Learn Why Objects Matter: Decorative Arts and the Art of Making
Most of us experience art by looking at finished works. But the greatest insights often come from understanding how those works were made.
What can a carved wooden surface reveal about the hand that shaped it? How do materials, tools, and techniques influence meaning? How might meaning change over time? What can an object tell us that a photograph never could?
The Yale Summer Session Seminar in Art History is an immersive week-long program guided by Professor Edward S. Cooke, Jr., one of the nation's leading scholars of decorative arts, that will challenge you to explore art through direct engagement with objects, materials, and making.
Working closely with treasures from Yale's world-renowned museums, libraries, and special collections, you will investigate works of art as physical objects. Through guided study, behind-the-scenes access, and hands-on experimentation, you'll discover how artists, craftspeople, and makers transformed raw materials into meaningful works, and how understanding those processes can fundamentally change the way we see and experience the world around us.
Throughout the week, you will develop practical skills in close observation and object-driven inquiry while gaining historical and technical insights into artistic production. By examining, handling, and experimenting with materials yourself, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the choices, challenges, and creative decisions embedded in every work of art.
[cal] Program Dates:
Monday, June 21 - Friday, June 25, 2027
An Experience You Can't Get Through a Screen
In an age when so much of our experience is mediated by digital images, this program offers something increasingly rare: direct access to original objects and the opportunity to learn from them firsthand.
You'll spend time with works of art from Yale's extraordinary collections, engage with materials and techniques used by makers across centuries, and discover how the physical qualities of an object can reveal stories that are invisible in two-dimensional representation.
Go beyond studying art and learn to see it differently by uncovering the stories, decisions, and craftsmanship hidden within the objects themselves.
Why Yale?
Few institutions offer the opportunity to study works of art across such extraordinary collections while learning from leading faculty and museum professionals. Combining access to Yale's museums and special collections with hands-on exploration, this program provides a unique learning experience that bridges scholarship, making, and discovery.
No specialized background in art history or studio art is required. All that is needed is curiosity, a willingness to engage with objects firsthand, and a desire to see art in an entirely new way.
Who Should Attend?
Whether you create, collect, teach, study, or simply love art, this program will deepen the way you look at and understand the material world.
Art Enthusiasts
Move beyond admiration of finished works and discover the materials, techniques, and creative decisions that brought them to life.
Museum Professionals
Develop new approaches to examining, interpreting, and presenting objects through their materials, construction, and histories of making.
Artists and Makers
Explore materials firsthand and gain fresh perspective on how process, technique, and craftsmanship shape meaning.
Educators
Learn new strategies for teaching observation, inquiry, and critical thinking through direct engagement with objects.
Students and Emerging Scholars
Build valuable skills in close looking and object-centered research that can enhance work in art history, design, history, anthropology, material culture, and related fields.
Curious Learners
No prior expertise is required. Bring your curiosity and discover how much more art can reveal when you learn to look closely.
Application
To apply, use the Yale Summer Session Application and select Session A. Be sure to choose the course “The Importance of Material Literacy: Object-Driven Inquiry in a Digital Age” when completing your application. See our Application Information for more details.
Tuition and Fees
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition for The Yale Summer Session Seminar in Art History* | $2,285 |
| Nonrefundable Application Fee | $45 |
| On-Campus Housing (Optional) | $TBA |
*Tuition includes program fees and daily lunch in a Yale dining hall.
On-Campus Housing
Participants may choose to stay on campus in one of Yale’s residential colleges for an additional fee. Housing includes a full meal plan, and access to evening on-campus activities. You may select on-campus housing when completing the program application.
Payment
Only credit cards (Mastercard and Visa) are accepted for the $45 application fee. Upon acceptance, the program fees can be paid via credit card. Your card will be charged within a few days of registration.
[note] Program fees are due immediately upon acceptance, or your space may be forfeited.
For questions or clarification, please contact us — we’re here to help.
Refund Policy
Cancellation requests received by April 24, 2027, are eligible for a 75% refund of the program fee. Cancellation requests received between April 25 and May 1, 2027, are eligible for a 50% refund. Refund requests received after May 1, 2027, cannot be honored.
If a student cancels prior to moving into on-campus housing, 100% of room and board fees will be refunded. If a student withdraws after moving into on-campus housing, room and board charges will be prorated based on the date of departure.
