About the Department of Art & Art History
Learn about our department faculty and program offerings.
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Department of Art & Art History
What We Do
The Department of Art and Art History is committed to developing a foundation for understanding art history and studio art methodologies through focus on hands-on, practical, and theoretical approaches. The department promotes a broad, yet thorough, education that yields life-long learners with effective skills in creative problem-solving, critical thinking, visual and verbal and written communication.
Who We Are
The University of Mississippi is classified by Carnegie as an R1 university, a designation reserved for the top 2.5% of universities in the nation. As part of a research-intensive university, our faculty are at the top of their field.
Why does R1 matter to students? They will have professors who bring exciting new discoveries into the classroom and give students a chance to work alongside them as they break barriers.
The Department of Art and Art History boasts a faculty of educators who are also active as artists and researchers. Students learn from experts with practical experience and expert knowledge.
- Distinguished Professor Nancy L. Wicker has recently received recognition for her excellence as a scholar in the forms of both a Solmsen Fellowship at the Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and in being elected to the Board of Directors of the International Center of Medieval Art (ICMA).
- Kariann Fuqua, Instructional Assistant Professor of Art and Director of Museum Studies, has been awarded a highly competitive MAC Visual and Design Artists Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission. The annual award honors five exceptional Mississippi artists with $5,000 of funding to support making new art.
- Graphic designer, Tyler Barnes, worked with professional design studios and specializes in brand strategy, visual identity systems and logo design, typography, and print collateral. He has earned ten American Advertising Federation Awards, including two district Gold ADDY’s in the category of Sales and Marketing - Packaging for his packaging design for the Rye Whiskey bottle by River Basin Distillery.
What We Offer
The Department of Art and Art History offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. Find detailed information about our programs here. For information about the minor in art and the minor in art history, visit the webpages for those Bachelor of Arts degrees.
UG
Study art across a wide range of media, cultures, and periods while you learn about the historical, social, and political contexts.
- Oxford
UG
Earn a flexible B.A. in Art, explore diverse media, and pair it with another field for a well-rounded creative education.
- Oxford
UG
Develop a professional portfolio while deepening technical skills and honing your artistic voice.
- Oxford
GRAD
Join an outstanding cohort of students training to excel in creative production while working closely with award-winning artists.
- Oxford
Welcome From The Chair
Artists need community and an environment that supports creativity and learning. They need role models of professional visual artists that provide a strong foundation in techniques, processes, and principles of making art. Art historians examine works of art in their historical, social and political contexts, conduct research, and discern the ideas conveyed in art, past and present, in Western and non-Western cultures. This is what the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Mississippi provides.
Our faculty are all working artists and art historians who have achieved success and distinction in their careers. They invest in every member of our community, guiding and challenging them to excel in small classes with individualized attention. Our graduates bring the skill of visual and critical thinking to a variety of careers. No matter what career path they choose, our graduates’ lives are enriched by the study of art and art history in the studio, the classroom, and beyond.
Welcome to our community.
Michael Barnett
Chair and Professor of Art and Art History
Department Leadership and Support
Michael Barnett
- Chair and Professor of Art and Art History
Melissa Gore
- Financial Coordinator
Whitney Vinson
- Administrative Assistant
Durant Thompson
- Professor of Art
Tyler Barnes
- Associate Professor of Art
Nancy Wicker
- Distinguished Professor of Art History
Joshua Brinlee
- Associate Professor of Art
Stacey Rathert
- Instructional Associate Professor of Art, Sculpture
Meet the Art Faculty
Brooke Alexander
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Art, Drawing and Painting
Tyler Barnes
- Associate Professor of Art
Golnoush Behmanesh
- Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Dustin Brinkman
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Printmaking
Joshua Brinlee
- Associate Professor of Art
Ray Brown
- Instructor and Ceramics Technician
Hudd Byard
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Virginia Rougon
- Associate Provost and Professor of Art
Thomas Coon
- Adjunct Instructor in Art and Art History
Chance DeVille
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Digital Media