Art History is the study of the visual arts in civilization. It
examines changing values in all fields of visual culture,
including painting, sculpture, graphics, photography,
architecture, film, the mass media, and forms of popular
expression. Its interdisciplinary reach encompasses literature,
history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, gender studies,
critical theory, and cultural studies. Art History emphasizes
visual as well as verbal and written literacy, providing more
than the standard advantages to a liberal arts education.
Students majoring in Art History will engage with the
wide-ranging opportunities its curriculum presents for learning
and research. Studying Art History develops visual
literacy, communication skills, critical/creative thinking and an
understanding of diversity.
At the second annual Calouste Gulbenkian Conference in Art
History, Professors Talinn Grigor and Houri Berberian (UC Irvine)
will present the keynote address “Of photography’s silence:
Nevarte Essayan Gulbenkian and Armenian women’s global networks
as sitters, collectors, patrons, and advocates of rights.”
Research papers from art history students Isabelle (Izzy)
Villanueva (BA ‘25) and Sophie Jorcino (BA ‘25)
were recently published in see/saw (vol 2, no. 1
(2025).
