Summer 2009 Coming Soon!
Dates and other details will be released in October 2008. Please call (207) 780-5617 (TTY# 207-780-5646) or e-mail us with questions.
ART 356 (6 credits or 3 audit credits)
This course offers students and community members the unique opportunity to travel to Latvia and study the visual culture of Latvia and Northern Europe. Both students and community members will attend lectures that focus on the history of Northern Europe, Latvian art history and contemporary art, as well as the architecture and history of Riga, Latvia's capital city. In addition to lectures, we will take walking tours around Riga, attend an opera at the Latvian National Opera, see art exhibitions, and attend local concerts. We will stay in Riga throughout the program, but also take a daytrip to the surrounding countryside.
Credit students will spend their afternoons at the Latvian National Academy of Art, where they will have studio time and additional instruction. Community members can use this time to explore Riga's many sites and museums or simply rest and relax.
Students will receive six art credits and community members will receive three audit credits. Students in all majors are welcome to apply, but a pre-requisite of art foundations or special permission from the instructor are necessary. The program is shorter for community members and ends on May 31st. Community members are welcome to make their own plans after the 31st, whether it be returning home or traveling around Europe or Latvia.
Students will stay in university housing, where they will have access to a shared kitchen to prepare their own meals. Community members will stay in a comfortable hotel in the Old Town section of Riga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Situated on the Baltic Coast, Latvia shares its borders with Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, and Belarus. A small country with 2.5 million people, its capital and cultural center is Riga, a vibrant city with cobblestone streets and Art Noveau architecture. Riga is also home to one of Europe's largest and oldest central markets. The official language is Latvian, but English, Russian, and German are all widely spoken. The course will be taught in English, but a good phrase book is helpful in getting around.
Click on the "Itinerary" link for the list of class meetings and travel dates. |
