Art Department - Art History
The Art Department at UM offers a minor in Art History, which is open to students of all majors. The Art History curriculum supports the B.A., B.S. and B.F.A. programs by fostering an understanding of the historical, philosophical, and social conditions of visual culture. Students gain this understanding through visual and textual analyses of important works and documents, field trips to local museums, galleries and other sites of interest, and are encouraged to place their own studio work and activity within the wider social and political contexts of both the past and the present.
The curriculum includes a broad range of coursework, from the introductory level through advanced courses on specialized topics such as Land Art, Women and Art and Film as Art. Courses are taught in all periods of western art including ancient and contemporary art and architecture and in select areas of non-western art. Advanced classes in art theory and methodology are also offered, and several of the upper-division courses also satisfy UM's Writing Reinforcement requirement.
The Visual Resources Collection at UM includes digital and 35mm images, web-based, video, CD and DVD media, and students have the opportunity to learn such basic skills as digital image production and database management. Classes are taught in a classroom that includes a computer, digital projector, DVD/VHS player and internet access. Students working on research projects and/or preparing for class presentations have access to a laptop computer complete with slide and flatbed scanners.
The student's experience in Art History classes is enriched by the Martha Allen Lecture Series, which brings notable artists to campus. Recent artist-lecturers include Sue Coe, Rick Hirsch, Alfredo Jaar and Mel Chin. These visits provide an invaluable opportunity for students, especially those interested in contemporary art, as students have opportunities to meet with the visiting artist in small groups. The Art Department hosts an annual trip abroad, which is led by both Art History and Studio faculty, and course credit is available. Places visited recently include Italy and Greece, Amsterdam and Paris, and Mexico. Greece and Turkey are the destinations for the 2009 trip. Art majors and Art History minors have the opportunity to intern at museums and galleries, both nationally and locally, such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Several recent graduates have gone on to pursue the Master's or Doctoral degree in Art History. Art History students regularly present original research at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research, and Art students were the first from UM's College of Fine Arts to participate in this national forum.
For more information contact:
Dr. Michelle Duran-McLure
Ancient-Renaissance Art
Dr. Kelly Wacker
17 th Century-Contemporary Art