A group of students from the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University visited a country steeped in a rich tradition of art and craftsmanship that continues to this day.
The Visual Culture in Italy program dove into the art and design history of Italy. Activities on the trip taking place May 19-June 10 included studying the art of the Renaissance at significant locations in Florence (the home base of the program) such as the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace Museum, the Bargello Museum, the Medici Tombs and the Accademia. Students also visited the Vatican Museums, the Borghese Museum, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Pantheon. Significant on site study of graphic design and typographic history were conducted in Florence at the Duomo, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
“By living in apartments in the heart of the ancient city center of Florence, students were immersed in the ‘open-air museum’ that is Florence,” said Timothy Speaker, associate professor of art and design. “Each day the city acted as our classroom as we experienced all the art, culture, design and history on site, enriching the learning opportunities through first-hand primary study.”
Speaker added that students were afforded the opportunity to receive behind-the-scenes learning from traditional craftsmen at the Scarpetti Mosaici and the contemporary sculpture studio of Oliviero Draghi.
Professor Speaker was joined by Michael Marks, chair of Anderson University’s Art and Design program and students Edgar Parish, Anne Knox le Roux, Emma Lipe, Emily Miller, Lily McNamara, Julia Hewitt, Janae Ikeler, Hannah Schaupp, Isabelle Rigsbee, Sophia Pressley and Elise Matthews.
“This study abroad semester is about having students connect their disciplines and majors—including art history—to the places and cultures that have produced them, but also to provide a space where students can experience these cultures in an immersive way,” Marks said.
Rigsbee said she was especially inspired by visiting a sculpture studio and a mosaic studio.
“Visiting the local artists was another highlight for me for sure because not only did you get to see the history and what has been done in Italy in the past, but also what people are doing today, which was super inspiring, honestly,” Rigsbee said, adding that she also enjoyed seeing the sights of Rome.
“We hit all of the highlights—the Pantheon, the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain,” Rigsbee said. “The Borghese Gallery there was also really spectacular. That was honestly probably one of my favorite things we did the entire trip.”
Art has been a huge part of le Roux’s life, and Italy provided for her some unforgettable experiences.
“My grandmother was an artist in South Africa. She would travel a lot and she was always saying we need to go to Europe and France and Italy and we need to see these things together and sketch and chat about it, which we never ended up getting to do before she passed away,” le Roux said. “It’s been on my bucket list for so many reasons.”
“Since ninth grade, I’ve been learning about all these famous art pieces—Boticelli and all the architecture because it all leads up to what we are today. I learned about it in high school and have been again in college, but I’ve never seen it before,” le Roux said. “It’s so cool to be here in the midst of it all, see it with my own eyes and really experience it.”
As le Roux and her classmates examined ancient typography, she also became fascinated by a more modern form of artistic expression—graffiti.
This summer, Anderson University students have pursued study abroad programs in Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom (London and St. Andrews, Scotland).
The South Carolina School of the Arts
The South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees with majors and concentrations in graphic design, painting and drawing, ceramics, art education, musical theatre, acting, theatrical design, theatre, acting and directing, dance, worship leadership, music education, and vocal, keyboard and instrumental performance. Visit them online here.
Anderson University Center for Global Engagement
The Center for Global Engagement directs short-term programs, mission trips, faculty-led experiential learning programs and semester-long programs. Anderson University has cooperative agreements so students can take part in semester-long programs in such countries as: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands and Uganda.
For more information, contact the Center for Global Engagement at studyabroad@andersonuniversity.edu or (864) 231-2141.