Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

Media Credit: Christena Dowsett Erin Joyce, president of Art History Society, held a BBQ party at her house Tuesday night for members and faculty. The society was recently formed this semester and is open to all NT students.

In its inaugural semester, the Art History Society creates a community for art appreciation and art criticism.

"A lot of other art schools have art history societies," said president and founder Erin Joyce, an art history sophomore. "I felt it was important for students, not just art students, to experience art exhibits and discuss art as a group. It's an enriching experience."

The society creates a base appeal for students, she said.

Her older sister, Megan Joyce, an art history senior, said the club was started to meet the demand for a forum to discuss art and topics the students studied in class.

Though all of the 29 members are art students, the group fosters art appreciation and hopes to extend its membership to students in other disciplines, Erin Joyce said.

"I think often, people categorize art historians as being steeped in traditions," she said.

She wants to break the stereotype that art history is "stuffy."

"A lot of artists use avant-garde practices," Erin Joyce said. "The society can help art historians explore those practices and the traditional ones, too."

She wants to "garner an appreciation" for modern visual culture and deeper incite of world culture throughout time.

"We get to do a lot of things with art," art history junior Gina Maio said. "We go to shows and see what is going on in the art world."

The club is planning a trip to visit the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas Nov. 15 and Nov. 16. In October, the club carpooled to the "Kara Walker: My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love" exhibit at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

"We're creating a sense of camaraderie between artists," Megan Joyce said. "It has been a lot of fun going to exhibits and galleries."

As an outlet for its members' expression, the club is in the process of establishing an online art journal to posting exhibition reviews and articles on art history practices, Erin Joyce said.

The idea is to eventually publish the articles and reviews, she said.

"Art is often a reflection of the society that produces it," Megan Joyce said. "Art history brings the ability to understand how a visual image can influence a society."

Many ideas considered to be part of the past, like those portrayed in Renaissance art, are translated into modern modes of expression, she said.

"As someone who is interested in art history and makes art, it is really interesting to learn the background and history behind it," printmaking senior Lauren Hirsch said. "Art history helps connect influences and helps you have a more complete knowledge oaf the lineage you are essentially becoming a part of."

Membership is open to all NT students, and the trip to the Harry Ransom Center is open to members and potential members.

Weekly meetings are held at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays in the study area of the Art Building. There is a $20 membership fee.

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