How did you decide on the art history major?
I have enjoyed going to art museums ever since I was a child, but I saw so many paintings and sculptures that I didn’t understand, whether from their compositions to symbolism. Last year, my freshman year, I took Survey of Western Art my first semester and learned about many of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Impressionist artworks I couldn’t quite decipher as a child. Ever since, I’ve been addicted to figuring out the significance of the intricacies of visual communication.
Are you minoring or double majoring in anything else? If so, how do the two work together – or separately?
I’m also majoring in Global Affairs and I hope to add a Religious Studies minor this semester. Because Global Affairs is also part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, all the general education requirements are the same as those for Art History. Global Affairs also focuses on globalization and how it affects cultures, and seeing the influences of different cultures in art halfway across the globe is very interesting. Religious studies ties perfectly into my Byzantine, Renaissance, and Baroque interests considering many of these periods’ patrons were creating devotional pieces.
What have you learned in an art history class that really surprised you/changed your perspective?
My first “wow” moment was in Survey of Western Art my first semester. We were learning about Michelangelo’s “David,” which I had seen on a family trip to Florence eight years previously. I had always thought of it as a work of art created solely as a work of art, but learning that it was meant for the top of the Duomo and to bolster civic pride in Florence made me realize just how much I had taken artwork for granted. The importance of asking “why?” of art really hit me for the first time then.
Tell us about your dream occupation…
My dream would be to have a career curating at the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence. I would even be happy just dusting off the sculptures there! Being surrounded by art is fundamental.
Have you had any internships? Or interesting jobs or volunteer experience? Tell us about it/them.
No internships yet, but I do have applications in the works for this summer! A wonderful volunteer experience I hope to have again was representing the Art History department at the Fall Student Admissions Premiere for prospective students. It was very fulfilling meeting admitted students and telling them why the discipline matters and just how much it has changed my life socially, academically, and intellectually.
Any accomplishments you’re proud of? Opportunities you’ve taken advantage of? Brag a little!
I’m currently taking a seminar with Dr. Todd that also doubles as a graduate level course, despite this being my second year of college. It’s wonderful connecting with graduate students and seeing the work they’ve done in the discipline, just as I hope to accomplish by the time I’m in their position.
I also just traveled to Florence with the Center for Global Education’s winter break program “Renaissance Art in Florence.” Spending over two weeks in and out of galleries, cathedrals, and Tuscan streets was phenomenal, and I learned so much about art, life, and passion from Dr. Bauman and my classmates. The entire trip was a religious experience!
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you.
Before coming to college, I regularly took voice lessons and actually began learning opera! I still sing in my spare time. Apart from art history, singing is my greatest passion.