Dr. Terri Switzer
Professor of Art History
Chair, Art Department
563/333-6142
SwitzerTerri@sau.edu

PhD in Art History, Indiana University, 2002
Major focus: 19th – 20th century Modern art
Dissertation: Nationalism in Hungarian Art, c. 1860-1920
MA in Arts Administration, Indiana University, 1998
MA in Art History, Indiana University, 1996
BA Butler University, 1991
Majors: Economics, International Studies, French
Minor: Russian

Art History Minor:
Requirements for an Art History Minor for students majoring in Fine Arts, Book Arts, Graphic Design, and/or Art Education: 18 credits of Art History.

Requirements for an Art History Minor for disciplines other than Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Book Arts and/or Art Education: 15 credits of art history plus one of the following: ART 100, ART 201, ART 220, or ART 233.

Art History courses offered:
Art 250 Art through the Ages I / Dr. Terri Switzer
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the different styles and functions of art during the historical periods leading up to the late Middle Ages, and to give them the background and tools for understanding the visual culture of each period against the cultural background of their times. The course provides an overview of the following civilizations and periods: the Stone Age, Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Aegean, the Greek and Roman Empires, the Christian Style, the Byzantine Empire, Islam, and the Medieval periods in Western Europe (Middle Ages, Romanesque and Gothic).
Recommended for freshman year for all art majors / minors.
Course sequence information: offered every fall; periodically offered as 2-week course in May session.

Art 251 Art through the Ages II / Dr. Terri Switzer
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the different styles and functions of art during the historical periods from late Middle Ages through the present day, and to give them the background and tools for understanding the visual culture of each period against the cultural background of their times. The course provides an overview of the following regions, periods and styles: the Italian Renaissance, Northern Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries (and the influence of the Reformation on art), the Counter-Reformation and Mannerism in Southern Europe, the Baroque and Rococo periods, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Expressionism, Cubism, Dada & Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Photorealism, and Feminist Contemporary Art.
Recommended for freshman year for all art majors / minors.
Course sequence information: offered every spring; periodically offered as 2-week course in regular summer session.

Art 320 Advanced Topics in Art History: History of Graphic Design / Dr. Terri Switzer
Students will acquire a deeper understanding of the subject through an exploration of the differing styles, periods, significant contributors and developments within the field of graphic design.  Course material will cover the development of the major movements, ideas and artists, including precursors to the tradition, illuminated manuscripts, early print technology, the impact of the industrial revolution and photography on visual communications, illustration and poster design, international movements in graphic design (such as Arts and Crafts, or Bauhaus), and significant contemporary artists within the field.  Students will be expected to critically analyze these works against the cultural background of their times. 
Course sequence information: Art 320 courses generally rotate on an every-third-semester cycle.

Art 320 Advanced Topics in Art History: Russian Art / Dr. Terri Switzer
The terms "Russian Art" cover a broad range of artistic forms and purposes, distinguished by sudden, radical changes of direction.  Art from the former Soviet Union encompasses everything from reverent icon painting to Socialist Realist imagery glorifying the ideals of the state and the worker.  This course will follow the evolution of Russian art from the 10th century to the present, placing the nation's painting, sculpture, and architecture in a cultural, social, political and historical perspective. 
Course sequence information: Art 320 courses generally rotate on an every-third-semester cycle.

Art 320 Advanced Topics in Art History: Comics / Dr. Terri Switzer
Students in Language of Comics will acquire a deeper understanding of the subject through an exploration of the differing styles, periods, significant contributors and developments within the field.  Course material will cover the development of the major movements, ideas and artists, including precursors to the tradition, broadsheets and "comic papers", mainstream pop culture heroes and storylines, underground "comix" of the 1960s and 1970s, feminism and comics culture, international movements in the comics tradition, and significant contemporary artists within the field of comics and graphic novels.  Students will be expected to critically analyze these works against the cultural background of their times. 
Course sequence information: Art 320 courses generally rotate on an every-third-semester cycle.

Art 320 Advanced Topics in Art History: Mythic Image / Dr. Terri Switzer
Throughout the history of art and culture, artists and storytellers have repeatedly revisited certain themes, depicting and re-creating symbols based on myths, legends and folklore quite familiar to their contemporary audiences. The representation of certain themes has often occurred in response to the specific historical context of the time, making it more difficult for present-day viewers to fully appreciate a given work. In this course, students will be presented with archetypes and examples covering a broad range of both Western and non-Western art and pop culture arranged thematically rather than chronologically. Visual imagery will include representations of heroes, villains, saviors, heroines, virgins, and fallen women, as well as broader themes such as images of creation or tragedies. Students will read characters, storylines and images for meanings, searching for ways the subjects might have been adjusted to suit the agenda of the time.
Course sequence information: Art 320 courses generally rotate on an every-third-semester cycle.

Art 350-WI American Art / Dr. Terri Switzer
In this course, students will examine the major issues and developments in American painting, photography, graphic arts and sculpture, from the colonial period through contemporary American art.  Students will analyze portrayals of the nation's visual icons, investigating the ways in which American visual culture has reflected our history.  Students will follow the historical development of the imagery, questioning the meanings and agendas upon which the images have been constructed.  Because this is a writing intensive course, students will also respond to the readings and class discussions through critical response papers.  Among the themes to be addressed are: representations of race, class, and gender; patronage in American art; art and history; art and politics; art and the frontier; art and the landscape; etc. 
Course sequence information: one Writing Intensive course offered per year.

Art 351-WI Modern Art / Dr. Terri Switzer
The goal of this course is to instill a greater appreciation of art by providing a vocabulary for analysis and a general understanding of the differing styles and functions of modern art.  Course material will cover the development of the major movements, ideas and artists of the twentieth century, examining the key monuments of each movement against the cultural background of their times. 
Course sequence information: one Writing Intensive course offered per year.

Art History courses offered periodically by other instructors:
Art 320 Advanced Topics in Art History: Christian History (Dr. Dan Lacorte, SAU History Department)
Art 320 Advanced Topics in Art History: Greek Art History (SAU History Department)
Art 320 Advanced Topics in Art History: Roman Art History (SAU History Department)
Art 320 Advanced Topics in Art History: Contemporary Art
Art 352 Non-Western Art: Japanese Art

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