about this project

          This project was born from the honors program in the Art History department at Skidmore College. This assignment can be compared to a thesis or Capstone project required by other departments or schools, but Skidmore College has opted to require a public-facing project for the honors program to assert the field's importance in the public's everyday lives. At the end of their senior year, the honors candidates present their projects to a panel of professors and are either granted or denied honors depending on the quality of their work. 

          I began developing this project in September 2022, and continued through December 2022. When I began brainstorming potential project topics, I decided I wanted to work with senior communities because my own grandparents have a special place in my heart. Each one of them had a large hand in raising me, and watching them age has made me realize that they are still amazing people, despite their waning physical capabilities. I wanted to engage with the senior community as a way to celebrate the value they add to our lives and exemplify how everyone, no matter who you are, has a story worth telling. My expectations were far exceeded by the outcome of the project, as I have met so many inspiring individuals with incredible stories to tell. 

          I quickly learned the resources and information that I have always thought of as "accessible" were not actually accessible to seniors or other marginalized audiences. Yes, there are books with large print and museum guides available for people to learn about art, but educational resources are often inaccessible to people who cannot travel to museums, access the internet, or read complex and information-dense articles. Upon my first few visits with the participants of this project, I realized that there was a desire in this community to learn about art and Art History. Many people I spoke to were excited by the opportunity to learn about my project and speak to me about the topics I study in school. This project quickly morphed into one with two goals: to document the artwork and stories of the local senior communities, but also to develop an educational resource for them to learn about the field of Art History and what is currently happening within it. I had the resources and ability to create a resource like this for them, so I worked to condense some of the key information that they asked for into a legible, accessible format that they could learn from. This is by no means an all-encompassing, extensive report on everything about Art History, but there are several key concepts I have given an overview of in hopes that this information can be more accessible to people that want to learn about it.

          Another core reason why I wanted to compile accessible information about Art History is to help readers feel included. Yes, Art History is relevant to us all, but without understanding the origins, practices, and purpose of art history, one cannot feel like they can be part of it. Our Western world has marginalized so many communities throughout history, the elderly community being one of them, and people that are not aware of the ways Art Historians are working to decolonize and democratize the art world tend to feel left out of the historical narrative that is being crafted today. I hope that people that read the information on this website may learn about Art History and realize that their story is as important as the rest of them, that they can go to a museum without being judged for their lack of historical knowledge, and that their identity does not bar them from being an artist.