Come learn more about the below programs and meet the instructors!

Europe—Design in Europe

Iceland, Scotland, and England are European countries that are distinctively different when it comes to innovative and influential art, architecture, and design. Iceland’s design tradition is very young. This lack of tradition has proved to be a great advantage, ensuring freedom and even creative anarchy. Scotland’s history of innovation and artistic independence is deep and globally recognized. England’s design heritage mixes the traditional with the unconventional. Creative projects will focus on the design of multi-sensory experiences for cultural, commercial, and public spaces, and the evolution of European design expression. Excursions include visiting famous design sites and professional design studios and experiencing total design immersion at Iceland’s Museum of Design and Applied Arts, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and London’s Design Museum. Full program details.

Japan—Design Japan

Japan is a fascinating country with a rich design culture. We will explore Japanese modern life in many wards of Tokyo and consume the history of ramen and old candy packaging while eating Japanese noodles in an old Tokyo town replica. We will also delve into the old world of wooden temples, the serenity of the bamboo forest, and enjoy other moments of austerity in and around Kyoto. Prepare to immerse yourself in the wealth of culture that Japan has to offer through multiple, conceptually linked projects focusing on the fundamental choices designers make in translating concepts into effective graphic form through a design process that is rooted in research and initial concepts to project prototypes. There will be generous amounts of free time to explore and taste the vast wealth of culture that Japan has to offer. Full program details.

Italy—Immersive Artistry: Summer Sketching in Italy

Learn to draw and appreciate art in the green heart of Italy. For the first three weeks of the program, we will be in the medieval hill town of Todi. In this small Umbrian town, you will draw from the landscape, still life and the figure, and have opportunities to interact with the local residents. From this amazing site in central Italy, we will also take day trips to Florence, Siena, Assisi and Orvieto where we will be visiting museums and churches that house some of the Renaissance’s greatest works of art. As the old proverb says: all roads lead to Rome, naturally our last week will be spent in this city resplendent with ancient and modern wonders. We will visit the Vatican Museum, Borghese Gallery, and many of the ancient Roman sites such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon. Full program details.