Dear AUC Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective Community:

We wish you all a very safe and happy festive season in this most memorable of years! We know that the holidays are a special time of recollection, renewal and rejoicing, even more so in these challenging times, but we find strength and purpose as we reflect on a year of tremendous accomplishment and look forward to so much more in the year to come.

We are so proud of our many achievements this past year focused on student and programmatic growth. Prior to the pandemic, we hosted three distinguished lectures on campus, held our first symposium on conservation and cultural heritage, and introduced students to field study in New York, DC, Williamstown and LA. Shifting gears in mid-March, we transitioned to virtual course delivery and finished our inaugural academic year with a splash! Without skipping a beat, we offered our Early College Program and Paid Summer Internship Program virtually prior to ramping up for an intensive 12-week fall 2020 semester delivered virtually and innovatively across the AUC. Along the way, we picked up a number of like-minded strategic partners and our students continued to compete for and win local and national fellowships and internships. We concluded the semester with our first Virtual Career Week and announced a partnership with Sotheby’s Institute of the Art-NY, which will offer scholarships to AUC Art Collective students to participate in one of their three MA programs in art business.

We know that 2021 will be different, indeed inspiring and uplifting, and we have a lot in store for you! To begin, in January we are hosting an exclusive salon for AUC students, faculty and staff designed to open pathways between art and technology to encourage innovation in education, one of the core values of the AUC Art Collective. We have a full roster of exciting courses this spring and registration is open through January 31, 2021. Look forward to our second Virtual Career Week this spring focusing on the job market in museums, galleries and the cultural sector as we welcome our first graduating class in May 2021! We’re also planning our second symposium, this time on the topic of Art Therapy, and in time to provide some fresh angles on health and well-being as we ease out of the pandemic and transition to a braver new world. We also invite you to join us in celebrating the launch of our new website to keep you up to date and informed of our activities!

This year, and every year we are filled with gratitude for the dedicated work of our faculty, staff, students and partners as we transform the art industry, making the world a better place to be.

Stay safe and connected, 
Dr. Cheryl Finley
Director, Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective  

This January, the Spelman College Department of Art & Visual Culture and the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective are collaborating with the Art & Antiquities Blockchain Consortium, ConsenSys and Blockchain for Social Impact on an innovative initiative to explore how blockchain can:

• Open pathways between art and technology and encourage innovation in education
• Shape global efforts to repatriate and track objects of cultural heritage
• Revolutionize collections management at museums and cultural institutions

Paid Summer Internships in Art, Art History + Curatorial Studies