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.
‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Melissa Kerin
In this month’s episode, Kerin, professor of art history, discusses how following her curiosity of the ways in which people tell stories opened her to opportunities to study remote Buddhist shrines in the Himalayas and examine how we live and die as the director of the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics.
The Museums at W&L Present Emma Steinkraus’ ‘Impossible Garden: Dusk & Dawn’
The exhibition, on view starting Oct. 2, celebrates women artists in overlooked genres.
George Bent, Sidney Gause Childress Professor in the Arts, has spent his career at W&L inspiring and being inspired by his students.
‘A Night of Miigis Moments’ Brings Indigenous-Led Performance To W&L
The Oct. 8 event is presented by Red Sky Performance and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
Indigenous Artist Sandra Laronde to Deliver Lenfest Center Series Keynote Address at W&L
An authentic Indigenous dinner will accompany Laronde’s talk on Oct. 7 and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
The Lenfest Center Presents an Evening of Poetry Reading with Rena Priest
Washington’s first indigenous State Poet Laureate will deliver a reading on Oct. 1 as part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
The Lenfest Center Presents ‘Native American Peoples and Lands: Historic Connections to W&L’
The public talk will take place in Kamen Gallery on Sept. 27 and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
Museums at W&L: Fall 2024 Programs and Exhibitions
This academic year’s lineup of exhibits and events will highlight the university’s Reeves Museum of Ceramics and the Watson Galleries.
Kevin McNamee-Tweed to Serve as Next Director of the Staniar Gallery
The accomplished artist, curator and educator began his role on July 1.
Summer Research Scholars are spending their summer helping to bring one of the world's oldest cities to life through modern technology.
Elliott King Cited on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ Program
The popular afternoon-drive radio segment referenced the Salvador Dalí expert’s impressions on the AI-generated Dalí voice at the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Project Consortium Awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant
The W&L portion of the consortium will use the funding to support the ongoing digital humanities project ‘Florence As It Was.’
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.
Tech. Examination of Dutch Painting
This course involves a survey of 17th-century Dutch history, art history, etc., which links the scientific analysis to the art and culture of the time. The first 12 weeks (CHEM 156), involving primarily the scientific and technical background, are taught on campus at W&L during Winter Term. The second four weeks (ARTH 356), involving art and culture, are taught at the Center for European Studies (CES) Universiteit Maastricht in The Netherlands.
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.
Andrea Lepage
Pamela H. Simpson Professor of Art History and Department Head
- 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).
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.
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.
Elliott H. King
Associate Professor of Art History
- P: 540-458-8857
- E: kingeh@wlu.edu
King teaches courses in American and European Art, 1750 to the present. His research specialization is Surrealist art and thought with particular concentration on Salvador Dalí\'s production after 1940.
