“There are no words to describe what you see over there. You just need to go.” – Michael Doig, Assistant Professor of Art, Davis and Elkins College
When you push your students to apply their knowledge in a new and dynamic environment, they learn more than you could possibly imagine. For an art student, the journey is never over, but it begins in the “City of Art”.
For centuries, people from around the world have been attracted to Paris’s limitless supply of artistic genius and inspiration. This is your opportunity to follow in their footsteps and find inspiration of your own. Simply pick your passion. Whether you’re inspired by art that’s on the walls, on a bridge, or on your plate—Paris is truly a mecca of muses.
Explore museums throughout the city to take in the paintings and sculptures that started Paris’s ascension to art supremacy. Relive the Middle Ages and Impressionist era at the Musée d’Orsay; discover more than 35,000 pieces of European art at the Louvre; or go contemporary at the Musee d’Art Moderne, all before dinnertime.
South of the Louvre, the Montparnasse neighborhood remains true to its creative roots. This 1920s meeting ground for artists like Picasso, Matisse and Juan Gris provides a look into the lives of an earlier generation of artists, while being a conduit of creativity for today’s emerging ones. Just set up an easel or flip open a notepad in one of the many workspaces, cafes or studios and join the next great art movement.
What’s art though, without a little controversy? Along the Pont des Arts, feel the weight of the locks that are impacting more than the bridge they’re bound to. Decide for yourself if you agree with the thousands of Parisians who think these so-called expressions of love threaten the city’s cultural heritage (not to mention the structural integrity of the bridge).
With so many forms of art surrounding you, pay close attention to the kind you interact with daily. As the birthplace of haute cuisine and couture, Paris is famous for its rich tastes and subtle nuances in both fashion and food. Treat yourself to some of its Michelin-starred restaurants and forward-thinking fashion trends that inspire the rest of the world, and return home with some new ideas of your own.
“There we were, in an artist’s studio in Paris, where the smell of linseed oil and canvas mixed with curious questions and thoughtful answers.” Alan Montgomery, Associate Professor of Art, Dakota State University
Take the leap by bringing your coursework abroad, and give your students a challenge they can’t get anywhere else.
Check out our other France blog posts here.
