Art History Student League serves as link between art students, Atlanta community

The Art History Student League (AHSL) is a student-run organization under a branch of the Art Student Union at Georgia State. This organization hosts student and faculty workshops and coordinates trips to various exhibitions. The Signal caught up with Ashley Lowery, the Art History Student League’s undergraduate co-president, to get a deeper understanding of this student organization.

This year the AHSL has taken advantage of the culture available in big cities. For instance, they took trips to the High Museum, which is located in Atlanta, Georgia and to the Birmingham Museum of Art, which is located in Birmingham, Alabama. The incentive for visiting such museums is that it takes images that they see from textbooks and brings them to life.

Since the students in the Art History Student League tend to be art history majors or minors, they often see photos in print for their studies. Getting the opportunity to see the art in person brings a greater connection to the work and the viewers are able to get the full effect. Lowery, who has been a part of the Art History Student League for approximately three years, says that their trip to the Birmingham Museum of Art has been her favorite memory through her time with the organization.

The part that makes going to look at art so interesting, according to Lowery, is that there is so much behind a painting. Lowery referred to art as a mystery. It also can involve research; if you’re interested in a particular work of art, you can always look more into it. The members are drawn to all kinds of artwork ranging from Japanese, Italian Renaissance, and Russian art. The ASHL brings together a variety of art tastes.

One of the benefits of being a part of the organization is that it provides students with a support system. If students have to turn in a paper, other ASHL members will listen to it or read it. Lowery notes that the ASHL is supportive of other members’ academic careers. Additionally, the ASHL is supportive of members’ careers in that it provides members with information regarding upcoming conferences and art history events. ASHL keeps them informed.

The AHSL still takes out time for philanthropy. This year they monetarily supported the Roots and More conference, which is where students discuss African legacies for Black History Month.

The purpose of AHSL is to enrich the education of the students of the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design. AHSL acts as the link between the students of the School of Art and Design and the rest of the university population. Additionally, it connects the local, national, and international communities.

Any student that is enrolled in the School of Art and Design is eligible to be a member of AHSL, and only these students can hold an office in the organization. No university student can be denied membership based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or gender except as authorized by law according to AHSL’s Constitution.

This organization is a way for art students, regular university students, and faculty to be able to learn about, view, and understand art. Although only art school students are eligible to hold office in AHSL, university students are welcome and encouraged to participate in their outings and workshops. They typically meet once every two weeks. For more information about The Art History Student League, contact co-presidents Brittanie Kinch and Ashley Lowery at brittanie.kinch@gmail.com and alowery3@student.gsu.edu.

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