Traveling the world, looking at and studying beautiful objects, embracing different cultures, mastering foreign languages…the world of an art historian.
Contemporary art show in Shanghai, China
That sounds like the ideal life to me, which is why I am pursuing it. My name is Ashley Harrop, and I call myself an art historian in training. I earned my Bachelor’s in Art History, spent some time working in well-known museums in San Francisco, and now I am off to obtain my Masters in this beloved subject.
But what does studying art have to do with travel? Everything!
Art historians are constantly traveling and researching. Seeing a piece of art in a book is nothing like seeing it in person. Not just that, but researching in one language is not enough. Fluency in 3 to 4 languages is not unexpected amongst this crowd. The requirements to find success in the academic art world also mold you into a pretty good traveler, in my opinion. I’m fascinated by all things related to art and history…and must travel there to see it in person.
Trying to be Constantine
I currently call San Francisco home, and will do for the next couple of years, so you can expect to find a lot about the city on here. I’ll also blend in a nice mix of art-related posts, along with stories from my travels abroad, or my up-coming trips. And as a student traveler on a tight budget, you can bet I’ll be very excited about anything that I come across that is free or cheap.
I want to use No Onions Extra Pickles to meld my love of art with my love of travel! I’d love to connect with other travelers and/or art lovers, so feel free to comment on my posts or send me an email – Ashley “at” No-Onions-Extra-Pickles “dot” com.
Oh, and the name…it’s how I’ve ordered my cheeseburgers for as long as I can remember.
4 comments
Jenna says:
July 19, 2010 at 11:04 pm (UTC -7)
I couldn’t agree more with your connection of art history with travel.
What are you planning to focus on? I know you love modern Italian art…?
I am so envious! Someday I hope to get a Master’s degree in art history, too (and you probably know that I too have a B.A. in art history). I’m not sure exactly how or why I will do this since I already have an M.A. in linguistics and a full-time job that doesn’t really allow me time to go back to school, but it’s a dream of mine.
I’m curious– where was your header photo taken?
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
July 20, 2010 at 5:52 pm (UTC -7)
You can go back to school anytime
Can’t remember if I told you before, but when I started to think about grad school, I looked into linguistic programs too. Though I decided my language skills weren’t quite up to par. My focus for the art history program is modern art, and I’m planning on doing my thesis work on Italian Futurism (sooo excited!). I’m hoping for an excuse or two to travel to Italy.
And the header was taken at the MACAY museum in Merida, Mexico – just a couple months ago when we were there. This was way in the back of the museum, and I couldn’t tell if it was a gallery space, or if we were just supposed to look at it from above. I’m glad you like it!
Jenna says:
July 21, 2010 at 11:07 pm (UTC -7)
Interesting about the picture– it is awesome!
And thanks for the encouragement.
I don’t think you told me about the linguistics, but art history is so much more interesting.
Carley Mace says:
May 11, 2011 at 7:54 am (UTC -7)
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