainstream historical movements in art history, including Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism. (Cr. 3)
360. New York City Architecture, Urbanism & Design. From the Federal-style row house to the modern skyscraper, New York’s architectural heritage is compelling. This course is an introduction to the philosophy and the socio-economic/political forces that have shaped our city. Using the city as a classroom, students experience architecture and the urban environment – look, touch, discuss, question. Classes take place on site, at various Manhattan locations. (Cr. 3)
402. Special Topics in Art. An intensive study of a single artist, genre, period, culture, or issue facing visual art scholarship today. The subject studied will vary from semester to semester. A student may elect this course as often as four times for the art history minor, presuming a different subject each time. Offered every semester. Previous special topic courses include “History of Photography,” “Art Between the World Wars,” “History of Modern Art,” “History of Fashion,” and “Video Editing and Production.” (Cr. 3)
403. American Art. Examines American painting, sculpture, architecture, graphic art and selected decorative arts from the colonial period to 1970. Special emphasis is on correspondences and parallels with European culture, the unique characteristics of American realism, and the social and political contexts. Topics include the emergence of American art, 1760-1840; the American Romantic tradition as seen in the Hudson River School and Luminism; the insurgent Realists of The Ashcan School; the pioneers of American Modernism; and the Abstract Expressionists. Artists and architects discussed include West, Copley, Jefferson, Cole, Durand, Powers, Church, Homer, Eakins, Whistler, Cassatt, Moran, Sullivan, Wright, Tanner, Hopper, Bearden, Lawrence, Stieglitz, O’Keeffe, Pollock, Rothko, Pousette-Dart and others. (Cr. 3)
404. The New York Skyscraper. An introduction to the art of building, concentrating on the skyscraper in New York City, and dealing only with such earlier work as relates to its background and development. Attention is given to planning, style, and engineering. The course features lectures, tours, and visits to studios. (Cr. 3)
412. Independent Study. Individual study of a major artist, architect, or aesthetical issue facing art history scholarship today with a member of the department. Open only to students who secure the approval of the Chair of the Department and the consent of the individual instructor. A student may elect this course only once for credit towards the Minor in Art History. (Cr. 3)
435. Current Trends. A course to introduce the student to the current New York Art Scene. There will be visits to galleries, studios, museums and performance spaces. (Cr. 3)
Digital Media/Studio Art Courses
212. Art of Digital Photography. This course focuses on the creation of conceptually oriented digital prints, the history and aesthetics of digital art, and a thorough understanding of Photoshop, color management, digital cameras, and ink jet printing. There will be extensive instruction of Adobe Photoshop CS and the Epson 4000 professional-grade ink jet printer, which will facilitate the creation of digital prints. In addition to weekly discussions there will be tri-weekly critiques of the work produced that will scrutinize the student’s objectives, intentions, conceptual ideas, and technical skill. Materials fee: $50. (Cr. 3)
213. Digital Drawing. A beginning class in drawing designed to introduce students to a wide variety of skills and experiences ranging from still-life, portraiture, perspective and shading to the dynamic use of the figure, as in drawing choreography, all within a Macintosh-computer environment. Students will be given a Wacom digital sketch pad to be used throughout the course of the semester. (Cr. 3)
214. Introduction to Graphic Design. This course facilitates your understanding of and participation in the process of making graphic design from the initial choice of a topic through the working stages to the finished presentation. We will learn to use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator computer programs. General knowledge of the PC-based Windows operating system is required. Some minor visual arts knowledge is highly recommended. Materials fee: $50. (Cr. 3)
390. Digital Audio Recording and Editing. This course covers a number of topics relevant to music and digital technology. Though a thorough knowledge of music is not a prerequisite, this course is geared towards gaining familiarity with the language of music editing, recording, and production. While ProTools will be the main software for recording musical and other sonic schemes, the scope of this class will include working with Reason (a virtual synthesis program), Finale (music notation software), and GarageBand. Students will have access to Apple MacIntels and DigiDesign Mbox2 Sound Modules. (Cr. 3)