Individuals with an art history degree have many different career options to choose from.
You love art. You lose yourself in museums and galleries. You devour biographies of Titian and textbooks on pigment. You sit in the front row of Art History 101 slideshows, wide awake. You analyze El Greco's red and compare it to Rothko's "Red on Maroon". You get a bachelor's degree and maybe a master's degree in art history. You can pick a Picasso out of a balcony full of Braques. Now what?
Museum Curator
A museum curator is responsible for procuring new works of art for her organization, ensuring that works of art are properly transported and stored, managing the administrative aspects of the museum, coordinating community outreach programs and art projects and overseeing the museum's day-to-day operations.
Art Auctioneer
An art auctioneer may work for auction houses, private collectors, art museums, art galleries or other individuals or organizations to oversee the successful operation of art auctions. He must be able to accurately summarize the history and worth of a particular piece of art and conduct an auction in an impartial and professional way.
Art Appraiser
An art appraiser's main duty is to determine the ages and monetary values of works of art. An art appraiser might be employed by a number of individuals or organizations like art collectors, art investors, private estates, art auction houses, art museums or galleries.
Antiques Dealer
An antiques dealer primarily purchases and sells valuable works of art to different buyers. She might work primarily over the Internet or she may travel extensively to acquire new pieces of art. An antiques dealer may also work closely with an art appraiser to determine the value of works she plans to purchase.
Art Preservationist
An art preservationist would typically be employed by a museum or other organization to restore or preserve works of art, like paintings, sculptures and illuminated manuscripts. An art preservationist may be responsible for maintaining an art exhibit at a museum or overseeing the transport of valuable works of art.
Teacher
A person with an art history degree might seek employment as a teacher at the high school, undergraduate or graduate level. Such a person may choose to get a degree in art education, art theory, studio art or another related area of study.
Art Librarian
An art librarian would be responsible for the administration of an art library and its collection of works. An art librarian may work at an independent art library or within an art museum. Typical job functions might include transferring works between libraries, overseeing restoration projects or acquiring new works of art.
Nonprofit Administrator
An art historian may seek a career in the nonprofit sector as an administrator for an arts organization, grant-making organization or community arts outreach program. Nonprofit administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operations of their organization. Duties might include budgeting, seeking new funding for arts projects and overseeing active arts projects.
