Visual Art in Florence, Italy

Summer 2009 closed

May 31 - June 28, 2009

Sponsored by the Department of Art and Art History in the College of Arts & Letters

Arranged through the Office of Study Abroad (OSA)

What's this program about?

“Visual Art in Florence” offers an exciting opportunity for students to draw and paint in response to the historic and contemporary art, architecture and culture of Italy.  In leaving studio walls behind, students will make art in the cities and landscapes of Italy itself.  Traditional and contemporary approaches to art making will be explored.

Students will tour numerous historical schools, museums, monasteries and churches that contain the best of Renaissance art.  They will be provided with a month-long pass for entrance into the internationally acclaimed Uffizi Museum in Florence, a large and impressive collection of Renaissance and classical art.

As part of the program, students will take excursions to Venice, Bologna, and Siena to observe how the diverse artistic and cultural differences between cities, as well as across the span of time, have affected the variety in visual language and expression of Italian art.  While in Venice, students will also have the opportunity to visit the Venice Biennale, the premier venue of international contemporary arts, and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, a renowned collection of modern art.

Guest lectures on cross-cultural Italian topics will complement studio art coursework and broaden students’ cultural experience and awareness related to art, art history and art making.

No previous knowledge of or experience with art or Italian language is required.

Where does it take place?

Florence is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy.  Tuscany is known for its beautiful landscapes, wines and artistic legacy.  Florence lays along the Arno River over which spans the beautiful medieval bridge, the Ponte Vecchio.  A center of medieval European trade and finance, Florence is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance.  It is most famous for its magnificent art and architecture, including Michelangelo’s David and Brunelleschi’s Dome.  It is said that of the 1,000 most important European artists of the second millennium, 350 lived or worked in Florence.  Florence has also been home to many other important figures of the past such as Dante, Machiavelli and Galileo.

Venice, in northeast Italy, is known by many names including “City of Water,” “City of Bridges,” and “The City of Light.”  The city stretches across numerous small islands linked by bridges across its canals along the Adriatic Sea.  The Venetian Republic was a major sea power and an important center of commerce and art in the Renaissance.  Venice’s canals, gondolas, art, and history are unique visions to be experienced.

Day trips will introduce you to Siena and Bologna.  Siena like other Tuscan hill towns was first settled in the time of Etruscans.  Unlike other Italian city centers, Siena’s main piazza is circular in which each year the famous horse race, The Palio, is run.  Its museums and cathedral contain work by many important Sienese Renaissance masters.  Vibrant and diverse, Bologna in Emilia-Romagna, is the home of the oldest university in Europe, early 20th-century Italian painter Giorgio Morandi, and yes – bologna meat, locally known as mortadella! Bolognese Renaissance and Baroque masters fill the museums and churches.  Bologna is also treasured for its miles of covered walkways or porticos that line the streets of the city center.

Classes will be conducted in various locations on day trips throughout Florence, Bologna and Siena, and on a two-day excursion to Venice.  We will be making or viewing artwork in the cityscape, landscape, churches and museums of each city.  Travel and accommodations to Bologna, Siena and Venice will be arranged by MSU faculty to travel as a group.

What can I study?

All students must enroll in two studio art offerings for a total of six (6) credit hours.  Students will choose one course in List A (Drawing) and a second course List B (Color and Design, Mixed Media and College or Painting).  Independent studies are also an option with permission from the instructors.

Classes will be conducted four days a week.  Students will have individual opportunities to travel in the area on the weekends.

Course prerequisites may apply; see Course Descriptions (on the MSU Website) or program leader for details.

What are the requirements?

Students must be in good academic standing, with a grade point average of at least 2.5 at the time of application.  Meeting this minimum grade point average does not, however, guarantee admission.

No previous knowledge of or experience with art or Italian language is required.

Applicants’ participation may be denied or their participation approval may be revoked if their conduct before departure raises doubts as to their suitability for program participation.

Where will I live?

Students will live in groups of four in apartments located in residential neighborhoods just outside the historic city center of Florence, Italy.  Living in these residential areas will encourage students to further their understanding of local life and “ways of doing things.” As students will be responsible for providing their own meals, they will be shopping for food in local markets, eating in local restaurants and interacting with their new Italian neighbors.

The program costs will include a month-long city bus pass that will provide students a reliable and rapid mode of transport to and from class meeting points.

As part of the program, students will enjoy an arrival and departure group dinner. 

Internet access will also be provided.

Who can tell me more about this program?

Professor Robert McCann
Department of Art and Art History
317 Kresge Art Center
Phone: (517) 353-9487

Professor Teresa Dunn
Department of Art and Art History
315 Kresge Art Center
Phone: (517) 355-7638

Do I need a passport or visa?

U.S. and non-U.S. citizens need a valid passport both to enter other countries and to return to the United States.  If you already have a passport, make sure it is valid until at least six months after your return date.  If you must apply for or renew a passport, APPLY EARLY, since a minimum of eight to ten weeks is usually required for processing.  During peak travel seasons, more processing time is required.  Passport forms are available at many federal and state courts, probate courts, some county/municipal offices and some post offices.  They can also be downloaded from the Web.

For more information about passports visit the web page.

A visa is official permission granted by the authorities of a country where you will study or travel that allows you to enter and remain in that country for a specific purpose.  The visa itself is frequently a stamp in your passport, not a separate document. You will need a passport before applying for a visa and the passport plus visa process may take several months, so start early.   It is your responsibility to inquire about visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad; this includes countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program.  If you are not a U.S. citizen, consult the embassy or consulate of the countries you will visit to learn their document requirements.

Are there special health issues?

As part of your acceptance you will complete a Student Health/Emergency Treatment Authorization. It is your responsibility to ensure that your routine immunizations are up-to-date; inquire whether there are recommended and/or required immunizations or medications for the country/countries you will visit (including any countries you will visit that are not part of the study abroad program’s itinerary); and review educational issues relevant to your personal health and safety.

For further health information and recommendations visit the "Health Issues" section of the Student Handbook.

How much does it cost?

The program fee is $3,346 and includes the following:

Amounts not included in the program fee for which participants will need to budget include:

Excluding tuition and fees*, these additional costs are estimated at $4,250 (US09).  Students may request a cost sheet which lists both the program fee and an estimate of additional expenses by contacting the Office of Study Abroad at (517) 353-8920.

*Check Student Accounts for current tuition, fees and taxes. MSU students pay the same amount they would pay to study at MSU; non-MSU students pay the Lifelong Education rate.

Approximately two months before the program’s departure date, students will receive an e-bill from the MSU Student Accounts Office for the study abroad program fee.  Students will also be e-billed for tuition and fees, based on the number of credits taken, once they have enrolled in courses.  (Both amounts may be billed at the same time.)

How can I get help to pay for it?

Financial assistance is available to students who make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) and MSU’s Office of Financial Aid. 

If you are an MSU student and indicate on your application that you plan to use financial aid to pay for your study abroad experience, OSA will forward an estimated cost sheet to the MSU Office of Financial Aid for processing.  This form will include all anticipated costs associated with the program, including airfare.

If you are a non-MSU student, please request financial aid from your home university.  If your university is unable to award you financial aid, contact the MSU Office of Study Abroad to apply for loans only and you will be provided with instructions on how to proceed.

For further information about financial aid, visit the Web page.

Additionally, MSU students applying to any credit-bearing study abroad program are eligible for OSA Scholarships.   Some scholarships are based exclusively on academic performance; others are based on a combination of academic performance and financial need.  Requirements are listed in the scholarship application.  The deadline to apply for these scholarships is March 1st for summer programs.  

A generous endowment from the MSU Federal Credit Union, as well as additional resources provided through the Forest Akers Endowment, MSU Alumni Association, the Australia-Pacific Council, Eleanor and Charles Greenleaf Sr., Brigitte and Thomas Huff, the Georges Jules Joyaux Memorial Fund, the Kellogg Foundation, Charles and Marjorie Gliozzo, and contributors to the Overseas Study Endowment provide funding for these OSA scholarships.

For even more MSU scholarship opportunities through individual colleges or external scholarship possibilities (including funding for Multicultural students) visit the web page.

How do I apply?

You can apply online or download an application form.

Applications must be received in the Office of Study Abroad by March 1st for summer programs.  We strongly recommend that you apply early as this program may fill to capacity prior to this deadline.

Selection of applicants is done on a rolling admission basis - that is, applications are accepted and students are evaluated and considered for admission throughout the academic year.  Please remember that applying early and meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.

A $100 application fee is required.  Students will receive an e-bill for the application fee that is applied to the cost of the program and is non-refundable once a student has accepted admission into the program.  Students who have accepted admission may also be billed for a non-refundable and non-transferable $200 deposit, also applied to the cost of the program.

Students who wish to withdraw their application are required to notify the Office of Study Abroad, in writing, that they no longer intend to participate.

Acceptance to all programs is based, minimally, on a faculty review of your transcript and a review of the Judicial Affairs Office records (MSU students) or Dean of Students Reference (non-MSU students).

Details about the admissions process, pre-departure information, what to know while you’re abroad, and information about returning home can be found in the Study Abroad Student Handbook that will be sent to you with your acceptance letter.

Return to the Study Abroad Home Page