The West Virginia University Division of Art is offering a new summer course in graphic design and art history to be taught in Guanajuato, Mexico, during May.
The program is coordinated by WVU graphic design professor Cliff Harvey and Kristina Olson, curator of the Mesaros Galleries at the Creative Arts Center and professor of art history.
Harvey traveled to Guanajuato last summer to set up the program in conjunction with the Universidad de Guanajuato. Primary studies will be in Guanajuato, but students also will travel to surrounding cities such as San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo, as well as Mexico City.
The three-week program begins Monday, May 12, with assigned readings centering on the major Mexican artists and designers whose work students will have the opportunity to see while in Mexico.
“We will spend the first two days in Morgantown, discussing artists for half a day, then reviewing language and cultural issues for the other half,”Harvey said.”On the third day, May 14, our group will travel to Guanajuato, Mexico, and the Universidad de Guanajuato to begin our study abroad.”
Harvey said course content in Guanajuato will focus on three objectives. First, the students will experience the art, design, architecture and culture of Mexico. The second objective is to complete a photography project, under the direction of Harvey, called”Postcards from Mexico.”For this project, the students will use facilities at the Universidad de Guanajuatos School of Design, and learn from Universidad de Guanajuato design professors Carmina Barrosso and Raul Sotos.
“The third objective involves a number of side trips to historic sites and museums to study the architecture and art, including the Alhondiga, where art historians from our program and the program in Guanajuato will discuss the famous murals that are considered to be one of Mexicos greatest aesthetic contributions,”Harvey said.”We also will visit the home of artist Diego Rivera, the church and silver mine at Valencia, and the village and church at Anatollia.”
During the second week of the program, the students will travel to Mexico City for three or four days to see the original murals of Diego Rivera, the Palace of Fine Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the anthropological/archeological museum.
“Raul Sotos, professor of graphic design at the Universidad de Guanajuato, who was born in Mexico City and spent many of this professional years working there, will accompany us and provide guidance and translation,”Harvey said.”If possible, he also will set up a visit to one of Mexico Citys major design firms and the pyramids.”
Harvey added that there will be side trips to historic sites such as Christ-o-Rey, La Pipila, the Mercado (market) and the town of San Miguel de Allende to satisfy all tourism and shopping needs before the students return home on May 30.
The students will stay at the Hotel Mesons Los Poetos, a restored hacienda in the center of Guanajuato and within walking distance of the Jardin (main square), restaurants and shops.
Students will receive three credits for the course. If they wish to apply those credits to their art history requirements, they will participate in the photo assignments and write a paper to be reviewed by Olson upon their return to Morgantown.
A limited number of spaces are still available. For more information about the summer course in Mexico, call the WVU Division of Art office at (304) 293-2140, ext. 3139. See the Web site at: http://www.wvu.edu/~ccarts/MEXICO/mexicopgm.html .