Initiatives

The Department of Art History has long been committed to illuminating a global history of art that represents many cultures, times periods, and parts of the world. In accordance with that tradition, and with the statements above, the department has undertaken the following initiatives to support equity, diversity, and inclusion:

  • The department requires all undergraduate majors to take a non-Western survey, ARTHIST 104 or 105
  • The department has made its two largest courses, ARTHIST 101 and 102, as well as many others, Open Educational Resources (OER) courses. Students in these courses do not have to acquire any textbooks, making them more accessible to students of all financial means.
  • The department’s new course, ARTHIST 603 – The Art Museum: History, Theory, Practice, explores how curatorial activism and institutional decolonization are redefining museum practices and expanding access to and representation within exhibitions.
  • The department is developing a new course, ARTHIST 100, that provides a global introduction to the history of art.
  • The Emile H. Mathis Art Gallery was awarded an NEH Preservation Assistance Grant to study the storage and conservation requirements of the African Art Collection, which comprises nearly 650 objects from more than 100 ethnic groups throughout the African continent. With additional funding the Gallery hopes to make this collection more accessible to students and researchers.