Art History Major and Minor | Skidmore College

From Asia to the Americas, explore how art shapes and reflects cultures across the globe. You’ll learn to see the world through different perspectives, building the awareness, insight, and voice to engage as a thoughtful global citizen.

Skip Sub-Navigation

Expect to find a strong sense of community as you study art history — and the major combines brilliantly with other majors and minors as well. You’ll benefit from close connections with faculty, active in-class learning and creative assignments, distinctive support for study abroad and internships, and unique access to a network of alumni who want to see you thrive.

What will you learn?

Art history’s curriculum spans diverse artistic traditions, cultures, and historical periods. Follow a flexible path through the major and receive individualized mentoring at every stage — including a senior professional development course designed to help you translate your studies into next steps after Skidmore.

Where will you go?

Art history cultivates creative thought and transferable skills valued across many careers, including business, law, media, medicine, and museum work.

Career paths	Recent employers	Graduate schools and programs
Art consultant Collection manager Communications manager Curator Designer Educator Gallerist Lawyer Librarian/information scientist Project manager	Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Everson Museum of Art Fashion Institute of Technology The Metropolitan Museum of Art Monacelli Publishing Museum of Modern Art Peabody Essex Museum The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage Sotheby’s US Holocaust Memorial Museum	Brandeis University Columbia University Fordham University Hofstra University Simmons University University of Delaware University of Edinburgh University of Oxford Vanderbilt University

Paint a beautiful picture

Our students curate meaningful connections and journeys through their relationship with art.

Amplifying artists’ voices

Chiara Garcia-Ugarte ’25, an art history major and double minor in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx studies and arts administration, found her community and her calling by lifting up other artists.

Read Chiara’s story

A student sits in a chair wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, holding their left arm up to show off a tattoo on their bicep that resembles a coyote.

Letting the ink speak

Art history and anthropology double major Lauren Attwell ’26 invited the Skidmore community to share the stories behind their tattoos through her Tang exhibition “Inked: Stigma, Otherness, and Art.”

Read Lauren’s story

Enhancing others’ experiences

For her capstone project, Abigail Svetlik ’24 created an interactive, self-paced visitor’s guide to the Tang Teaching Museum to improve how visitors experience the museum’s artworks.

Read Abigail’s story

A person stands in the interior hall of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Denmark with Roman and greek marble sculptures statues and columns.

What’s out there waiting for you?

With incredible study abroad opportunities on nearly every continent, marvel at treasures of the past and their cultural significance. Will you go to Italy, Japan, Denmark, New Zealand, or one of the other spectacular places where we offer programs?

Leaders in the art world

Our art history alumni have been breaking ground — with their Skidmore roots to support them.

Honoring place and time

Independent curator Ayelen Pagnanelli ’14 returned to Skidmore for her 10th Reunion to visit her favorite spots, reconnect with old friends, and present her first museum exhibition as a newly minted Ph.D. at the Tang.

Read Ayelen’s story

David Levine stands in an aisle of book cases, with his arms resting on either side.

Building a more just future

As an art history and studio art double major at Skidmore, David Levine ’86 discovered that a future in architecture would be his pathway for creating spaces that make a social difference.

Read David’s story

Creating an inclusive gallery

With her own NYC art gallery, Hannah Traore ’17 has been making a meaningful impact in the art world, advocating for and celebrating artists who have been historically marginalized from the mainstream narrative.

Read Hannah’s story

Two students walk along a colorful gallery wall at the Tang Museum, exploring the different artwork displayed.

Rich internships in our own backyard — and beyond

Skidmore students have easy access to respected art institutions — from the Tang Museum right here on campus, to MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, to MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Faculty

Meet the creative, expert mentors who will lead you to your next great discovery.

Meet your professors

Contact Art History

Office

Filene 113
Phone: 518-580-5053

Department Chair

Mimi Hellman
Professor of Art History
mhellman@skidmore.edu

Administrative Assistant

Cassie Deason
cdeason@skidmore.edu