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.
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 within historic contexts. These courses analyze the production and reception of a diversity of visual arts 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.
Graduates from The College of Wooster 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.
The College of Wooster Art Museum, located in the Ebert Art Center, brings a variety of exhibitions to campus featuring regional, national and international artists, providing students opportunities to engage with visual and material culture that informs their academic and professional goals. Internships and experiential learning opportunities—from object-based instruction to student-curated exhibitions—further students’ insights into career paths and academic ambitions in art history.
Art History courses at The College of Wooster 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 & application, and two semesters of independent study. These courses must be selected from a variety of periods and histories. All students at The College of Wooster complete an independent study thesis under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
Students with an interest in studying architecture in graduate school have the option to participate in the College’s Pre-Architecture Program and advising.
Associate Professor of Art and Art History, Middle Eastern & North African Studies
Assistant Professor of Art and Art History (On Leave Spring 2025)
Department Chair; Eugene and Charlene Derge Sussel Endowed Professorship in Art and Art History
Administrative Coordinator - Art and Art History, Global Media and Digital Studies, Museum Studies, and CWAM
“Performing independent research at a high level at Wooster” prepared Isabelle Hoover ’23 well for a master’s program at the University of Cambridge, and […]
Ava Caizzo ’26, an anthropology and art history major and music minor completing the museum and archival studies pathway, wanted to get real-world experience […]
A double major in art history and French & Francophone studies at The College of Wooster, Grace Alexandrowski ’24 found inspiration for her senior […]
Fritz Clingroth ’24, archaeology and art history double major at The College of Wooster, had a hand in an archaeological excavation of an ancient […]
Twelve courses are required to fulfill the Art History major requirements:
Six courses are required to fulfill the Art History minor requirements:
Senior Independent Study will be the biggest project you’ll undertake at Wooster. The College of Wooster curriculum–from the classes you take, to the internships you complete, and the off-campus studies you engage in–will 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 ‘22 shows how the audience experienced Thanh Nguyen’s ’19 senior independent research project, Untitled: Dissecting how consumerism’s recycling exploits Southeast Asian environment in a Virtual Art experience.
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Graduates from The College of Wooster 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.
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: