Sample Courses

• Interpretations in History
• Research in History

Popular Electives

• The British Isles, 1485–1603
• Early America, 1000–1775
• The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1877–1918
• History of Modern Mexico
• Iroquois History from Precontact to Present
• Nationalism and Ethnic Violence
• Slave Rebellions and Resistance in the Atlantic World
• Traditional China
• The US and Vietnam
• Women in the Medieval World

Cultural Studies 4+1

Why pursue cultural studies or history at Geneseo?

Interested in a career in public history or historical and art museums? The accelerated BA to MA partnership program with allows students to further their studies and position themselves well for future employment. Geneseo provides an excellent liberal arts foundation, and Claremont has working relationships with museums throughout southern California, particularly in the greater Los Angeles area, and can offer students unparalleled opportunities and experiences in some of the finest museums in the world. Graduate students choose between degrees in history or in cultural studies with a concentration in museum studies.

Visit Geneseo

Apply

Partnership Programs

• + MA in Cultural Studies
• + MA in History

Program Highlights

• Count 12 credits from senior year coursework toward a master’s program and complete a graduate degree in as little as one year.
• Save tuition by having to complete fewer graduate courses. 
• Gain a competitive advantage in the museums and public history job market.
• Benefit from Claremont’s strong track record of placing graduates in museums across the country.
• Qualify for financial support for Geneseo students admitted to the program.

Example Careers

• Archivist
• Curator
• Librarian
• Postsecondary history teacher
• Public historian
• Social studies teacher

Contact Info

Michael Leroy Oberg, Distinguished Professor of History
oberg@geneseo.edu
Doty Hall 208
585-245-5730

History Department

History Faculty

Professor Alla Myzelev recently interviewed renowned artist, activist, and Pussy Riot co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova.

 Known for her bold art and activism, Tolokonnikova continues to challenge societal norms and advocate for change through her thought-provoking work.

Program Highlights

Geneseo’s curriculum represents many of the disciplines typically covered by museums, such as art, anthropology, history, geography, science, theatre, music, and politics.

Museum Studies

Why choose museum studies at Geneseo?

Students interested in pursuing a museum career must understand what a museum is and does so they can see how their own area of professional interest fits within the museum business structure. Museums today are rapidly changing into independent business units that employ professionals from a wide range of backgrounds: business, design, insurance, computer technology, communications, law, education, community activities, budget management, fundraising, marketing, advertising, food services, and event planning.

Program Option

Visit Geneseo

Apply

Sample Courses

• American Landscapes
• Asian Dance Survey
• Business Law I
• Educational Psychology
• History of the Theatre
• Intro to Financial Accounting
• Museum Studies
• Research Methods in Art History
• World Religions and Contemporary Issues

Contact Info

Alla Myzelev, Associate Professor in Art History and Program Coordinator
myzelev@geneseo.edu
Brodie Hall 224
585-245-5811 

art history dept

art history faculty

Associate Professor Alla Myzelev

Abstract:

, coedited by ºÚÁÏÍø's associate professor of art history Alla Myzelev and Tijen Tunali, an Andrew Mellon Research Fellow at Columbia University, explores what art and artists can do to create democratic spaces, forms, and languages in a world devastated by multiple crises. Artists, activists, art historians, and curators conduct timely and critical analyses across political divides, informing the public search for agency, dialogue, and self-representation. They analyze how artists transform these social relations through aesthetic means with a shared commitment to bridging political divides and conflicts. The book uses case studies from Australia, India, Mexico, the USA, Turkey, Palestine, Israel, the Balkans, Russia, Italy, and Ukraine to discuss the possibility or impossibility of building avenues for participation, equitable interaction, self-organization, as well as the common creation of the imaginary and a culture of dialogue. The book pushes for a broader and more conflict-oriented understanding of art and politics.

Implications for Society:

The book shows the need for more projects that cut across political disagreements or long historic border conflicts.

Implications for Research:

The authors used two important theoretical notions:
1. Dialogic relationship—explains how art can create a dialog that could go beyond the creation of art for art markets and museums and galleries.
2. agonistic coexistance—describes how some parts of the world exist in constant conflict both violent and mainly non-violent. They explored how agonistic or radically different opinions can become a productive way of communicating using collaborative art practices or projects.

Implications for Policy:

The book demonstrates that it is highly beneficial to fund art projects in the areas of high conflict.

Contemporary Arts Across Political Divides: Difficult Conversations Facebook Twitter Email, Cambridge Scholars (2023)

Sample Courses

• Art and Religion in the West
• Avant-Garde Modernism
• Museum Studies
• Renaissance Europe

Popular Electives

• Cultural Dance of Asian Peoples
• History of Western Art: Prehistoric–Gothic
• History of Western Art: Renaissance–Rococo
• History of Western Art: Neoclassic–Contemporary
• Philosophy of the Arts
• Religion, Society, and Culture
• Scene Painting for the Theatre
• Urban Historical Geography
• Visual Culture Today

Recent Internships

• Albright-Knox Art Gallery
• Aurora Town Historian Office
• Burchfield Penney Art Center
• Smithsonian Institution
• Sotheby’s, NYC
• Women’s Rights National Historical Park

Alumni Spotlight

Phoebe Stucke ’21

Major: Anthropology

Minors: Art History, Museum Studies

Career: Stucke is working on a master’s in museum studies (collections management track) at George Washington University and serves as a collections intern at the Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History.

Art History

Why study art history at Geneseo?
Art history at Geneseo is a global and practical field that includes visual culture, visual communication, and museum studies. Course offerings span the entire history of art and visuality from ancient to contemporary eras, with broad focus areas covering identity studies, global outreach, art and politics, architectural history, urban planning, resource management, gender studies, and new media. Special interest areas cover Latin American, African American, medieval and Renaissance Islamic, Judaic, and diverse Christian traditions.

In addition to studying a wide range of topics, art history majors acquire essential skills: critical theory, research writing, and visual analysis all form part of the curriculum. Graduates have entered art-related careers such as museum curator or director, art consultant or conservator, exhibition designer, or scholarly book editor. Many art history majors also pursue careers in law, medicine, or business.

Visit Geneseo

Apply

Program Options

Additional Options

Program Highlights

• The department boasts both a high retention rate and a high four-year graduation rate.
• Course offerings are linked to related Geneseo programs, women’s and gender studies, Latin American studies, and medieval studies.
• The faculty includes scholars with international, national, and regional reputations.
• Faculty networks of contacts can assist students interested in studying abroad, conducting research, or pursuing internships.
• The student-managed Kinetic Gallery on campus offers students opportunities to get involved in exhibition programming and design.  
• Students join the Art History Association and participate in the Annual Art History Symposium, where they present their work.
• A museum studies project titled The College as Museum: Preserving SUNY, Geneseo’s Brodie Hall works toward developing a preservation and sustainability profile for the college’s significant modernist building, designed by the architect Edgar Tafel.

Example Careers

• Art Administrator, Appraiser, or Conservator
• College or University Professor
• Exhibition Designer
• Fine Art Transporter
• Gallery or Auction House Assistant
• Museum Curator, Director, Educator, or Registrar
• Public Arts Projects Manager
• Scholarly Researcher or Book Editor

Recent Employers

• Bonham’s, London
• Christie’s, New York
• Museum of the Bible, NYC
• New Britain Museum of American Art
• Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Art
• Tang Teaching Museum, Skidmore College
• Wheaton College

Recent Grad Schools

• Georgetown University
• Johns Hopkins University
• New York University
• Parsons School of Design–The New School
• St. Andrews, Scotland
• University of the Arts, London
• Vrije University Amsterdam

Contact Info

Alla Myzelev, Department Chair
myzelev@geneseo.edu
Brodie Hall 224
585-245-5841

Art History Department

Art History Faculty