Surrounded by a 16th century castle in the stunning Burren landscape in Ireland’s Atlantic coast, thirteen CU Denver students immersed themselves not only in interdisciplinary art, but an exploration of self.

This four-week intensive art practice study abroad experience culminated in what viewers will see in “Ireland Abroad”, opening Sept. 18 at the CU Denver Experience Gallery.

“This exhibition shows what a rich experience our students had, to be away and immersed in a culture and all the different ways you can plug into that,” says Rian Kerrane, Visual Arts professor at CU Denver who co-leads the program.

Originally from Galway herself, Kerrane started the program in partnership with the Burren College of Art 21 years ago and enjoys being an ambassador of her homeland for the students.

Kerrane co-leads the study abroad program with Melissa Furness, CU Denver’s Arts Practices Program Director.

“There’s this great sense of community because the students are living in a space with each other, their fellow artists. They get a creative energy that’s not just at the college, but also at home. That energy builds off each other and created the fantastic work you’ll see in the exhibit,” says Furness.

CONNECTING WITH LANDSCAPE AND PEOPLE

Students were tasked with exploring the creation of art in all sorts of ways by observing the landscape, engaging with locals and the area’s history. Art practices major, Megan Hatak, focused on incorporating the colors and textures of the Burren landscape into her work.

“The environment was an interesting contrast to Denver’s cityscape, and it helped me think outside of the box and be more innovative,” says Hatak.

She also had the opportunity to experiment with plaster and different printmaking techniques which was a new experience.

Kate Callaway, a photography and communications major, was fascinated by the old ruins that decorated their learning landscape.

“Where we were located in Ireland was pretty otherworldly; one day one of the other students and I discovered an old shipwreck on the beach and that was fun to explore,” she says.

Callaway documented the experience through not only photography but also explored painting. She remembers starting on her final project and being intimidated by the blank canvas in front of her.

“One thing I learned is that you just have to start and keep working on something and see what happens. That’s the approach I took with my final project and the piece ended up being one of my favorites,” says Callaway.

Edward Oliver, a digital design major, enjoyed connecting with the locals in the area and learning more about the sustainability practices in the region, such as sea foraging.

“It was great to connect to someone in the community we were living in. The Irish are very conscious of how they consume, and it was interesting to get a peek into their day-to-day life,” says Oliver.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

The faculty challenged the students by providing loose guidelines for assignments to allow room for autonomy and bring the student’s individual approach to light in each project.

“Everybody is essentially starting in a 101 course. The rug has been pulled out from under you in terms of your usual methods and tools and you are starting from scratch,” says Kerrane.

Having 24/7 studio access really opened the opportunity for students to explore their creativity at many points throughout a day and bounce ideas off others in the program.

“It is like an artist residency because often times when you’re away and in a house with a group of artists, it’s not just what you make in the studio but, it’s also about the conversation that you have over dinner and how that fuels your creativity,” says Furness.

Oliver says he enjoyed being taken out of his comfort zone of digital design and exploring more traditional art mediums such as printmaking and painting.

“It was a nice way to explore studio art and now I’m working to bring those techniques and styles back into my digital art,” says Oliver.

Hatak credits the experience to helping her feel more confident in her ability to execute her artistic vision and being able to collaborate with fellow artists.

“My biggest takeaway from the program is that it’s okay if something isn’t perfect on the first try,” she says.

A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES

Viewers of “Ireland Abroad” will get a unique behind the scenes perspective of process for the students as their sketchbooks will be on display as part of the exhibition.

“It really provides a glimpse into our day-to-day of the program,” says Hatak.

The sketchbooks reveal the group’s true connection to the Irish landscape and culture as well as simple, everyday scenes such as a group of students huddled awaiting to go to the airport.