Once each semester students take a longer trip to Paris to explore the riches of the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Musee Marmottan, l'Orangerie, and of course, the city itself. Students also have opportunities to visit Spain and Italy. The Independent Studio Program is the core of the Center's program. Sustained studio work on a project developed in consultation with the Center's faculty is augmented by regularly scheduled advanced drawing classes. In special instances, and with permission of the Resident Director, alternate studio experience may be substituted for the drawing requirement.
Independent work is supported by semi-weekly individual and group critiques.
First semester GFA 424, Individually-Directed Studio Continuation of GFA 423. Drawing upon discussions, critiques, lectures, and field trips associated with the Independent Studio Program, students interpret and integrate their studio, liberal arts, and cultural experiences. The Seminar offers important analytical tools and hones students' ability to think critically about the meaning and relatedness of the students' shared and diverse experiences. The Seminar also provides a forum in which the Academic Coordinator and members of the liberal arts faculty are invited to join the Resident Director, visiting artists, and the program's students in critiques and discussions on topics of mutual interest. The structure and formality of the Seminar ensure that faculty maintain a holistic awareness of student development and that all participants view themselves as a community of artists and scholars bound by common pursuits.