Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - HUM 306 B100

Art, Culture, and Place (4)

Art of the Pacific Northwest

Class Number: 4724

Delivery Method: Blended

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Mon, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units. Recommended: HUM 106 or HUM 222.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Interdisciplinary study of the arts and cultures of a particular place. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Students with credit for HUM 360 under the title "Art of the Land" may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

Art of the Pacific Northwest

What can art tell us about a place? What do drawings, paintings, weavings, sculptures, and other artworks have to do with the peoples, histories, and ecologies of the land where we live and study?

In this place-based course, we will immerse ourselves in art of the Pacific Northwest. Students will view, analyze, and discuss depictions of people and animals, landscapes, public art, and other artworks that have been created by artists from diverse Indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest Coast, settler artists working in European and other artistic traditions, contemporary artists, and more. We will consider how different media, techniques, subjects, and genres reflect different ways of knowing and speak to our understandings of place, identity, and reconciliation.

Each week, students will encounter different artists and artworks in readings and videos. Class sessions will combine lectures from the instructor, student group presentations, and discussions. Students will seek out artworks on SFU campuses and in local museums and collections to discuss in journal reflections. The class project will offer students an opportunity to think critically and creatively about cultural institutions, the display of art, and its reception by the public. The final exam will assess students’ achievement of course-level education goals.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

  • Recognize and describe art of the Pacific Northwest
  • Employ art historical terms and methods to analyze and interpret visual material
  • Reflect on, analyze, and critique the relationship between art, place, and self

Grading

  • Attendance and participation 15%
  • Online posts 5%
  • Group presentations 15%
  • Journal 15%
  • Project 20%
  • Final exam 30%

NOTES:

This course fulfills the Global Humanities requirements for the  

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

This course utilizes open educational resources and other materials that the instructor will make available to students at zero cost. Students will also be required to access some assigned readings and research materials from SFU libraries and online. 

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.