Exploring Art Careers Beyond Dartmouth

So what can you actually do with an art history degree? This is a question that the Art History Department answered with two workshops that took place on September 30th and October 7th. 

These workshops were a partnership between the Art History Department, the Hood Museum and the Dartmouth Center for Career Design. "We wanted to make sure students know what possibilities exist to pursue interest in the arts both while at Dartmouth and after Dartmouth," said Professor Camerlenghi, chair of the department. 

Museum Career Workshop

The first workshop, which took place on September 30th, focused on museum-related career paths, and featured speakers from Dartmouth's Hood Museum of Art. About 35 students from all class years attended to hear from Jenna Blair, the Campus Engagement Manager at the Hood Museum; Brooke Friday, Assistant Curator of Education at the Hood; and Elizabeth Rice Mattison, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programming and Curator of European Art at the Hood. Each speaker explained how they ended up on their respective career path, and then allowed students the opportunity to ask questions.

"I appreciated the opportunity to get first hand knowledge on career pathways in museum work and art history related academics. It was an eye-opening experience for a student new to the field and I never knew how much I didn't know," said Emma Frost '29, one of the students who attended the workshop.

Graduate School and Cultural Heritage Workshop

The second workshop, which took place on October 7th, highlighted art history related career paths in academia and cultural heritage sites, featuring speakers from Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park and Dartmouth's faculty. Around 20 students attended this workshop to hear from Elizabeth Kassler-Taub, Assistant Professor of Art History at Dartmouth, and Kathryn M. Blackwell, Museum Curator at Saint-Gaudents National Historical Park. Professor Kassler-Taub spoke to students about her experience going from college to graduate school to working as a professor, while curator Blackwell shared her story of how she came to work at a National Park. 

"These panels were very helpful," another student said. "I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that there are many different career paths related to what I want to study while at Dartmouth." 

Tips from The Center for Career Design

Christopher Jordan, Creative Career Community Lead at the Dartmouth Center for Career Design, also spoke at both workshops. He shared tips with students on networking, preparing for interviews, and creating a resumé. Jordan further encouraged students to embrace the resources available at the Center for Career Design. For more information visit https://careerdesign.dartmouth.edu/ 

Future Workshops

In light of the success of these two workshops, the Art History Department will be sponsoring two more events, an Art Gallery and Auction House Career Workshop on January 15th at 4:30, and an Art Law and Other Art Careers Workshop (date TBA). Check back for more information.

- Emma Metz '29