MA in Art History

Elizabeth Harbaugh (Denholm), 2020

So what are you up to now professionally?

I am the Arts in Health Program Manager for Montage Health, a non-profit community healthcare system in Monterey County. I was brought on originally to be the collection manager for our 9,000 object art collection, and since then my department has grown and absorbed our music program, and in the past year I have launched several art-focus patient experience pilot programs. You can learn more about our Arts in Health program here and view some highlights of our art collection here.

How do you think your Art History major/MA at Mason prepared you for your career?

Although I never imagined I would work in a healthcare environment, I feel very aligned with this work. My interest was always centered around art as a tool for community-building or social change. In this role I can see and directly support the impact that art has on individuals and in our community. The program at George Mason did prepare me for this role. I chose George Mason because I felt strongly about getting an advanced degree in art history (rather than something like museum studies) so I could continue to build a strong foundation of history and theory and lean into research and writing. The program also allowed me to continue my full-time work as a collection manager for a private collector in DC at that time.

The program laid excellent groundwork for some of the curatorial aspects of my role, as well as writing and presenting research on arts in health to internal and external audiences. The variety of courses helped me to think about art history in terms of visual culture. For example, Dr. Schulman's course focused on the connection between art and science in various contexts really fits into my current role. The course on museums was also invaluable in thinking about how to apply art history and theory into roles that are more administrative or management focused, like my current role. I do a little bit of everything because I manage a small team.

Why did you choose Art History as a major in the first place?

I chose to pursue an MA in Art History because I knew I wanted to work in art museums. My undergraduate degree was also in Art History (Catholic University, 2014). I knew I was interested in working in museum collections, but I also wanted to continue work in research and writing. Because of this need to balance my interests, I chose an Art History program rather than Museum Studies to provide more latitude as I continued on in my career. Initially, I chose Mason because it was a small program that offered a terminal Art History MA which was geared toward working professionals. Because most courses took place in the late afternoon/evening, I was able to continue to work full time throughout the program, which was essential for me. Aside from practical reasons, I was also drawn to the program because of the positive culture. The faculty boasts a diverse research expertise and professional experience and they are sincerely invested in the success of each student. The small student cohorts were likewise wonderful; students supported and encouraged one another rather than competing. Overall, the Mason Art History MA program was the perfect choice for me and my professional goals. The program deepened and expanded my research interests and improved my writing and project management skills, which ultimately contributed to my long-term career goals.