About the Program
Associate Professor: Margaret Kuntz (chair)
Assistant Professors: Marugerite Keane, Kimberly Rhodes
Art Semester Coordinator: Martha Clippinger
Art History has a distinguished heritage as a field of cultural, social, and intellectual history in the Humanities. Works of art and architecture are tangible documents that need to be assessed on their own merits and, simultaneously, as reflections of the human experience. Art History is an exploration of the visual arts, past and present, as forms of communication which are shaped by the physical, cultural, political, psychological and/or economic contexts in which the work of art or architecture was made. Our field seeks to understand works of art and architecture and their meanings on many levels.
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Requirements for the Art History Major (44-48 Credits, depending on number of credits given for ARTHST 145)
Regular use of New York and area museums and galleries is considered part of all course work.
I. Both introductory survey courses (8 credits)
ARTHST 4/Western Art I: Ancient and Medieval (4)
ARTHST 5/Western Art II: Pre-Modern and Modern (4)
II. One early period course (4 credits)
ARTHST 101/Greek and Roman Art (4)
ARTHST 102/Medieval Art (4)
III. One Renaissance or Baroque course (4 credits)
ARTHST 103/Italian Renaissance Art (4)
ARTHST 104/Baroque and Rococo Art (4)
IV. One Modern course (4 credits)
ARTHST 105/19th-Century Art (4)
ARTHST 106/Early 20th-Century Art (4)
ARTHST 107/American Art (4)
V. One Non-Euro-American course* (4 credits)
ARTHST 30/Native Arts and Archaeology of Latin America (4)
ARTHST 51/Arts of Africa and the Diaspora (4)
ARTHST 108/Islamic Art (4)
ARTHST 112/Arts of Asia (4)
*Students may petition to substitute a Comparative Humanities course for this requirement when that course is at least half art history in content.
VI. Each of the following (12-16 credits)
ARTHST 145/Semester on Contemporary Art (may be taken for 4 or 8 credits)
ARTHST 147/Art History Research Seminar (4)
ARTHST 144/History Colloquium (4)
VII. At least two studio courses (8)
Note: Each year additional courses will be offered on more specific topics, such as: Medieval Manuscripts; These will be offered under ARTHST 119/Special Topics in Art History, ARTHST 144/Colloquium in Art History, and ARTHST 147/Art History Research Seminar. We urge students take a variety of additional courses beyond the basic requirements.
Languages: Proficiency in French or German is recommended if students anticipate pursuing a graduate degree in Art History.
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Requirements for the Art History Minor (20 credits)
Students must complete five courses in art history, at least 16 credits of which must be at the intermediate or upper level. One course designated HUM may be applied to the minor, so long as at least half the content is art history, upon petition to the department (as above).
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Requirements for the Arts Administration & Museology Minor (26-28 Credits)
This is a minor for those who are considering directions in gallery, museum, consultant, auction, and non-profit arts organization work. For this minor, students must take 7 courses - 3 courses in Administration and Society, 2 courses in Communications and Culture, 1 Disciplinary Core, and 1 Internship. See the minor description for more details.
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Requirements for the Art (Studio Art) Minor (20 Credits)
The Art Department offers a minor in studio art that is open to Art History majors. For this minor, students must complete five courses (20 credits) in studio art, at least 16 credits of which must be at the intermediate or upper level. See the Art Department for course list.
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Museum Study
Students who wish to undertake additional systematic study of collections in area museums may register for an additional hour of credit in conjunction with any upper-level art history course through ART 142/Museum Study. Papers, studio projects, and/or augmentation of the regular course work is expected of those electing to enroll for the extra museum study credit. A separate grade is given for this credit. The instructor's signature is required to register for credit for museum study credit.
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Internships
Advanced students are encouraged to take internships yielding professional job experience in studio, museum, or gallery work or in other art-related fields. The Art History Department may act as liaison to arrange internships in the surrounding area and in New York City with, for example, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, Christie's and Sotheby's auction houses, major galleries, foundations, and regional centers. Course credit for such work must be earned under the academic internship program (see INTR 50).
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Exchange Courses
Through Drew's cooperative programs with the College of St. Elizabeth and Fairleigh Dickinson University-Madison, students may take courses in art education, in commercial art, and in communications. Faculty advisers furnish details. Students register for exchange courses through the Registrar's Office at Drew.
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Advanced Placement (AP) examinations
Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the art history examination should consult with the department about the possibility of exemption from one Art History course. Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the general (studio) art examination may present the AP portfolio to the department, which evaluates it for credit and exemption on an individual basis. See pages 15-16 of the print catalogue for further information.
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Off-Campus Programs
New York Semester on Contemporary Art
New York, the center of the contemporary art world, is home to more than 100,000 artists, 1,000 galleries, and 10 major art museums. It is the vital location for the Drew Semester on Contemporary Art, directed by a Drew faculty member and offered in the fall semester. Students in this 4-8 credit program spend one to two days each week in New York visiting artists, critics, and arts professionals, and viewing art in museums and galleries, plus attending a seminar on campus. There are many opportunities for dialogue with leading figures in New York 's contemporary art world.
Drew in West Africa: Mali
Unique among Drew's off-campus programs is this summer program in Mali, the West African nation named after one of the great kingdoms of the 13th century. Students participating in this four-week program have the opportunity to visit ancient mosques and libraries in Timbuctu, market towns such as Mopti along the Niger River, the striking cliffside towns of the Dogon people, and the busy modern capital of Bamako . With its emphasis on the arts of Malian people, this program provides an extraordinary opportunity to learn about changing Africa Hearing lectures by American and Malian faculty, as well as observing demonstrations of weaving, pottery, masquerades, and so on, students can receive credit for two four-credit courses.
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