The environment in which these artists flourished remains remarkably unchanged. Yet for the artist working today, the experience is enriched by the provocative tension between traditional French culture and the infusion of increasingly global sensibilities. Both the studio and liberal arts portions of the Center's program are designed to take full advantage of the region's rich array of cultural and natural resources through field trips to museums, architectural sites, and archeological excavations. Whether through drawing on site, keeping journals, taking photographs, or gathering found objects in the best French modernist tradition, students rely heavily upon their travel experiences as sources for studio work. 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.