Art History with Museum Studies
Goals
Art History with Museum Studies is both an academic and professional program that provides students with a scholarly study of art, culture, and museums while focusing on the area of professional museum work such as curatorship, education, collections management, museum administration and development. All students will have some experience in both kinds of study. Art History curriculum will examine stylistic developments along historical time frames and address how art reflects culture, technological innovation, and socio-political issues. It will teach students methods of analysis and interpretation for understanding works of art and enable them to discover the rich and complex relationships of art to other aspects of culture. Museum Studies courses will explore theoretical issues critical to the rise and role of the museum and its relation to history and culture. The program will also provide courses that help prepare students for internships and entry-level positions in museums, galleries, or other arts organizations. The Art History with Museum Studies program will also prepare students for continued academic work at the master’s and Ph.D. levels. Our partnership with the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University, centrally located on campus, is an integral part of the museum studies component, providing opportunities for museum internships and exhibition-based courses.
Program Objectives
As an academic and professional program within the Department of Theatre Studies and Fine Arts, the mission of Art History with Museum Studies is to satisfy the department’s objectives to foster the study of the arts and humanities and the pursuit of academic excellence while at the same time to prepare students for professional entry-level work.
Skills, knowledge, and competencies students will have acquired upon successful completion of all courses required in this program.
- Demonstrated ability to critically analyze visual culture and the diverse histories of art.
- Demonstrated ability to write organized papers that show creative thinking and employ the basic research methods appropriate to this major.
- Demonstrated ability to think critically and conceptually and to express ideas clearly and effectively.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively on class projects, art exhibitions, or in professional settings.
- Demonstrated understanding of how art fits into larger cultural histories and provides a context for understanding cultural diversity, as well as social, political, and economic issues
- Demonstrated knowledge of the core concepts, critical developments, and methodologies in the fields of art history and museology.
- Demonstrated preparedness for entry-level positions in museums and other non-profit cultural organizations or graduate study in a chosen field of specialization.
Bachelors
Minor
The minor in Art History with Museum Studies consists of a total of five AHM or FAA courses with content related to art history and museum studies content. Please consult with the Director of AHMS program for information.
Courses
AHM 201 — 19th Century Art (H) (3 credits)
This course deals with the complex art scene following the French Revolution of 1789. Styles examined are neo-classicism, romanticism, realism at mid-century, and impressionism at the close. Students learn about major painters and sculptors while developing visual literacy. Videos, slides, lecture-discussion and museum visiting are included.
AHM 202 — 20th Century Art (H) (3 credits)
This course studies the aesthetic and social revolutions of modern art that began in the 19th century but erupted in Fauvism in 1905 Paris. Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism and Surrealism are examined, as well as the art scene in America up to the 1960's. Videos, slides, lecture-discussion and visits to the Castellani Art Museum are included.
AHM 206 — Latin American Art of the 20th Century (H) (3 credits)
This course surveys the artistic and cultural development of Latin American art prior to Christopher Columbus and into the 20th century. Tours to the Castellani Art Museum and the Albright Knox Art Gallery are included.
AHM 207 — Women in Art (H) (3 credits)
The lives and works of modern women artists will be studied both critically and in historical context. Gallery visits, lectures by women artists working today and drawing in the manner of those studied will supplement the course.
AHM 210 — Pstmdrn to Cont Art 1960-2000 (H) (3 credits)
This course examines the changing face of contemporary art, using the achievements of the 20th century as a context for future exploration. Emphasis is placed on how art reflects cultural diversity, technological innovation, and socio-political issues. The course focuses on the collection of 20th century/contemporary art housed at the university's Castellani Art Museum.
AHM 230 — Prehistoric to Gothic Art (H) (3 credits)
This course provides students with fundamental knowledge of the major developments that shaped architecture, painting, sculpture, and the related arts in Western civilization from prehistoric times through the conclusion of the Gothic era.
AHM 231 — 14th to 19th Century Art (H) (3 credits)
This course provides students with fundamental knowledge of the major developments that shaped architecture, painting, sculpture and the related arts in Western civilization from the Renaissance to the 19th century.
AHM 232 — Renaissance Art & Culture (H) (3 credits)
This is a lecture course dealing with the painting, sculpture, and architecture of the Renaissance in the fourteenth to the sixteenth century.
AHM 252 — Intro to Museum Studies (H) (3 credits)
This course serves as an introduction to the purpose and organization of museums including historical origins, philosophy, and the societal role of museums. Topics will include the acquisition, care, scholarly research, presentation and interpretation of museum objects and an overview of the variety of jobs and responsibilities museum professionals hold.
AHM 255 — Intro Develop for Non Profits (3 credits)
This introductory course will provide an overview of the role that development plays in the financial health of an organization. Topics will include cultivating and soliciting donors; the annual appeal; grant writing; corporate sponsorships; membership; volunteer coordination; special events; planned giving and capital campaigns; and the roles of development staff, including the CEO.
AHM 261 — Folklore in America (CD) (3 credits)
This class introduces students to the study of folklore (traditional expressive behavior) by focusing on creativity in everyday life. Contemporary traditional arts, ideas, and practices of folk groups in the United States, including ethnic, occupational, regional, and religious groups, will be explored. Topics will include urban legends, fairytales, festivals, and folk art.
AHM 270 — Museum Conservation (H) (3 credits)
A prime responsibility of a museum is to maintain and protect its collection from deterioration and harm. This course is an introduction to conservation within the museum setting. Curriculum will focus on collections care, preventive conservation methods, the materials and structures of museum objects, agents of deterioration, and types of treatment.
AHM 340 — Religion and Art (CD) (3 credits)
Explores some of the intersections between the worlds of religion and the visual arts. Students will gain an understanding of foundational concepts in the field such as religious vs. sacred art, aniconic vs. iconic art, high art vs. folk art, as well as statuary and the architecture of sacred space. In this course students will take advantage of local resources including the Castellani Art Museum, Niagara University's chapels, as well as the Buffalo Museum of Religious Art in order to conduct independent research using primary sources.
AHM 353 — Educ Role of Museums (H) (3 credits)
The role of museums is changing to provide even more meaningful, educational programming for diverse audiences, creating a greater demand for well-trained professionals with skills to plan and implement successful educational programming. This course will examine the various types of learning that take place in museums from theory to practice.
AHM 357 — Exhibiting Cultures (H) (3 credits)
Serving as an interdisciplinary introduction to museum exhibitions, this course examines the theoretical, ethical, and methodological issues underpinning the practice, especially those concerning the representation of people. Assignments will include analyzing local museums and contributing to a class-generated exhibit featuring local artists. Students will be required to locate and interview an artist, and visit museums on their own. Access to transportation required.
AHM 359 — Museum Internship (EXP) (3 credits)
Museum internships are challenging, educational, experiences designed for degree candidates in the Art History with Museum Studies program. Working alongside staff members of the Castellani Art Museum or other area museums in a tutorial arrangement, interns gain valuable skills and training in museum practice in the areas of curatorship, education, exhibition design, development and/or administration.
AHM 390 — Independent Study Art History (3 credits)
This course is an independent study of a particular theme or topic in the History of Art through readings, research, and analysis. It is designed for students who have completed basic courses and who want to study specific topics that are not currently offered in the curriculum as arranged with a supervising faculty member.
AHM 403 — Honors Thesis (3 credits)
By means of a year-long honors thesis, the student conducts original research in a specific area of art history or museum studies, beyond the scope of material covered in any one course, at his or her own initiative while working one-on-one with a member of the faculty. At the end of this process, the student will have not only added to the sum total of humanity's knowledge, but will have distinguished themselves from their peers across the nation by having produced significant, original research projects that are more similar to those done in graduate school.
AHM 404 — Honors Thesis (3 credits)
By means of a year-long honors thesis, the student conducts original research in a specific area of art history or museum studies, beyond the scope of material covered in any one course, at his or her own initiative while working one-on-one with a member of the faculty. At the end of this process, the student will have not only added to the sum total of humanity's knowledge, but will have distinguished themselves from their peers across the nation by having produced significant, original research projects that are more similar to those done in graduate school.
AHM 430 — Sr Seminar/Capstone (3 credits)
Students will conduct research in a specific area of art history or museum studies beyond the scope of material covered in any one course. Designed as an independent research effort, students meet privately with their research advisor and write a senior thesis applying their acquired skills to a centric topic, theme or question.