Directors of Tuscany: A Creative Journey.

Curt Labitzke, Associate Professor in the Studio Art Division of the School of Art, is a seasoned traveler in Italy.  He has directed four quarter-long School of Art programs in Rome and has traveled extensively through Italy with these groups.  As an artist and as an instructor, he has worked with a wide variety of media as well as a diverse student population, from those just beginning to develop their skills as artists to advanced graduate students.  Curt’s work is highly influenced by his travels throughout Italy and is characterized by large scale figures whose relationships evoke both the magnitude of the mythological as well as the  nuances of personal intimacy.

Cynthia Caci, who has co-directed seminars in Sicily, Tunisia and Tuscany, has a graduate degree in Art History with a focus in the art of the early Italian Renaissance.  She brings not only language proficiency in conversational Italian but also teaching experience that will provide an historical context to the seminar in Tuscany. Her entire career at the Univeristy of Washington has been involved in undergraduate education and in helping students align their personal, educational and professional goals with opportunities at the UW and beyond. Cynthia is currently the Assistant Director of Academic Services in the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media.

Many of the participants may be like you, very excited about spending a month in Tuscany, looking forward to seeing some amazing art and learning more about the history of the works and the region. They are also excited about the opportunity to spend some time making their own art in response to their experiences, learning a few new processes, and having fun with their peers. Many of the group members may not be art students. Some have past experience but most are just eager to learn and looking forward to trying new things. The demonstrations will be designed for folks with little to no experience so please do not feel intimidated about your technical skill level. Everyone will quickly develop a working method that suits their individual needs and abilities and will hopefully make a few things that they will look back on some day as a document of the beautiful summer they spent in Italy.

This is a 5 credit class. Of course, like any class there will be assignments you’ll need to complete, no different than here at the UW. And your participation with the group is also a factor in the evaluation process. We believe everyone going with us will be there because they want to, will work hard, learn a few new things and do extremely well. Everyone’s work will be unique to them, quite exciting to see develop.

Remember you can only learn what you already don’t know.

A variety of media and techniques will be demonstrated and discussed and can include drawing, photography, watercolor, collage and bookarts.  Assignments will be designed and coordinated with site locations and the works of selected artists who lived in or traveled to Italy and whose own practice was influenced by their experiences.  In many instances, you will be asked to use demonstrated techniques on location to record your impressions and express your ideas.  For example, an assignment might ask you to work in watercolor in the Boboli Gardens (in the method of John Singer Sargent as seen in the image above) or to sketch ancient ruins in the style of Piranesi. You will develop a working knowledge of these processes through hands on experience, small group discussion and large format critiques.

These are just a few examples of the work that was produced during our time in Tuscany — you can see the variety of media (watercolor, charcoal, graphite, etc.) Each student was provided with a packet of art materials and directed studio time, with demonstrations, allowing everyone the opportunity to try something new and further develop their skills.

Florence (Firenze):

is a compact, metropolitan city of 500,000 people

is the birthplace of the Renaissance

is one of the most walkable cities in Italy (most important sites are within 1/2-hour walking distance of the Duomo)

draws visitors from all over the world

has a history rich with intrigue, adventure, and centuries of incredible patronage of the arts (can we say “Medici”?)

has an equally rich “present,” — with cafes, clubs, shops and cinemas

 is centrally located for day trips to other Tuscan hill towns and city centers

is home to Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Leonardo’s Adoration of the Magi as well as works by Caravaggio, Giotto, Rembrandt and Raphael

has a cuisine characterized by simple preparations of abundant produce, mellow cheeses, grilled meats and a fascination for beans

􀂋UW RESOURCES

Go! Scholarship and Fritz Scholarship opportunities)
http://goglobal.washington.edu

The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) http://www.washington.edu/students/osfa
Student receiving financial aid may be eligible for an increase for study abroad. You will need to submit a Revision Request (obtained from the OSFA).

UW Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards http://www.washington.edu/students/ugrad/scholar/index.shtml

􀂋ROTARY INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS http://www.rotary.org

􀂋OTHER FOREIGN STUDY SCHOLARSHIP/FELLOWSHIP DATABASES

IIEPASSPORT: http://studyabroadfunding.org/

Studyabroad.com http://studyabroad.com/forum/financial_aid.html

FastWeb http:http://www.fastweb.com

The College Board http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp

University of Minnesota
http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/financial/scholarships/index.html

Michigan State University http://www.msu.edu

The following are selected entries from our successful 2009 program!

After two individual conferences first things this morning, we headed over to the PItti Palace and a visit to the Boboli Gardens, a multi-acre “park” that includes fountains, grottos, and fabulous grotesques. The weather was comfortable enough to make the visit entirely enjoyable.

The students were tasked with creating two separate works in the gardens: one utilizing color and the other, linear perspective. Colors in September are relegated to varying shades of green, but there were a few blooms to be found if you looked carefully.

As for perspective, the arbor-lined walks and architectural features of the garden provided numerous vistas.

More student conferences in the afternoon. The majority of the students are planning a day trip to the Cinqueterra tomorrow. The weekend begins!