Course at a Glance
Course: TBD
Location: Paris, France
When: To be announced
Register By: To be announced
Highlights:
Centre Pompidou
Artwork of Picasso and Duchamp
Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle
Paris sightseeing
Explore the work of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century during this field study program at UMGC Europe.
Picasso is considered the single most important artist of the 20th century. His work will be the focal point of this course. Major developments in modern art, beginning with Cubism and including Expressionism and Surrealism, will be studied in the famous collections of the Pompidou Center Museum. Students will also explore the works of other artists such as Matisse, Braque, Kandinsky, Magritte, and major painters of today. Lectures and discussions will be based on paintings and sculptures in the various museums and galleries visited during the course.
Topics include:
- Overview of Picasso and Modern Art
- The young Picasso: The formative years
- Picasso and Paris - Derivative styles and the mature Picasso
- The birth of Cubism and Modern Art: A shift in focus
- Cubism and how we see: A perceptual revolution/evolution
- Picasso and sculpture - Found objects and assemblage
- The legacy - Picasso and history
Faculty member: Peter Griffith, e-mail peter.griffith@faculty.umgc.edu
May apply toward upper- or lower-level course for art history, humanities, or electives.
Course Details
Day 1 - Student Arrival Hotel Bellevue
- 1800
- Introduction to the materials, methods, and each other
Day 2 - Centre Pompidou
- 0930
- Depart Hotel Bellevue
- Walk to Centre Pompidou
- Introduction to the museum collection including an overview of Modern Art (techniques, styles, content) and Cubism (What is it? Why is it important?)
- 1200-1400
- Lunch Time for discussion and questions
- 1400
- Return to Pompidou
- Introduction to interactive art by Duchamp and Picasso
- 1700
- Introduction to Centre Pompidou
- Lecture in Hotel Bellevue, with time for discussion and questions
- 1600
- Return to Hotel Bellevue
- 1700
- Meet in the Hotel Bellevue lecture room for a summary of the day's events Introduction to the visual journal and discussion of Monday's activities
- 1900
- Dinner
Day 3 - Centre Pompidou
- 1000
- Depart hotel and return to Centre Pompidou
- Introduction to collage (breaking through the picture plane), found objects, as well as Picasso and innovative sculpture
- Visit to see Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle sculpture and installation. Analysis of the content and Picasso's influence
Day 4 - In and around Paris
- 0930
- Depart hotel.
- Day to explore and experiment with projects: visual journal and found objects
- Questions:
- How do you see?
- What do you see?
- Is perception reality?
- Is the world a palette?
- Is life the new art form? Think about these ideas
- 1200-1400
- Lunch Time for discussion and questions
- 1400-1600
- Hands-on/eyes-on: Visual journal entries
- Review of the course material
- 1700
- Dinner and free time to catch up on reading, etc.
Day 5 - Exploring Paris, Perception, and Picasso
- 1000
- Departure from the hotel
- 1000-1600
- An organic day to be created by you:
- Explore Paris, visit the Eiffel Tower, and observe the ways in which we see
- Seeing project: This project is designed to introduce you to Picasso, and a new way of seeing. You will select and explore sites that are interesting to you
- This is a free/work day.
- Be creative in how you use this day and have fun with your visual journal
- An organic day to be created by you:
- 1700
- Lecture in the Hotel Bellevue including a review, group discussion, as well as sharing your experiences with the visual journal and the seeing project Final - part 1 This is a "take-home" final to be completed in the hotel and is due on Saturday at 1100 The visual journal is due Friday morning Final - part 2 This portion of the final will take place on Friday evening at the Hotel Bellevue 1900 Dinner and free evening
Day 6 - In and around Paris
- 1000-1300
- Groups will meet with me at scheduled times to review all of the course material ask questions, and receive additional help
- A summing-up day.
- Begin working on part 1 of the final. You will have a chance to revisit the Pompidou.
- Questions:
- Do you see things differently?
- What is Cubism?
- Why is breaking through the picture plane important?
- What does it anticipate in terms of art today?
- Street art?
- Was Shakespeare right - Is the world a stage?
- Is it possible that we are all works of art? Think about it
- Questions:
- 1700-1900
- Lecture and discussion in Hotel Bellevue
- 1900
- Dinner and free evening
Accommodation and Transportation
For your convenience, UMGC coordinates the hotel and excursion arrangements for a flat fee of $650 per student per field study course. This fee will be charged to your student account and covers seven nights of lodging (double occupancy room), as well as local transportation costs and entry to all excursions. Single rooms are available upon request for an additional fee of $200.
The $650 fee does not include travel to and from the city where the course is held. Students must make their own travel arrangements to the course.
Textbooks and Course Materials
Textbooks can be ordered through webText Europe - a secure, online textbook service designed to make your textbook ordering quick and simple. You can also receive on-site assistance from your local program coordinator. For a detailed listing of required textbooks and early reading assignments, please see the current course syllabus found in the schedule.
Registration Details
You may register for the 3 credit field study course with your local program coordinator or online at MyUMGC. Tuition assistance or financial aid can be applied toward tuition costs. For more information, contact the UMGC Field Study Office at CIV +49-(0)631-534-800, or e-mail fieldstudies-europe@umgc.edu.
Before completing your travel plans, please verify with your local program coordinator or the Field Study Office at UMGC Europe Headquarters that the course will be held as scheduled. If you drop/withdraw from a field study course after the registration deadline, you will be charged a fee of $100.
How is a field study course different from a regular course?
A field study course packs all of the 48 contact-hours of other courses into adventure-filled days on location, so you can earn one to three credits at an accelerated pace. In addition, rather than taking place in an education center, a field study course takes place in a historical European city where the subject being studied has its roots. You will visit historical sites and museums as well as participate in lectures that bring it all together for a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
Helpful Hints
Before you leave:
- Contact your travel agency concerning insurance coverage for cancellations.
- Contact your health insurance company for information concerning coverage at your destination.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of your destination country.
- Check the weather forecast for your destination.
- Obtain city maps for your destination.
- Leave contact information with people at home who may need to reach you during the course.
- Make sure your legal affairs are in order and leave a short-term power of attorney with someone you trust.
- Make two photocopies of your passport and the contents of your wallet--leave one copy at home and bring the other with you.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Resources page.