Why are we drawn to create art? How does art express meaning, arouse controversies, and shape ways of seeing the world? As an art history major or minor at RMC, you’ll study the human experience through artistic expressions and develop an appreciation of the aesthetic similarities and differences in all societies. Strengthen your critical thinking skills by examining how artists create works that are inextricably connected to their daily lives and societies. Understanding art history within its cultural, historical and political context prepares you for future graduate study and interesting careers in education, museum studies, nonprofits, law, advertising, graphic design and architecture.
Major/Minor Art History
art history
up close In and Beyond the Classroom
experiential learning
Art is meant to be experienced, and courses in art history help students discover art in unexpected ways and in unexpected places. Randolph-Macon’s location is ideally located for trips to art-rich sites like the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of American History, and even the Met in New York City. In HONR 130: Food and Politics in American Art and Culture, Dr. Evie Terrono’s class visited the governor’s kitchen in Colonial Williamsburg, where they connected their in-class learning with a hands-on experience on site.
high-impact internships
Randolph-Macon art history students bring their studies to life through hands-on internships, often working with curators on curatorial projects on exhibitions’ research and design; opportunities rarely available to undergraduates. Students have interned at:
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
- Virginia Museum of History and Culture
- The Supreme Court of the United States
- Williamsburg Foundation
- Chrysler Museum of Art
- Mariner’s Museum
- The Century Association in New York City
Global Education
In the last 25 years, art history faculty have led study abroad courses in Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, and North African countries. RMC art history students have traveled all over the world to immerse themselves in western and non-western art forms of visual art, theatre, music, architecture, sculpture and more. Paige Sellars ’19 landed an internship at the National Gallery of Art as a result of her study abroad experience because she had learned the theory, history, and culture of art production in Holland during the 17th century.
graduate school
RMC art history majors have completed graduate degrees in art history, museum and curatorial studies at:
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- George Mason University
- Virginia Tech
- American University
- Georgetown University
- The Corcoran School of Arts and Design
- Northern Illinois University
- Harvard University
- University College, London
- Stockholm University
advising and mentorship
Randolph-Macon art history faculty bring the past to life through illustrated discussions and research trips to area museums. They actively guide students through their academic journeys and work side-by-side with you as you study the human experience through artistic expression.
art history
in full Courses You Won’t Want to Miss
(A very small sample)
arth 227
African and Oceanic Art
Examine the myriad artistic forms of the many cultures of Africa, Australia and the Pacific. Through illustrated lectures and visits to area museums, study the rich with expressions of societal values and the dignity of human experience through often very different from western art but represents the same joys and fears, sorrows and hopes.
ARTH 219
Images of Women in Ancient Art
Study art from the Paleolithic until the Renaissance. Learn how early cultures (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Classical Greece and Rome, Byzantium and Renaissance Italy) produced images of women. From fertility symbols to icons of religious belief, from symbols of beauty and lust to icons of purity and chastity, learn how the art reflects the role of women in these cultures and time periods.
ARTH 224
Modern Art
Learn how artists from the late 1800s challenged artistic and social norms by creating highly individualistic and subjective works, often in opposition to official rule and restrictions, and expressed the dynamic social, economic and political transformations of their time.
Opportunities Worth Grabbing
Popular activities and programs among art history majors
creative arts alliance
From Here To What you can do with an Art History degree from RMC.
Katie Thomas Domurat ’11
Adult Programs Coordinator
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
“RMC prepared me for my career through the close relationship I developed with my advisor, Dr. Evie Terrono. The smaller academic class sizes were invaluable to my time at RMC and they allowed for me to make close personal connections with my professors and peers. Dr. Terrono taught me to love art history and showed me the different ways this major could be applied in a professional setting through trips to museums, galleries, and historic houses. I am so thankful for RMC and Dr. Terrono for helping me form the foundation to achieve my career goals.”
MARK HUTTER ’96
Textile Historian and Master Tailor, Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Katie Umberger ’14
Marketing Automation Manager
The American College of Financial Services
AMY BULGRIEN ’08
Senior Advisor in the Office of Grants Administration
FEMA
“When thinking about possible majors, don’t just think about what you expect to be “most employable.” I loved every minute of my Art History, English, and Classical Studies courses and would not change my path one bit. My love for the humanities leant itself to an amazing job at a library association for seven years. My involvement with Residence Life and Student Affairs led me to obtain a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, and my experiences with Habitat for Humanity Alternative Spring Break leant themselves toward my current job with FEMA.”
Paige Sellars ’19
Museum Educator
Virginia Museum of History and Culture
raichelle johnson ’21
Master’s Candidate, Art History and Library Studies
University of Wisconsin at Madison
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