The art history department at Drew, dedicated to educating students on an incredibly important and interesting field, is underappreciated. I chose art history as my major because as a kid, I loved going to museums and learning about the stories beyond the artwork. I am not an artistic person, but I loved to hear about how pieces were created or why their subjects were chosen. Part of my interest in Drew stemmed from their art history department. Although the department more than met my academic standards, I was disappointed to see how little recognition it actually receives.
Last year, art history professor Rita Keane was given the College of Liberal Arts teaching award for her outstanding work in the field. Keane’s research focuses on medieval women and what was important to them—a particularly interesting research focus, because we know only a fraction about them since very little was actually recorded.
Outside of her own research, Keane is very dedicated to her students’ education, ensuring they learn inside the classroom but also immerse themselves in the art through museum trips and accompanying students on shortTRECs to France.
She was selected for this award based on her hard work and dedication to her students. However, other than an article on the Drew page, her award was not heavily advertised. Keane deserved to have her accomplishments proudly displayed.
I am not saying that the art history department or the faculty receive no recognition whatsoever, yet I feel like we could give them a little more attention. As a rising junior, a lot of the other art history majors I know are graduating. Many of the new students coming into Drew are going into other fields, and art history does not seem to be getting many new faces.
When asked about their thoughts on the art history department, a student who wished to remain anonymous said, “I would say the lack of professors makes it so that not a lot of cool courses are offered outside the basic requirements…Many people think art history is not challenging, for instance, in the same way history is.”
Professor Kuntz is a proud member of the art history department. She is the head of the department as a whole, and it is clear that she values her work and anyone that wants to get involved.
“I think it is a great major,” said Kuntz, “and you have a department that really cares about students, their learning and their success after Drew. We stay in touch with many of our graduates. The faculty in the department are very communicative and supportive of one another, and we feel that it is really important to model the behaviors we expect the students to demonstrate both at Drew and beyond.”
Connection and relationship building are clearly an indelible part of the department. Beyond the professors, students beyond art history majors and minors have much to gain from the courses offered.
Rhodes said there are “many courses in the department that fulfill general education requirements and serve other majors and minors such as art, photography, MCOM, business, medieval studies, etc.”
It is important for other majors and departments to recognize these interdisciplinary connections and to take advantage of the courses and opportunities which relate to their fields..
I wish others outside of the field respected the department more because everyone involved creates a nurturing environment, and regardless of one’s intended career path, art history courses have something to offer every student. Kuntz explained that there are different law degrees and journalism careers that work extremely well with an art history degree.
As a whole, Drew’s art history department is an amazing thing to be a part of, and I believe students in all majors should take advantage of the department’s opportunities.
Nina Grace is a sophomore majoring in art history and minoring in museum studies and cultural management.
Featured image courtesy of Pexels.com.
