Mary Margaret Holcomb

Mary Margaret Holcomb is an art historian who is passionate about sharing her love of art with others. She received her master's in the History of Art, Theory and Display from the University of Edinburgh and her bachelor's in Art History from Arizona State University. She is currently studying for a Master of Arts in Teaching for Art Education at Mississippi University for Women, and she hopes to begin working towards a PhD in the near future. She is a professor of art at Tarrant County Community College in her home state of Texas where she teaches both in-person and online.

When Mary Margaret is not teaching, she enjoys reading and collecting books. Additionally, she loves learning more about philosophy, theology, music, and history. She also loves to make art, take photographs, and work on sewing projects. If inspiration strikes, you may find her writing for her latest art historical project.

Teaching Philosophy

Art has been an immensely powerful tool of communication for religious, political, and emotional purposes, among many others, for thousands of years. For this reason, I believe it is imperative to study and have knowledge of art: its meaning, function, and value are just a few points to discuss.

My goal as a teacher is to provide students with knowledge of the processes of the creation of art. Additionally, students will be able to not only appreciate art, but also be able to look at art and think critically about its significance in terms of culture by studying history, philosophy, and society through the lens of art. This is a useful practice since art is made as a documentation of what was/is important to a given person or, thinking in broader terms, a group of people, and using this perspective provides us with the opportunity to learn about a culture in an interactive experience where art is viewed, discussed, and, finally, carefully analyzed.

Ideally, students will learn to understand art as something which impacts literature, music, and, of course, history, and that the reverse may also be said to be true.

Statement of Faith

I was raised in the Christian faith, attend St. Gregory’s, an Anglican church in Mansfield, Texas, and ascribe to the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. Faith is central to my life, and my studies draw me ever closer to my Redeemer.