BA in Art History

Meryem Tanis, 2026

Why did you choose art history as a major? 

My interest in art began with my practice of painting, drawing, and crafting from a young age. Whenever my family traveled, art museums were always part of the itinerary, but it wasn’t until high school that I truly connected with art. I took a course on ancient cultures and history and found myself engaging with the material in a way I hadn’t with other subjects. That’s when I realized I had found my true passion. Since then, I’ve had a clear vision of my future, with art history at the heart of it. 

Are you minoring or double majoring in anything else? If so, how do the two work together – or separately? 

Alongside art history, I also major in history. It’s been a seamless pairing, both in terms of course requirements and academic focus. More importantly, the two disciplines strengthen one another: the periods and events I study in history classes provide crucial context for the visual cultures I explore in art history, and vice versa. Together, they’ve created a much more immersive and connected learning experience for me. 

What have you learned in an art history class that really surprised you/changed your perspective? 

The first art history course I took was Professor Bauman’s class on Early Renaissance Art in Italy, during my freshman year. One moment that really changed my perspective was learning that patrons were often more important than artists in earlier centuries, and that artists’ names were frequently unknown. This was surprising to me because I had always approached art through a modern lens, where the artist is the central figure. It made me realize how much our understanding of art is shaped by cultural values that have shifted over time. 

Tell us about your dream occupation… 

My dream is to become a curator of Japanese art at a prestigious museum, where I can help bring the beauty of Japanese visual culture to a wider audience. My journey started in high school, when I first began learning Japanese simply out of fascination with the language. As I immersed myself, I discovered how deeply language, history, and art are woven together, and it opened my eyes to the richness of Japanese culture. Ever since then, I’ve dedicated myself to studying Japanese art and history during my undergraduate years, and I’m excited to take the next steps, through graduate study, fieldwork, and curatorial experience, to turn this passion into my lifelong career. 

Have you had any interesting internships, jobs, or study abroad experiences? Tell us about them. 

I spent four months studying abroad at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan to further my proficiency in Japanese. Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I made in college, not only to improve my language skills, but also to gain a first-hand cultural understanding of a region I hope to specialize in. Living in Tokyo exposed me to both historical and contemporary aspects of Japanese society, from visiting traditional temples to engaging in everyday conversations with local students and community members. These experiences deepened my appreciation of the nuances of Japanese art and history in ways that simply aren’t possible through classroom learning alone.

While abroad, I also interned remotely as a curator for the Alfa Art Gallery in New Jersey, where I conducted research and recruited emerging artists from the Tri-state area for seasonal exhibitions, helped maintain a comprehensive database of artists, collections, and exhibitions, and collaborated with cross-functional teams to curate and prepare virtual exhibitions. I also assisted with digital asset management and gained hands-on experience with the logistics of exhibition planning. Balancing this work while studying abroad challenged me to stay organized, communicate across time zones, work collaboratively in a virtual setting, and was an incredibly rewarding experience overall.

Is there something we might be surprised to know about you? 

Alongside academics, I’ve been involved in competitive club sports, namely badminton. I only started playing two years ago, so I don’t quite feel right claiming the title of “student-athlete,” but I’ve dedicated a lot of time and energy as a player and as an executive officer managing the club. It was important for me to challenge myself and try new things during undergrad. Otherwise, I would have easily fallen into the routine of just going to class, the library, and back home every day. Badminton gave me a way to have fun with my love for sports, step into leadership roles, and strengthen a community on campus that I’ve come to really cherish.