MA in Art History

Lee Wilson

How did you decide to pursue an MA in Art History?
I was part of the Bachelor’s-Accelerated Master’s (BAM) program, so I was already on track to pursue an art history MA at Mason. I elected to join the BAM program because of the faculty and the structure of the MA curriculum. Also, a long-term goal of mine is to become a professor, so taking on an MA was the necessary next step for my career ambitions.

What have you learned in an art history class that really surprised you/changed your perspective?
The first art history seminar I took (War, Trade, and Colonialism with Dr. Ho!) really opened my eyes to how nuanced and intentional the language used to describe art can be. Specifically, I learned that I have a lot of feelings about the idea of a “hybrid” art object, especially in a colonial context. This surprised me for a lot of reasons, primarily because I was shocked to learn that I was at a point in my education where I was beginning to have opinions and critiques about methodological ideas rather than just content. This also made me start thinking a lot more about my own methodology and approaches to scholarship, which was supplemented by the Research Methods seminar I took.

Have you had any internships? Or interesting jobs or volunteer experience? Tell us about it/them.
I am currently an intern at Mason Exhibitions, a group in GMU’s School of Art that maintains the University’s art collection, puts on exhibits, and curates the selections of art that you see throughout the campuses! As an intern I work in the collections room, cataloging Ancient Mediterranean ceramics. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with two other interns in Mason Exhibitions to curate an exhibit of works from Mary Bowron’s Silent Witnesses collection. Every part of the exhibit, from the display, the wall text, to the arrangement was done by myself and the other interns.

Any accomplishments you’re proud of? Opportunities you’ve taken advantage of? Brag a little!
Thanks to the financial support available to graduate students in the department, I have had the opportunity to travel to New York City and Atlanta to perform research for my thesis and to present at a conference. I also had the opportunity through the GMU Global Education Office to spend a summer in rural Italy doing archaeology!

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your Mason career?
I would like to give a shoutout to Dr. Greet, Dr. Ho, and Dr. Gregg, however I could happily list all the faculty members that I have had the opportunity to work with. Dr. Greet and Dr. Ho are both on my thesis committee and all the classes I have taken with them have been especially transformational in my academic career here at Mason. I also want to celebrate Dr.
Gregg, who has been a real role model for me for how I would want to conduct myself in the classroom and for teaching such interesting classes on Ancient Greece and Rome!

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students?
I would like incoming graduate students to know they are here for a reason and that everyone in the Mason community wants to see them succeed! Taking on a Master’s degree can easily become overwhelming, especially as you begin to take on more independent work, but there are a lot of resources within your cohort, the department, and the entire university that you can take advantage of.

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals?
After graduation I plan to apply to PhD programs to pursue a doctorate in Art History. Ultimately I would like to be a professor, however I would also be happy with working in education in a museum or similar organization.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
I want to emphasize how much of a pleasure it has been to be a part of the art history department here at Mason. It is an environment full of supportive faculty members with a wide array of research areas for students to pursue their passions. My time as an MA student at GMU has been transformative, and I would not change it for anything.