Upcoming International Study

2022

Mumbia (Bollywood), India

2021

Prague, Czech Republic (recording arts)

2021

Florence: Painting & Design, Winterim 2021 and 2023

This study abroad program provides students with a unique opportunity to reside in one of the most art historically significant cities in the world, known as the birthplace of the Renaissance. Students work at the Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA) with course studies that focus on travel as a mode of artistic practice through an exploration of methods in drawing, illustration, printmaking, and book arts. We will be utilizing printmaking facilities at Santa Reparata International School of Art and experiencing the art of the Renaissance first hand, which is highly concentrated within the easily walkable city of Florence.

The program will utilize the wonder of Florence as a major center of the formation of the Renaissance, which occurred immediately following the Middle Ages in Europe. Against a backdrop of political stability and growing prosperity, the development of new technologies–including the printing press, a new system of astronomy and the discovery and exploration of new continents–was accompanied by a flowering of philosophy, literature and especially art. The style of painting, sculpture and decorative arts identified with the Renaissance emerged in Italy in the late 14th century; it reached its zenith in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, in the work of Italian masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. In addition to its expression of classical Greco-Roman traditions, Renaissance art sought to capture the experience of the individual and the beauty and mystery of the natural world.

In addition to learning new methods of artistic practice, this program will provide students with a deeper understanding of the art and richness that Italy has to offer. Students will become more confident artistic individuals with an awareness of their own identity and sense of purpose in relation to a larger global community through this experience living abroad.

Ireland: Sculpture, Summer 2021 and 2023

Interdisciplinary Art in Ireland provides a unique format for intensive investigation of site-specific art. Participants are encouraged to develop new methods of art making while exploring and interpreting the relationship between place and the creative process. Artists working in all expressive media are encouraged to re-examine the tools, concepts, and goals of their work.   Experimentation is encouraged as students work at the varied sites, reflecting on cultural practice, landscape, human presence, and social structure of the region. Documentation of artwork, drawing, writing, photography, performance, and film become daily practice for all on the course. The four-week experience in Ireland is intensive and this investigative art practice experience will fuel your work for future years to come.

Set in the grounds of a 16th century castle in the stunning Burren landscape on Ireland's Atlantic coast, the Burren College of Art offers you a unique opportunity for your creative development. The BCA is a modern facility nestled along the rugged west coast of Ireland. The area is rich in ancient monuments including megalithic tombs, prehistoric burial mounds, Bronze and Iron Age forts, churches, graveyards, and medieval castles. Throughout the four-week program, students will work at local sites and in the studio.  In tandem, the work of contemporary artists, who employ interdisciplinary, site-specific, and nontraditional materials and processes, will be introduced through class lectures, presentations by visiting artists and visits to art venues.  Twenty -four hour access to your personal studio space and darkroom is provided, as is an overnight field trip to the Aran Islands (2 nights), site excursions, and a guided tour of the Burren.

Scandinavian by Design, Summer 2021 and 2023

Perhaps more so than in any other region, the practice of design in Scandinavia is deeply embedded in the cultural identity of the place. Innovative design in Scandinavia is a highly valued part of daily life, persisting ingeniously in the most commonplace of conditions. Design is apparent in every facet of their culture—from print media to city planning. Our current digital era has propelled Scandinavian art and design into the homogeneous stream of the global image—yet it remains a model to emulate. Scandinavian design culture and practice is dedicated to design that can improve the quality of life both locally and globally and is based on the participatory (collaborative) design model. The participatory design model that asks that designers, architects, scientists, businesses, government and social institutions, collaborate and co-design with local and global communities to solve human need design problems.

Through lectures, guest lectures, study tours, 
studio visits, readings and assignments in critical looking/thinking/making, students in “Digital Scandinavia” will gain first-hand experience 
of the many variables that have and continue to influence the Scandinavian mindset in relation to art, design, visual culture, process and execution.

2022 & Beyond

Japan: Mapping Culture, Summer 2022 and 2024

Come to Japan! Explore visual art through mapping the culture of Japan. Students activate their senses in media rich Tokyo; navigate to the ancient capital of Kyoto via the Shinkansen Bullet Train –and explore the islands of Naoshima and Teshima. Social engagement is revealed through an investigation of place and through historic and contemporary media. Students may choose their medium to make and shape their project. Students utilize mapping methods to collect observations for the purpose of cultivating a deeper visual art practice. Mapping is a form of collecting ideas; to provoke thought; to reflect; to inspire experience, and new forms. Students collect visual research for inventive and imaginative work in a visual medium of your choice, i.e. art, design, illustration, photography and in film.

Singapore: Exploring the Creative Economy, Summer 2022 and 2024

The creative industries and the economy they generate are apparent in every facet of urban culture. Our current digital era has propelled music, film, art, and design into the homogeneous stream of the global image. Exploring the Creative Economy investigates how the creative industries can improve the quality of life both locally and globally and examines the complexities and challenges of cross disciple collaborations.
 
This class will provide an understanding of how a creative economy is established and sustained in a region and the dynamics necessary for it to thrive. During this study abroad course we will explore Singapore’s creative economy by visiting the people, places, and events throughout the city that play significant roles in fostering and driving creativity.  We will visit places like the Singapore National Gallery, Infinite Studios, The Substation, Esplanade Theaters on the Bay in addition to many other design studios, live music events, art galleries, and more!
 
Students will gain first-hand experience of the many variables that have and continue to influence the collaborative mindset in relation to art, design, visual culture, process and execution.

Florence: Photography, Summer 2022 and 2024

Photography in Florence investigates the relationship between artistic theories, historic works of art, and early photographic processes in the unique setting of Florence, Italy. Students shoot negatives with large format cameras in a variety of beautiful and historically significant locations. They then print these negatives using 19th century photographic processes, such as albumen and salted paper printing.

The seminar course stimulates a dialogue that relates photography to the specific offerings of Florence as an artistic and cultural center. Through tours of regional museums, churches and historic sites, students gain insight into the origins of photography in Florentine experiments and artistic practices of the early Renaissance.