The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is proud to be ranked by the Institute of International Education among the top three specialized schools in the United States in number of students participating in study abroad. Through a large selection of faculty-led study trips, SAIC students build intercultural competency and develop greater independence, self-confidence, and the flexibility to quickly and creatively adapt to changing circumstances.
Below is a snapshot of some of SAIC’s summer 2015 study trips:
Contemporary Art in New York City: Connecting the Dots
New York City’s contemporary art scene serves as the canvas for learning opportunities for this study trip. Students explore and investigate the range of contemporary art production in this epicenter of the art world. Students’ artistic knowledge is informed through a variety of visits to galleries, artists’ studios, nonprofit spaces, and museums.
Northern Exposure: Montréal and Toronto
Focusing mainly on Canada’s expansive history of experimentation in the field of time-based art, students visit a variety of cultural venues in Toronto and Montréal. The study trip coincides with two of Montréal’s most notable festivals: Festival TransAmériques and MUTEK. Students explore the Toronto art scene through visits to its major cultural institutions and meetings with renowned Canadian artists and filmmakers.
Burren/Ireland: Advanced Studio Residency
With the lush landscape of the Burren on the west coast of Ireland as their backdrop, students benefit from the use of facilities at the Burren College of Art in this studio-based study trip while still retaining the freedom to focus on their own independent projects. At the same time they participate in group critiques and enjoy local presentations of Irish music, literature, and history.
Painting and Studio Practice in Umbria, Italy
The Umbrian countryside offers a unique setting for artistic growth and experimentation in this studio-based study trip. Students have the rare opportunity to live and work in a small medieval village. The rich culture, art, and history of the Umbrian region are revealed during this three-week program and students also have the occasion to visit museums in Rome and Florence.
Rome, Milan, and the Venice Biennale
This study trip boasts an itinerary packed with visits to significant historical sites in Rome, Milan, Venice, Tivoli, and Ravenna. Students visit museums in addition to the workshops, factories, and studios of contemporary designers as well as the official venues of the Venice Biennale.
Japan: Travel as Culture, Travel as Art
This study trip explores the role of travel in contemporary and historical Japan as well as a form of creative cultural production on its own. Through visits to important historical centers, such as the Imperial Shinto shrine at Ise, the temples of Kyoto, and significant cultural and historical neighborhoods in Tokyo, students work collaboratively to map, collect, archive, and enact their experience as travelers.
Abandoned Practices Institute in Prague: 2015
Prague and its rich history offer the setting for students to examine the potential of finding a shared strategy of thinking about the past through the re-examination of various abandoned practices. Students have the unique opportunity to participate in the 13th edition of PQ: Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, with individual or collaborative work.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields.
