The Art History faculty is pleased to announce the approval of a new Art History and Museum Studies Track. This track is perfect for those in any field who want to develop professional experience related to museum work or are just interested in the powerful stories behind works of art and material culture. It presents a high-impact learning experience with a skills-based approach, hands-on work at museum sites, and the opportunity to curate exhibitions. This exciting Art History and Museum Studies Track provides a flexible interdisciplinary experience combining art history with fields like archaeology, anthropology, and public history.
The Art History and Museum Studies Track requires 10.5-11 courses:
5 Art History Courses with On-site Museum Work—total selection should include at least 3 different museums:
- Walters Art Museum, Baltimore: ARTH 125 Survey of Western Art, ARTH 201 Arts of Ancient Greece and Rome, ARTH 202 Medieval Art
- National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.: ARTH 131 Introduction to Asian Art, ARTH 234 Arts of China, ARTH 235 Chinese Painting and Aesthetics
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.: FYS 197 Florence: Art, Mony and Power in the Renaissance City, ARTH 203 Northern Renaissance Art, ARTH 225 History and Theory of Photography, ARTH 303 Art of the Italian Renaissance, ARTH 307 Baroque Art in the Age of Caravaggio and Vermeer
- Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore: ARTH 210 20th Century European Painting
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.: ARTH 240 Arts of the African Diaspora
- Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland: ARTH 318 Art After 1945
- Philadelphia Museum of Art/Penn Museum: ARTH 245 Art of the Global Renaissance
3 Archaeology/Material Culture/Museum Studies courses:
- Intro. Museum Studies, course to be offered yearly beginning in 2024-2025 (can be substituted by FYS 122-1 Museum Staff Only: Behind the Scenes at the Museum or, for class of 2024, another class with consultation of advisor)
- 2 other courses which can be listed in or outside the Art and Art History Department (see List A)
1.5-2 Experiential/Hands-on Curatorial Practice courses:
- Methods Course: ARTH 214 Methods in Art History
- Art History Course with Exhibition or Gallery Focus: options include a new 1/2 credit Schmucker Art Gallery Practicum course to be offered in Spring of 2024; ARTH 267 Art and Public Policy or other Experiential Options like Internships/Independent Studies (see List B)
Major Capstone course (ARTH 400 Seminar in Art History) with project focused on Museum-related topic
List A: Course Options for Archaeology/Museum Studies/Material Culture Requirement
- HIST 201 Introduction to Public History
- ANTH 106 Introduction to Archaeology
- CWES 225 - Cameras, Canvas & Cannons: Visual Culture of the Civil War Era
- FYS 122-1 Museum Staff Only: Behind the Scenes at the Museum unless used to fulfill Introduction to Museum Studies Requirement
- IDS 325 Curating London: Using Objects to Tell New Stories (Fall 2023 London/Lancaster program)
- CWES/IDS 285: Interpreting & Preserving Civil War Artifacts
- CWES 250: Topics: Civil War Era Photography
- ENG 297: Intro to Book History
- ANTH 212: Archaeology of Pennsylvania: From the First Nations to Modern Times
- AS252/AS352/ANTH252 Household Archaeology of Gettysburg and Tokyo
- ARTH/ANTH270 The Lives of Objects: Understanding Material Culture
- ANTH 275: Public Archaeology
- CWES 250: Topics – Interpreting & Preserving Civil War Artifacts
- ANTH 255: Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean World
- ANTH 232: Pre-Columbian Civilizations of Mesoamerica
List B: Sample Options for Experiential/Hands-on Curatorial Practice Requirement
ARTH Art Gallery Practicum (1/2 credit course forthcoming for Spring 2024)
Independent Student Curated Shows in Schmucker Art Gallery
Internships with historical sites, museums or galleries, like the Civil War Institute’s Brian C. Pohanka Internship, which places students with public history opportunities at national and local historical sites, museums, and archives
Musselman Library Internship Programs including:
- Fortenbaugh Digital Humanities Fellowship
- Susan ’77 and Joseph ’75 Biernat Internship for Special Collections and Schmucker Art Gallery
- Tricia Smelter ’71 Special Collections Internship for Conservation and Exhibits
Summer Kolbe or JCCTL Fellowships
Digital-related Fellowships in collaboration with Information Technology and Musselman Library
Study Abroad Courses/Internships:
- IES Rome – Archaeology Internship, plus a number of courses related to art history/classics like Rome as a Living Museum
- SIT Prague: Arts and Social Change – Students take a course on Czech History, Arts, and Civil Society that has engagement with the local arts communities
- SIT Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change – Students would have the opportunity to intern in a museum or complete an Independent Study Project
- IAU Aix-en-Provence –Art history and museum courses such as: European & Mediterranean Prehistoric Art and Archaeology, History of Museums: From Prehistoric Caves to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Museums Today: Missions and Challenges
- DIS Copenhagen Curating Europe course
- CIEE Berlin internships in galleries, residency programs, performing arts venues, and arts publications
- LCWS Washington, D.C. –gives students access to the Smithsonian and other world-class museums in the District
- CYA Athens and AUC Cairo courses on ancient cultural sites and museums, including a curating course in Athens