<p>How good is the Art History program at PENN? Anyone applying to Art History major in CC? How about the museums on campus?
My daughter is in love with Art History after taking AP Art History and working in a museum in our city. She wants to major in art history and in french, and to be in a city. Is PENN a good option for her in terms of academic?
Thank you for your help!</p>
<p>Penn’s Art History and French departments are both generally ranked among the top 10 in the nation. On campus, Penn’s Institute of Contemporary Art and its Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (one of the finest museums of its kind in the country) are both extraordinary resources for an Art History major. However, the city of Philadelphia offers even greater cultural resources, including:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>the Philadelphia Museum of Art (one of the 3 or so largest art museums in the nation, and only 10-15 minutes from Penn’s campus);</p></li>
<li><p>the Rodin Museum (largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris, and also minutes from campus);</p></li>
<li><p>the Barnes Foundation (largest private collection of Impressionist art in the world, and soon to move to its brand-new building currently under construction next to the Rodin Museum);</p></li>
<li><p>the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (oldest art museum and art school in the US, and home to a fantastic collection of American art, and only a few blocks beyond the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rodin Museum, and new Barnes Foundation building).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>There’s a lot more, but you get the idea. :)</p>
<p>So, the short answer to your question of whether Penn–and Philadelphia–is a good option for her? ABSOLUTELY!</p>
<p>I agree completely with 45 Percenter, but want to add that this is a great, great time to be a student interested in art in Philadelphia. Over the past few years, there has been a huge influx of young artists (visual artists, film makers, musicians, actors, etc.) into the city, drawn by ultra-cheap studio and living space, combined with proximity to New York, available day jobs, and of course with each other’s presence. The result is that a really vibrant arts scene has developed practically out of nowhere, on a much bigger scale than anything I have seen since I moved here 27 years ago.</p>
<p>@ 45 percenter and JHS. Thank you so much for all the great information! I showed my daughter the information you two provided and she is pumped! We will visit PENN soon and definitely spend time at Philadelphia too and go to the museums.
Thank you again :)</p>
<p>Best of luck to her! If she hasn’t already checked it out, here’s the Art History Department web site:</p>
<p>[Department</a> of the History of Art](<a href=“http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu/index.htm]Department”>http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu/index.htm)</p>
<p>Thank you for the link!</p>