Museum and Curatorial Studies Program
The Museum and Curatorial Studies (MCST) undergraduate program is designed to provide students with a foundation in contemporary art and visual culture along with a comprehensive understanding of museum practices and curatorial methodologies. Our program stands out for its emphasis on practical experience, ensuring that students acquire valuable hands-on skills through the coursework and internship opportunities at the Hand Art Center, Gillespie Museum, and the DeLand Museum of Art. Throughout the curriculum, students explore contemporary art and visual culture, as well as museum operations, with a particular emphasis on curation principles and museum management. The Museum and Curatorial Studies undergraduate program is designed to prepare individuals for the demands of the museum sector by providing them with the essential skills and experience needed for a successful career in museum and curatorial roles.
Within the Museum and Curatorial Studies Program, students interested in Art History (ARTH) find their home. Art historians are passionate about art. Our art history minor allows you to delve into the study of a wide variety of art forms across the ages and around the world. You’ll find yourself diving into art from an array of periods (such as German Expressionism and Russian Avant Garde) and styles (such as transgressive art and comics/graphic novels). You’ll be exposed to the creation of art, you’ll have the chance to learn about the legal issues surrounding art, and you’ll can learn about museums and how they operate and their collections management practices.
One of the gems of Stetson University, especially for museum and curatorial studies students and those interested in studying art history, is the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center, home to Stetson’s renowned Oscar Bluemner Collection of over 1,000 drawings and paintings from this early American modernist. In addition to two significant Bluemner shows every academic year, the Hand Art Center presents exhibits ranging from installation work to folk art to contemporary art, as well as exhibits by our faculty and students. As a student in the Museum and Curatorial Studies Program, you will have access to the behind-the-scenes operation of the Hand Art Center including the care and curation of works in the University’s permanent art collection and Bluemner collection.
Hand Art Center also provides first-hand access to work by contemporary artists and features student work during the annual juried art competition and senior thesis exhibitions.