Study tours bring academic topics to life as students gain new perspectives and skills. This summer, 11 students from Southern’s School of Visual Art and Design spent more than five weeks touring Italy, Germany, and Austria while earning academic credit.

“The purpose of the trip was to expose the students to the cultural context and birthplace of so much of the art we study about in textbooks,” said Giselle Hasel, associate professor of visual art and design. “For learning art history, trips like this make it tangible and unforgettable.”

The students spent part of the time in a classroom setting with local students at Bogenhofen Seminary in Austria and the remainder touring the surrounding countries, visiting museums, and practicing their art techniques in the field.

“As we observed the art around us, especially that of the Venice Biennale—the most famous art exhibition in the world—we were continually made aware of the ideas and beliefs that the artists held,”said Darcie Denton, junior fine arts major. “I learned to notice the details, even more than I already naturally do as an artist. Art is a powerful way of expressing beliefs, and as Christian artists, we have the responsibility of harnessing that power for good.”

The tour culminated with a final exhibition displaying the work of both Southern’s and Bogenhofen’s students.Hasel hopes to plan more tours like this in the future.

“It was truly the trip of a lifetime,” Denton said. “The lessons I learned, the beauty I saw, the friends I gained, and the ways I felt God on this trip, I wouldn’t trade for the world.”