Art Certificate Program New Electives & Courses!

Contemporary Art: The Constancy of Change

Dear ,

Contemporary visual arts reflect today's world—one that's both liberating in its freedoms and disorienting in its uncertainty. Many artists have moved away from traditional approaches, producing works of art that don't fit into standard definitions—or have even abandoned the creation of objects at all. Instead, they engage in art practices that are often motivated by social consciousness.

Join us in one of our upcoming core courses in the Certificate Program in World Art History starting September 5 where you'll learn all about the changing global art world by examining the trends and ideas that have shaped it in recent decades. Gain valuable insight from art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine as she takes you through this 4-session course and learn about topics from art and social change to contemporary art that embraces new media.

Fallen Blossom

Fallen Blossom: Explosion Project, 2009, by Cai Guo-Qiang (Photo: Chris Storb)

Upcoming electives and courses

Guggenheim Museum

Frank Lloyd Wright's Urban Vision: New York City
Overnight Tour
Fri., Aug. 4 at 8:30 AM
Mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frank Lloyd Wright with a unique overnight visit to Manhattan led by urban historian Bill Keene. Get insights into the architect's creative relationship to the city as you explore a major exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, experience a tour of the Guggenheim Museum, and view holdings in the Wright archives at Columbia University.

Court of Gonzaga

Art, Power, and Pleasure in Italy's Renaissance Courts
All-Day Program
Sat., Aug. 5 at 9:30 AM
Art historian Lisa Passaglia Bauman explores Italy's four northern Renaissance court cities—Ferrara, Urbino, Mantua, and Milan—where artists as famous as Da Vinci and Mantegna, and patrons as notorious as the fearsome Federico de Montefeltro and the elegant Isabella d'Este lived and worked.

Power Figure

African Art and the Slave Trade
Evening Program
Tues., Aug. 8 at 6:45 PM
Art historian Kevin Tervala discusses the Atlantic and Indian Ocean slave trades, with a focus on how African artists—and the societies that they were a part of—reacted to the sudden and brutal disruption and transformation of the world's second-largest continent.  

The Milkmaid

A Day at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
All-Day Program with European-themed Lunch
Sun., Sept. 10 at 9:30 AM
In this richly illustrated day-long program, art historian and Dutch art scholar Aneta Georgievska-Shine presents an overview of the museum's magnificent collection, focusing on some of its greatest masterpieces.  

Work of Art

Draw Like Tiepolo
2-Session Weekend Course
Sun., Sept. 17 at 2:00 PM
Students draw from Giambattista Tiepolo's works to help them grasp the idea of gesture, movement, and the grouping of as well as apply their Tiepolo-inspired skills to contemporary images. All skill levels welcome. 

Sainte Chapelle

Why, Oh Why, Do We Love Paris?: The Timeless Charm of the City of Light
All-Day Program with Parisian-inspired Lunch
Sat., Sept. 23 at 9:30 AM
What accounts for the timeless charm of the City of Light? It's hard to identify the je ne sais quoi that gives Paris its powerful appeal. In an entertaining day-long armchair tour gain insights into the great city on the Seine.

Smithsonian Associates | Smithsonian Institution
Privacy Policy | Privacy Addendum | Contact Us