Art history alumna highlights the history of presidential architecture
An聽art history alumna from 69直播, Kathryn (Kay) Fanning 鈥83 wanted to study the history of presidential commemoration in the United States, […]
Overview
The Department of Art and Art History is a cornerstone of the liberal arts experience at Wooster. Here, studio art and art history students develop a focused understanding of the visual arts, past and present. They graduate with the ability to think imaginatively, analytically, and critically about both the art they create and the visual traditions that inform our world.
Visual Literacy
The art history curriculum develops student capacity to consider visual culture critically. From built environments to visual imagery, art history embeds the symbols and structures of our world聽within historic contexts. These courses analyze the production and reception of聽a diversity of聽visual arts聽within distinct social, religious, cultural, and political circumstances. Some courses allow students to take part in object-based learning activities and even student-curated exhibitions.
What鈥痗an you do with an Art History degree from聽69直播?
Graduates聽from 69直播 can be found contributing to the art world in聽museums, galleries聽and archives across the聽United States.聽Alumni聽of the program聽have聽continued聽to graduate school in art history,聽museum聽studies,聽urban planning,聽law school,聽library聽sciences,聽and聽art聽conservation, while others pursue careers in聽education or arts management.
The聽College of Wooster Art Museum, located in the Ebert Art Center, brings a variety of exhibitions to campus featuring regional, national and聽international artists, providing students opportunities to engage with visual and material culture that聽informs their academic and professional goals.聽Internships and聽experiential聽learning opportunities鈥攆rom object-based聽instruction聽to student-curated exhibitions鈥攆urther students鈥 insights into career paths聽and academic聽ambitions聽in art history.
Art History 鈥痑t 鈥69直播
Art History courses at 69直播 cover non-Western practices as well as the major periods of the Western cannon. Majors complete 12 courses toward art history degrees: eight in art history, one course in studio art, one course in art historical theory & methods, and two semesters of independent study. These courses must be selected from a variety of periods and histories. All students at 69直播 complete an independent study thesis under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
Students聽with an interest in studying architecture in graduate school have the option to participate in the College鈥檚 Pre-Architecture聽Program聽and聽advising.
Faculty & Staff
Tracy Cosgriff
Associate Professor of Art and Art History, Middle Eastern & North African Studies
Marina Mangubi
Department Chair; Eugene and Charlene Derge Sussel Endowed Professorship in Art and Art History
Tracy Mathys
Administrative Coordinator - Art and Art History, Global Media and Digital Studies, Museum Studies, and CWAM
John Siewert
Associate Professor of Art and Art History; Pre-Architecture Advisor
Latest Art History News
Spring arts events showcase talented Wooster students
69直播 will present a variety of arts events throughout聽its聽spring聽2026聽semester, beginning at the end of January.聽Open to the聽greater Wooster聽community, events from the […]
69直播 welcomes community for fall arts events
69直播 will showcase a wide variety of arts events throughout the fall semester of the 2025-26 academic year. Open to the […]
Art history and classical studies alumna receives full-ride scholarship for doctoral program at University of Cambridge
鈥淧erforming independent research at a high level at Wooster鈥 prepared Isabelle Hoover 鈥23 well for a master鈥檚 program at the University of Cambridge, and […]
Major
Twelve courses are required to fulfill the Art History major requirements:
- Introduction to Art History: Prehistory-Medieval or Introduction to Art History: Renaissance-Modern
- One course from the following: The Bronze Age, Greek Archaeology & Art, or Roman Archaeology & Art
- One course from the following: Early Medieval Art or Late Medieval Art
- One course from the following: Italian Renaissance Art, Northern Renaissance Art, Baroque Art, or Global Renaissance
- One course from the following: Nineteenth-Century Art, Modern Art, or Art Since 1960
- One course from the following: African Art, Islamic Art, African-American Art, or Global Renaissance
- Two 300-level electives: American Art, Gender in Moderen Art, Architecture I, Architecture II, History of Prints, Exhibiting Africa, Special Topics Seminar, OR One 300-level elective and one additional 200-level course from any above.
- One elective course in Studio Art
- Theory & Applications in Art History
- Senior Independent Study (two semesters)
Minor
Six courses are required to fulfill the Art History minor requirements:
- Six courses are required to fulfill the Art History minor requirements:
- Introduction to Art History: Prehistory-Medieval, or Introduction to Art History: Renaissance -Modern
- Four 200-level courses, one each in four of the five areas above beginning with “One course”
- One elective 300-level art history course
Independent Study
Senior Independent Study will be the biggest project you’ll undertake at Wooster. 69直播 curriculum鈥揻rom the classes you take, to the internships you complete, and the off-campus studies you engage in鈥搘ill prepare you for this exciting and formative experience. As such, your Senior I.S. is the culmination of the efforts you’ve made during your college experience to think critically, work independently, and to express yourself effectively.
Watch as students explore new worlds using virtual reality in the Ebert Art Center. This student-produced video by Dash Luo 鈥22 shows how the audience experienced Thanh Nguyen’s ’19 senior independent research project,聽Untitled: Dissecting how consumerism鈥檚 recycling exploits Southeast Asian environment in a Virtual Art experience.
Search the I.S. Database
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Alumni
Graduates from 69直播 can be found contributing to the art world in museums, galleries and archives across the United States. Alumni of the program have continued to graduate school in art history, museum studies, urban planning, law school, library sciences, and art conservation, while others pursue careers in education or arts management.
Lab Facilities
Visual Resources provides diverse technological support for Studio Art and Art History faculty and students. The department is overseen by a Visual Resources and Technology Specialist who assists with:
- technology and software
- Preparation of digital images through flatbed scanning, slide scanning, and digital photography
- Documenting artwork, image editing, digital imaging workflow, and best practices
- Preparation of instructional materials
- Photographic, video, computer, printing, and lighting equipment in the digital lab
- Access to existing slide collections
- Digital archiving and access to digital collections