Art History
- Degree Type Bachelor of Arts
- Department Art and Art History
- Academic Division The College
- Offerings Minor
The Department of Art and Art History includes a major and a minor in art history, as well as a minor in cultural heritage and museum studies. Art history classes are small – with caps on lecture courses set at 25 – and plentiful, with all courses taught in state-of-the-art facilities.
Art History
In a world that has become increasingly dependent on images, and in an age marked by the manipulation of information through them, the importance of understanding the vitality of visual literacy and the challenges facing image-makers and image-readers has never been so strongly felt. The discipline of art history provides students with the intellectual tools to consider these issues and fosters an academic forum in which to address them thoughtfully, critically and innovatively.
Maya Lin is the Next Speaker in the Mudd Lecture Series
The architect and artist, who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when she was 21, will give a lecture on Sept. 17 in Keller Theatre.
The Art Museum at W&L Presents ‘Zhang Xiaoli/Block Party!’
Opening Sept. 2, Zhang Xiaoli’s exhibit depicts imaginary worlds that blend traditional Chinese brushwork with playful, contemporary elements and pay homage to the enduring legacy of the late I-Hsiung Ju.
The Art Museum at Washington and Lee Presents ‘150 Years: A Collection Begins’
The exhibit, on view starting Sept. 2, celebrates 150 years of art stewardship at W&L.
The Art Museum at Washington and Lee: Fall 2026 Programs and Exhibitions
This academic year’s lineup of exhibits and events will celebrate 150 years of art stewardship at W&L.
What’s Next for Natalie Richards ’26
Richards, a strategic communication major, will be working at Rational 360 as a Public Relations Fellow.
W&L’s Celeste Álvarez ’26 Selected for Fulbright to Guatemala
Álvarez looks forward to immersing herself in a different culture with the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and will attend W&L Law when she returns, with plans to become an immigration lawyer.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘This Earthen Door’ and ‘The Blue of Distance’
The combined exhibition, featuring the work of artists Amanda Marchand and Leah Sobsey, will open April 27, with an artist’s talk by Sobsey slated for May 13.
W&L to Host “Slices of Research” Program at Salerno Wood Fired Pizza & Taphouse
Newly promoted faculty members will present their research in a PechaKucha format on April 14.
W&L’s Glynn Family Professor to Give Public Lecture
Adriana Greci Green’s March 31 talk will focus on Native regalia represented in Western American art.
Wendy Castenell Co-edits Volume of the Nineteenth Century Studies Journal
The special volume explores ideas of race during the 19th century.
Career Connections
The W&L network is perhaps most illustrative in the early-career assistance and opportunities our alumni provide to current students.
Sample Courses
At W&L, we believe education and experience go hand-in-hand. You’ll be encouraged to dive in, explore and discover connections that will broaden your perspective.
Technical Examination of 17th-Century Dutch Paintings
A survey of 17th-century Dutch history, art history, politics, religion, economics, etc., which links the scientific analysis of art to the art and culture of the time. The course begins on campus and then history, etc., will occur for a few days in Lexington and then proceed to Center for European Studies, Universiteit Maastricht, The Netherlands. Students visit numerous museums, hear guest lectures from faculty at Universiteit Maastricht, and observe at conservation laboratories at some of the major Dutch art museums. Students are graded by their performance on two research projects involving presentations and journals. Though students are not required to learn a world language to participate in the program, they are expected to learn key phrases in Dutch as a matter of courtesy to citizens of the host country. Spring Term Abroad course.
Outcomes
After W&L
The study of art history has provided opportunities for recent majors, including careers in museums, theaters, nonprofits, arts agencies and camps. Other majors have pursued museum internships across the globe.
Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
Elliott H. King
Professor of Art History and Department Head
- P: 540-458-8857
- E: kingeh@wlu.edu
King teaches courses in American and European art (1750 to the present). His research examines international Surrealist art and thought, with a specialization in Salvador Dalí.
Leigh Ann Beavers
Instructor of Art
- P: 540-458-8876
- E: beaversl@wlu.edu
Beavers teaches courses in drawing, creating comics, printmaking and studio projects.
George Bent
Sidney Gause Childress Professor in the Arts
- P: 540-458-8863
- E: bentg@wlu.edu
Bent teaches courses on medieval art, Renaissance art and gothic art. He has researched Italian art extensively and recently taught a course called Digital Florence in which students helped to digitally reconstruct the city.
Christa Bowden
Professor of Art
- P: 540-458-8880
- E: bowdenc@wlu.edu
Bowden started W&L’s photography program and teaches a variety of courses in the subject. She recently taught a class called Paris: History, Image, Myth, which featured a Spring Term in Paris.
Sandy de Lissovoy
Associate Professor of Art
Professor de Lissovoy teaches courses in sculpture and design.
Niloofar Gholamrezai
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art
Niloofar Gholamrezaei is a visual artist and interdisciplinary art scholar with a foundation in modern and contemporary art history and aesthetic theories.
Melissa R. Kerin
Professor of Art History
- P: 540-458-8858
- E: kerinm@wlu.edu
Kerin teaches courses in South Asian and East Asian art and architecture. Her research focuses on the intricate and multifaceted relationships between art and identity formation, cultural memory and religious praxis.
Andrea Lepage
Pamela H. Simpson Professor of Art History
On Sabbatical Leave
- P: 540-458-8305
- E: lepagea@wlu.edu
Andrea Lepage offers classes in the following areas: contemporary Chicana/o and U.S. Latina/o art, modern and colonial Latin American art, arts of Mesoamerica and the Andes, and Early Modern European art (Italian, Spanish, Dutch).
