Art History
The study of art history can serve as the foundation for careers in teaching, research, museums, galleries, art administration, art criticism, publishing, art investment, and historic preservation. It offers a factual and theoretical basis for further study of or work in various areas of cultural studies and provides sound training in writing and critical thinking.
Representative Job Titles and Areas of Specialization
| Acquisitions | Curatorial Assistant | | Advertising | Docent Coordinator * | | Architect * | Education Director * | | Architectural Renderer | Exhibits Designer | | Archivist | Gallery Director * | | Art Appraiser | Historic Preservationist * | | Art Conservator * | Insurance | | Art Critic * | Museum Director | | Art Historian * | Museum/Gallery Curator * | | Art Librarian * | Museum Publishing | | Art Preparator | Museum Registrar * | | Art Restoration * | Professor/Instructor/Teacher * | | Art Specialist | Publishing |
| Researcher |
* See Training Section
Nature of the Work
Many art historian are involved in teaching and research in colleges and universities. Others work in a variety of art environments including museums, galleries, historical societies, and auction houses.
Museums offer a broad range of opportunity for art history graduates in such positions as registrar, curator, conservator, educator director, exhibit designer and preparator.
A museum's registrar maintains all records on the museum's art collection which includes cataloguing, examining artwork's condition, labeling artworks, coordinating packaging, shipping and insurance arrangements and compiling reports of acquisitions. The registrar also makes arrangement concerning exhibitions, loans and art acquisitions. Conservators are involved in the care of objects in a museum or gallery collection. They are responsible for restoration and repair and direct curatorial staff on proper handling, mounting, and storage of art objects.
Curators have overall responsibility for exhibits, research activities and personnel functions of the museum. Many museums have large education staffs as well, who are involved in arranging tours, developing programs, lectures, demonstrations, theatre, and AV presentations.
Additional arts related opportunities exist with corporations. Many hire managers for private art collections who are responsible for research, acquisitions, placement and care of the collection.
Places of Employment
| Advertising firms | Health and Human Services | | Architectural firms | Galleries | | Auction houses | Historical archives | | Book, print or slide libraries | Historical societies | | Corporations | Local and state government | | Federal government | Museums | | Department of Defense | Publishers | | Department of the Interior | Retailers | | Department of State | Universities/colleges | | General Services Administration |
|
Training
A number of the jobs listed above may be obtained with a bachelor's degree depending heavily on the type of coursework completed and experience gained while in school. Those job titles designated by an asterisk generally require specific education and/or experience beyond the bachelor's degree.
A master's degree in art history leads directly to work in a variety of art-related fields and is needed for specialized areas such as art conservation and restoration.
Those considering a career in teaching and research on the university level will want to pursue a Ph.D.
For further information and/or career counseling contact the Career Center, Veitch Student Center, Northwest Wing, University of California, Riverside, 951.827.3631.
|
| SCOTLink Login
|