Choosing Majors and Careers

What Can I do With a Degree in Art History?

Career Center Library Resources

Careers for Color Connoisseurs and Other Visual Types by Jan Goldberg. Includes chapters on art museum professionals, art gallery professionals, and art educators.
Careers for Culture Lovers and Other Artsy Types by Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler. Provides information about the following careers in museums: director, curator, conservator, exhibits designer, registrar, educator, development officer, and membership officer. Also includes information on artist's representative, art appraiser, art critic, art auctioneer, and art teacher.
Careers in Art: An Illustrated Guide, second edition by Gerald F. Brommer and Joseph A. Gatto. Describes many art-related careers, including art historian, college art instructor, museum director and curator, conservator and restorer, gallery owner/director, art writer, art/architecture critic.
Great Jobs for Art Majors, second edition, by Blythe Camenson. See chapter on career paths in art history.
Top Careers for Art Graduates published by Checkmark Books. Provides information on careers for archivists, college professors, conservators and conservation technicians, exhibit designers, museum directors, and museum curators.

Vocational Biographies

Vocational Biographies (http://www.vocbiosonline.com/login.php) describes the career success stories of 1001 real people. Search by career title, keyword, topic, and career cluster. Username: portland su and pass code: 3w9n.

Archivist
Art Conservator/Framer
Art Critic
Art Handler
Arts Center Manager
Arts Funder
Church Art Restorator

Sites with Career-Related Information for Art History Majors

A Career Guide for Art History Majors — From Fine Arts Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin.
Archivists, Curators, and Museum Technicians — From the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Art History Careers — From the School of Art and Art History at the University of Florida, Gainsville, Florida.
Career Opportunities for Majors in Art History — From Career Services, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Career Alternatives for Art Historians — From Charles M. Rosenberg, professor of art history, at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana.
Career Options in History of Art and Visual Culture/Art History — From the History of Art and Visual Culture Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Careers in the Arts — From Career Services at the State University of New York, Oswego.
The Knox Connection: Careers and Art History — From Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. Lists job titles and places of employment for Knox College art history alumni.
What Can I do with a Major in...Art History — From the Career Services Office at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina.
What Can I do With a Major in...Art History — From the Career Center at the University of Minnesota, Morris, Minnesota. Includes a list of skills acquired by art history majors.

Sites with Job Search Resources for Art History Majors

Job Openings — From the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC) of Portland, Oregon.
Employment, Internship, and Volunteer Listings (Current) and Opportunities (Ongoing) — From the Artist Trust, "a not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to supporting Washington State artists working in all creative disciplines."
Museum and Cultural Resource Job Vacancy Network — From the Museum Employment Resource Center (MERC). "The Museum Employment Resource Center lists jobs and other information related to the museum, heritage management, and cultural resource communities."

Places of Employment

Students who major in art history develop skills that are highly valued by employers. These skills include: critical and creative thinking; oral, written, and visual communition skills; the ability to take multiple approaches to solving problems; adaptability; the ability to work effectively individually and collaboratively; the ability to interpret cultures; organization; research and synthesis. Students and alumni may find employment in government, nonprofits, educational institutions, and businesses, depending on their skills and experience. Internships or relevant part-time jobs may be a prerequisite to finding employment.

The following list of employers and job titles was derived from the Career Center's jobs database where the employer specifically requested art history majors. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs for art history majors. This list does not reflect current openings.

City of Vancouver — Adult/Senior Enrichment Instructor
Klamath County — Museum Manager
Laika — Art Directors
Oldimprints.com — Assistant
Oregon Military Department — Construction Project Manager I
Pima Community College — Art History/Art Instructional Faculty
TriMet — Public Art Coordinator
University of Puget Sound — Art Historian - Western Art
WomanTree — Curator Internship - Women's Art Gallery

Professional Associations

American Association of Museums (AAM) — "AAM’s mission is to enhance the value of museums to their communities through leadership, advocacy, and service."
Association of Art Historians — "The Association of Art Historians (AAH) was formed in 1974 to support and promote the study of art history. We are the national organisation for professional art and design historians, researchers or students who are involved in education, galleries, museums and art-related publishing, or any other activity linked with art and design history."

Arts Organizations

Artist Trust
National Endowment for the Arts
Oregon Arts Commission
Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC)
Westside Cultural Alliance — "The Westside Cultural Alliance is a coalition of representatives from arts, cultural, educational, government and business organizations who seek to nurture and promote Arts, Heritage, and Humanities in Washington County, Oregon."
Oregon Arts Commission — Provides a database of Oregon galleries: Oregon Gallery Guide. Lists regional arts councils in Oregon: Oregon Regional Arts Councils.