Art History Jobs

Art history jobs can be found anywhere there is a gallery, museum, specialized library or university. However, there is a greater diversity of opportunities in major cities such as New York, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles. If you are interested in new media, Silicon Valley and other places with concentrations of high-tech companies (and high-tech money) are good bets. University towns are also beneficial, as long as the universities offer more than one or two classes in art history.

Some of the standard career paths for art history students are gallery director, museum curator, art buyer, art or art history teacher, art librarian, art conservator, art collection manager, art database manager, art handler for art fairs or galleries, art history fellow, art researcher, art catalog writer, art catalog designer, auction house employee, grant writer, arts writer, art consultant, art cataloger, museum studies professor and archivist. New media open up some alternatives, such as working in the fields of animation, web technology and production.

The art history job search can be challenging, because the positions are specialized and do not appear in general job search information sources. After scouring Craigslist, Monster, Indeed, Creative Hotlist and, if you're interested in art magazines, Media Bistro, it's time to seek out more targeted job resources. ArtCareer.net is one possibility. Most museums, major galleries, universities, libraries, art festivals, magazines and auction houses have their own web pages with employment opportunities. Remember to scour the advertisements and classified sections of magazines representing your area of interest.

The field of art history holds much potential. As a new graduate, there are internships, conferences, symposiums, study tours and teaching assistant positions that can help you network and learn more about the field. Those who already have begun their art history career can deepen their area of specialization or broaden their experience with fellowships, grants, sabbaticals, teaching exchanges and submitting research for publication.

Many people assume a master's degree is required in an art history career. While a tenure-track professor or a museum curator position requires a master's degree, a gallery or corporate art job may be easier to secure if you have one or two relevant internships on your resume. New media jobs have a great deal of variety in their requirements, but have the benefit of offering more entry-level positions.