It’s in the bag! The Art History Majors Committee wrapped up the year on a sweet note with the distribution of custom-made merch for our majors.
The mood was a relaxed one at the Art History Commons on the evening of Thursday, May 15, as art history majors found the perfect reason to step away from their study spot to grab free tote bags or mugs specially created for them.
Annie Hedgepeth ’26 and Valerie Gottridge ‘25 from the Majors Committee designed the merch based on a slide from the holdings of the Visual Resources Center (also known as the Art History Commons). The slide, a photograph of a nineteenth century American wooden staircase carved by Thomas Day, was screen printed onto mugs and tote bags.
“Valerie and I were inspired by Day’s staircase as both a symbol of American craftsmanship and as a representation of the possibilities that an open staircase can offer,” Hedgepeth said. “We were drawn to the abstract nature of the image, appreciating how it can evoke different meanings for each viewer.”
The Art History program, with its diverse range of courses and art styles, emphasized the significance of the ‘slide’ motif which is a staple of the discipline.
Majors Committee co-chair Annie Hedgepeth ’26
Rising seniors and juniors helped themselves to either a mug or a tote. Graduating senior majors will each receive a mug and a tote.
Apart from the merch design and distribution, the Majors Committee also organized two student-faculty lunches at the Art History Commons earlier this semester.
There are plans to order more merch in the upcoming academic year. Also in the pipeline is a field trip to the historic house museum, The Glass House, located in New Canaan, CT. Stay tuned!