A visit to St Andrews University, School of History of Art

In 2024, 20 senior pupils from Dunoon Grammar School visited the School of History of Art at the University of St Andrews. The field trip was supported by the Developing Young Workforce and CHARTS staff. School pupils travelled by ferry and bus to St Andrews. They were greeted by Dr Kate Cowcher and Dr Lenia Kouneni, Deputy Head of School and Director of Teaching, who provided an overview of what Art History is.

Dr Kate Cowcher led a workshop on visual analysis using a selection of African works from The Argyll Collection, which she has been researching for a number of years. This was a unique opportunity for students to study these paintings and prints firsthand.  This experience aimed to enhance critical thinking and visual analysis. Despite being unfamiliar with History of Art as a discipline, as  Art and Design students, the young people had a strong understanding of the formal elements of each piece and how artists can employ techniques to convey messages. 

In the afternoon, pupils were given a specialist tour of the university, including the Wardlaw Museum, where they viewed the permanent collections and the new exhibition Alien Worlds.  

“The number of young people from rural communities, in particular Argyll and Bute, accessing St Andrews University is incredibly low, and this visit was designed to not only strengthen CHARTS partnership with the university and Dr Kate Cowcher but to also introduce young people from our region to what St Andrews has to offer and aimed to demystify Art History and to open new pathways and opportunities. The young people were introduced to Orla Garrigan-Matter and provided with information and practical advice on applying to St Andrews and other universities. The day was a huge success with every young person providing positive feedback as to their experience and their knowledge of History of Art.” Ros McKenna

“I really enjoyed today! I particularly enjoyed analysing the artworks, metaphors and meanings within the pieces and learning about the artist’s culture. 

“I enjoyed really looking at the pictures and noticing things I didn’t notice when I first looked.”

“Today showed me that it's important to think more in-depth even when it seems simple…I didn’t know much at all about art history before I came here. I learned that art history is about finding out things about the art.  I love it. It reminds me of English.”

“I would just like to say a massive thank you for organising and giving the opportunity for our young people to visit the Art History department at St Andrews University. Feedback from pupils has been extremely positive and I do believe they gained more from the experience than they expected. Kate is so enthusiastic and knowledgeable that she kept it interesting and engaging. I also think the use of the simple tools really captures their imagination.” Mrs Deeney, Art and Design Teacher