Academic Focus
The Studio Art Practice & Critique program at the Institute for American Universities (IAU) is designed for students of all ability levels who are interested in studying studio art in the south of France. Studio art courses will be taken at The Marchutz School of Art, one of IAU’s studio art centers in Aix-en-Provence. This School takes an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to art education. The faculty consider each student a working artist regardless of their level of experience and provide students with opportunities for studio practice, museum/site study and critical dialogue.
The mission of the School is threefold: to enhance awareness of the relationship between perception and imagination, to develop historical and critical perspectives, and above all, to develop the student’s capacity to see. Studio art classes are team-taught and group and individual critiques are integral aspects of the process. Students will draw and paint, everyday if possible. They are then asked to see connections in their work with that of other artists as well as critics from different times and cultures. Intensive discussions around slide comparisons of works from all periods of art enhance the students’ capacity to view art in a larger context.
All students will enroll in three required courses: painting, drawing and an art criticism seminar. These three courses interrelate and are team taught. Students will also enroll in one Art History course and one French language course from le Centre d’Aix, IAU’s center for liberal art studies. Students will select their Art History course from the offerings at le Centre and will be placed in a language class appropriate to their level based on the results of a placement exam. These courses taught at le Centre will complement your studio art studies and foster your understanding of French culture and society. Students enrolled in this program will also participate in site visits not only around Aix, but also further afield (Paris in the Fall and Venice in the Spring).
The art history course, language course, and art criticism seminar each meet for a total of 45 contact hours and are generally worth 3 credits each in the US semester system. Each studio art course meets for 90 hours, and is also worth 3 credits in the US semester system. Students will earn up to 15 credits in the US academic system. However, it is up to the discretion of your academic advisor how much credit will be awarded.
Schedule Summary
Courses meet Monday through Friday and class times vary. A student’s individual schedule will not be finalized until registration takes place onsite.
Course Registration
As the three classes taught at the School are required, you will be registered for them automatically. With regard to language classes, students will take a placement exam upon arrival to confirm their language level. You will be placed in a language class with other students of your own language level. With regard to your Art History elective, you will select your first choice, including an alternate, prior to departure by completing a course selection form.
IAU does its best to accommodate an individual student’s needs. However, scheduling conflicts or French placement test results may necessitate an adaptation of a student’s proposed program. This is particularly true in this particular program because students need to coordinate course schedules at Marchutz and le Centre. Courses at Marchutz take priority and language and elective courses will be scheduled accordingly. Students will work with the IAU academic advisor onsite if any changes need to be made. In order to ensure that you receive credit for the language level and courses that you place into, it is in your best interest to have a variety of courses and language levels approved by your academic advisor prior to departure.
