About

Mission

We study the art, architecture, and visual culture of the global past and present to understand our world today and create better futures. We adopt a capacious definition of art that explores all human creativity, regardless of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, or ability. Our mission is to expand our field which has entrenched an elitist and exclusionary worldview. Our publicly oriented work extends beyond the walls of our department to collaborate with cultural institutions and diverse arts communities in and beyond Pittsburgh. Together, we train to become engaged producers and informed users of the visual, material, and architectural worlds that we inhabit. Our department is the launchpad for future creative cultural sector leaders, educators, architects, museum professionals, scholars, designers, communication and media specialists, community activists, storytellers, and careers yet to be imagined.

The Department of History of Art and Architecture at the University of Pittsburgh explores the objects, spaces, and environments that shape our world. Based in the Frick Fine Arts Building, our graduate and undergraduate programs span art history, architectural studies, and museum studies. Our approach to research is rigorously grounded in historical evidence and in close engagement with actual objects of study.

We foster collaboration, cross-disciplinarity, and public outreach through our innovative Constellations framework and learning environments. The results of this approach have included impactful publications, digital humanities, and pedagogical projects, exhibitions, and other outcomes that equip our students with a broad array of skills and extend beyond our department to engage with broader academic and community publics. Read more about our department’s mission and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.