Students venture through Italy in unique art exhibit

School of Art students were challenged to portray various scenes of Italy as they experienced it (photo by Amy Rose).

Last summer, twelve School of Art students traveled to Italy to unleash their creativity in a course called “Seeing and Responding in Italy.” Their resulting works are now featured in an exhibit titled after the class  and will be available for all Mason students, free of charge, between Feb. 10 and March 7.

Situated in Mason Hall’s Atrium gallery, the exhibit displays the students’ work in several mediums, mainly painting and photography.

The students who created the work in the exhibit spent three weeks in Tuscany before  traveling to Venice and other small towns in order to engage with Italian culture. During their time abroad, the students were required to keep a sketchbook or journal and respond to their surroundings. Now, Mason students get a chance to see the result.

Some paintings show typical scenes of an Italian café, while others show a more industrial and urban side of the country. The works range from beautiful garden scenes to abstract mixed media that one must interpret for him or herself.

Students get the chance to experience the beautiful country of Italy through these works.