Teaching Art History: New Resources for Educators
- Region: Online
- Type: Talk
- Cost: Booking Required
Free online event, Thursday 26 November, 4pm-5.30pm.
Join the Association for Art History for an online event celebrating two exciting new publications that demonstrate the value of art and visual culture across teaching, learning and research.
The event will showcase the new second edition of Thinking About Art: A Thematic Guide to Art History by Penny Huntsman (Wiley), alongside the Teaching with Art for History and Religious Education by Tom Haward and Alexis Stones (UCL Press).
Rather than approaching art history chronologically, Thinking About Art explores influential works of art and architecture through themes that illuminate cultural, historical and contemporary issues. The expanded second edition encourages readers to make connections across disciplines, examine questions of identity, climate change and social inclusion, and explore the evolving relationship between art and society. Designed for students, teachers, museum educators and general readers alike, it offers an accessible and engaging introduction to art history through more than 200 colour illustrations, thematic case studies and tools for critical analysis.
Teaching with Art for History and Religious Education brings together theory, research, case studies, artists’ and educators’ perspectives, and practical classroom approaches for teaching History, Religious Education and art history through art and visual culture. Drawing on contributions and examples ranging from Peter Kennard to the Petrie Museum, the book explores how visual culture can open up interdisciplinary learning, develop critical thinking, and help young people engage with complex historical, cultural and ethical questions. Aimed at schoolteachers, museum educators, undergraduate and postgraduate students, it offers fresh approaches for anyone interested in teaching across disciplinary boundaries.
The event will feature contributions from Penny Huntsman, Jorella Andrews, Tom Haward, and Alexis Sones, who will discuss what these books offer students and educators and how they can be utilised in the classroom.
This event will be of particular interest to teachers, lecturers, trainee teachers, museum educators, and anyone interested in strengthening connections between art history, visual culture and the wider curriculum.
Speaker bios
Jorella Andrews is Professor Emeritus of Visual Cultures, Goldsmiths, University of London. She writes widely on art and the impact of visual thinking and arts-based research in educational and community settings. A recent essay about “pictorial rationalities” has been published in the book Life in Art: Phenomenology and World Making (2026). This year she is facilitating a Goldsmiths-funded creative entrepreneurship project for migrants.
Dr Tom Haward is Associate Professor in History and Holocaust Education at UCL. He leads two modules on the MA Education and has a range of research interests including how students learn history through art, enquiry-based learning in history, the construction of national historical narratives and the assessment of ‘difficult histories.’
Penny Huntsman was an A-Level Art History and Sociology teacher for 25 years, including 20 years as Head of Art History at Farlington School, followed by a highly dynamic period at Brighton and Hove Sixth Form College. Most recently, she has worked on The Superpower of Looking alongside its originator, Alison Cole and the dedicated team at Art UK. Penny is the author of Thinking About Art (Wiley, revised edition, 2026).
Alexis Stones leads UCL’s Religious Education PGCE, and facilitates schools workshops and teacher training at the Wallace Collection and National Gallery. Her publications and research activities are in sacred art, citizenship and worldview, epistemic literacy, peace education, and Forum Theatre.