The Venice Studio Arts program offers studio art coursework in addition to art history and Italian language studies in one of the most artistic cities in the world. Offered in the fall and spring semesters, the Studio Arts program will provide students with rigorous studio and elective courses in graphic design, painting, printmaking, drawing, Italian, art history, and sculpture. Courses are taught either at the Boston University Academic Center, or at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts, by local faculty as well as by visiting faculty from Boston University. In addition to regular class meetings, students have access to studios during the building hours. No background in Italian language is required and all courses (other than First-Semester Italian) are taught in English. During their time in Italy, students are placed in furnished apartments in Venice.
Requirements & Considerations
- All students must enroll according to, and remain in compliance with, the Boston University Study Abroad Course Load Policy.
- Admission requirements for all programs
- Open to painting, graphic design, art history, printmaking, art education, architectural studies, and sculpture majors and non-majors
- Previous painting, drawing, or graphic design experience required. Note: Architectural Studies students are exempt from this requirement.
Curriculum
Required Courses
Students must enroll in introductory Italian, and one studio course related to their preferred area of study.
Required Language Course:
CAS LI 111 First-Semester Italian (4 credits)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Individual in Community
- Required for students without prior Italian language study.
- Students with prior Italian language experience may select a third elective course.
- Grammar, conversation practice, written exercises, and compositions.
Studio Courses - Graphic Design (Fall Only)
CFA AR 381 Junior Graphic Design (4)
with CFA AR 487 Typography (2)
- Prerequisite: CFA AR 225 & 226.
- Junior-level graphic design studio focuses on editorial graphics and design. The course teaches students the technical foundations for transforming an idea into an editorial object, focusing on the magazine, the newspaper, and the book. Students also learn the essential elements necessary to creating logos, including how to create the final image, the visual material, the use of words to describe the product, and the realization.
Studio Courses - Architectural Studies (Fall Only)
CFA AR 428/528 Architectural Site Design (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Digital/Multimedia Expression
- Oral and/or Signed Communication
- Creativity/Innovation
- Introduction to architecture with a focus upon context and environment. Students will learn to analyze and design sited architecture in relation to various factors (e.g., climate, landscape, urbanism, and/or region). Work will incorporate drawing and modeling techniques, and will be advanced primarily through independent studio exploration guided by critical discussions and presentations with the instructor, guest critics, and the studio at large.
- AR 428 and AR 528 meet together, however students taking AR 528 are given more advanced assignments.
- Syllabus
Studio Course - Painting (Spring Only)
CFA AR 242 Painting III (4)
- Required for painting majors.
- Prerequisites: Painting I/II and Drawing I/II, or the equivalent.
- Examines techniques of design, painting, and drawing. Students learn pencil, pastel, carbon, charcoal, ink, oil, wax, and mixed design techniques; tempera, acrylic, watercolor, oil, and mixed media painting techniques; and perspective, tonality, abstraction, chiaroscuro, and color in drawing. They also review different artistic genres, including still life, portraiture, nudes, and landscape as well as research into the figurative and abstract styles.
Elective Courses
Students choose two courses from this list. Electives are open to all students.
CAS AH 354 Image and Word in Venetian Renaissance Art (4 credits)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Writing Intensive course
- Students explore in-class and on-site XIV to XVI century Venetian Renaissance art, the relation between Renaissance art and Venice, the political structure of the Serenissima and the architectural program of Palazzo Ducale, trades routes and the artistic production in Venice.
- Syllabus
CFA AR 501 Drawing in Venice (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Creativity/Innovation
- Students learn how to translate the experience of living in Venice into a drawing language, go beyond the stereotyped images of Venice, what elements of the past and present of the city can enrich their personal drawing style. Students will expand their technical skills by both drawing in class and on-site, through targeted exercises and creative and innovative projects. On-site practice, discussions and critiques allow students to make experience and instinctively reinterpret Venice in a set time, immersed in historical places, museums and art galleries, artist studios and artisan workshops.
- Syllabus
CFA AR 447/448 Printmaking (Intaglio and lithography) (4)
CFA AR 321 Sculpture Studios (4)
- Spring only
- This class focuses on teaching materials, tools, and methods essential to the process of sculpture making. Practical problem solving will be taught through working with materials including wood, clay, found objects, plaster, resins, found objects, and armatures. Students will develop a facility with a wide range of tools. There will be a strong focus on developing the students' ability to resource and experiment with materials, and for students to create works with personal content and conceptual framework.
- Syllabus
Housing & Student Services
University Dormitory
- Double occupancy rooms with beds, desk, kitchenette, private bathroom, and air conditioning.
- Kitchenette includes a sink, small microwave, refrigerator, electric cook top, and basic utensils.
- Bed and bath linens changed weekly, plus weekly room cleaning.
- Board is not included in this program. A café/restaurant is available onsite (additional charges apply), in addition to kitchenette facilities.
- Common areas include study spaces, a courtyard, laundry facilities (additional charges apply), and a fitness room.
- Wireless is available throughout. 24-hour reception.
Program Dates
- Fall Semester: early September to mid December
- Spring Semester: mid January to mid May
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester: March 15
- Spring Semester: October 1
This program is rolling admissions; applications are reviewed once all application materials are received, prior to all deadlines. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials are received by the BU Study Abroad office. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible as some programs and internship tracks have limited space and may fill up before the deadline. Submitting a complete application prior to the application deadline, does not guarantee acceptance. Students will be emailed an admissions decision within three weeks of a completed application.
Information for BU Students Awaiting an Admissions Decision and exceptions to the standard admission calendar for all students can be found here.
Cost & Financial Considerations
- 2022/2023 Tuition & Fees: $36,565
Cost includes tuition, housing, airfare from designated US cities, program related activities, administrative fee, overseas medical insurance, and emergency evacuation coverage. - Budget sheet, including cost of living expenses.
- Grants and Scholarships available
