The Desperate Man (Self-Portrait),
1843–1845, Gustave Courbet.

 SAVE ART HISTORY

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Join Lily Foster and stand up for Art History

All welcome, 11am Monday 1 December. Meet at the Seddon Statue Parliament forecourt, 1 Molesworth St, Wellington.

RSVP to Sarah@museumsaotearoa.org.nz

About

Why this matters 

We are campaigning to keep Art History in the Secondary School Curriculum. Art History is a critical subject that should not be merged with Visual Arts or History. Stand with us to save this subject!

In a fast-moving digital world, students need to be able to read, understand and analyse images.  

Art History teaches this visual literacy. 

But it also teaches students to think about power, identity and culture. 

It provides a stepping stone to other subjects including history, politics and economics and it provides a pathway into the arts, culture and heritage profession, among many others. 

Who we are

The campaign to save art history is led by Museums Aotearoa – the peak body representing public museums and galleries and the New Zealand Art History Teachers Association.

Follow us

  • Without Art we do not know who we are, without Art History we do not know who we have been.

    Arts & culture professional

  • If Art History was removed from the curriculum, we’d lose so much more than a subject.

    Previous student

  • Art History has done more than shape my career and studies, it has changed my life... I cannot see any way that removing Art History from the NCEA curriculum benefits anyone in this country.

    Tertiary art history student

  • Art History isn’t just about old paintings or analysing pretty pictures, it’s about culture, creativity, identity, and what it means to be human. Taking it out of the curriculum would be a huge loss for students across New Zealand.

    Current student perspective