Arts Institute (ARIN)

Related Catalog Entry: Institute of the Arts

Related Mason Website: Institute of the Arts (http://www.gmu.edu/cfa/ioa.html)

101 Arts Pass (2:2:0). Introduction to appreciation of the arts through lecture-demonstration in visual art, music, dance, and theater. Emphasis on aesthetic principles in modern society. Students attend performances and exhibitions and develop analytical skills through written journal and discussion. May be repeated for a total of four credits.

102 Experiencing the Arts (3:1:2). Course reserved for high school students who are enrolled in the Institute of the Arts Summer Academy. Introduction to collaborative and interdisciplinary arts experiences in visual art, music, dance, theater, film, and media through daily intensive immersion in the arts for two and one half weeks. Not repeatable. Satisfactory/no credit.

180 Computers in the Creative Arts (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Declaration of arts as a major. Investigates and presents current computer technologies with special attention and focus on their artistic applications. Basic and intermediate principles of contemporary computer hardware and software systems will be discussed. Overview and comparison is provided of current operating systems, hardware architecture, storage mediums, peripheral devices, and telecommunication systems (internet). Provides an introduction to computer visual imaging, video, sound recording/editing and multimedia authoring software. By participating in interdisciplinary group media projects and individual assignments, students critique and evaluate the artistic potential of various computing environments. At the end of the semester, students publish their results on the courses website.

204/ARTS 204/DANC 204/THR 204 Visual Thinking (3:3:0). Not open to students who have had ARTS 102. Introduction to visual thinking. Topics include information from visual perception, memory, classical and modern art, performance, and dance. Opportunities for students to assess themselves as visual thinkers.

205/ARTS 205/DANC 205/THR 205. Creative Impulses (3:3:0). Study of the creative process, in general, with particular emphasis on the inspiration, working methods, and final creations of various artists. Students are encouraged to explore their own creative processes through regular journal keeping, collaborative exercises, and two major projects.

220, 221 A Cultural History of the Arts: Prehistory to 1800 and 1800 to the Present (4:4:0), (4:4:0). First semester begins with Prehistory and ends at approximately 1800. The second semester covers the 19th and 20th centuries. Course examines the development of dance, music, theater, and the visual arts from a global and cultural-historical perspective. Team-taught by instructors from different arts disciplines, course encourages students to think about the arts in an interdisciplinary way: that is, looking for common threads of vocabulary and thought that connect these related modes of human expression. Throughout the semester students not only observe how the arts have developed across the centuries and cultures, but also examine why one time and place in history might have seen the flowering of one art form but not another.

307/ARTS 307/DANC 307/THR 307 Aesthetic Awareness (3:3:0). Presentation of the historical, philosophical, and aesthetic traditions of the arts, with opportunities for students to confront their own sense of beauty.

308/ARTS 308/DANC 308/THR 308 Cross-Cultural Arts Appreciation (3:3:0). Gives students a cumulative arts experience by tying the subject matter of the course to one of the major cultural productions of the Center for the Arts. Subject matter varies with each offering.

320 The African American Experience in the Performing Arts (3:3:0). Through lectures, slides, audio recordings, videos, and films, examines African American contributions to the cultural fabric of American forms and institutions. Artistic contributions are examined within the aesthetic, political, historical, and social contexts within which they occurred and which they, in turn, have shaped.

350 Seminar in Arts Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Junior standing, admission to the arts administration interdisciplinary minor, or permission of instructor. Seminar course that involves the planning, programming, presentation, funding, and communications involved in managing the visual and performing arts. Course includes guest speakers, case analyses, and semester-long individual and group projects.

399 Special Topics in the Arts (3-6:0:0). In-depth presentation and exploration of topical studies in the arts. Subject matter varies. May be repeated once for credit.

489/ARTS 489/DANC 489/THR 494 Field Experience in the Arts (3-6:0:0). Prerequisite: Junior standing and completion of six credits in IOA courses in the area of residency, ARIN 350, or permission of instructor. An apprenticeship, internship, or project with an organization in the arts or with an individual in the arts, providing an introductory working and learning experience in the field. Must be prearranged with the division director prior to enrollment. May be repeated once for credit.

499 Research/Performance/Topics in the Arts (3-6:0:0). Advanced research, performance, or exploration of topical studies in the arts. May be repeated once for credit.

592 Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Arts Studies (13:3:0). Topics in interdisciplinary arts including dance, theater, film, visual arts, and music. May be repeated for credit.

599 Independent Study (1-6:1-6:0). Prerequisite: Undergraduate degree or equivalent, or permission of instructor. Independent reading, performance, and/or research on a specific project under the direction of a selected faculty member. May include attendance in a parallel undergraduate course. May be repeated for a total of twelve credits.