Location:

Venice, Italy

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Summer

Program Overview

Program Description:

The Biennale is the world’s oldest and most prestigious art exposition. This program gives students the opportunity to explore the work of global contemporary artists featured at the Biennale sites and museums. Students will be immersed in the unique culture of Venice, Italy, where they are surrounded by the works of artists of both the past and present. The works explored and discussed will help students draw their own inspirations for their final project.

This intensive 4 week combined studio/art history program meets 5 days per week, and will focus on the Venice Biennale. Through close proximity and exposure to the national pavilions in the Giardini and elsewhere, as well as the Aperto and ancillary project spaces, students will be immersed in the wide range of work that global contemporary artists are creating. Studio production will be informed by not only the day-to-day experience of visiting the Biennale sites and museums, but also through an understanding of the history of the Biennale. Two instructors, as well as rotating visiting faculty, teach this combined studio/art history program and meet with students five days a week for four weeks. The students work towards creating a body of work that will culminate in an exhibition that will be an ancillary project of the Biennale. The concentrations are painting, drawing, sculpture, digital photography, or cross-disciplinary. Students will also be introduced to glass-art and glass-making as part of the studio art experience. Students are expected to have a background in art history, studio art, or similar experience.

Under the direction of a Guggenheim Fellow and an Associate Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculpture, and with faculty from both Marist College and Istituto Lorenzo de'Medici, participants will expand their skills in Art and Art History through two, three-credit courses. The program offers participants a unique opportunity to explore and immerse themselves in the world's oldest and most prestigious art exposition. Students participate in on-site lectures, studio art workshops, and critiques designed to engage students in the exploration of contemporary art and culture.

Setting Description:

The Venice Biennale has for over a century been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Ever since its foundation in 1895, it has been in the avant-garde, promoting new artistic trends and organizing international events in the contemporary arts in accordance with a multi-disciplinary model which characterizes its unique nature. Venice is home to museums such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Galleries dell'Accademia, Scuola San Rocco, Punta della Dogana, and the Biennale festival.

Cost:

The tentative program cost of $6,500 includes: tuition and program fees; accommodation (double occupancy, refundable security deposit of $300 required); entrance pass to the Biennale di Venezia festival; vaporetto pass; pre-departure guides, orientation, and post-program materials; welcome and farewell dinner; advisor/staff support; and wireless internet access during the program. The cost of the program does not include: airfare; meals and miscellaneous living expenses; individual art material