Description

Visual Arts in Peru

The Global Education Office and the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University are pleased to announce the summer program in Peru. Participants will travel to Lima for a short visit, and on to Cuzco, for an extended visual exploration of the countryside and culture of the highlands of Peru. The program will include visits to museums to explore ancient, colonial and contemporary art, as well as visits to ancient ruins and colonial sites. Of particular importance will be the groups participation in the Festival of Corpus Christi in Cuzco. An optional four-day hiking and camping trip along the Inca Trail will expose students to the biological and cultural diversity of that region of the country culminating at Machu Picchu.

The registration deadline is mid- to late-March; however, students wishing to hike the Inca Trail must submit a complete application including a photocopy of their passport and a color 2x2 headshot to the Education Abroad office no later than March 1, 2012. Students may continue to apply to the program after this date until it is closed, but the Inca Trail experience cannot be guaranteed to students applying after March 1. The 4-day Inca Trail hike is not a required part of the program.

Course and credit options: 6 undergraduate or graduate VCU credits

Participants can choose two of the following three-credit courses offered by the Department of Painting and Printmaking, instructed by Javier Tapia; Department of Photography and Film and Department of English, instructed by Scott DuPre Mills; and Art History, instructed by Michael Panbehchi.
* ARTH 489 Advanced Art History in Peru
* ENGL 391 Blogging in Peru
* PAPR 324 Intermediate Drawing
* PAPR 421 Advanced Drawing
* PAPR 621 Graduate Drawing
* PHTO 491 Videography and Photography
* SCPT 491 Drawing, Works on Paper
* SCPT 591 Drawing, Works on Paper
* SCPT 491 Video and Photographic Art I
* SCPT 591 Video and Photographic Art II

Course Description
Painting & Printmaking: PAPR 324 Intermediate Drawing; PAPR 421 Advanced Drawing; SCPT 491 Drawing, Works on Paper; SCPT 591 Drawing, Works on Paper; PAPR 621 Graduate Drawing

A peripatetic investigation of direct observation, on-site drawing. Emphasis will be placed on the development of a suite of drawings in which on-site references become spinal elements in multimedia two-dimensional constructions. Documentation of your daily activities will be maintained in an illustrated diary or journal.

Photography and Film: PHTO 491 Videography and Photography; SCPT 491 Video and Photographic Art I; SCPT 591 Video and Photographic Art II

A course of study for still- and moving-image media to include video, film and photography. The program will allow students to work independently and experiment with attention to light, subject matter and point of view with assistance from individual instruction. Professor Mills will also lead students on additional walks and hikes that are of particular interest to Photographers and Video and Filmmakers. Students are required to bring all equipment needed including cameras (video and or still), tape and film (one tape 1hr, multiple memory cards or 24 exp of film per day is recommended), rechargeable batteries (extra batteries are recommended), battery charger (for video and digital cameras) and an AC-power converter (220v to U.S. 110v). A wide-angle lens is highly recommended. Inexpensive wide angle lens adaptors are required for students shooting Video. Tripods are optional and in some instances may not be recommended for hikes. Flexible mini tripods are recommended. A comfortable, durable, rugged camera bag is important as the nature of the travels in Peru you will encounter differing environments that include moisture, dust and vibration. It is essential to have lens cleaning capacities.

Art History: ARTH 489 Advanced Art History in Peru

Art and architecture of Inca and Colonial Peru: An in-depth study of visual culture in the Andes, c. 1500-1800. Lectures held throughout the duration of your stay in Peru will be supplemented with visits to art and archaeology museums in Lima and Cuzco. The course will focus on the Inca, the dominant empire in the Andes prior to the Spanish conquest, as well as the colonial culture that emerged under Spanish rule in the 16th through 18th centuries. Each student will be required to complete a series of assigned readings and a workbook, which must be submitted to the instructor at the end of the course.

English: ENGL 391 Blogging in Peru

Students will be required to keep a blog, or web log, during their time in Peru which will document their experiences using written text and a variety of multi-media (photography, videos, links, etc.). Through the blog, students will reflect on their impressions of Peruvian culture. Students will be required to maintain regular entries in their blogs (for a total of 25 substantive entries), which will be reviewed by the professor during and at the end of the program.
Bloggers will dialogue with one another and with the professor (who will also be blogging) by reading one another's blogs and posting comments/feedback. Readings, such as articles, will also be assigned and students will be asked to post their responses to the readings on the blog.

Highlights

While in Peru
The program begins in Lima, Peru, where students will spend three days visiting museums and cathedrals. The group will then begin a three-day trip to the Urubamba valley to visit Inca ruins and the Maras salt mines. The participants will then head to Cuzco for 15 days punctuated by the amazing Corpus Christi Festival and an optional four-day trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. After leaving Cuzco, the group will travel to Ica for a variety of activities including a boat tour of the Ballestas Islands.

Please note: Participants must submit a photocopy of their passport to VCU Education Abroad by 1 March in order to be eligible to hike the Inca Trail. For students not already in possession of a valid passport, they should apply for it no later than January 27 in order to ensure receipt by March 1.

Housing:
Participants will be housed in a variety of accommodations including hotels, a historic monastery, hostels and camping facilities for those on the Inca Trail. Most meals are included as a part of the program.

Drawing courses are conducted by Javier Tapia, winner of the Teresa Pollak award in 2011, who has been a professor of painting and printmaking at VCU for over 22 years and has been leading the trip to Peru for the past fourteen years. A native of Peru, Tapia has extensive knowledge of the area and the culture.

English, Photography, Film and Videography courses are led by Scott DuPre Mills, award-winning filmmaker, photographer and multimedia artist. Scott is the founder and director of the VCU International Student Film Festival. Scott is currently working on his PhD with VCUs new Media, Art and Text program. He holds a BFA in Sculpture and a MFA in Photography and Film. Scott screened his ongoing documentary film VCU in PERU in Cusco in 2004 and has been an instructor with the Study abroad program in Peru each year since 2003.

Art history courses are conducted by Michael Panbehchi.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

Approx. USD3,000 + airfare + applicable VCU tuition

Program Fees Include:

The program fee is approximately USD3,000 and includes the following:

* Accommodations in Peru
* Some meals
* Ground transportation in Peru to sites in Lima, Ica, Cuzco and Machu Picchu
* Study visits and tours
* On-site Program Director support for 3 professors
* Pre-departure orientation
* International Student Identity Card
* VCU administrative fees
* Application deposit

The following are not included in the program fee. Students are responsible for:

* Airfare
* VCU tuition and fees
* Some meals
* Passport application fee
* Personal expenses during the program (estimated at USD600 - USD800)
* Anything not specifically mentioned above

Airfare is not included. Participants are responsible for making their own round-trip travel arrangements from the US to their destination city. Program directors will meet with accepted students to go over specific travel logistics and may help students in identifying low-cost travel options. For best fares, students are encouraged to purchase their tickets prior to April 15.

Experience Required

yes

This program is open to all VCU students regardless of class standing or major who hold a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Additionally, students from other universities are encouraged to apply. An academic letter of reference is not required.

This Program is open to

American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Other

Application Process Involves

• Essay
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Transcript

Typically The Application Process Time is

2-4 weeks

Post Services Include

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Year Founded

1838