Smarthistory

Smarthistory is a United States-based nonprofit educational platform focused on the study and public understanding of art, architecture, archaeology, and cultural history. Created in 2005 by art historians Beth Harris and Steven Zucker, it began as an audio-guide project intended for museum visitors and students. Its early materials were designed for use at institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art in New York, as well as by students enrolled in introductory college art-history courses. The project subsequently developed into a broad, open-access online encyclopedia and learning resource. The organization’s central proposition is that art history can be made more approachable through direct engagement with works of art, clear expert explanation, and freely available digital media. Rather than functioning as a conventional commercial publisher or museum shop brand, Smarthistory operates as a public-facing educational service. Its materials combine written essays, photography, video conversations, and links to related resources. Many of its videos are recorded on location in front of the original object or building and take the form of unscripted discussions between specialists. This format emphasizes looking closely at the work while connecting its formal features to historical, social, religious, political, and cultural contexts. Smarthistory covers an unusually broad chronological and geographic range. Its subject matter extends from Paleolithic objects and ancient civilizations through medieval, early modern, modern, and contemporary art. Coverage includes Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, alongside architecture, archaeology, material culture, and cultural heritage. The organization has reported a substantial body of content, including more than 880 videos and over 2,000 essays, with contributions from more than 200 art historians, curators, and archaeologists. Contributors write in their areas of expertise, and the organization describes its essays as peer-reviewed. A major part of Smarthistory’s educational role is its support for Advanced Placement art history in the United States. The platform provides essays, videos, images, and supplementary links relating to works and buildings included in the College Board’s AP Art History curriculum. This gives the service relevance both to formal secondary education and to independent learners. Its resources are also used by college students, instructors, museum audiences, and members of the general public who want an accessible introduction to art history without subscription fees. Smarthistory is an independent nonprofit organization and serves as the official Khan Academy partner for art history. The partnership has helped extend the reach of its educational material through a widely used digital learning ecosystem, while Smarthistory has retained its specialist identity and emphasis on expert-led interpretation. The organization has also received support from cultural and educational funders, including the National Endowment for the Humanities. Earlier development support included grants from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and partnership support connected with the Portland Art Museum. The brand’s positioning rests on openness, expertise, and accessibility. It addresses the perception that art can be intimidating by presenting works in conversational and visually grounded ways. Its digital-first model allows users to move between an object image, an interpretive essay, a video discussion, and further study resources. Smarthistory therefore occupies a distinctive space between an online reference work, an educational publisher, and a museum-oriented public humanities project. Its continuing role is to broaden access to art-historical knowledge while supporting teachers, students, museums, and lifelong learners.

Smarthistory was established in 2005 by art historians Beth Harris and Steven Zucker. Its first form was an audio-guide series developed for museum visitors and for students beginning the study of art history. The initial project was associated with intended use at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art in New York, as well as in introductory college courses. The audio format was designed to keep learners focused on the visual object while they listened, rather than requiring them to divide attention between an image and a conventional textbook. The project grew beyond its original audio-guide concept as digital publishing and online video made it possible to combine visual evidence with expert commentary. Smarthistory developed a website offering essays, photographs, videos, and links to additional resources. Its videos generally present conversations between specialists recorded at the site of the original artwork, architectural structure, or archaeological object. This approach gives users access to contextual explanation while preserving the experience of looking carefully at the work itself. Over time, the platform expanded its geographic and historical coverage. Its materials address art and architecture from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, spanning the Paleolithic period through the twenty-first century. The organization has described a collection of more than 880 videos and 2,000 essays. More than 200 art historians, curators, and archaeologists have contributed material, with essays reviewed by peers and written in the contributors' specialist areas. Smarthistory also became an important resource for formal education in the United States. It supports the College Board's Advanced Placement Art History course and examination by providing material on the works, monuments, and cultural traditions included in the curriculum. Its resources are used by secondary-school students and teachers as well as by college learners, museum visitors, and general audiences. The platform's open-access model removes a paywall that might otherwise limit access to specialist art-history instruction. Institutionally, Smarthistory operates as an independent nonprofit organization. It is the official Khan Academy partner for art history, a relationship that has helped distribute its content through a major educational website. The organization has also received support from public and private cultural funders. The National Endowment for the Humanities is identified as a funding source, while the Samuel H. Kress Foundation supported development and partnership work during the late 2000s, including a project connected with the Portland Art Museum. The service's public identity has been shaped by an effort to make art feel less intimidating and more relevant. Its method combines expert knowledge with conversational delivery, original-object viewing, and broad digital availability. Smarthistory consequently developed from a small museum-oriented audio project into a substantial online art-history reference and teaching platform. Its history is characterized less by commercial product expansion than by the accumulation, organization, and distribution of educational content across periods, regions, and disciplines.

• 2009

  Partnership development support and Webby recognition

  [1]Smarthistoryen.wikipedia.org

  Smarthistory receives partnership development support connected with the Portland Art Museum and wins a Webby Award in Education.

• 2008

  Development support from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation

  [1]Smarthistoryen.wikipedia.org

  The Samuel H. Kress Foundation provides development support for Smarthistory's educational work.

• 2005

  Smarthistory is founded

  [1]Smarthistoryen.wikipedia.org

  Beth Harris and Steven Zucker establish Smarthistory as an audio-guide project for museum audiences and introductory art-history students.

• Khan Academy art-history partnership

  [1]Smarthistoryen.wikipedia.org

  Smarthistory becomes Khan Academy's official partner for art history, extending the distribution of its educational materials.

An independent nonprofit, open-access digital platform that makes specialist art and cultural history knowledge approachable for students, educators, museum audiences, and the general public.

• Open-access reference articles · 2005

  Smarthistory essays

  A large collection of explanatory articles covering art, architecture, archaeology, and cultural history. The essays span periods from the Paleolithic era to the twenty-first century and include material from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Contributors include art historians, curators, and archaeologists working in their specialist fields, and the essays are described as peer-reviewed. The articles are intended for students, teachers, museum audiences, and independent learners.

• Educational video

  Smarthistory videos

  Expert-led video discussions that explain individual works of art, buildings, monuments, and cultural objects. Many recordings are made on location in front of the original work and use unscripted conversation rather than a formal lecture script. The format combines visual inspection with historical and cultural interpretation, helping viewers connect what they see with the circumstances in which an object or structure was produced.

• Curriculum and examination support

  AP Art History resources

  Essays, videos, photographs, and supplementary links organized around the works and traditions included in the College Board's Advanced Placement Art History curriculum. These resources support secondary-school students and educators preparing for the course and examination, while also providing a structured introduction for independent learners.

• Digital learning partnership

  Khan Academy art-history content

  Smarthistory's art-history materials distributed through its official partnership with Khan Academy. The offering brings Smarthistory's specialist essays and videos into a larger online learning environment and helps learners access art-history instruction alongside other educational subjects.

1. 1Smarthistoryen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Smarthistory official websitesmarthistory.org