Art History McGill University

Overview

About this Program

The Art History programs at McGill University cover a wide range of areas of study delimited by the Department's fields of specialization, which include the following:

• Ancient;

• Medieval;

• Renaissance;

• the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries;

• Contemporary;

• Canadian;

• East Asian;

• Architectural History;

• New Media;

• Print Culture;

• Gender and Sexuality;

• Race and Representation;

• Art historical methodologies, notably Feminism, Postcolonialism, and Queer Theory.

All of our faculty members are outstanding scholars in their respective fields and are involved in a wide range of major collaborative and individual research projects, many involving faculty from other universities, departments, and programs (such as Communication Studies, English and Literary Studies, Histories of Science and Medicine, Religious Studies, Classics, History, and Women’s Studies). These research projects allow us to offer relevant research training opportunities and assistantships to our graduate students.

McGill is situated in one of the most vibrant cities in North America, and Montreal offers myriad opportunities for graduate students to engage with local arts institutions, either officially, through internships and research fellowships, or unofficially, through volunteering. Local institutions range from large-scale public museums (such as the Musée d'art contemporain, the Musée des beaux arts, and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa) to smaller alternative galleries (such as feminist arts spaces La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse and Studio XX). There are also university-based venues such as the Redpath Museum on campus and the McCord Museum of Canadian History (which houses the McGill University Archives), and independent contemporary art galleries such as DHC and the Darling Foundry. The Canadian Centre for Architecture, with its archives and exhibitions, and the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec also offer grants and research opportunities for local graduate students. A close relationship with the other three major universities in Montreal (Concordia University, Université de Montréal, and Université du Québec à Montréal) affords students access to a broad network of additional courses, lectures, and colleagues across the city.