Master of Arts in Visual Culture: Costume Studies
The field of costume studies is one of the most exciting areas of current visual arts research. Since 1979 the M.A. program in Costume Studies has focused on the history of costume and textiles in its broadest aesthetic and cultural context. It was the first curriculum in the United States to educate specialists in this field.
The department offers courses that emphasize the relation of costume studies to material culture and the fine and decorative arts. The 42-point curriculum includes core courses as well as electives in exhibition and museum topics, art theory and criticism, and the decorative arts. Faculty in the program associated with museums and galleries in New York teach courses in costume and textile history, decorative arts, and conservation. Students benefit from collections of costumes, accessories, and related objects at leading institutions, including the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum; Museum of the City of New York, and the New-York Historical Society. The internship component of the program enables students to gain firsthand work experience and make valuable professional contacts.
IMPRINT (NYC): THE EVOLUTION OF MOTIFS IN FASHION
NYU Steinhardt’s Visual Culture: Costume Studies graduate program presented an exhibition of contemporary fashion designs entitled "Imprint (NYC): The Evolution of Motifs in Fashion" January 12 - February 4, 2012. The exhibition explored the critical history, potent symbolism, and iconic contemporary use of popular motifs in fashion.
Exhibition Images.