View images from the 2012 Florence Summer Program
2013 Florence Summer Program
June 3-July 31, 2013
Optional Language Course: May 26-June 3, 2013
This program, open to students of all majors and levels, provides an interdisciplinary learning environment within the framework of art, architecture, and art history in Florence. Students each take an art history course and either an architecture or art studio. The studios work in a collaborative manner, using drawing as a shared medium for exploration and visual experimentation. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in an optional one-week language course on the Tuscan island of Elba before the program begins.
TWO-MONTH SESSION: JUNE 3-JULY 31, 2013
During the two-month session, students broadly examine visual culture as a social, political, and aesthetic construct. Through shared field trips, discussions, and creative work, these three courses influence one another, expanding the spectrum of visual inquiry and encouraging students to work across disciplinary lines, cultures, and time periods. This collaborative method echoes the broader ethos of Italian visual cutlure that operates across scales and fields, from designing spoons to cities. Work in the studios extends into the streets and piazzas of Florence and other cities such as Venice, Perugia, and Assisi, allowing students to engage the full cultural landscape of contemporary Europe. The small size of the program allows each student to work closely with both art and architecture professors in developing a body of work that is highly personalized.
Upon successful completion, students receive 9 credits. For Sam Fox School undergraduate students, these courses may be counted toward the art or architecture major, including as Sam Fox School Commons course requirements. These courses may also count toward a minor in art or architecture. Additionally, engineering students may be able to earn their Humanities credit through the Florence summer program.
Art History (3 Credits)
Rethinking Renaissance Visual Culture
In this course, students explore the complexities, innovations, and magnificence of two centuries of history through its visual production: architecture, painting, sculpture, costume, ornaments, etc. The principal goal is to challenge the established understanding of Renaissance Florence as a cohesive and homogenous phenomenon, instead searching for and constructing a more diverse notion of Florence's aesthetic language and identity. Particular attention is paid to those motifs that permit interdisciplinary connections to drawing and architecture that students explore in their studio courses while in Florence. Beyond the assigned textbooks, our visual guide is the city of Florence itself. Course requirements include on-site lectures, discussions, writing assignments, and field trips.
Architecture Studio (6 Credits)
Disegno: Encounters in Public Space
Professor: Igor Marjanovic, marjanovic@samfox.wustl.edu
One of the origins of the term “design” is the Italian word disegno, which denotes both the drawing of a line and the drawing forth of an idea. Building upon this dual trajectory, this studio focuses on a series of site-specific projects that explore public space as a confluence of architecture, culture, and identity. The studio engages a diverse set of drawing strategies, including freehand drawing, drafting, and making. On-site drawing lessons, workshops, public events, and interactions with the local community all inform students' work as they explore Florence’s past and present. Projects emphasize craft, visual experimentation, and the socio-economic forces that shape architecture, including the role of different cultures in its making. The studio provides a dynamic learning environment that encourages students to develop a unique way of working specific to their project and interests. Course requirements include studio work, presentations, and field trips.
Art Studio (6 Credits)
Drawing and Re-drawing Conclusions
Professor: Regan Wheat, wheat@samfox.wustl.edu
In this course, students broaden their knowledge of the principle elements of drawing and explore their relevance to contemporary art practice. Through a series of structured exercises, they begin to locate themselves within an art historical context and to use this rich history as a field from which to draw inspiration for contemporary works. They conduct research in the museums, churches, piazzas, and markets of Florence, and their sketchbooks serve as visual documentation of their experiences, providing a resource for current and future works. Students investigate the practice of drawing as both a medium and a form of critical inquiry that can engage broader questions, from identity politics to social issues. Course requirements include drawing on-site, in class, and independently; slide lectures and readings contextualize this work. Students are also required to complete a midterm project and a final project.
Transportation to Florence
Due to varying points of departure and individual travel schedules, students arrange their own transportation.
Passports and Student Visas
Students obtain their own passports. Students who already have passports should make sure they will be valid at least six months after their last day in Europe. International students should make sure all necessary paperwork is in order and that their country of origin has passport and visa reciprocity with Italy. The School will assist students with the visa application process.
Housing
Groups of two to six students share apartments located throughout the city. Apartments are furnished with fully equipped kitchens. Students can walk anywhere in the old city within twenty minutes. Apartment costs average about $950 per month for double occupancy—the fee includes some utilities. An additional $250 housing deposit is required. There is also a homestay option, which is slightly more expensive but includes two meals per day.
Tuition and Costs
Estimated tuition for the two-month summer program is $9,735. There will be additional fees to help cover field trips, museum passes, library passes, and Internet costs. Students are responsible for purchasing their food, art supplies, and books.
OPTIONAL ONE-WEEK LANGUAGE COURSE: MAY 26-JUNE 3, 2012
This one-week workshop provides students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the study of the Italian language while experiencing the complexity and active cultural, social, and artistic life of the Tuscan region. The workshop, based on the island of Elba, is open only to students enrolled in the two-month summer program.
Offered through the Italian language school Centro Fiorenza, this workshop is geared toward students with little or no previous experience with the Italian language. Morning classes focus on developing students' conversational skills. During the afternoon, students explore Elba and surrounding areas through cultural programs and free time. Upon successful completion, students receive 1 credit.
Estimated tuition for the one-week language course is $1,082. In addition, students should budget for an estimated $700 in fees, which will cover the costs of housing, School-sponsored activities, and roundtrip travel from Florence to Elba. Students are responsible for purchasing their food, art supplies, and books.
More information:
Belinda Lee
Assistant Director of Special Programs
Bixby Hall, Suite 1 (lower level)
lee@samfox.wustl.edu
314.935.4643
