SA&D study abroad: An Italian sojourn

Thirteen students from the School of Architecture and Design (SA&D) spent more than three weeks in Tuscany and Umbria building their drawing skills through exposure to local art and architecture as part of a three-credit-hour course entitled “Seeing Vernacular Italy.”

Conducted by Associate Professor of Foundations Brian Dougan, the course gave the students an invaluable educational and cultural experience.

“Every day of the Italy trip entailed a visit to either a museum or a significant place in terms of art or architecture, and the agenda was completely about drawing,” said Professor Dougan. “We drew every day, and by the time our 23 days were finished, all the students had developed directness in their perception that resulted from seeing through drawing. In addition to drawing on individual A4 sheets of Italian paper, the students maintained a sketchbook that contained drawings, found objects and notes. The sketchbook documented daily events and experiences and became a neat and concise record of the whole trip.

” Major sites visited include Orvieto, Assisi, Florence, Siena, Chiusi, San Gimignano, Arezzo and Perugia. For most of the trip, the students stayed at the Santa Chiara Study Center in Castiglion Fiorentino, which also hosted students from the College Station and Qatar locations of Texas A&M University, Kansas State University and the University of Texas at San
Antonio.

The students will present work and photographs from their trip on November 19 at 4:00 p.m. in the auditorium of AD1