Art (BA) - Art History Specialization

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Art history students study art and architecture, both as expressions of human creativity and as uniquely informative historical documents to promote an understanding of its cultural and social value. Our students gain a greater aesthetic appreciation of art and a deeper understanding of its purposes in different times and places through extensive study. An understanding of the historical development of art contributes significantly to our students’ comprehension of the overall development of human culture through the ages.The art history curriculum at SIUE is designed such that students gain an understanding of broad historical traditions in the visual arts as well as specialized knowledge in one or more specific areas in the field of art history. Our students are challenged to think critically and reason logically in written and verbal analysis of the visual arts. Three of our faculty members are art historians who offer courses on a broad range of topics from prehistoric to contemporary art at both the introductory and advanced levels. Art history courses are taught in two smart classrooms, housed in the recently built Art and Design West building. Students also have access to the art history resource room, which provides a variety of supporting research materials, including videos, books, magazines and a digitized image database.

College of Arts and Sciences