Students’ Art Influenced Through Italy Study Abroad

The Siena Art Study Abroad gave students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture, language and traditional art of Italy. Students studied traditional Italian approaches and processes, such as spinning wool. Professors Dan Barney and Brian Christensen also encouraged students to relate what they were learning to contemporary culture.

For art student Tanner Williams, the experiences he had on this trip were immensely impactful and inspired his recent work. “It stopped mattering to me how insanely perfect the proportions of a figure were,” he said. “I started looking for metaphors and concepts that were awe-inspiring due to their conceptual complexity, not just the skill of the brush or charcoal. Being in Italy made me set goals and parameters for my own art so that I’m not just a copy machine, but rather a voice of help, offering new ideas to the world.”