<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kent</strong> / ARTS STUDIO DISCOVER YOUR PLACE IN ART HISTORY If you think an art history degree means three years with your nose in a book and the odd gallery visit, read on. <strong>Kent</strong>’s History & Philosophy <strong>of</strong> Art team <strong>of</strong>fers better ways to teach this subject. The <strong>Kent</strong> History & Philosophy <strong>of</strong> Art BA (Hons) programme includes buying works <strong>of</strong> art, writing arts’ reviews, overseas study trips and handson work experience. Among other careers, graduates go on to be journalists, auctioneers, teachers, curators and PR agents. This is one <strong>of</strong> the reasons we are ranked second in the UK for art and design graduating students' employment prospects in The Guardian <strong>University</strong> Guide 2011. It also makes our degrees more interesting, <strong>of</strong> course. Here are some <strong>of</strong> the things that <strong>Kent</strong>’s art history students typically get involved with as part <strong>of</strong> their degree programme. SHOP We give second and third-year students a budget and a mission – to go out and buy works for the School <strong>of</strong> Arts’ world-class print collection. They can ask for advice but they are also free to make mistakes and everyone gets marked on how well they do. The prints they buy form the basis for an annual exhibition. We then add all the student purchases to our collection <strong>of</strong> several hundred works back in Canterbury. This includes prints by leading artists and printmakers including Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Jake and Dinos Chapman and Ana Maria Pacheco. MAKE The best way to learn about Old Master drawing and painting techniques is by having a go yourself. If you try drawing like Rembrandt, you get firsthand experience <strong>of</strong> his materials and processes. We don’t assess students on the quality <strong>of</strong> their drawings. However, we do expect them to use their practical experience as the basis <strong>of</strong> formal written assessments on topics such as the role <strong>of</strong> drawing in the theory <strong>of</strong> ‘disegno’. And, if you know how hard it is to make marks with chalk on paper in the style <strong>of</strong> Michelangelo, you will get a deeper appreciation <strong>of</strong> the original works. You may also find it easier to spot a fake. The same goes for photography. If you develop your own work in a darkroom using traditional techniques you will get a better understanding <strong>of</strong> the form. WRITE On our Visual Arts Writing module, students are introduced to the basics <strong>of</strong> writing for publication by those who have done it – rather than by those who just talk about it. All students write essays but we teach our students how to write pr<strong>of</strong>essionally and how to adapt to different ‘house styles’. So many jobs in the art world (think <strong>of</strong> critics, curators, dealers and publicists) rely on strong writing skills. As a result, no one in the business can afford to divorce style from content. Our students write pieces for newspapers, magazines, catalogues and publicity material. Their brief is to produce readable, engaging copy on contemporary art world issues and some <strong>of</strong> this work has even been accessioned to the British Library. MANAGE The School <strong>of</strong> Arts’ Studio 3 Gallery hosts exhibitions <strong>of</strong> work by renowned artists throughout the year. (To find out more, see our blog at http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/studio3gallery) Each summer, our second and thirdyear students put on an exhibition in the Studio 3 Gallery. We expect them to reach pr<strong>of</strong>essional standards. Using the works they bought, they catalogue, curate and publicise their additions to the <strong>Kent</strong> print collection. This event is now a fixture on the local art scene and gets great reviews. International journal, Print Quarterly (XXVII, 2010, 4), described Krikey! <strong>Kent</strong>emporary Prints as ‘refreshing and optimistic...an example <strong>of</strong> how ingenuity and enthusiasm can overcome lack <strong>of</strong> financial resources’. The review went on to commend the ‘liveliness <strong>of</strong> the writing’ and ‘impressive list’ <strong>of</strong> featured artists. Our teaching methods mean that students leave our course with tremendous confidence and practical skills as well as a thorough grounding in the subject. If you can project manage an exhibition, spend a budget wisely, write a press release and challenge the authenticity <strong>of</strong> an Old Master drawing, you will also have a head start in any chosen career. 12
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kent</strong> / ARTS STUDIO Student project: cyanotype Shadows <strong>of</strong> the Wanderer, Ana Maria Pacheco Elysium and Tartarus (detail) James Barry 13
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