Art and Art History, B.A.

Art and Art History Major

As an art and art history major, you’ll learn how to identify distinctive artistic styles, recognize the social influences that have shaped visual arts, music and film, as well as create your own works of art.

Art and art history is a broad interdisciplinary major that allows you to investigate multiple studio art forms and art history. It establishes the connection between the art historian and the practicing studio artist. The program seeks to graduate well-rounded citizen artists, who have a strong understanding of both the art world and the larger contextual world in which it operates. As an art and art history major, you will be encouraged to pair your interests in art with other academic disciplines, exploring the true interdisciplinary connections and strength of the arts.

In this major, you will benefit from small class sizes, individualized student/professor mentorship and have the flexibility to tailor your major to specific interests. You can take advantage of directed studies, art-focused study abroad programs and professional internships in regional art galleries, museums and for the Merrimack College Art Collection.

In the Art and Art History program, you’ll learn to:

• Identify and distinguish cultural, regional and personal artistic styles.

• Recognize the relationships that exist between works of art and their historical and cultural contexts.

• Critically analyze and discuss artwork, scholarly essays and articles significant to the field.

• Acquire technical and observational skills, as well as material knowledge to engage in artmaking.

• Analyze, discuss and critique orally and in writing, with precision and clarity, qualities of your own artwork and the art and architecture of others.

• Engage in creative and expressive work within the context of particular artistic disciplines measured through a portfolio.

• Write artist statements and develop research papers using research tools and mechanics appropriate to the writing of research papers and artist statements required by the discipline of art and art history.