Rice University Department of Art History will celebrate a milestone at the height of his creative spirit by embarking on a transformative trip to Paris. The one-week excursion, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the creation of the department sspring break trippromises to be an exploration of art, culture and history from March 9-16.
“Travel is essential to the history of art and architecture; visiting museums and cities aims to foster the connection between knowledge and direct experience that nourishes critical thinking,” said Fabiola Lopez-Duranwho coordinates the trip with his colleague, associate professor of art history Gordon Hughes. “I am very grateful to be part of a department that has the resources to provide this opportunity to students who otherwise would not be able to travel.”
Access to these opportunities, regardless of the student's individual ability to finance them, has always been a priority for the Department of Art History, said Chelsey Denny, department administrator and imaging specialist. She added that this level of access would not be possible without the support of a number of endowments: the Anne E. Treichler Travel Scholarships, the William Edwin Bryan Jr. Travel Scholarships, the Mary Ellen Hale Travel Scholarships Lovett and other generous individual donations to the Department. of art history.
Seeing art in person, López-Durán pointed out, is a totally different experience from seeing photos of art in books.
“Art is a living, breathing thing. It’s not something that should only be studied when you’re looking at digital projections in a dark classroom,” Hughes said.
Rice undergraduates will have the unique opportunity to delve into the rich tapestry of artistic masterpieces housed in Paris's renowned museums and collections. From the iconic treasures of the Louvre to the thought-provoking exhibitions at the musée du quai Branly, participants will engage in lively discussions and gain invaluable insights into the world of artistic conservation, exchange and creation.
Hughes and López-Durán said the instrumental role played by staff at the Rice Global Paris CenterRice's premier international campus, cannot be overstated in the smooth execution of the trip.
“We were fortunate to have the support of not only our amazing team in the art history department, but also that of Rice Global Paris,” López-Durán said. “We can focus on the content because they have taken care of everything else, reserving every ticket for every museum, restaurant, concert and everything else we plan to do with the students.”
“The work that Fabiola and I do is the most visible work, but it’s also the easiest work,” Hughes said. “All the heavy lifting is done by Irene Kwan and Chelsey Denny in the art history department as well as Camille Evans, Irene Mendez and Garry White at the Rice Global Paris Center.”
This year's trip marks a significant change from the previous itinerary, which took students to New York during spring break. Historically, this trip has received around forty applications. Paris, on the other hand, attracted 157 interested students to an information session, of which 107 applied. López-Durán and Hughes were then tasked with sorting the applicants down to the 10 students who would accompany them to Paris.
“The priority was for art history majors and minors, but Fabiola and I wanted to reserve a few places for non-majors and minors, in order to give the opportunity to someone from another department or from another specialization to see what art historians have to do. do in Paris of all places,” Hughes said.
The journey will transcend the conventional boundaries of Eurocentric art historical methodologies. López-Durán and Hughes meticulously designed the itinerary to disrupt traditional categories and temporalities, presenting Paris not just as a European phenomenon but as a global nexus of cultural exchange.
“We want to make the French-speaking world more widely known, whether it's Canada, Morocco, Algeria or Senegal,” Hughes said. “Part of our ambition for this trip is to see that Paris is not just a European phenomenon, it’s a global phenomenon.”
The immersive experience will extend beyond museum visits to encompass architectural explorations, culinary adventures and encounters with the frenetic pace of Parisian life.
“It is impossible to fully understand a work of art without having a sense of culture, politics and historical development,” López-Durán said. “We move from the specifics of a work of art to the context in which this work of art was produced and received. Art enters history at the moment of its production but also at the moment of its reception.
Although this is the first time Paris will be a spring break destination for the department, its popularity so far suggests it won't be the last.
“Everyone in the department was surprised by the student interest in this trip, so we now think it will be a biennial event,” Hughes said.
López-Durán suggested that other artistic and cultural hotspots, such as Mexico City, could also be incorporated into future plans. For now, though, she and Hughes are focused on making the most of spring in Paris.
“We are confident that this trip will be one of the most memorable experiences for students when they look back on their time at Rice,” Hughes said.
