Milly Allweis: My Five Favourite Things About Studying History of Art at Birmingham

Milly Allweis is an undergraduate BA History of Art student. Here she tell us her five favourite things about studying the History of Art programme at the University of Birmingham. 

Written by Milly Allweis

1. Studying in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Studying History of Art at Birmingham is a unique experience as the department is located in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. The gallery displays works by artists such as Botticelli, Monet and Van Gogh. Its collection is used in our teaching which is hugely beneficial as, instead of simply analysing artworks on a computer screen, we can see them in person. This enriches our overall understanding of and engagement with art history.

2. The staff who teach us
The lecturers in the History of Art department are hugely inspiring. Their passion for the subject and enthusiasm to pass this on to students is evident from every lecture and seminar I have had. They are always willing to offer support, not only in an academic sense, but also in terms of our wellbeing which is extremely appreciated.

3. The variety of modules that are offered
Due to the variety in the lecturers’ specialisms, a huge range of module choices are offered on the BA History of Art course. It is a struggle every year to choose which specialist subjects we would like to learn about as they are all so interesting.

4. Trips to galleries and cultural heritage sites
A number of trips are offered to History of Art students. These are really exciting as they allow us to put the visual analysis skills we learn into practice. I particularly enjoyed visiting the 2021 Turner Prize at The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and the ruins of the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael in Coventry. I am also looking forward to hopefully visiting Berlin for a week as part of a second year module called ‘Art History in the Field’. Getting to learn about the city’s culture in prior lectures has proved fascinating.

5. The sense of community in the department
I really enjoy that our History of Art cohort is comparatively smaller than those of many other courses. This has made it very easy to meet and bond with likeminded people. It also means our class sizes our quite small which further helps students connect and allows us to get to know our tutors better.