2012 Fall Semester Program: The Marchutz School of Art
Aix-en-Provence, France - Semester Program Fall 2012
Host Institution: The Marchutz School of Art (Institute for American Universities)
| PROGRAM | PROGRAM CODE | PRICE | DATES |
| Fall 2012 | MSAF | click here for price | click here for dates |
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If your college or university requires an official transcript from an accredited U.S. institution, you are able to receive one from Truman State University, for an additional fee of $500. If you require a TSU transcript, please be sure to notify us at least 3 months prior to departure. |
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The Marchutz School of Art - Course Offerings (Fall 2012)
All courses are taught in English unless otherwise noted.
CURRICULUM DESCRIPTION
This program is open to students with any level of French and any level of art experience. Students attending The Marchutz School of Art for a semester take a minimum of 15 credits, including the following:
- Art Criticism Seminar (mandatory core class)
- Painting (mandatory core class)
- Drawing (mandatory core class)
- One elective of your choosing, taught at The Aix Center of Humanities and Social Sciences
- One French language class at The Aix Center of Humanities and Social Sciences
CLICK HERE for Fall 2012 Marchutz School of Art course offerings!
Course offerings and timetable are subject to change.
HELPFUL TIP: All students should get at least 2 electives and 2 French classes approved by their academic advisor, in case of changes in course availability or schedule conflicts. That way, if a class is full or cancelled, or if the classes you want to take meet at the same time, you'll already have back-up classes that you know your school will accept. When you pre-register for classes (this happens after you're accepted), you will have to list a total of 2 possible electives and 2 possible French classes on your registration form, in order of preference. Please note: a French placement exam will determine your appropriate French class placement.
SEMINAR
Weekly interdisciplinary seminars ask students to seek connections in their works with that of other artists as well as critics from different times and cultures. Music, poetry and theater are often compared to painting, sculpture or architecture. Intensive discussions around slide comparisons of works from all periods of art have their positive affect on the students' capacity to view their art in a larger context.CRITIQUES
The purpose of critiques is for students to take distance on what they've done and have the experience of looking at a body of their work. Taking distance allows students to begin to judge the relative value of one work compared to another: how successful one painting is, or what promise another image shows in terms of a possible direction that might be explored in the future.
When you're involved in painting, you're much too close to be able to judge what you're doing. So, while painting, you must learn to simply let yourself go and immerse yourself in the visual experience you're having rather than trying to judge it immediately as to its ultimate value.
Critiques involve separating yourself from what you've done, looking at the work objectively, and then trying to judge it - in terms of how successful it really is - regardless of what you wanted to make of it or how you felt at the time you were doing it.
Often, some of the best paintings done by students have occurred during times when they felt they were doing their worst work. And sometimes paintings that students consider to be their masterpieces show themselves to be rather mediocre or conventional, because they are simply expressions of what was wanted or willed, and don't go beyond that.
Critiques are a time of looking carefully and, little by little, discovering what the images reveal.
EXCURSIONS
Excursions are an integral part of the program. Students visit small towns and villages of Provence, which in the past have included St. Remy, Arles, Luberon Valley villages of Bonnieux and Lacoste. In addition, the Marchutz program often takes students on a longer painting trip. Students have enjoyed such destinations as Paris, Giverny, and Venice.
Volunteer Opportunities
Participation in volunteer opportunities in Aix-en-Provence is an excellent way to immerse yourself in your host country's way of life while helping those in need. In effect, this will add another dimension to the study abroad experience through daily exposure and interactions, resulting in a greater understanding of the language, culture, and community of the host country.
If you're interested in volunteering, simply ask the staff at The Aix Center for details after you arrive in Aix.
Requirements:
- Minimum Intermediate French level
- Volunteer opportunities are not for credit
- Available during semester programs only
The following are the volunteer opportunities in which students can participate:
- English language tutor for schoolchildren ages 9-14
- English language tutor for adults ages 19-28 who are going back to school to try and pass their BAC
- Trimming olive trees on local farms
- Planting trees on Mte. Ste Victoire (Spring semester only because of planting season)
- Volunteering in a soup kitchen (December only)
