Art History
Study of the history of art enhances general education at Pomona College by revealing how meaning can be made visually. Students gain the ability to deal with the imagery of their own and other cultures more effectively and critically. Questions concerning historical method, cultural diversity, feminism and critical theory inform the Art History curriculum. Pomona College, Scripps College and Pitzer College have a joint Art History program that treats European, North American, African, African Diaspora, Native American and Asian topics through introductory and advanced courses. Students are encouraged to start with the ARHI 51A,B,C series, but may enroll in most of the upper-division courses at any time with permission of the instructor.
Specialties of art history faculty include architecture and fresco painting in Italy; the art of African artists and of artists of African descent in the Americas; the history of cities and gardens; issues of gender and the body; and the social history of North American art, including Native American traditions, from the 16th Century to the present.
The Pomona College Museum of Art, the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery (Scripps), and the Clark Humanities Museum (Scripps) contain extensive holdings in American, Native American and Asian art, providing art history students with the opportunity to conduct research on original objects and to assist in the creation of exhibitions for the college and surrounding communities. In addition to preparing the art history major for graduate studies in this field, art history courses provide an excellent background for students seeking careers in a wide range of fields, including teaching, publishing, art conservation, library or museum work, law, business, and public policy.
