Students to explore art in southern France

UC students plan to tour the museums and landmarks of post-impressionistic artists in southern France this Spring Break during the Spring Arts Tour. The Spring Arts Tour is a spin off of the original New York Arts Tour hat began in 1969. Michael Porte, professor of Communication and adviser for the tours, said the trip to New York City served as a supplement to his class discussions about that region's art. "In the last dozen years or so, we've been adding European trips. Last spring we went to Greece, and before that Portugal," Porte said. This spring, the group will fly from Cincinnati to Nice, France. They will travel from there to various other cities in France, visiting museums and attending lectures on artists like Cézanne, Van Gogh and Picasso. It will also visit small artist villages where many of the artists worked, especially focusing on Van Gogh's Province. Porte said the experience is designed to educate students how to communicate between cultures. He offers a course in advanced intercultural communication every Spring Quarter that focuses on international travel and living experiences overseas. Students learn, among other things, how to become aware of and understand the non﷓verbal communication in a foreign culture. "We address questions like, `when you are in a foreign culture do you impose your customary dress or do you blend in?"' Porte said. "I encourage (the students) to blend in." Before the trip, students hear presentations from people who have experienced the culture. Porte looks for people connected with UC to become involved with educating the students. This quarter, Ralph Meyer, professor of biological sciences, shared his experience living in France and handed out French vocabulary lists to the students. "We try to get each student to become sensitive to the language. It is very important that we are not totally ignorant of the culture we are visiting," Porte said. Porte said he also touches base with UC students who work in the areas to which the group travel. In Portugal, he introduced the group to two people who work in the audio and visual communication field. He took a New York Arts Tour group to meet a UC graduate who took them on a tour of the "Blue's Clues" studio. "She was researching the reactions of three﷓year﷓olds to the videos of the show. It was great to show students what graduates are doing with their degrees first﷓hand," Porte said. The idea of the trips is to provide a springboard for class discussions by offering the students a chance to see first﷓hand what they learn. It is not necessary, however, that students take the course in order to go on the trip. Students can also take the course without going on the tour. The class and tours are open to all students. Porte will host a Summer Arts Tour to the Floriade, a monumental flower show held in Amsterdam, Holland. The trip spans from Sept. 5 until Sept. 16. There are still spots available for the Summer Tour and the deadline for reservations is March 10. Contact Porte for details at 556﷓4473.