As part of a series to help students learn about the different majors available at Stern College, we will focus every month on a different major, its faculty, and students. Last month, we discussed Psychology, one of the more popular majors here at Stern College. This month, we will be exploring a smaller, lesser known major – Art History.
As part of a series to help students learn about the different majors available at Stern College, we will focus every month on a different major, its faculty, and students. Last month, we discussed Psychology, one of the more popular majors here at Stern College. This month, we will be exploring a smaller, lesser known major – Art History.“Art history is typically one of the smaller majors at Stern—about ten majors at any given time and a slightly larger group of minors,” Professors Jacob Wisse and Marnin Young told us. Professor Jacob Wisse is the co-chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Music and director of the Yeshiva University Museum located in Chelsea. Professor Young is an associate professor of Art History. Though the number of majors and minors is quite small, Wisse and Young added that “the number of students who take art history classes per semester is significantly larger—approximately 125 per semester.”
Who are some of these students and why did they decide to major in art history?
Hudy Rosenberg, a senior at Stern College decided to major in art history because she loves the classes. “During my first semester on campus I took a class with an incredible professor who really showed how art fits into the fabric of history and the dialogue it creates between the basic flow of events and the different philosophies of the time,” Rosenberg said. “I appreciate that my classes encourage me to look just a little bit closer to notice the subtle implications that a work can have that you would miss if you only gave it a quick look.”
Mindy Schwartz, a junior double majoring in art history and Judaic studies chose this major because of the perspective that it presents of the world. “I really love art because I feel like it is a universal/language crossing medium of human expression and I really love history because I think it’s cool and helps me understand the world around me better,” Schwartz remarked. “So art history is a great melding of the two. I’m also really interested in religion (I’m a Judaic studies major with a Jewish history focus as well) and I especially love religious art and iconography because of how powerful and expressive it is.”
Art history often gets the undeserved label of “useless major,” but in reality there are many career paths that art history majors can take. “Art history helps prepare you for a range of professions and skills,” Professors Wisse and Young said. “Majors and minors pursue a variety of career paths after graduation. For example, some students have found employment in art galleries and auction houses in New York, while others have pursued careers in such things as teaching, publishing or development. A number of our majors have also continued on to graduate school at top-tier programs, such as the Institute of Fine Art (NYU), the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and The Courtauld Institute of Art in London. One of our recent graduates is currently working in the Medieval Art Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on an upcoming Jerusalem-themed exhibition.”
“I plan on becoming an Urban Planner,” Rosenberg stated. “So, this ability to see and notice how the art influences and is influenced by its surroundings will be very helpful to me.” But Rosenberg has discovered that art history helps her in other academics, not just career plans. “Despite the reputation of art history as a ‘useless major’ I have found that my art history classes give me the skills to look a little closer and think more critically about the things I see and read,” Rosenberg explained. “They help me have a better perspective of the different aspects of history and society and help fit the pieces together to form a cohesive whole.”
Although she does not yet know what she will do with her career, Mindy Schwartz has done internships related to art history. “I interned this summer at the museum at Eldridge Street, a museum on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, located inside the restored national historic landmark, the Eldridge Street Synagogue,” she said.
“Besides being an excellent combination of my interests in Jewish history, art history, and religious art, it was a really great way to get field experience and see what parts of the museum world I enjoy,” Schwartz explained. “There are so many things to do with an art history degree so I would recommend taking the time to meet with people in the field and do internships that give the opportunity to try lots of different things—try museum education or an archeological dig or giving tours or working to help make museums accessible to visitors with special needs. The possibilities are endless!”
“The advice I would give incoming art history students is to have an open mind,” Rosenberg said. “Be open to the idea that a painting that you found bland at the start of a class can begin to look beautiful by the end of the class. I have found that understanding the context of a work enhances your perspective and allows you to see value in things you otherwise would not. I would also suggest really committing time to the readings and museum visits—the readings help you appreciate what you learned that much more and the museum visits help put the knowledge into practice.”
Echoing the students’ advice to new art history majors, Professors Wisse and Young emphasized the importance of hands-on experience. “Students hoping to major in art history should seek out a variety of coursework and experiences,” they stated. “For example, take studio art, history, philosophy, and science classes. Try to visit museums and other cultural institutions whenever possible. The greater such experiences, the greater the understanding in the classroom will be. And vice versa.”