Introduction to Art Museum Studies

ArtHist 703 – Introduction to Art Museum Studies I

This course explores the history, theory, and cultural practices of the art museum. Intended for students who are embarking upon careers as museum professionals as well as those who wish to pursue scholarly work on museums, the course examines the various relationships between the museum institution, exhibition, artist, viewer and art object. In addition, the course will analyze processes of launching exhibitions within particular communities in an effort to contextualize museum studies as a rising contemporary discipline as well as to introduce museum theory as a framework of cultural analysis.

ArtHist 704 – Introduction to Art Museum Studies II

Building on the historical and theoretical foundations considered in Art History 703, this course is designed to introduce students to the practical challenges faced by art museum professionals in the creation and installation of an exhibition. Working as a team, the class will conceive and produce an exhibition for the UWM Art History Gallery. At the end of the course, students will have gained fundamental experience curating an Art Museum exhibition, as well as a familiarity with the roles of non-curatorial museum staff (i.e. Development, Marketing, Registration, Conservation, Exhibition Design, and Education) in the production of an exhibition.

These courses are taught biennially.

Museum Studies Exhibitions