Art and Art History Department

The Department of Art and Art History at Washington and Lee University, located in Wilson Hall, offers courses in studio art and the history of art. Its program of study includes majors in each of these areas, and a recent surge of student interest has propelled the department into a place among the ten most heavily subscribed academic units in the College.

In the Department of Art and Art History, we are committed to the inclusive and productive learning of every student who studies and creates with us. As faculty and staff, we recognize and value the diverse backgrounds of our students and we embrace the differences in our educational community. We are passionate to bring the demands of social and environmental justice to bear in our curriculum and our department as a whole. We are invested in producing learning environments that equitably engage and support a complex diversity of students, and we seek to attract their divergent interests to our department.

Sandy de Lissovoy is the Next Speaker in the Anne and Edgar Basse Jr. Author Talk Series

De Lissovoy will deliver a lecture on “Unpacking an Art Exhibit and Thinking Like Collage” on Jan. 27.

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Florence As It Was Chosen for National Competition

The interdisciplinary research project has been selected to participate in an open competition among medieval digital humanities projects for K-12 students.

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Musician and Scholar Tammy Kernodle to Deliver Lecture at W&L

Kernodle’s Nov. 15 lecture is supported by W&L’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

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Elliott King

Elliott King Presents Paper at Conference at The Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice

The W&L professor of art history attends conference exploring and celebrating Surrealism in Italy.

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‘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.

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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.

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Inspiring Minds

George Bent, Sidney Gause Childress Professor in the Arts, has spent his career at W&L inspiring and being inspired by his students.

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‘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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Terra Foundation for American Art Awards Museums at W&L a $50,000 Grant

The funds will support ‘Stephanie Shih: LONG TIME NO SEE (好久不見),’ an exhibition born out of the 2023 inaugural Artist-in-Residence program.

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