Why Study Art History?
As an Art History major, you connect to every field imaginable, exploring religious beliefs, political ideals and human rights, and philosophical principles. You understand art history as a universal language and a global business. To discuss it, we speak multiple languages; to preserve it, we study mathematics, chemistry, and geology. Art History opens the infinitely complex world to you as you discover the creative spirit, the force that makes us human.
Why Study Art History at MMC?
New York City—the capital of the art world, the site of the greatest works of art, the most cutting-edge exhibitions, the most exciting contemporary artists and architects—is your extended classroom at MMC. You’ll examine art in person when your classes meet at museums and art galleries: Egyptian statues and Impressionist paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, medieval stained-glass windows at the Cloisters, Renaissance paintings at the Frick Collection, pop art at the Museum of Modern Art, contemporary art in Chelsea and Brooklyn galleries, and contemporary sculpture on the streets of the city. You’ll live among buildings by brilliant modern architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry and women pioneers in architecture such as Katharine C. Budd and Theodate Pope Riddle. In short, you’ll see, study, and enjoy more works of art in your four years than most people do in their lifetimes.
What You Will Learn
- A great deal of the history of art, the materials of art, and aesthetic practices
- How to analyze and interpret works of art in writing and through public expression
- How art relates to world history and contemporary culture
- How to prepare yourself for a career in art-related professions such as curator, museum administrator/director, registrar, collections manager, art/antique dealer, auctioneer, auction house specialist, authenticator, teacher/professor, art critic/writer, art librarian, visual resources director, fundraiser and publicist for the arts, art editor, art conservator, art therapist, art lawyer, and artist’s representative
- How to advocate for the arts, art preservation, and art conservation.
Follow this link for information on our Application/Artistic Review process
Program Highlights
Internships
Students hold internships at local NYC art institutions—museums, art galleries, historical societies, and art-related businesses—where you put to work the skills and knowledge you have developed in the classroom, and gain invaluable experience that helps you to secure full-time employment after—and occasionally before—graduation.
Study Abroad
Students often study abroad at such institutions as Columbia University’s Reid Hall in Paris, the Scuola Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, International Studies Institute in Florence, and the Poggio Civitate Archaeological Field School near Siena, Italy. Often co-taught with faculty from other disciplines, this course gives you an unforgettable, interdisciplinary perspective on world art history.
Holistic Art Education
You’ll study either ancient and classical art or medieval art (or both); Renaissance and Baroque art; modern art, American art, or the history of photography; art from 1945 to the present; non-Western or indigenous art; and art theory or arts management. You refine your writing, analytic, and public speaking skills in the Sophomore Art History Seminar and the Senior Art History Seminar. Qualified majors pursue Honors in Art History.
Each Art History course cultivated my understanding of multiple perspectives on art; each one encouraged me to explore the subjects and topics that fed my curiosity. For example, I was thrilled to be able to pursue my interest in Native American art and culture by studying objects first-hand in New York collections, especially in the Diker Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I am incredibly grateful for the experiences I enjoyed and the relationships I formed with faculty in Art History at MMC.
Sheridan Posschelle ’21Class of 2021, Double Major in Art History and Art with a concentration in Graphic Design
The opportunities that MMC has provided helped me to prepare for my Master’s in Art History, Criticism, and Conservation at Hunter College, for my current positions as assistant Curator and Chief Editor at Mana Contemporary, and for my work as a contributing writer at the Brooklyn Rail.
Alexandra Fowle ’16Class of 2016, Major in Art History and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
I chose MMC because the faculty understood the value of a small community that fostered intimate relationships between students and educators. I would have never had this kind of success had it not been for the environment that was provided by the College and the prestigious educators they employ.
Elizabeth Goodridge ’11Class of 2011, Major in Art History
Interning with the artist Wood-Brown was an experience that I will always cherish. I assisted Jo in preparing her lecture circuits, a group exhibit at The Painting Center, and a panel discussion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I feel fortunate to have developed an understanding of the artist’s perspective through this internship.
Aileen Marcantonio ’09Class of 2009, Major in Art History
My Art History professors helped to open doors for me that have led to incredible experiences and jobs, ones that I never could have accomplished without their support.
Michael Quituisaca ’17Class of 2017, Art History Major
Judith Mara Carson Center for Visual Arts
Coming to MMC in Fall 2022, the visual arts center is designed with your educational needs in mind. Beautiful, light-filled spaces inspire and energize your imagination. Featuring light-filled fully equipped art and photography studios; a digital immersion project room; an art history resource center and classroom; and a communal hub to host events, connect with friends, or just hang out. Put your creativity front and center.
In recent years, Art History alumni have entered into and/or completed the following national and international academic programs:
Domestic Programs
- M.A., Art History, American University
- M.A., Art History, Hunter College
- M.A., Museum Studies, City College of the City of New York
- M.A., Museum Studies, Johns Hopkins University
- M.A., Behavioral Clinical Psychology, Cal State North Ridge
- M.A., Early Childhood Education, Bank Street College of Education
- M.A., Visual Arts Administration, Steinhart School, New York University
- MSW, Columbia University
- MSW/Art Therapy, Tulane University
- JD, Suffolk Law School
- Ph.D., Art History, Princeton University
- Ph.D., Art History, University of Maryland
International
- M.A., Victorian Studies, Birbeck University, London
- M.A., History of Art and the Art Market, Modern and Contemporary Art, Christie’s
- M.A., Contemporary Art, Sotheby’s
- M.A., History of British Art at The University of York
- M. Phil., Medieval History, Trinity College, Dublin
- Certificate program in Medieval Studies, Catholic University
- Postgraduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings, Courtauld Institute of Art
- Programme Histoire de l’art et droit, University of Assas, Paris
- SACI Art Conservation Post-Baccalaureate program, Florence, Italy