The Miami University Art Museum will host the first-ever undergraduate symposium in art and architecture history Thursday. The symposium will consist of four 20-minute presentations followed by a question and answer period on exceptional papers written by students.

Pepper Stetler, art history assistant professor, organized the symposium with the help of other faculty members to bring attention to the history of art and architecture major.

“It’s supposed to be the ‘Year of the Arts’ so I thought it was about time to bring attention to the Art and Architecture History major,” Stetler said. “It’s a chance for us to showcase student’s work.”

The four topics addressed by students include mythological dance in the Renaissance, the coalescence of text and image, dresses of the 1890s and visual evolution in relation to the Bauhaus. The students chosen to present their topics are seniors Alyssa Johansen, Sydney Kreuzmann, Kathleen Harrison and Chloe Hines and junior Thea Peterson. Professors approached students with outstanding papers and asked them if they would like to create a presentation that coincided with the paper for the symposium.

Harrison, a studio art major, stated how thrilled she was that she did not have to be an art and architecture history major to present in the symposium.

“I am not an art and architecture major, but Professor Butler’s class on dress has been one of my favorite classes I have taken at Miami,” Harrison said. “I was really excited when I was approached with this opportunity.”

Partnering with Peterson, the pair worked hard to prepare for their presentation.

“I put a lot of hard work into the project and it will be great to share it with other people,” Harrison said.

While the creators of the symposium hope it becomes an annual event, they are still focused on perfecting it. In the future, students may have the opportunity to submit work to become a part of the presentation.

Krista Dunkman, junior art and architecture history major, plans on attending the event.

“The faculty of my major are really encouraging everyone to go and support our fellow students,” Dunkman said. “I think it’s cool that we finally have a way to show off what we have learned because we have never really had that opportunity before. I hope that we get a good crowd of anyone and everyone; majors, non-majors, professors and locals.”

The symposium will take place 6-8 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium of the Miami Art Museum. Admission is free and a reception with food will follow the event.