Career Profiles

Career Profiles

Art History

Works of art are products of the imagination. They communicate the ideas, beliefs, preoccupations and values of the societies in which they are created. Essentially, they contain all the themes that define human culture, such as politics, love, religion, greed, power, lust, fashion, social class, technology and death. Over time we have come to value art for a variety of reasons - its unique connection to the milieu and time inwhich it was made, as evidence of the creative abilities of its makers, and for what it can reveal about the differences between people and cultures. Works of art are material objects and visual images. Their ‘language’ is visual, and therefore we need to develop particular skills in order to interpret them. Although the exercise of such skills is the object of art history, its lessons can be applied to many other situations in which the coded meaning of visual information must be understood or communicated.

This ability to extract meaning from a visual environment is a learned skill and one that can be applied to many job areas. Many jobs demand skill in the observation and interpretation of visual data, particularly the ability to make connections and draw disparate elements together to make a coherent whole. Architects,insurance assessors and film editors, for example, are likely to have this skill in common. Some jobs are about engaging people’s imaginations, communicating ideas and eliciting emotions by means of carefully arranged visual cues. For example, people who work in advertising agencies, theatre and all areas of design need to understand how to manipulate visual information for maximum psychological effect. The study of Art History develops and extends an individual’s natural ability to construct and communicate meaning from almost any visual environment.

Where do Art History GraduatesWork?

Art History graduates work in a wide range of careers. Recent surveys show the employment destinations of Art History graduates include,but are not limited to - an events co-ordinatorfor a museum; a curator of public programmes for an art gallery; a conservation assistant for the National Library; a co-ordinator for a creative arts organisation; a cultural affairs information officer in central government; an administration assistant in a drama school; a sales manager for a fine arts retailer; a visual merchandiser; a commercial artist; a jeweller’s assistant; an art gallery administrator; an art gallery/museumdirector; and several gallery assistants.

Download a complete copy of Career View on Art History below.

Career View on Art History is part of the Career View series produced by Career Development and Employment at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. While the booklet was originally developed for a New Zealand audience, we believe that graduates in Australia will also find the information within it relevant and useful.