About

The George Fisk Comfort Society is the graduate student organization for M.A. programs in art history in the Department of Art and Music Histories. This student-run organization provides a platform for learning more about the discipline of art history, participating in community outreach, disseminating ideas, and professional development. Activities organized by the Comfort Society include:

• Visits to local and regional museums
• Professional development workshops
• Invited workshops and lectures led by curators and scholars
• Publications and blogs highlighting student research

Consult the George Fisk Comfort Society's website for more about the Comfort Society and the organization's recent activities.

If you are interested in learning more about or joining the Comfort Society, contact the Graduate Coordinator, Barbara Bartlett via email at bgbartle@syr.edu.

Who is George Fisk Comfort?

George Fisk Comfort (1833 - 1910) was the first dean of the College of Fine Arts at Syracuse University, which opened in 1873. The College of Fine Arts was originally planned as an all-inclusive art school, and it was the first institution in the United States to offer both B.A. and M.A. degrees in areas such as architecture, painting, sculpture, music, and oratory arts. While the College of Fine Arts no longer exists as an entity—it was formally dissolved in 1945—many schools, departments, and programs at Syracuse University carry on his legacy, including the Department of Art & Music Histories.