Interested in a spring study abroad course?
Study Abroad in Spain with Professor Amy Friend
Spring Course, Full Credit – Open to all Brock Students
DEADLINE to enroll March 15, 2024
Email afriend@brocku.ca for more information.
Important information:
- Funding is available for eligible students through Brock International.
- Course dates: May 7, 2024 – June 20, 2024 (Online classes before and after travel.)
- Spain arrival date May 25 — Departure date June 3
About the course:
VISA 3M05 2022-2023: Art Studies Abroad in Spain
Exploration of unique cultural events and regional settings in Bilbao, Spain, and surrounding areas. Artist exhibitions, talks, participatory workshops/seminars, and activities with various institutions. Immersive experience develops knowledge of arts, cultural programming, tourism, media, and communications, with a focus on community interaction for social and economic benefit.
Restriction: student must have a minimum of 5.0 overall credits and a minimum 60 percent overall average or permission of the instructor.
Note: approximately 10 days of intensive study abroad with online pre-travel component. Students are expected to pay their own expenses. Students may need additional materials, which they must supply.
Embark on a captivating study abroad experience this Spring in Spain’s culturally rich Basque Region with Visual Arts Professor Amy Friend. This region is celebrated for its vibrant traditions, distinct cuisine, and cultural festivals, set against a stunning backdrop of diverse landscapes. Along the coast, you’ll discover picturesque fishing villages, rugged cliffs, and sandy beaches, while inland offers lush, green terrain, within the UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve known as the “Basque Coast – Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.
The course includes visits to the bustling city of Bilbao, where you’ll explore the iconic Guggenheim Museum and Ribera Market with a home base in the medieval Casco Viejo district. Moving to the coast we visit the Bay of Biscay’s historic village of Getaria, home to the Balenciaga Museum, a modern structure that overlooks the sea and houses an extensive collection of Cristobal Balenciaga’s fashion creations, celebrating his legacy in the world of fashion.
Moving inland we visit the town of Guernica and its Peace Museum. Guernica is known for the devasting aerial bombardment by German and Italian forces in 1937 at the request of General Franco during the Spanish Civil War. This event was depicted in Picasso’s famous painting “Guernica,” which is housed in the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain.
Architecture is experienced close up during our stay at the Castillo de Arteaga, a remarkable Neo-Gothic castle before heading to the renowned San Juan Gaztelugatxe, where a hermitage crowns a rugged hill connected to the mainland by a winding stone bridge of 241 steps. Offering breathtaking views, it’s a culturally significant pilgrimage site. More recently, San Juan Gaztelugatxe gained international fame as a filming location for “Game of Thrones,” representing Dragonstone Island.
As a crucial part of the course, we will attend the exciting International Getxo Image Festival in Getxo, Spain. This annual festival focuses on photography and image arts often showcasing the works of both renowned and emerging artists from across the globe in unique settings throughout the city. Students will engage with festival directors, curators, and artists to explore various facets of visual art, storytelling, and the role of cultural planning in fostering societal engagement.
The course is open to all students, experience in the arts is not necessary. There are extra costs associated with this course. The travel portion of the course is pedestrian heavy and involves ample walking/hiking.