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First MSAE trip to Ecuador leaves July 1!
Students will experience the Andean cultures of Ecuador with the Masters program's new travel course.
Dan Serig is the instructor for a course that takes students to Ecuador for a two-week journey. Juan Ormaza, Ecuadorian and MassArt Foundations professor, guides us through the incredible mix of cultural, social, historical and biological diversity that makes Ecuador one of the most remarkable places to visit.
Students will engage with various artists, artisans, craftspeople, teachers and institutions to gain a deep understanding of the complexity of life in Andean Ecuador. Starting in the capital, Quito, students experience the urban visual arts and cultural environment through visits to museums, galleries, cathedrals, cultural centers, markets and artists' studios. The old, colonial center of Quito thrives as the first-designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In an eight-square-block area, for example, up to thirty churches and cathedrals from various historical periods can be experienced.
An emphasis of the course is to balance getting an overview of the complex cultural contexts with ample individual time for exploring topics of interest. Students explore the ‘street life' as well, by getting out to cafés, markets and shops. We will also go in depth with locals to create and understand various art world practices from making crafts to restoring artifacts.
From Quito students explore the surrounding Andean environments including a rare cloud forest, haciendas, volcanoes and villages. In our explorations students experience the rural art world of Ecuador, working directly with artists, artisans and craftspeople. In addition, biologists and local guides expand our horizons by introducing us to the miraculous biodiversity that exists in Ecuador.
During the two weeks, students consider alternative educational models in the different locations and learn how people in other countries engage their art and pedagogical practices individually, communally and as a mix of cultures.
The course is a three-credit, graduate level course.
Photos by John Giordano from Dan Serig's and John 's June 2007 research trip
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