East Carolina University College of Fine Arts and Communications
Semester and Summer Study Abroad Programs - ITALY ART INTENSIVES and VIAGGIO IN ITALIA- Director, Linda Darty
(Look at the pictures below and consider the possibility of earning college credits in Italy! For details go to http://www.ecu.edu/artscomm/italy/)
As a sophomore in college, I flew on an airplane for the first time, traveling to Italy on a Study Abroad Program. A 21 year old looking for meaning in my life, I wanted to be immersed in another culture, in a place I knew little about. Every day in Florence, I walked the meandering, stone streets to school, stopping in cathedrals, watching artisans in their shops, inspired by everything around me. I have a vivid memory of learning to draw from looking at sculptures and paintings, but it wasn’t just the artwork... it was everything about this culture that inspired me: the way the shops closed after lunch so people could linger over long meals together, the evenings wandering in the piazzas when everything came to life and the streets filled with music and people, the reverence for beauty and detail everywhere and in everything. 38 years later I am now escorting my own students to Italy and directing this program is the most joyful thing I’ve done in my teaching career. Our year round program is located in the beautiful, medieval village of Certaldo Alto, just outside of Florence and Siena, in the heart of Tuscany. Students earn 12-15 credits during the Fall and Spring semesters and up to 6 credits during 3 or 5 week summer sessions. Classes are offered in art history, art appreciation, studio art classes (painting, jewelry, enameling, photography, book arts, ceramics, drawing and design) as well as literature, Italian language, music, theatre, international news and feature writing/journalism. The curriculum is expanding each year and students are welcome from ANY major! Join us! When in your life will you have time to spend 3 months in Italy, if not while you are in school??? I promise it will change your life, as it did mine so many years ago!
