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Global Positioning Studies initiative takes art students around the world

Photo by Lindsay Fincham from Jackson Hole Photography Workshop

In the field of arts and art history, travel is considered a necessity. It allows art professionals to gain inspiration, learn from others in the industry and visit important site and museums around the world. For students, travel is a vital piece of their education as it allows them to acquire perspective and discover where they may one day fit in the art industry or other professional fields. At West Virginia University, the School of Art & Design encourages students to find their place through the Global Positioning Studies initiative. 

 

The School of Art & Design currently offers 15 GPS courses, ranging from Ceramics in China to Preservation Studies in San Gemini, Italy to the Jackson Hole Photography Workshop. GPS courses are unique because they are built by the individual instructor, allowing them to teach students through their own expertise, passion and enthusiasm, providing a rich learning experience. Students engage in hands-on fieldwork that positions them between finding a local sense of place and a global understanding of that place in the world.

 

Iain MacKay with teachers from the GPS San Gemini course

During the courses, which range from a few days to four weeks, students are immersed in their location, conducting place-based research and creating art informed by their surroundings. Beginning this year, School of Art & Design students are required to take at least one GPS course during the course of their studies.

 

"Whether exposing them to distant lands, or significant environmental issues in their own backyard, GPS courses offer unique learning experiences for our students, enriching their lives and opening opportunities for deeper understanding of the world around them,” said Michael Sherwin, associate professor and coordinator of WVU’s GPS initiative and Photography program.

 

Iain MacKay, a senior art history and philosophy dual major, participated in the San Gemini Preservation Studies GPS course, concentrating on paper restoration in books and archival documents.

  GPS

“My primary motivation for wanting to take the course was the broadening of my technical skills and global perspective,” said MacKay. “I acquired specialized technical skills that are not widely taught or accessible through my daily studies. Furthermore, I wanted to increase my understanding of Art History across cultures and disciplines, which the course helped me accomplish.”

 

MacKay is now applying to graduate schools with plans to become an educator himself. With an interest in applying for national scholarships, MacKay applied for and received the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship in conjunction with his GPS course.

 

A senior photography major from Adolph, Lindsey Fincham participated in the Jackson Hole Photography Workshop last summer.

 

Lindsey Fincham

“I wanted to take the course since learning about it my freshman year,” Fincham said. “Coming from a hometown with few opportunities like this I was really determined to do it. I had never been out west or really outside of the state. I thought it could be an almost life changing experience and I was right.”

 

The Jackson Hole Photography Workshop is a 10-day intensive field course that explores the diverse and remote region of northwestern Wyoming, including Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

 

“I learned a lot photography wise, of course,” Fincham said. “I learned how to operate my camera even better. But my favorite takeaway was probably just learning about the land and national parks and then seeing them for myself. That was very special to me.”

 

Photo by Fincham from the GPS Jackson Hole Photography Workshop

According to Fincham, the course showed her just what she could be doing after graduating college.

 

“Going out West and photographing all the landscapes and wildlife out there I realized that that’s something I could spend my whole life doing, especially when Jackson is such an art-based town,” Fincham said.

 

Student award funding is available to help fund full-time outstanding School of Art & Design students to take a GPS course. Funding preference is given to those planning to attend off-campus courses with greater travel expenses. To apply for a GPS award, and learn more about all offered GPS courses, visit  https://artanddesign.wvu.edu/field-study/gps.