In late October, George Mason University President Alan Merten and Smithsonian Institution Secretary Wayne Clough met for an official signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., etching the Smithsonian-Mason MA in the History of Decorative Arts into permanence.
Attendees – including History of Decorative Arts staff and faculty members, both from Mason and the Smithsonian – gathered for an hour-long presentation, which featured speeches by Merten and Clough. MA candidate Rebecca Petillo also spoke at the ceremony.
The event marked the official arrival of the new program, which is in the midst of its first semester at Mason.
“It is always a great honor to team with the Smithsonian, and now we are part of one of the leading programs in the world in decorative arts,” said Jack Censer, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Mason. “This program strengthens and enhances what we already do in this field, and broadens it by including art such as paintings, sculpture, furniture, silverware and the buildings that hold them.”
More than 90 students are enrolled in the 48-credit, 16-course program, and Mason plans to admit 30-35 new students per year. Most students arrive with a background in art history study, though others have studied history, anthropology, law, government and business. Students study the decorative arts to pursue careers in museums, the commercial art market, curation, education, art galleries, interior design and other widely varying fields. The program’s expert faculty and two required internships allow students to prepare for future experiences and careers.
"The collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and George Mason University brings together the unparalleled resources and collections of the world’s largest museum complex with the experience and expertise of the George Mason University administration and faculty and the resources of one of the nation’s fastest-growing research universities," said Cynthia Williams, director of the program.
The MA program covers decorative art ranging from the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, among other places, and offers courses in professional training and historical studies. It is the only program of its kind in Virginia. The program accepts students for fall and spring, and students can enroll full-time or part-time. Courses are held at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and Mason’s Fairfax campus.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia approved the MA in March, 2011.