Diving into Pre-Columbian Art: Expanding the URI Curriculum

Author(s)

Emilia Zeyl, University of Rhode IslandFollow

Major

Art History

Second Major

Anthropology

Minor(s)

Underwater Archaeology

Advisor

McCutcheon, Erin, L.

Advisor Department

Art & Art History

Date

5-2024

Keywords

Pre-Columbian Art History, Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture, Curriculum, Pre-Columbian

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Abstract

Many art history programs at universities across the country continue to follow a Eurocentric format of ‘modern’ art history that came about in the eighteenth-century. These curricula largely exclude any art history of entire regions, notably Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceana. I was made aware of this issue from my art history professors who are actively working to change this pattern at URI. I wanted to assist in this effort by creating a course that would complement the Latin American-focused subject matter I had engaged with in courses on art history and anthropology, courses that initially sparked my curiosity in pre-Columbian art and culture. I designed an annotated syllabus for a class focusing on art from the region of Latin America that will expand students’ worldviews through exposure to visual culture beyond Western Europe. Each source of information included in the syllabus is annotated with a description of what information it encompasses and why it would be included in the course. Syllabus annotations also include a brief description of what each day of teaching would be centered on, what discussion questions students would focus on, and a list of figures referenced in each of the assigned readings for that day. Throughout the course, students learn about the history and peoples of different cultures in Latin America that pre-date the period of colonial invasion: the Olmec, the people of Teotihuacan, the Maya, Chavín, Paracas, Nasca, and the Inka. This syllabus speaks to my belief in the future of art history as a discipline that can become more inclusive and holistic through greater consideration of the vast histories of visual culture around the world that have been previously marginalized by the Eurocentric canon.