This 14-week program will take place in Venice, Florence, and Rome in Italy and Valletta in Malta. This abroad program will focus on the way stories are told through journalism, both photography and written articles, and artistic expression, including painting, sculpture, and architecture. Historic art and today’s journalism have distinct similarities. Art has always been a major way to communicate the stories and priorities of its time. Today, journalism is critical to communicating stories and priorities among varying cultures to one another. Although both artists and journalists hope to convey messages and meaning, their specific goals and approaches differ. To what extent does art play a role in journalistic expression and how does communicating a particular story or emotion influence art? We will explore these themes by focusing on the question: How do context, perspective, and choice contribute to the stories art tells us about a society, a community, and a culture from the past? Then, we will use those themes to explore how students can share current stories and experiences of those around them in Italy and Malta.
This program will focus on the importance of context, perspective/lens, and choice in art and journalism. Using these themes, students will gain intercultural competence and understanding by expanding the ways they interact with the cultures of Italy and Malta, discovering how art can communicate in a parallel way to how we process and share today’s stories about modern culture. We will look at how major Renaissance and Baroque works of art in Italy and Malta have used these three key elements to communicate stories and ideas to their audiences. And we will incorporate those same three concepts as guideposts for students to communicate contemporary issues in Italy and Malta through journalism.
Before heading to Italy and Malta, students will engage in intensive classroom work. During this time on campus, students will focus on learning about the art and culture they will encounter, the fundamentals of media reporting and writing, as well as photojournalism. Students will practice research methods and discuss concepts of intercultural communication. We will incorporate ideas of community building, both in terms of the importance of having a strong community of students as they embark on this experience together, but also in terms of thoughtful engagement with the communities we will visit. We want students to dig deep in ways that will allow them to gain new insights into the culture of Italy and Malta, building a bridge beyond “tourist destination” toward understanding and compassion. We want to stress that when you take the time to understand the story of another, and are able to identify context, lens and choice, no matter how much you may think you know another culture, you gain a grounding for understanding that allows for true compassion.