7 Course Programs in Art History in North America for 2024

RCAH's unique and rigorous curriculum prepares students to create a better world by exploring diverse ideas, engaging in hands-on creative practices, and working with the community around them.

How do we interpret the narrative imagery of an Ancient Near Eastern sculptural relief? Why did the Spanish artist Salvador Dalí paint pictures in a dreamlike Surrealistic manner? These are examples of the types of questions art historians ask and try to answer by studying the visual arts of both the distant and more recent past. They seek to understand the cultural values expressed in a work of art, and to show how the latter fits into a larger context or tradition to which individual artists belong. The result is that a painting, statue, building, or piece of jewelry comes to life and gives us a fresh insight into mankind’s ever-changing experience and ways of seeing the world.

The Smith art department embraces the history of art, studio practice and architecture. We are committed to cultivating visual literacy and understanding artistic production in different cultures throughout time and our own media-saturated presence in all three areas.

The study of art & art history is central to a liberal arts education, especially in a world increasingly shaped by images and seemingly endless visual information.

This interdisciplinary arts course allows students to explore walking as a medium for creativity and integration with the arts.

How can an art object convey meaning? The Art History concentration offers students the opportunity to analyze visual images and deepen their understanding of the role such images play in societies and cultures, past and present.

Mount Holyoke’s Department of Art encourages artistic exploration while providing technical skills and interdisciplinary opportunities. Whether enrolled in introductory or advanced studio courses, students learn to express themselves in a range of methods and material.