Where will this take me?
Overview
Careers
A major in art history could lead to a career in museums and galleries as an art curator, perfectly supplement other studies, and enrichen your day-to-day life.
Marketing and communications
You could find yourself carving out a meaningful career in a marketing or communications role, promoting collections to the public.
Advisory roles
Should you choose to use your skills in the field of policy, you could find yourself advising on the maintenance and restoration of important works. Your expertise could also position you to make valuations on pieces for auction houses and insurance policies.
Olympia Nelson
Olympia Nelson is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Art History.
I grew up in an artistic family. I started modelling for Mum, a photographic artist, when I was four or five five years old. During my high schooling, studying French and Italian really opened up the world of history to me, but it wasn’t until my second year of my Arts degree that I decided to major in Art History.
I did one subject called Art, Market and Methods which really resonated, because a lot of it was about the production of art works, the process of making a work of art and the repercussions of that - how it's marketed and how it's sold.
At that time I was still modelling for Mum so it was pretty amazing to be going between two worlds. At one time I was a model in the studio and the next moment I was in a classroom learning about that experience.
Another subject I loved was an Indigenous summer subject called Ancient and Contemporary Indigenous Arts that involved field work. We went to Portland, Western Victoria, and stayed there for about five days. It was one of those life-changing experiences where we were just immersed into indigenous culture and knowledge sharing.
Some of my other favourite subjects in the major have been Modern Art: The Politics of the New and The Book: Late Antiquity to Renaissance.
I would love to curate an exhibition one day that reveals how contemporary artists are inspired by ancient art.