Mission: Art History
The Art History program at Wheaton examines the artistic traditions of all periods and places. While our curriculum is particularly strong in the history of architecture, printmaking and painting, it also encompasses the history of sculpture, photography, decorative arts, graphic media, and material as well as performative culture. To develop and sharpen student's visual literacy we emphasize close, object-based study in our own collection and in museum collections in Boston, Providence, and New York. Specialized research in areas of the student's choice is strongly encouraged.
Because our pedagogy is founded upon the intersection between art and social history, we encourage the practice of a politically responsible art history-one that weighs and interprets the stories that works of art tell concerning their cultures of origin, and one that considers the works' navigation of the contemporary world. Our program's emphasis upon critical thinking and its strong commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry prepares students for a variety of professions, including architecture, museum and gallery work, conservation/preservation, graduate work in the history of art and architecture, as well as teaching, law, medicine and business.