WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR
Thank you for your interest in the Department of Art History at Rice
University. In 2011--2012, our department will consist of eleven
full-time faculty, two postdoctoral fellows, and, in the Spring, one visiting
professor, a museum curator. Our program's main areas of focus are modern
and contemporary art (including film), and medieval and early modern art in
Asia, Europe, and Middle East. We offer a breadth of methodologies,
including theoretical analysis and hands-on investigation of
artworks.
We maintain close connections with Houston museums, especially the Menil
Collection and the Museum of Fine Arts, where we offer fellowships that enable
students to work with collections and curatorial staff. Students may also
apply for summer travel funds in the U.S. and abroad. For more about
Houston’s art museums and our fellowships, click here.
The department major offers three different tracks. In addition to the
regular major, students may choose to pursue honors or specialize in the
history of architecture. Some students at Rice who major in art history
go on to attend graduate school in the field and achieve professional success
as academics and curators. Other majors have chosen a broad variety of career
paths, including law, medicine, and business. In a world that is
increasingly dominated by visual imagery, the study of art history provides
invaluable training, and art history majors at Rice also develop strong writing
and analytical skills. For the undergraduate major, click here.
This year begins the third year of our doctoral program, which has been funded in large part to a
grant from the Brown Foundation and generous individual donors.
The Art History department also plays a vital role in introducing the public
to research in the field through our conferences and lectures. Click here to see a list of upcoming events.
Should you have any questions about any of our programs, please contact our
Administrator, Lucinda Cannady, at lcannady@rice.edu or the Interim
Chair at lneagley@rice.edu.
Welcome to our website and our department.
Diane Wolfthal