Graduates of the University of Houston’s Art History MA program have gone on to launch careers at well-respected arts institutions all over the world. But for one recent alum, it was the program’s entrenchment in the fertile arts community in its own backyard that helped lay the groundwork for a successful career in the arts.

María Luisa Minjares, ’18, has held positions at Gulf Coast, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), the Denver Art Museum, and now Radius Books, a non-profit based in Sante Fe, N.M. She said the Art History MA program’s integration with the local arts community helped her recognize what a career in the arts could look like.

“I think I learned more than I ever expected to, not just about what I chose to focus on in my thesis and classes, but about the art world and its role within the Houston community,” Minjares said. “What I found most engaging about the program was the way it was interlinked with the art community in Houston. I believe this has helped shape my expectations of how a program can be so interlinked with the local community in the arts.”

Minjares interned at both Gulf Coast and MFAH as a student. She said both institutions helped supplement her academic work by demonstrating different aspects of professional life in the arts.

“It was also through my internship with the Museum of Fine Arts Houston that I discovered how much I loved working within a museum setting and helping with exhibitions and installations and curation.”

After completing the Art History MA program, Minjares began as a curatorial assistant in the Latin American art department at the Denver Art Museum. There, she worked on a number of exhibitions, including ReVisión: A New Look at Art in the Americas. She also collaborated on the permanent reinstallation of the museum’s Latin American Art Galleries. 

Minjares recently joined the staff at Radius Books, working in fulfillment and engagement. Radius publishes art and photo books and, since its founding in 2007, has delivered over 75,000 books to libraries, schools, and art programs across the U.S. through its donation program.

“I think the trajectory of books they have published speaks for itself. However, I am very excited about the direction they are headed in,” Minjares said of Radius. “I am really looking forward to one of our newest publications, “Vincent Valdez: In Memory.” I first saw his work when I lived in Houston and it feels a bit full circle.”

Overall, Minjares said the Art History MA program has prepared her well to take on various roles in the art world. Specifically, she said the program’s emphasis on research and writing has been extremely beneficial in her professional life.

“Being able to do research and write at the level required for the UH MA program has helped me in my professional career as a curatorial assistant at the Denver Art Museum, as well as my current role with Radius Books,” Minjares said.