What to do with Art History?

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
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<p>I'm reposting this from the misc. college majors thread. One person suggested I post here to get the perspective from an "artsier" community. I welcome your opinions!</p>

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<p>Last semester I realized I was really passionate about art history, but my parents are having a hard time endorsing my decision to switch my major. Their biggest concern is that it doesn't lead lineally to a career. I have previously interned at a museum, and told them I thought a museum would be a nice place to work, and they still pressed on about how museum jobs "are so hard to get." </p>

<p>My question is, what kind of careers am I looking at as an art history major other than academia/curatorial work?</p>

<p>(<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/909261-art-history-useless.html#post1064632114%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/909261-art-history-useless.html#post1064632114&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p>

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<p>what kind in AH you are interested in?
I have a kid wants to become curator of sort, I did some spying around.
if something Western, old to near modern, you can do yourself favor by becoming fluent in German and French, possibly Italian as well. Don’t know why German but that is the tongue of high high academia. If you can pull at least one of them during UG, it might help your back up job, too.
There are not much you can do while UG, most high powered curatorial study, museum study, education, conservations are done at graduate schools.
If you want respectable ( from your folks) job title, you’d need to go to graduate school, that is almost given, then eventually get Ph.D. but still no real job unless people ahead of you dies or retires or gotten picked to go to somewhere higher. </p>

<p>Good news is there are so many museums in so many different tiers. Everyone have to start somewhere, climb up ladder one at the time, hang in there, keep learning and taking everyone’s BS, in twenty-thirty years of time, you’d win some award, recognized, headhunted to be a director of this and chairman of that.</p>

<p>When old man who ruled Met forever was going to retire and committee were searching suitable successor, this youngish curator have been quietly nonchalantly obsessed with tapestries which in academia not many people cared. Yet he was able to pull very successful shows at Met. nice little madams and grandpas love tapestry, it is “get” able art for them yet not corny or cheesy.
When search committee was exhausted and could not make up their mind, this tapestry guy suddenly seemed to be the handy dark horse already in house no need intimidating adjustment period. He is named the director of the Met.
That’s one way to tell it, of course I don’t know what really really mattered to whom, maybe the Brit accent? his Oxford/ Christie’s / Courtauld education? Is it really the tapestries?</p>

<p>I do think you should find one thing that excite you the most anyways, so intensive research and cataloguing is never the bore. If that something is not common but up and coming, you are in luck.
There are some demand for American curators in modern art venues in Europe. For start, schools/ programs abroad you’d get chosen to go with grants money assuming you can speak the language. I guess it works in both ways. As much as American museum wants Euro flavor for Euro arts, if they are gonna put up Warhol or Koons, better to have American know it all.
My kid will never able to get there unless get half decent BA somewhere first, you are well ahead of the game, good luck.</p>

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<p>Here is an another option.
I get this e-news letter through friend everyday and it tells who gets new job where doing what, whenever that happens, which is pretty often. I can tell by the size of the article and references, how big the deal certain appointment is.
<a href=“http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=37512[/url]”>http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=37512&lt;/a&gt;
This guy, worked for non profit in NYC, done couple big weird events, get cozy with MoMA, PS 1( their stepkid contemporary art venue in Queens) etc, then did time at Minneapolis, now coming back as bigshot at PS 1 after then MoMA guy was pulled to be a director at PS 1 recently.
This is one way to tell it, of course I have no idea what really really happened.
I did search but nowhere tells this guy’s educational background. No BA BFA MFA wherever. If noone talks or brag, it could be BS (stands for bull ****)
See how cute and poised he is. Sometime in contemporary turf, that is more important than where you went to school or how much you know.
There was some show Armani did in Italy and in pub photo, he was sandwiched in between amazingly well dressed good looking men. I assumed they were models, behold- were curator and the middleman.</p>

<p>I do not think your folks would get arts that are bunch of fireworks or shadow puppet projection on the outer-wall of buildings or could not look like anything but pile of trash,(I don’t) but that 's where money and fun-fun are (so my kid thinks)
What kind of student/person are you?
Is this something are you interested in?
then forget about graduate school, foreign language, but learn to perform, pub speak, shmooze, count money, and get facial.</p>

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<p>Someone just told me he went to Yale, then BA. maybe that’s why he can’t brag-brag?</p>

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<p>waltzno2…I know next to nothing about this topic except the experience of my sister in law who was an art history major. She seemed to be the example to meet your parent’s dire view…she did art history and then, to get a job, an education major. Not a terrible choice except she doesn’t really like kids (her own is the exception to that rule)…but…she did gain some skills during her art history degree–she was careful to do some accounting classes and a couple of business ones too. She is a gifted writer, knows her artworld, and is extremely patient with childish people (great skill for working with bright quirky artsy adults). Anyway, she followed my brother around from city to city as his career went around some bends but she always found good work–generally writing for and editing of art magazines, newsletters, etc.–not badly paid and she does what she likes and keeps up with the art world. She often started as a docent at a local museum, got involved in community art centers, etc. while looking for full time work. Certainly, if she had done a curator studies/PhD she could have had even more opportunities. It helped that she married my brother with a relatively steady income…let’s face it a successful “Plan B” is to make an effort to fall in love with someone who is NOT an artist or an art history major…I am not entirely serious but not entirely flippant here…</p>

<p>My attitude, being a very practical economist and terrified for the future of my bohemian, artsy kid, is to be supportive but remind him to get and maintain skills that allow him to be involved in the area he loves…</p>

<p>do not ignore technology–make sure your computer skills are top notch (word processing but also spreadsheets and some basic accounting programs, program management systems, business planning). Get experience in galleries and museums as docent/volunteer but work in the gift shop etc. too and any opportunity to assist in management responsibilities. Talk to curators and other staff at museums…how did they get to where they are, what do they recommend? Maybe those jobs won’t appeal to you after you talk to them so do this now…</p>

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<p>You can go into appraisal ,which can be VERY lucrative.</p>

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<p>I just completed an Art History major with a minor in Digital Photography. To be honest with you, unless you really have a passion for Art History specifically and are willing to intern and climb your way through I’d rethink it. Most museums jobs DO required a Masters degree.
There are many non art field jobs you can get with a Bachelors degree, such that require a general degree.
It can be rewarding however having such a broad knowledge of art, history, culture and writing skills. Its definitely not an easy major as some may think.
I would agree with the earlier posts, definitely pick your minor carefully…something that would compliment it or could be a fall back plan if needed OR if you have a passion for art and consider yourself gifted in the studio…a studio art minor works well too. I have many friends who majored in studio (painting, photography, drawing) and are working close to museums or in cultural centers. Main point…for the jobs you are seeking…be prepared to get your Masters degree.
Best of Luck!</p>

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<p>I worked very happily in the museum field for 20+ years and have some thoughts…Don’t be too discouraged or quick to dismiss museum work, if it truly interests you. Things may not be as dire as some think. (But don’t expect to make a ton of money; it’s NOT a lucrative field, even for those who put together the perfect career roadmap). </p>

<p>Now is a very good time to be considering a career in museums, because there is a seismic shift going on as baby boomers retire, and the museum field is very preoccupied at the moment with leadership transition, training a new generation, and building the pipeline of museum professionals for the future. In addition to curatorial work, there are many other sub-specialties within the museum, including collections management, conservation, art handling, exhibit design/installation, education, adminstration, and development (to name a few). </p>

<p>Museum internships are definitely good experience and good resume-builders; a complementary minor and/or concentrations during undergrad will also strengthen your marketability. A second (or third) language is a plus, strong writing skills are critical. An inter-disciplinary exposure to various areas of the humanities is important (as is the temperament and the kind of intellectual curiosity that likes to view issues from an inter-displinary perspective rather than in isolation).</p>

<p>There are certainly entry-level jobs in museums that you can get with just a bachelor’s degree (and your transcript and internship experiences will strengthen your applications). But as others have noted, to make yourself truly marketable, you should be preparing for and planning on getting a master’s degree, and thinking about how to strategize for that: focusing on a content/subject area emphasis is one approach, another would be thinking about Museum Studies, and there are lots of very good museum studies masters programs. (You don’t necessarily have to do that straight after undergrad, although if you’ve mapped out a plan and can afford it, that certainly will make you an even stronger candidate.</p>

<p>PM me if you want to have a further discussion about this.</p>

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