Minor in Art History

Charmaine-Seymone Mapp, 2025

How did you decide on the art history minor?

My art history journey began in high school. I was a visual art student, passionate about expressing myself through visual mediums and constantly bringing creative visions to life. During my sophomore year, I took my first art history class where I learned about Prehistoric, Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art. While most of my peers dreaded the lectures or opted out and took a nap instead, I found myself locked into the slideshows filled with images of sculptures, architecture, and paintings from centuries ago. I was fascinated by the detailed knowledge held by my teacher and my new found ability to time travel to different periods. After taking the only two art history classes offered by my high school, I knew that art history was something I wanted to pursue academically and professionally.

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

I am actually minoring in art history and majoring in accounting, though I would switch them if I could minor in accounting. Funny enough, my academic focuses have been heavily influenced by my high school art history teacher. Not only did she open my mind to the broader world of art, but she would always mention her sister who was a free-lance CPA, traveling the world, making good money, and pursuing her other passions. Hearing this sparked my interest in accounting as a profession, but I did not know until recently how my two interests could overlap. Through meetings with professors and attending career events, I realized that there are plenty of positions in art settings that require financial skills.

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

The power that an artwork and artist can hold in the world is something that surprised me. I am also amazed by the endless amount of information one could attain in the art history field. The ratio of known to unknown is vast and yet academics, researchers, curators, and teachers continue to ask questions and make connections allowing for a deeper understanding of art in different contexts that is shared with the world. 

Tell us about your dream occupation…

I still have a lot to learn about career paths in art history, but my dream is to work in a curatorial position for a non-profit art museum or gallery. I want to work directly with art, artists, and the public from different parts of the world while still having the time to work as a CPA independently, for a small company or museum . Because this is a dream job, I would ideally have great work-life balance, granting me the time to pursue other interests such as creating art again or becoming fluent in other languages. I would also like to do research on Caribbean art, specifically that of Jamaica, combining my love of art and interest in exploring my heritage.

Have you had any internships? Or interesting jobs or volunteer experience? Tell us about it/them.

Most of my experience relating to art history has been as an art student, including organizing and assembling student art shows, reading visual narratives through analysis of artistic elements and techniques, and my familiarity with various creative mediums. My work experience has consisted of various positions under the umbrella of customer service, and I currently work as an Access Services student lead at the George Mason Fenwick Library.

Any accomplishments you’re proud of? Opportunities you’ve taken advantage of? Brag a little!

During my first year at Mason, I submitted one of my paintings to the 2021 Rewire exhibition. I am very proud to have something of my creation viewed by others and listed on the Mason exhibition website. My other accomplishments are not related to art history, but I have secured an audit internship with FORVIS for the summer of 2025 and have accepted my invitation to join the Costello College of Business Honors Program.

Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you. 

I love music. Listening to a music daily and consistently finding new songs and artists is one of my favorite things to do. People often ask me what my favorite genre is and I always say that I don't have one because although I have not listened to everything, I am open to anything.