The Institute of Arts Studies conduct scientific research in the areas of Art History and Musicology. In both these fields, researchers address the issues of broadly defined Polish and European culture along with its output, with a particular emphasis put on its religious aspect. The issues undertaken in the field of Art History include: Latin and Byzantine tradition in European medieval art, culture and art of the Apennine Peninsula. In addition to this, studies are conducted into ideological programmes of Polish art, the activity of Polish artists abroad, Christian iconography and Polish art. Musicological research includes: Gregorian chant in Poland, in the light of musical and liturgical sources, development of the Polish musical traditions, religious musical culture in diocesan and monastic centres, the history of organs in selected regions of Poland, analysis of the sound structure of organs, folk devotion in musical and anthropological aspects, the work of Polish émigré composers, analysis of musical treatises etc. These areas of study are selected by the Institute of Art Studies, further incorporating the conducted research into the mission of the University.

The Institute of Arts Studies publishes a peer-reviewed scientific journal "Annals of Arts", (listed in the Web of Science database) and three publishing series: "Fontes Polyphoniae Ecclesiae" and "Renovatio Antiquitatis" dedicated to musical sources, as well as "Studia Organologica" addressing the issue of historical organs. Moreover, The Lublin Department of the Polish Section of RISM (Répertoire Internationale des Sources Musicale) was established by the Institute to systematically catalogue the sources of Polish religious music.

 

The Institute of Art Sciences Institute cooperates with several research centres both in Poland and abroad, such as the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University in Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine), The Catholic University in Ruzomberok (Slovakia) and The College of Catholic Church Music and Musical Education in Regensburg (Germany) et al.