The Department of Art History and Criticism was established in 1997. Professor of architecture Vytautas Levandauskas was the first head of the department. From 2000 to 2008 the department was headed by art historian prof. Rasutė Žukienė, from 2008 to 2013 - by art historian assoc. prof. Aušrinė Cemnolonskė. Now the head of the department is an art historian assoc. prof. Linara Dovydaitytė.

The mission of the department – to carry out research in the fields of architecture, visual arts and photography and to prepare highly qualified art historians and art critics.

The department supervises the undergraduate program Art History and Criticism (together with the Department of Theatre Studies) and two master programs Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Art History and Criticism (this program has two specializations: Art Criticism and Curating and Architecture History and Criticism). After completing graduate programs, students can continue studies in doctoral program.

Academic staff:
Head of Department assoc. prof. Linara Dovydaitytė (PhD) (CV) (e-mail: l.dovydaityte@mf.vdu.lt)

Assoc. Prof. Aušrinė Cemnolonskė (e-mail: a.slavinskiene@mf.vdu.lt)
Prof. Vytautas Levandauskas (e-mail: v.levandauskas@mf.vdu.lt)
Prof. Nijolė Lukšionytė (e-mail: n.luksionyte@mf.vdu.lt)
Prof. Laima Šinkūnaitė (e-mail: l.sinkunaite@mf.vdu.lt)
Assoc. Prof. Raimonda Simanaitienė (e-mail: r.simanaitiene@mf.vdu.lt)
Assoc. Prof. Nijolė Taluntytė (e-mail: n.taluntyte@mf.vdu.lt)
Assoc. Prof. Rasutė Žukienė (e-mail: r.zukiene@mf.vdu.lt)
Jolita Butkevičienė (PhD) (e-mail: j.butkeviciene@mf.vdu.lt)
Daiva Citvarienė (PhD) (e-mail: d.citvariene@mf.vdu.lt)
Emeritus prof. Vladas Stauskas (e-mail: v.stauskas@mf.vdu.lt)

PhD candidates:
Lina Preišegalavičienė (e-mail: prei.lina@gmail.com)
Aurelija Rusteikienė(e-mail: aurelija.rusteikiene@gmail.com)
Silvija Slaminskienė (e-mail: s.slaminskiene@mf.vdu.lt)
Aušra Vasiliauskienė (e-mail: a.vasiliauskiene@mf.vdu.lt)
Ingrida Veliūtė (e-mail: i.veliute@mf.vdu.lt)
Gintautas Žalėnas (e-mail: g.zalenas@gmail.com)