Courses
Summer and Fall 2025 | Spring 2026
Summer 2025 Course Offering
Summer Session 2
HART 2325: Great Masters of the Italian Renaissance
A roughly chronological introductory survey of the major developments in Italian Art from the late Gothic to the High Renaissance, ca. 1300-1520. Landmarks in painting, sculpture, and architecture in central Italy, focusing on Siena, Florence, and Rome. Trecento Sienese masters Duccio and the Lorenzetti; Giotto, Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, and Leonardo in Florence; and Michelangelo and Raphael in Rome. Tempera and fresco technique; civic, ecclesiastic, and domestic buildings; stylistic progression, context and meaning. This course will count toward the “Renaissance and Baroque” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Sheri Shaneyfelt (AXLE: INT; CORE: A and C).
Fall 2025 Course Offerings
Please note that courses are arranged by Subject Area: Introductory survey courses, 1000W courses, then courses in Global, Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, and Modern Art, followed by Elective and Museum Studies courses and Advanced Seminars.
HART 1100: History of Western Art: Ancient to Medieval Art
An introduction, through lectures and readings, to the extraordinary range of works of art and architecture produced in the first 30,000 years of Western civilization up to about 1400–from the Prehistoric through Ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Medieval cultures. The first goal of this course is to enable students to apply the methods and vocabulary of art history in their thinking and writing, so that they will be able to analyze and compare the formal qualities of works of art. The second will be to deepen our understanding of the works we study by reading selected primary sources contemporary with the works of art, to learn something of their social, religious, and cultural circumstances. Counts toward HART Major, Minor, and ARCH Major, Minor as a 1000-level course. [3] Elizabeth Moodey. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: C).
HART 1105: History of Western Art: Renaissance to Modern Art
An introductory survey of Western art history from the Renaissance to the Modern period, considering primarily painting, sculpture, and architecture. Please note that the chronological and thematic range of material covered will vary somewhat depending on the instructor. HART 1105 is intended to provide a historical understanding of the major artistic movements within the Western visual tradition, and to encourage students to develop a literate and critical eye. Attention is given to works of specific artists, as well as cultural factors that affect the visual arts from production to reception. Counts toward HART major, minor, and ARCH major, minor as a 1000-level course. [3] Jack Crawford. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: C).
HART 1200: Arts of East Asia
An exploration of the cultural traditions of East Asia–China, Japan, and Korea–including sculpture, painting, and architecture with a focus on historical, religious, philosophical, and cultural background. Early funerary and Buddhist art in East Asia; the early modern – Ming/Qing (China), Choson (Korea), and Edo (Japan) – from the 14th century onward; modern and contemporary eras from the mid-19th to the 21st century. Counts toward HART Major, Minor, and ARCH Major, Minor as a 1000-level course. [3] Tracy Miller. (AXLE: INT; CORE: A and C).
HART 1285W: Introduction to Medieval Art
The period we call the Middle Ages was once considered the murky space between antiquity and modernity, but it includes a variety of distinctive cultures and their achievements in works as diverse as tiny illuminated manuscripts, massive stone cathedrals, tapestries woven with gold, fine metalwork for devotion and adornment, and sculpture for the dead. This course looks primarily at the art of Western Europe, with attention to Byzantine and Islamic art, from about the third to the fifteenth century. The visual arts are our primary focus, but we will also consider the religious, political, and social forces that shaped them, and the people who created and used them. Although we will be using works of art and art-historical articles as subjects, students will become familiar with forms and conventions that will be useful for academic writing in general, especially in the humanities. Will count toward the HART Major or Minor as an elective with departmental permission. (Note: the “Medieval” requirement for the HART major requires a 2000-level course or above, see below in course listings). [3] Elizabeth Moodey. (AXLE: INT; CORE: A and C).
HART 1400: U.S. Icons and Monuments
This course will examine the icons and monuments of American visual art and culture. Why are certain images of people, historical events, and/or national symbols revered in the U.S. and renowned throughout the world? We begin with the assumption that monuments and icons are not neutral: they are often contentious. Some of the questions raised by them follow: What do they say about national identity, historical memory, or political ideologies? How do they convey a common set of ideals and values that creates an overarching sense of unity and identity in American society? Conversely, how and why do different social groups contest certain monuments? The course, in other words, is not a survey but instead an in-depth analysis of specific artworks, texts, or visual artifacts, which we will study in a chronological manner. Counts toward HART Major, Minor, and ARCH Major, Minor as a 1000-level course; counts as an Elective toward the new Museum Studies Minor (available Fall 2025). [3] Kevin Murphy. (AXLE: US; CORE: C and E).
HART 2112W: The Arts of China during the Liao-Song Period
Art and architecture of China during the Liao-Song period from C.E. 907 to C.E. 1279. Political, religious, and aesthetic contexts. Influence of coastal trade and pilgrimage in transformations of painting, sculpture, ceramics, and architecture. This course will count toward the “Global” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. Serves as repeat credit for students who have completed HART 3112. [3] Tracy Miller. (AXLE: INT; CORE: A and C).
HART 2779: Histories of Global Urbanism
Cultural interactions between peoples and built environment. Worldwide roots of urban form and life from first glimmers of modernity to recent history’s standardized and networked commercial, post-colonial, and post-industrial city. Aesthetic appreciation of and engagement with urban planning, architecture, storytelling, intimacy, and informality. This course will count toward the “Global” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Peter Chesney. (AXLE: P; CORE: B and C).
HART 2815W: Digital Heritage, Methods and Practice: The Ainu Peoples of Japan
Case-based introduction to digital applications in history of art and archaeology. Theory, research design, current methods of photogrammetry, 2D and 3D modeling, and immersive environments. Mapping and spatial analysis. Data management, digital publishing, writing formats. May be repeated for credit with permission of the faculty. This course will count toward the “Global” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor; counts as an Elective for the new Museum Studies Minor (available Fall 2025). Serves as repeat credit for students who have completed ANTH 3867. [3] Susan Dine. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: A and D).
HART 2250/CLAS 2250: Roman Art and Architecture
Comprehensive introduction to architecture, sculpture, painting, and minor arts of the Roman world from the Republican period through the Imperial period, emperors Augustus through Constantine. Variable emphasis on topics ranging from major genres, styles, and programs of commemorative and decorative art, narrative, and political iconography, building types and functions, architectural technology and symbolism. City planning and landscape design, and case studies from Italy and the provinces. Daily life of the Romans as seen in excavations of the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. This course will count toward the “Ancient” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART Major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Betsey Robinson. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: C).
HART 2254W: Pompeii: Life and Death of a Roman City
Destroyed in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE, the city of Pompeii is a unique time-capsule, preserving physical evidence for all aspects of public and private life, social structures, and religion. This seminar will study Pompeii’s evolution from origins through final days. We will consider urban form and monuments, analyzing art, inscriptions, gardens, and waterworks. We will explore city amenities, from theaters and amphitheater to baths and brothels, and we will reconstruct domestic and public ritual practices. We will witness Pompeii’s destruction in contemporary literature and track its afterlife since eighteenth-century rediscovery. This course will count toward the “Ancient” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART Major; as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Betsey Robinson. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: A and C).
HART 2270: Early Christian and Byzantine Art
In this course, we will study art and architecture of the Byzantine Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean basin and its capital Constantinople, Istanbul in modern-day Turkey. We will consider the arts that had marked the legacy of Eastern Christendom for more than a millennium, ca. 300-1500 A.D., from various vantage points, attempting to better understand their role in the Western civilization and global world. Thus, we will also learn about Byzantine art legacies beyond the Byzantine Empire (may include Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sicily and Venice, Turkey, Western Europe, and the United States). Particular questions will deal with cultural and artistic exchanges between the Byzantine and other societies. This course will count toward the “Medieval” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART Major; as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Jelena Bogdanovic. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: A and C).
HART 2320W: The Italian Renaissance Workshop
A consideration of Italian Renaissance artists’ workshops and the collaborative artistic process, covering material from the 14th into the 16th century, but with a focus on the fifteenth century in Florence. We will study the organization, structure, and production of shops, painting and sculpture techniques, and the role of artists in society. Case studies will include artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Andrea del Verrocchio and the young Leonardo da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli. This course will count toward the “Renaissance and Baroque” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major and as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor. [3] Sheri Shaneyfelt. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: A and D).
HART 2323: Early Renaissance Florence
Major masters and works from Early Renaissance Florence during the Quattrocento, i.e., the Fifteenth Century, ca. 1400-1500. We will primarily consider works of painting and sculpture that are part of larger decorative programs, with the inclusion of architectural principles and monuments when appropriate to our topic of discussion. Key masters to be considered during the semester, time permitting, will include Giotto di Bondone, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, Filippo Brunelleschi, Leonbattista Alberti, Masaccio, Fra Angelico, Andrea del Verrocchio and the young Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico del Ghirlandaio and the young Michelangelo Buonarroti. In class lecture and discussion, there will be particular emphasis upon stylistic progression and connoisseurship, iconographic interpretation and meaning, the role of patronage and audience, original physical and cultural context, and the Italian Renaissance workshop tradition. This course will count toward the “Renaissance and Baroque” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major and as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor. Serves as repeat credit for students who have completed HART 3320. [3] Sheri Shaneyfelt. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: A and C).
HART 2710: European Modernism, 1865-1945
A survey of major movements and artists, with a focus on painting, along with some consideration of collage, readymade, prints, and photography. Major artistic movements studied will include Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Futurism, Dada, and Surrealism. Some of the principal artists we will consider are Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Piet Mondrian, Hannah Höch, and Salvador Dalí, among many others. This course will count toward the “Modern” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major and as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor. [3] Jack Crawford. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: C).
HART 2720: Modern Architecture
What is modernity, and how can and should it manifest in built form? Can the built environment change society? Politics? Can it be inherently just or unjust? What is encompassed by architecture?…Buildings? Drawings? Cities? Vehicles? Manifestoes? Networks? These are among the questions addressed by the architects and intellectuals who collectively created and advanced architectural Modernism. The same body of questions faces contemporary scholars and practitioners, who today appraise these questions and the debates over them for clues to understanding history, theory, society, and practice. We will consider the history of architecture from the mid 19th century to the near-present. The course will focus on, but will not be limited to, architectural Modernism as ideological system and body of production, setting a critical, retrospective eye on its self-definition, its evolution, and its divergent and heretical currents. The course will engage the canon of modernism on its own terms and in light of its lesser-known and repressed alternatives, highlighting in particular its failures with regard to gender and race. Indeed, the course will examine and question the validity of the category of Modernism itself. The relationships among historical events, philosophical currents, and the production of the built world will feature prominently, with an emphasis on architecture’s dual character as cultural output and usable product. This course will count toward the “Modern” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART Major; as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Matthew Worsnick. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: C and E).
HART 2750: African American Art
This course is an introductory survey of African American art and visual culture from the Colonial Era to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the cultural, social, and political contexts surrounding African American artistic production. Organized chronologically and thematically, the course will explore issues related to artistic identity, gender, the politics of display, political activism and art, as well as the influence of European and African art practices on African American artists. While the course focus is on traditional fine art such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing, we will also explore photography, film, collage, and the importance of “folk art” and craftsmanship such as pottery and quilting, especially for enslaved or formerly enslaved makers. In addition to lectures and discussions, this class includes museum visits and guest lectures. Students will leave this course with a toolkit that you can use beyond Art History: critical thinking, analysis of visual images and objects, developing original arguments, and connecting visual literacy to racial literacy. This course will count toward the “Modern” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major and as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor. [3] Rebecca VanDiver. (AXLE: P; CORE: C and E).
HART 2805: Introduction to Museum Studies
Fundamentals of museum history; diversity, theory, current practices, and ethics related to collecting and collection management, interpretation, and display. Global perspectives with emphasis on Euro-American museums. Museums of Art, Anthropology, History, and Science. Includes site visits to local museums. This course will count as an Elective for the HART major and HART minor and is a required course for the new Museum Studies Minor (available Fall 2025). [3] Susan Dine. (AXLE: P; CORE: B and E).
HART 3810W: Advanced Seminar-Exhibiting Historical Art: Scent and Meaning in Art
In this seminar course, students learn research methods and principles of object organization and display. In the Fall 2025 semester iteration of this course, students will contribute to the construction, planning, and execution of the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art (VUMA)’s “Scent” exhibition (January-May 2026), which examines how and why the sense of smell has been represented within art from different cultures and time periods. This course will count as an Advanced Seminar or as an Elective for the HART major; and as an Elective for the HART minor and the new Museum Studies Minor (available Fall 2025). [3] Susan Dine. (AXLE: HCA).
HART 3825W: Advanced Seminar-Meaning and Form in Architecture
Critical study of meaning and form in architecture and human-made environments in various cultural contexts examined from historical and theoretical perspectives. Diverse approaches and methodologies for addressing formalism in architecture and the visual arts. This course will count as an Advanced Seminar for the ARCH major, or as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major; counts as an Elective for the ARCH Minor; it will also count as an Advanced Seminar for the HART major, or as an Elective for the HART minor. [3] Jelena Bogdanovic. (AXLE: HCA).
Spring 2026 Course Offerings
The below courses are tentatively planned for Spring 2026. Please refer to the final class list in YES when arranging your course schedule.
Please note that courses are arranged by Subject Area: Introductory survey courses, 1000W courses, then courses in Global, Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, and Modern Art, followed by Elective and Museum Studies courses and Advanced Seminars.
CLAS 1020: Introduction to Mediterranean Archaeology
Iron Age through Middle Ages (ca. 1000 BCE-1500 CE). Remains of Greeks, Romans, and related peoples of southern Europe, north Africa, and the Near East. Society, economy, religion, urbanism. Human settlement and natural environment. Classical and Renaissance paradigms. Modern theory of material and visual culture. Techniques of data collection, analysis, and curation. Counts toward HART major, Minor, and ARCH major, minor as a 1000-level course. [3] Jelena Bogdanovic. (AXLE: (SBS; CORE: C).
HART 1121: History of Western Architecture I
From prehistoric Europe and Western Asia to Renaissance Italy and the Ottoman Golden Age. Form and function; historical, social, spatial contexts; architects and patrons. Counts toward HART Major, Minor, and ARCH Major, Minor as a 1000-level course. [3] Betsey Robinson. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: C).
HART 1210W: Art and Ritual in Asia
This course explores the arts of Asia through the lens of their ritual function across time. We will ask the questions: How has art-making developed in response to social and religious rituals over the course of centuries? In what ways have diverse social formations and religious traditions shaped rituals to suit their needs, and what are the different roles that the arts have played in them? What characteristics unite, as well as distinguish, the arts of the different Asian sub-regions? Finally, in the age of globalization, how have various cultures preserved their artistic traditions and rituals? Class time will be divided between lecture and discussions of both Asian art—in China, Japan, Korea, India, and elsewhere—and the craft of writing itself. The collections of the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery will provide prompts for some writing activities. Will count toward the HART major or minor as an elective with departmental permission. (Note: the “Global” requirement for the HART major requires a 2000-level course or above, see below in course listings). [3] Susan Dine. (AXLE: INT; CORE: A and C).
HART 1600: Global Modern Art
Selective, chronological survey of transnational art ca. 1700–1960. Cultural cross-pollination among Europe and Americas, Asia, and Africa as well as global modernisms. Art of New Spain, Orientalism, Realisms, Global Surrealism, and Geometric Abstraction in South America. Counts toward HART major, minor as a 1000-level course. [3] Jack Crawford. (AXLE: INT; CORE: C and E).
HART 1740W: Introduction to Design Studies
Design encompasses us. From the typeface in which these words are printed to the buildings that keep our classrooms comfortable to the forester-managed national parks that we visit in order to escape the artificial city, we inhabit an age in which everything on our planet is a product of human design. And designers, born into a thoroughly designed world, continue to revise and recreate that world. Indeed, the relationship between design and society are profoundly reciprocal. This class critically examines the exchange between the designed world of objects, images, and experiences, and the culture that creates, manipulates, and absorbs these designs. Our work together will lead to new questions and innovative ways of thinking about our material and immaterial worlds. Will count toward the HART major or minor as an elective with departmental permission; counts toward ARCH major, minor as a 1000-level course. [3] Matthew Worsnick. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: A and E).
HART 2105W/CORE 2500: Sacred Geographies of China
The built environment of traditional China is an intersection of the sacred and the secular. Residences and ritual spaces were supposedly constructed to accord with the forces of nature and the cosmos. Or were they? This seminar will examine ideas of the sacred as expressed in the forms of traditional houses, temples, monasteries, and cities in traditional China to explore the role of the built environment in the shaping of social and spiritual lives. Topics will include charms and building magic, the influence of natural land forms on the placement of temples and tombs, the garden as terrestrial residence for divinity, and the idea of the Chinese imperial city as the sacred earthly center. This course will count toward the “Global” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART Major; as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Tracy Miller. (AXLE: INT; CORE: 2500 and A and C).
HART 2151: Architecture and Gardens in Imperial China
This course is an introduction to the rich and complex architectural tradition of China during its imperial period (221 BCE – 1911). We will be exploring changes in the society, imperial institution, and intellectual traditions of China through its built environment. Topics to be discussed include: theories behind building and fengshui, imperial city planning, the creation of imperial temples to control the forces of nature, the impact of Buddhism on ritual architecture, the monastic and temple complexes of religious Daoism and Confucianism, the development of landscape art and its manifestation in Imperial and private contexts, and the encoding of patriarchy in the vernacular architecture of both north and south China. The course is structured chronologically, but within each time period emphasis will be placed on the cultural context of the works discussed, be it practical, political, or spiritual. This course will count toward the “Global” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART Major; as a 2000-level course for the HART Minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Tracy Miller. (AXLE: INT; CORE: A and C).
CLAS 2180: The Mediterranean World from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages
Eastern Roman Empire from Constantine to Arab conquests. Political, social, cultural, and religious history, including monasticism, barbarian invasions, changing roles of Emperor and Church, and birth of Islam. Developments in urban life and landscape. This course will count toward the “Medieval” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor and as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Jelena Bogdanovic (AXLE: INT).
HART 2285: Medieval Art
An introduction to the major and minor arts of later medieval Europe in the West from ca. 1000- ca. 1400 CE. Lectures will provide a chronological armature for the course, readings will suggest themes beyond the stylistic development of Romanesque and Gothic art, and primary sources will allow us a glimpse of the concerns of medieval people. The patronage of this period is overwhelmingly Christian, and our focus will be on Western Europe, but we will also consider the impact of the art of the Byzantine Church, and the art that emerged with the coming of Islam in the 7th century. This course will count toward the “Medieval” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Elizabeth Moodey. (AXLE: INT; CORE: C).
HART 2362: Fifteenth-Century Northern European Art
A survey of the major developments in the painting and sculpture of Northern Europe, including the Netherlands and France, from the mid- to late fourteenth through the fifteenth century. Our focus will be on Netherlandish Painting, and key artists to be considered, time permitting, include the Limbourg Brothers, Claus Sluter, Jan van Eyck, Robert Campin (the Master of Flémalle), Rogier van der Weyden, Dieric Bouts, Petrus Christus, Hugo van der Goes, Geertgen tot sint Jans, Hans Memling, Gerard David, and Hieronymus Bosch. Our analysis of the period will progress roughly chronologically, as we consider specific artists and regional schools. In class lecture and discussion, there will be particular emphasis upon stylistic progression, iconographic interpretation and meaning, the role of patronage and audience, original physical and cultural context, the workshop tradition, and scientific analysis. This course will count toward the “Renaissance and Baroque” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; and as a 2000-level course for the HART minor. [3] Sheri Shaneyfelt. (AXLE: HCA; CORE: A and C).
HART 2737: History of Performance Art
History and theory of performance art in the twentieth century. Interdisciplinary approach covering dance, theater, film/video, and cabaret with focus on performance activities of artists trained in visual arts. Futurism, Dada, Ballet Russes, Bauhaus, Modern Dance, Drag, and Feminist Body Art. This course will count toward the “Modern” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor. [3] Jack Crawford. (AXLE: P; CORE: A and C).
HART 2783: New York City Architecture and Urbanism
Introduction to history of the built environment of New York City from seventeenth century to the present with an emphasis on 20th century. This course analyzes architecture, urban planning, technologies of construction and transportation, the development of neighborhoods, and urban parks with attention to class and race, immigration, economics, and local manifestations of global forces. This course will count toward the “Modern” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor; as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH Major, ARCH Minor. [3] Matthew Worsnick. (AXLE: US; CORE: TBD).
HART 2808W: Contemporary Issues in Museums
This course is a dive into contemporary controversies and challenges in museum work via three units. We will examine the shifting place of museums in societies today in light of their histories, practice, and the scholarly and public responses to them. We will look at a set of local Nashville institutions through a lens of the course content, which will address a series of core issues within each of the unit topics and some representative case studies in each. Discussion and writing will be core to working through the (often controversial) material in this class. Topics include: collecting and display, human remains in collections, restitution and repatriation, accessibility, colonial histories, DEI/EDI concerns and efforts, economics of cultural heritage, and more. The course will include guest speakers and visits to local museums. This course will count as an Elective for the HART major and HART minor and is a required course for the new Museum Studies Minor (available Fall 2025). [3] Susan Dine, Rebecca VanDiver. (AXLE: P; CORE: A and E).
HART 2812: Museum Practice-Collection Management
In this course, we will explore the policies, practices, and techniques involved in managing museum collections. The course covers key aspects such as acquisition, documentation, preservation, conservation, deaccessioning, cataloging, and access, all within the context of ethical considerations and professional standards. We will engage with the history of collection management over the last few centuries, case studies, practical exercises, and real-world examples to develop the skills necessary for effective collections management for different museum settings. In the Spring 2026 semester, we will specifically be focusing on an ongoing project of developing the collection management policies for the natural history collection on Vanderbilt’s campus, working on cataloging, organizing, and making the collection more accessible to communities, both local and afar. As such, the course will also incorporate the learning of relevant content knowledge to help students build expertise in collection’s object-related subjects in order to integrate collection management issues with this particular collection and gain hands-on experience. This course will count as an Elective for the HART major, the HART minor, and the new Museum Studies minor (available Fall 2025). [3] Susan Dine, Neil Kelley. (AXLE: P; CORE: B and C).
New course: Pending Administrative Approval.
HART 3240W: Advanced Seminar-Ancient Landscapes
Greco-Roman attitudes toward nature. Exploitation and stewardship of resources. Country-house and garden design. Representations of mythological and sacred landscapes in painting and poetry. This course will count as an Advanced Seminar or toward the “Ancient” area requirement for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor; will count as an Advanced Seminar for the ARCH major, or as an “Architectural, Design, Landscape, or Urban History” or Elective course for the ARCH major or ARCH minor. [3] Betsey Robinson. (AXLE: HCA).
HART 3767W: Advanced Seminar-Neo-Dada and Pop Art
Artistic movements at the end of modernism and beginning of postmodernism, 1955-1980. Intersection with music, consumer culture, advertising, and economics. Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein. Issues of gender and sexuality through construction of femininity and masculinity. This course will count as an Advanced Seminar or toward the “Modern” area requirement or as an Elective for the HART major; as a 2000-level course for the HART minor. [3] Jack Crawford. (AXLE: US).