Off-campus learning experiences are an integral part of the department’s mission and enhance on-campus program offerings. The disciplines within the Department of Art have been actively sponsoring study abroad, field studies, internships, field trips and other off-campus learning experiences for more than forty years. These activities take place within the United States and abroad, including past off-campus learning programs in Egypt, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Hawaii, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Mexico and Morocco.

Most years department faculty lead a 7-week study abroad during spring or summer terms. Participating students have the opportunity to take art courses, experience a range of cultures and artistic traditions, make art and meet one-on-one with the lead professors. Alumni of the department have traveled all over the world with the study abroad program. Most recently, students have studied in Italy, Morocco, Spain, Berlin and Tibet.

Although directed by faculty from the Department of Art, the study abroad is open to students across the university.  Experiential learning funds help offset program expenses, along with scholarships for both majors and non-majors. Interested students should submit an application during the prior fall semester.

In 2018 Professor Mark Graham from the Department of Art and Professor Paul Adams from the Department of Design will travel to Europe with 20 students from a range of majors. The group will visit Iceland, France and Switzerland. The program, titled “Photography, Art, and Mountains,” will focus on issues of art and nature, art and landscape, and ecology in these countries.

The Summer Intensive Program offers advanced art students the opportunity to produce self-directed, independent projects under the close mentorship of faculty members. Participating students enroll in ART 394R (Special Projects) and ART 480R (Advanced Studio) during summer term and are required to log at least 20 hours of studio time each week, facilitated through unconventional workspaces. Thursday and Friday classes provide time for instruction, critiques and field trips, which sometimes extend into the weekend. Past field trips include travel to many of Utah’s unique landscapes and iconic land artworks, as well as a road trip to Los Angeles to explore contemporary museums and galleries.    

The 2018 Summer Intensive Program will be co-directed by Associate Professor Brian Christensen and Associate Professor Collin Bradford. In addition to experiencing natural landscapes, professors Christensen and Bradford will examine altered landscapes with students, including the Rio Tinto Kennecott Mine and Hill Air Force Base, with the goal of contextualizing land art within contemporary practice. Enrollment is limited to 15 students.  

Field trip travel expenses will be provided through experiential learning funds, and all participating students will receive a half-tuition scholarship for summer term.

Newly admitted art students are eligible to apply for the Foundation-Level Summer Intensive Program, which will take place during summer term. In the summer of 2018, participating students enroll in ART 225 (Printmaking Fundamentals), ART 260 (Photo Fundamentals) and ART 394R (Special Problems in Art), which includes two foundation courses required for the BA and BFA programs. These classes take place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Throughout the term, students will travel to several locations in Utah to experience art and nature, and to be inspired in their own art-making.  

The 2018 Foundation-Level Summer Intensive Program will be co-directed by Department Chair Gary Barton, Associate Professor Daniel Everett and Assistant Professor Jen Watson-Orton. Interested students must submit an application to the Department of Art Office (E509 HFAC) or to Sharon Heelis at sharon_heelis@byu.edu. The priority application deadline is April 20, 2018, but applications will be accepted until the program is full.

Field trip travel expenses will be provided through experiential learning funds, and all participating students will receive a half-tuition scholarship for summer term.

Art students have the opportunity to participate in a range of internships around the globe. These mentored learning environments provide valuable hands-on experience with artists and art-related institutions. Students receive university credit for completing an internship and fulfill degree requirements while progressing toward graduation. Faculty facilitate internship opportunities and serve as mentors for art interns throughout their experience.

Many BFA and MFA students have had the opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors as they were placed  with prominent artists in Berlin, Vienna, Ireland and Los Angeles. Over the last few years, 15 art students have worked side by side with Berlin-based artist David Thorpe on an ambitious sculptural project. Students have also interned with Torben Giehler and Peter Linde Busk in Berlin, Kirsi Mikkola in Berlin and Vienna, and Monique Prieto and Elizabeth Huey in Los Angeles.

Internships are often funded in part with experiential learning funds, scholarships and Oscarson Discovery Grants. Students who are interested in completing an internship should speak with a potential faculty mentor to discuss options.