History of Art and Architecture
Akiko Walley, Department Head
237C Lawrence Hall
5229 University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-5229
The Department of the History of Art and Architecture offers study in the principal and architectural traditions of Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Mediterranean. Courses are appropriate for students interested in history, art, and the larger cultural context of society. They are also suitable for students intending to concentrate on the practice of art or environmental design. The undergraduate program prepares students for a range of careers (including those in the business world, art museums, and galleries) as well as graduate studies in art history. The graduate program emphasizes both breadth and depth, and it is characterized by close working relationships between students and the faculty.
Students explore global history, culture, and society through art and architecture from antiquity to the present day. Trained to analyze the broad spectrum of human creativity and expression, art history students are natural ambassadors of pluralism and tolerance, developing skills in appreciating visual and material culture to make them true global citizens—ideally equipped to correlate historical events and concerns with important contemporary and international phenomena.
The history of art and architecture program at Oregon is comprehensive in scope. Students learn at least one ancient or modern language associated with their main area of interest, and courses examine cultural production from around the globe. The department trains students to become guardians and advocates for culture and the arts within Oregon, the United States, and the world.
Because of this rigorous training in critical thinking and communication, art history is not merely a preprofessional major for future art historians. An art history degree prepares students to embark on an array of professional careers, including those in business, education, law, private and nonprofit organizations, professional writing, and publishing. More specialized careers include art-based professions in museums, galleries, archives, and cultural institutes.
Faculty
Nina Amstutz, professor (18th- and 19th-century art). BA, 2004, MA 2008, PhD, 2013, Toronto. (2014)
Simone Ciglia, career instructor (contemporary art). BA, 2004, MA 2006, PhD, 2012, University of Rome, Italy. (2021)
Joyce Cheng, associate professor (modern art). BA, 2001, Northwestern; MA, 2003, PhD, 2009, Chicago. (2009)
Keith Eggener, Marion Dean Ross Distinguished Professor in Architectural History (architectural history). BA, 1985, Portland State; MA, 1989, Washington (Seattle); MA, 1993, Stanford; PhD, 1995, Stanford. (2013)
Victoria Ehrlich (renaissance and baroque art) , visiting assistant professor (2023-24). PhD, 2017, Cornell. (2020)
Mariachiara Gasparini, assistant professor (Chinese and Central Asian art and architecture), BA, 2005, University of Naples; MA, 2011, Sotheby's Institute of Art; PhD, 2015, Heidelberg University. (2002)
Maile Hutterer, associate professor (medieval art and architecture). BA, 2004, California, Santa Barbara; PhD, 2011, New York University. (2014)
Kate Mondloch, professor (contemporary art). BS, 1994, Georgetown; MA, 2000, PhD, 2005, California, Los Angeles. (2005)
Emily Scott, assistant professor (history of art and architecture and environmental studies); BA, Bryn Mawr; PhD, 2010, California, Los Angeles. (2018)
Kristen Seaman, professor (Greek and Roman art and architecture). BA, 1994, Yale University, MA, 2009, PhD, 2009, California, Berkeley. (2015)
Akiko Walley, Maude I. Kerns Professor of Japanese Art; associate professor (Japanese art). BA, 1998, MA, 2001, Aoyama Gakuin; AM, 2004, PhD, 2009, Harvard. (2009)
Emeriti
Charles H. Lachman, associate professor. AB, 1971, Temple; MA, 1974, McMaster; PhD, 1985, Toronto. (1992)
Jeffrey M. Hurwit, professor emeritus. AB, MA, 1971, Brown; MPhil, 1972, PhD, 1975, Yale. (1980)
Esther Jacobson-Tepfer, professor emerita. BA, 1962, MA, 1964, PhD, 1970, Chicago. (1966)
Andrew Morrogh, associate professor emeritus. BA, 1966, Jesus College, Oxford; MA, 1973, PhD, 1983, Courtauld Institute, University of London. (1993)
Kathleen D. Nicholson, professor emerita. BA, 1969, Connecticut; MA, 1971, PhD, 1977, Pennsylvania. (1995)
Leland M. Roth, professor emeritus. BArch, 1966, Illinois; MPhil, 1970, PhD, 1973, Yale. (1978)
W. Sherwin Simmons, professor emeritus. BA, 1967, Yale; MA, 1975, PhD, 1979, Johns Hopkins. (1973)
Richard A. Sundt, associate professor emeritus. BA, 1967, Indiana; MA, 1973, PhD, 1981, Wisconsin, Madison. (1982)
The date in parentheses at the end of each entry is the first year on the University of Oregon faculty.