Letter to Prospective Students

I’ve wanted to give this letter for all of the future study abroad students a lot of thought – as well as digest what was of critical importance to relay to you.

For starters, I want to encourage students who have an interest in studying abroad to do so while they are attending college (MIAD) now. Opportunities like these are always valuable – I do find, however, to stress the importance of time. It proved to me to be a lot more efficient to travel while I was still housed in Milwaukee permanently. There was no worry of where my belongings would go, or about a permanent job that I would have to request off of for an extended period of time.

College most often allows for flexibility in scheduling, and this is prime/key for travel. Please, do take that into consideration. I find that I would enjoy traveling in the future, but with many plans to intern next summer and potentially moving after graduation along with rent…a prolonged period of time abroad doesn’t seem feasible, but a class like this was.

I’m glad to have chosen this course.

For starters, to be able to apply my new understandings, observations and all around experiences from traveling to my future course work and studio work is refreshing and exhilarating.  

The travel to Paris (and a short time in London) has been a vitally new source of inspiration. Yes, of course, you can read about Paris in literature, and see the photographs of the architecture and art, however there is nothing that that will compare to being in direct relationship/existance with that singular or multiple work(s).

In a cultural context, understanding the history of the piece(s) and being able to see the detailing of paintings, each brush stroke in its presence….that is indescribable to me. There is something so emotinonally inducing about being in the same space as the work of art or architecture itself. To understand the piece(s) in their original context, or even being occupied within the same space they house is impeccably different than reading it on a two-dimensional format with text that articulates the object of thought -  surrounding it.

I would like you take a moment and think, “How am I willing to expand my thought upon my current and future work “ as well as  “How do I want to progress as an artist/designer in the present moment”– answer those two questions honestly to yourself, generate ideas and further self exploration in thought and then please proceed to read on.

I have broken up this post into three parts… the introduction, a more serious outlining of the course, and the last, an elaboration upon Paris itself and how I identified with being there.

When it comes to traveling abroad you may foster many expectations along with a bit of anxiety, … and that is okay, but I would highly advise you to suppress any of your pre-existing expectations or notions of the culture or city. I advised that you not allow them to linger with you when you depart from the states.

Instead I challenge you to allow the experience to invite you in and adopt into it fully and truthfully to yourself.

Adventurous Eater

I've always been a really picky eater. In Paris though, I'm trying everything. I tried escargot, foie gras, beef bourguignon, crème brûlée, a mysterious chicken tarragon dish, goat cheese, quiche, gelato, and every kind of pastry and baked good Paris could offer. I even ate sandwiches with mustard and salads with dressing. That doesn't normally happen. Hopefully my food adventures will continue when I get back into the states.

A Late Letter To a Future Student

I've only traveled out of the country once before.  It was fantastic and I have a lot of great memories from that trip, but it was with my family and the experience of traveling alone and with peers is completely different.  I've always been really attached to my family (not that that is a bad thing), but I severely lack independence.  Traveling and studying abroad was my solution to that.  Not only did I gain independence, but I know that it may be a very long time before I can travel again, and this seemed to be the way I could get the most out of it-academically, financially, personally.
The things I learned and the topics we discussed were not what I expected.  For some reason, I thought we would spend all day in art museums (which would be fine with me, although I know that's not ideal for everyone else).  We were very active and spend time on artists, movements, media, and social customs and periods that I was unfamiliar with.  By the end of the trip I felt well versed in not only the history of my media, but many (and capable of talking about them).
The largest accomplishment and the biggest challenge I faced was the culture and the language.  Before leaving, I spoke no French and was a very picky eater.  I made an effort to speak as much French as possible (no matter how horrible it was) and try as many new things as I could.  Often times, this made me frustrated, flustered, or grossed out, but I left restaurants (and France) with a sense of pride knowing that I tried something new and trying is appreciated, whether the experience was successful or not. 
Without the school and my peers, my experience would have been very different.  Some of my favorite things, like the Quai Branly, would not have made it to my agenda if I had been traveling alone.  We got opportunities, like the museum pass and the Maison de Verre which would have unavailable to be otherwise for exclusivity or financial reasons.  Because this was a course, it was stressed to keep up a sketchbook.  This is uncommon for me, but it was very good practice.  I have personal notes and drawings that I value more than any picture or souvenir. 
On the other hand, I spend several days in Paris by myself after the trip was over and that is highly recommended.  I was able to digest all of the information we were given, relax, adjust to my own schedule, and visit/revisit things we didn't have time for.  This was a test for my navigation and speaking skills (I think I did pretty well) and a low key end to the trip.

Grand Palais, Opéra Garnier, and Ladurée

I had the classiest day ever (at least I tried to). We looked at art at the Grand Palais, Keri and I enjoyed Ladurée, then the two of us headed to see Julius Caesar at the Opéra Garnier.

Oh hey, Michael Cera....

At the Grand Palais, Michael Cera showed up. We looked at a couple pieces together, which was memorable, but It's difficult to look at art normally next to someone famous. It was distracting and I felt super creepy. Because he was there, I was consciously not interacting with the pieces the same way. Eventually, I skipped a couple rooms so I wouldn't be in the same room as Michael Cera and could try to look at the work normally. Because he was there, I will always associate Dynamo and the Grand Palais with him, not the art inside.

After the exhibit, Keri and I headed to Ladurée, which I have been wanting to go to the entire time I've been in Paris. I had champagne and macaroons and accidentally ordered a lemon tart. We took pictures and couldn't understand our waiter, so we probably weren't as classy as the rest of the champagne bar patrons.

After Ladurée, we headed to the Opera! We had really nice seats in a box that we shared with just a few other people (maybe 13 total). The box had locked doors which had to be unlocked for the people inside-it felt very exclusive. The opera itself was very different than the others I've seen. Instead of being in a classical setting, it was in the warehouse of a museum and the ancient characters interacted with the modern set. There were modern characters too, the museum workers changed the set and brought out props. Most of the time, they didn't interact with the ancient characters but if they did, they were minor, in groups, and always silent. Because the set didn't change much, the scenes and identities of the characters were dependent of the museum artifacts they were near. It was a huge change from the operas I've seen, but once I got used to it, it was very enjoyable.
Again, I wasn't quite as classy as I was hoping to be. Throughout the show I was figiting more than a ten-year-old, my stockings ripped, and I got some Ladurée tart in my hair. It's impossible for me classy in Paris.  If I leave out a few details, it sounds great.

Post-Group Paris

During the three days I've been alone in Paris, almost everything I did was revisiting what I didn't feel I had enough time with on the trip. On Sunday, Tanya and I went to the museum of photography and back to the Pompidou (I am so glad I did because there was so much I missed), and Tara met us at the Louvre.

Monday I was completely by myself. I  took the day to revisit some spots that I wanted to draw but didn't have the time with the group, like the Eiffel Tower and Moulin Rouge. I went back to Shakespeare and Company (may have gotten lost getting there), got a café creme at Café des Deux Moulins, and finished the rest of my gift shopping. On my journey back, I encountered a mob of people taking pictures of Brad Pitt, a prematurely closed metro line, at least a dozen police cars outside of the Grand Palais, and a stranger taking a picture of me. I don't know what was happening, but I found an open metro through expert wandering skills, only to be greeted by a man standing right outside of Crimée with no pants. It was a strange day.

Tuesday was more normal. I spent the day understanding the French-English language barrier at the post office, wandering around near the Opera, and revisiting Orsay for the third time (the guard let me in for free because I study art!). This time I looked at Decorative arts and went back to the Impressionism gallery. I'm glad I went back, because I looked at Odilion Redon's paintings. Prior to this Orsay visit, I didn't know who he was.
After closing Orsay, I had my last Parisian meal at Crêperie Beauboug and did some people and pigeon watching at the Pompidou.

Experiencing Paris by myself was totally different than with the group. I had time to relax, digest the trip and all of the information that went with it. Everything I did was on my own time and I didn't have to cater to anyone else's wants or needs. On the other hand, it was kind of terrifying. I wasn't with anyone who spoke any French and because I was by myself, people treated me differently. I felt lost and targeted a lot (I'm sure one informed the other). Luckily, there were a couple really friendly English speakers to help me out and the Knoff Mapguide did the rest.

Dear Future Student

            Paris. It’s really crazy to think about that only five letters can represent something so incredibly large. I have gone on school trips abroad before, I have also lived abroad before, but nothing could ever compare to the experience I had in Paris. I’m not even sure where to begin when telling you about my trip. I guess in the beginning, that’s always a good starting point.

            Before I left I wasn’t sure what to expect, we had a two classes to prepare us before we got there, we also had readings and a book to give us some perspective on the city and the things we were going to see. I knew this trip was going to be very intense, but never did I think I was going to feel so many emotions when looking at art and architecture.

            I initially wanted to take this trip because my love when it comes to art history is more design based, although I am a fine art major, for some reason architecture and design is what really interests me. I expected to learn a lot from this trip and I expected to be also very tired. Other than that I was really open to anything and everything. Needless to say, my expectations were met and very much exceeded.

            I came to Paris needing clarity within my own studio practice and my own life. Coming to the cultural capital of the world is probably one of the best things you can do when in that sort of position. Seeing buildings that were 100’s of years old, seeing art that has been through war and tragedy, but yet stands so beautifully, really puts one in there place. Knowing that I needed some clarity on where I stood, I really focused in on the people in Paris. Something that we don’t really have in Milwaukee is community space. We don’t really have places throughout the city that people gather to drink coffee and admire the day. This idea of how people move throughout the city really became an important idea for me to think about on the trip.

            This idea was further highlighted when walking through galleries and museums. I always knew that curating was a really impressive art form, but I don’t think I paid that much attention to it before the trip. We had many assignments about looking at how the space was set up to highlight a piece of work, for me, this also meant how the space was set up to move people around. The Louvre was overwhelming with curating genius, I felt like I was constantly spinning around, looking at people looking at art, looking at the walls, looking at the room. In Paris there is really a lot of looking to do. Within this course, we did so so so much looking!

            Although Paris is a very fun city, this course was no joke. You go there and you are not a tourist, you are a student. There were times when I wished I was just a tourist, but those times very few and far between. I was so grateful to have two professors show me around the city. Going on this trip was almost like a private tour of Paris, you learn more about the city, about art and about yourself then you could just going by yourself. Chris and Eric are so unbelievably smart, and watching them together is really a treat. They both get so excited about buildings are different pieces of art, and when a teacher is excited about something, this automatically transcends you into their mindset. Its really important see things in real life, some say that Paris is like walking through a history book. I’d much rather walk through a history book then read it from afar.

            One of the biggest challenges of this trip was traveling with a large amount of people. Although it is really fun, I am the type of person that needs to be alone when thinking and reflecting on our days. When you are up and ready to go at 7:30 in the morning and then are out until 6 or 7 at night, it’s hard then to get your brain to work after a long day of seeing so many beautiful things! Maybe it was just me, but when I am constantly on the go and seeing beautiful building after beautiful art, my head gets a little overwhelmed. Then going back to the hostel with 10 girls and 1 guy all in one room makes it a little hard to settle down and reflect. I found that often times I just needed to go and have coffee by myself and try and get Internet in the hostel. Alone time is crucial when going on a trip as intense as this.  

            International study is the most important thing anyone can do. I don’t know how people just stay in one place their whole life. Meeting new people and seeing new things gives you a deeper understanding about the world as it stands today. Understanding history in context with art and seeing all of that in real life brings feelings and emotions to the surface that cannot be had while looking at a picture. For example, I cried when looking at August Rodin’s work. I knew of him before I left, but there is this indescribable feeling you get when standing in front of something so powerful and so large. Everyone should study abroad, it changes you for the better, and going with a school group is a wonderful way to do it safely and to do it right!

                                                -Ana Maria Minter

Keri - Letter to Future Students

Dear Future World Traveler,

Paris is a city you want to see, and study aboard with MIAD is an amazing way to see it right. As a former Paris tourist turned Parisian student, I see the difference now. I went to Paris last summer for about 4 days, and really enjoyed the city. My friend and I walked around, ate at some great places, mainly ordered ham and cheese because that’s all we could read, and we went to all those places you’re supposed to see in Paris. Oh and… I couldn’t tell you anything about those places besides how pretty and grand they were. So my goal was simple: to be able to associate some kind of history, facts, or knowledge behind the amazing places and art pieces I’ve seen. I wanted to connect the textbook with physical sites, to attach meaning, and be able to tell someone else about it.

My expectations were met and exceeded.  The pre-work before the trip laid a great base layer.  However, the best history lessons came during the walking tours (lead by our incredibly capable instructors) and lessons on-the-go in museums, in front of buildings, or at our morning meetings. I was able to connect the words with the sites. We were also encouraged and expected to make our own connections, observations, and opinions. We wrote daily in our sketchbooks with drawings or notes through out the trip. Which leads me to my favorite part – The Sketchbook.

I’ve always wanted to study abroad and learn to draw/paint/sketch my surroundings. I think my dream involved more leisurely drawing instruction, but this was a surprising treat. Though fast pasted at times, I enjoyed recording memories in a different way than just taking pictures and I felt artsy! Haha I’m a communication design major and I think I can draw Ok, but nothing compared to what I would like to be able to do. This was a forced opportunity to explore something in me.  It made me want to draw more. It also reminded me that I just needed to start. Plus, Paris has so much eye-candy that it’s the perfect place to begin to develop this skill. This was my favorite, and something I will keep for all my future travels.

We were given guidance and allowed free time to explore. I’d encourage future students to enjoy both of those. I really liked the private tours and studies as well as the leisurely evening walks around the city with no real plan. I’m a transfer student and didn’t know a lot of people this year, but I liked getting to know these people and will be happy to see more familiar faces in the hallways come fall.

Highlights: going to see a Julius Caesar at the Opera House!, climbing to Montmartre, group dinner the first night & trying escargot, [French] onion soup, really looking at buildings or art instead of taking a picture and moving on, almond croissants,  feeling Parisian with my metro pass, learning about how a museum is curated, seeing The Queens Hamlet at Versailles, the views,  and being reunited with speculoos  gelato (as often as possible).

I will take with me a lot from this trip, but one that stands out is learning about the intention of the artist. It seemed like so much of the art was done on purpose from the curation to the brushstrokes.  I’d like to bring more intention to my own work.

Keri

Letter to Future Students

To the future student looking to study abroad,

I chose to go to Paris, much like others, to get outside of my comfort zone. I’ve spent my whole life in Wisconsin, and have only been out of the country with my family. Choosing to stay so close by to friends and family that I grew up with has had extreme benefits at times and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But, I found myself becoming too consumed with the needs of others this past year and felt a little out of touch with myself, and with my work. Paris was so attractive to me because the distance would be forcing me to take time out for myself and my schooling; something that I hadn’t necessarily allowed myself to fully do in a long time. I also felt that this summer would be one of the last, if not the last, where I could fully excuse myself from the real world with very little consequence. The amount of pressure that I’m already feeling to figure out what I’m doing after I graduate in the spring has already started to build up, and I thought that if I removed myself from my typical environment and threw myself into a completely new one that it would become more clear to me what it is that I want to focus on.

While I came to Paris expecting personal clarity, I also expected to be able to experience most of the city in one trip. I quickly learned, that even with the fast-paced program that was set up for us, that it was absolutely unobtainable. As soon as I realized this after the first couple of days, I was better able to digest the places we were seeing. I was so overwhelmed from the culture-shock that I experienced from the second we got off the plane that it was difficult at times to take it all in. From the language barrier, as well as the extreme beauty within all of the buildings in Paris that you are constantly surrounded by, it’s easy to get lost and swept up by all of the change. But the biggest thing that I had to keep in mind was that at the end of the day, Chris and Eric really have your best interest at heart-the schedule that they have carefully planned is laid out for a reason. The integration and exposure to museums, archives, and historical landmarks kept me interested. I found myself pleasantly surprised at the wide variety of places we went to visit and felt that the ground covered on this trip was suitable for any major. I realized on this trip the importance of looking at work outside of your usual interest and/or focus. For the first time on this trip I found myself completely moved by the architecture at the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation, which I had no idea was possible. I found myself extremely interested in the psychology of painting and the symbolism of color and movement within the Early Abstraction movement. While I know that I’ve studied some of that in my Art History classes before, there was a complete disconnect for me between seeing it in a textbook, and physically experiencing a piece that Paris filled.

 I realized after coming home that I feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin after this trip. Part of that I believe, is due to the fact that you’re thrown into a completely different culture and you may be extremely uncomfortable and/or uneasy. I found that I got a lot of the personal clarity I needed by being more in tune with my thoughts and emotions because I was removed from my comfort zone. I truthfully believe that this trip has impacted the way that I look at artwork, as well as the way that I create. I not only look at work more analytically than I did before because of the curriculum, but the work the things that inspired me while I was in Paris were different than what I have been attracted to back in Milwaukee. The exposure to a new culture and a new way of living and experiencing the world opened up a whole new side of my photography that I didn’t know was there. This epiphany of some sorts came at a really significant time-it answered a lot of doubts that I had about myself as a photography student, and solidified some ground to help me feel more confident going into my senior year.

To anyone thinking about studying abroad—do it. Don’t overthink it. Yes, it is daunting. Yes, you will go through a wide variety of emotions. You will be exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically after seeing and experiencing this completely different world. You may or may not click with the city the program is running in, but you will learn so much more about yourself once you remove yourself from your comfort zone. And please, once the program is finished, take some time to yourself before returning back home. Go visit another city or two-stay a few days longer if you can. The down time that I had in London before I went back home helped me process through Paris a lot better. All in all, there is not one person that wouldn’t benefit from studying abroad. Do it now while you’re in school and you have the time – it really will shape the way that you look at the rest of the world once you come back.

-Teresa Gagliano

Letter to Future Student: Robert Matthiesen

Dear Future Student,

I wanted to travel on an International program because I am a hands-on learner. I thought that being able to learn about art history by experiencing it would work well for me. For me, seeing and touching is much more beneficial than simply reading in an art history book. Normally, travel will push you out of your comfort zone. It will force you to learn and see new things in new light. It ignites new ideas and motivates one to want to know more. Educational travel pushes you even further. It gives direction and structure to the experience. This trip expanded my artistic ideas and strengthened my foundation knowledge for future projects.

My expectations were simple. I wanted to see a lot of famous art and learn a great deal from it. These expectations were not just met. They were exceeded. Using the 6 scales that Chris and Eric taught us, I was about to learn and study the art in a whole new way. With so much exposure to art, my thoughts were jumping with ideas and concepts to explore. I kept a list of these ideas that I plan to work on in the future.

Overall the Paris trip served as a learning point to reflect on the past and to fuel further explorations. Every student is unique with different favorite parts. I really enjoyed that Chris and Eric tried to at least touch on all the art movements as we traveled around Paris.

There was something for everyone. Keeping an open attitude allowed me to enjoyed areas of art and history that I would not have sought out on my own.

Learning is a never-ending process. Everything that I had studied previously became the foundation for this trip. The many group and one-on-one discussions allowed me to expand my base knowledge. Experiencing the art with others allowed us to have shared experiences for these discussions. One of my strengths was talking about Monet. He is one of my favorite painters.  Sharing some little known facts with Eric, I was encouraged to research Monet and Impressionism even further.

This is an once-in-a-lifetime experience. You will see art that you have only talked about in school but then to experience it in person changes everything. You will notice little details you that cannot be captured in a book.

Let me close with these suggestions. Done worry. Relax. Everything is going to be all right. For example, the language was the biggest issue I had while in Paris. Learning some key phrases and being polite worked wonders. Most businesses are more then willing to try and help you. Also, at this time of year, Paris does not get dark until almost 10:30 so plan for long days and little sleep. Go on walks at the end of the day to soak up the culture and reflect on your experiences.

Best wishes,

Robert Matthiesen

A Letter to Future Students

I think we can all perceive the value in international travel, and travel in general.  Growing up, my family didn’t take a lot of very diverse vacations, and I always felt like I missing out on something really important.  This study abroad program was the first time I had the opportunity to leave the United States, as well as one of the very few times I’ve left the midwest.  Changing up the scenery, even for a few weeks can really break a monotonous cycle of “The Everyday”.  I chose this particular program because since childhood, I was fascinated by Europe, especially France.  I want to say it has something to do with my love of the children’s story Madeline.  In high school, I studied French for a year, and really enjoyed learning a new language for the first time, and being exposed to culture much different from mine.  

This trip came at very opportune time, as second semester Junior year, I was beginning to fall in to a rut, not really seeing any grand purpose in the things I was making, and lacking an ultimate goal that was reasonable and attainable.  I think I expected going to Paris to be some sort of inner-artistic renaissance.  Looking forward to the trip, I knew it would change me in a big way, but upon reflecting, I am surprised by what kind of changes took place.  They surely weren’t the ones I was expecting.  Being exposed to so many incredible museums, and such a density of crucial art works, the physical existence of work that I admire became very real to me.  Reading about a work online or in a text book can give a lot of information about how a work is read and what it means, but approaching a work in it’s physical environment, in an environment highly considered by more people than just the artist, has a great cognitive effect.  Realizing this was a really critical moment in my experience, and helped me better define my purpose in the scheme of the art work, and how my place as a viewer, and understanding of what “viewership” means, can inform my own work.  

These kinds of revelations are likely due the rapidity that I was experiencing the city of Paris, and all of the amazing things it had to offer.  When I wasn’t think about my exhaustion, or missing friends back home, or day dreaming, I was thinking about the movement of viewers, and the way art and ideas control our bodies and minds when experiencing them.  Sometimes I find myself writing the same few sentences down in my journal, over and over again, when I can‘t quite wrap my head around them, but in Paris I was filling page after page with content and ideas at a pace that surpassed my expected capability.  I have this new motivation to seek out art viewing experiences.  I always enjoyed going to art openings, and gallery shows, but now I value this interaction more.  

I think my trip to London after the Paris experience was really important as well.  Being in Europe is a great opportunity that many Americans don’t have very often, and I felt it was important to make the most of one trip.  I was only in London for two full days, and because of this, I really had to do some extensive research on how I wanted to spend such a short time.  I found lists of galleries I really wanted to see, and made sure a visit to Tate Modern was in the mix as well.  Because my visits to Paris and London were consecutive, I was able to compare their cultures, and pin point the aspects that I admired about each.  In this way, I was able to understand the values I look for in a place to live.  I came to Paris, expecting to never want to leave, but I left Paris knowing that it was not a permanent location for me.  The city is beautiful, and there are many places and social practices I admire about Paris, but I didn’t always feel like my lifestyle was congruent with the Parisians.  London was a little closer to a city I could picture myself living in.  I see more value in being critical of one’s place in a culture, than dreaming of full immersion, because that’s just not possible.  I want to continue to travel, both domestic and internationally, not only to learn more about the world, but to find places which really jive with me.  

In terms of preparing oneself for this experience, I would say, to expect to be tired, but really happy about it, and to try and sleep on the plane, even if you’re too nervous or too excited.  I would stress not being disappointed when you realize that you miss home, because you likely will at some point.  You’re definitely going to want some ear plugs, and most importantly, a bag with wheels is a lot easier to maneuver than a duffel bag so heavy that you have to hug it to take it anywhere (just a few logistical suggestions).  But one thing I cannot stress enough on this trip, is time to oneself.  It’s really easy to just follow a small group around on this trip, but remember, you’re sending three weeks with these people, with very few breaks, so it’s really important to take time to experience Paris on your own.  Even if it’s just a walk in the morning, or deciding to split off for even 15 minutes when the opportunity arises.  This experiences is for your own, individual benefit when it comes down to it, so take a little while (or a long while, if you can) and let Paris be your only influence.   

- Amy Trompeter