A School of Vision Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The Marchutz School offers a rare synthesis of creative and intellectual rigor. I Creatively, the program gives us the time and framework to paint constantly from diverse subject matter - including landscape, (extraordinary) still-lives, copy work (of master paintings) and portraiture - allowing us to dialog between the various challenges of each. The professors encourage students to let go of their preconceptions about painting or knowledge of certain techniques they may have learned the past to work from their direct experience of actually seeing, feeling, contemplating and perceiving the visible world. By the end of the program I came to realize that only by doing this is true art possible and, what's more, only by doing this do students learn to paint not like Cezanne, or Michealangelo, or Kandinsky, but like themselves, with respect to their own imaginations. I found my practice of painting, as well as capacity to understand art, literature and philosophy, to benefit extraordinarily from the intellectual inquiry into the nature of art that we undertake through weekly readings, writing, discussions and seminars involving the collective observation of masterworks. The whole semester left me a better thinker, better able to articulate what I perceive and how, better able to pursue my own line of inquiry independent of (but with all due respect to) what other scholars and artists have said in the past. It also has left me a more open, a better listener, and with respect to art, more consistent in my habits and practice. Upon leaving, I took home some of the best work of my college career, but more importantly a revitalized artistic practice that enabled me to pursue my work in greater breadth and depth, far beyond the scope of my senior show and long after graduation. I would highly recommend this program to advanced as well as beginning art students. I disagree entirely with the reviewer who compared it to a foundations course. True, advanced students aren't separated from beginners, and the school doesn't have the luxury of being particularly selective. But I believe the program benefits from being collaborative rather than competitive. Together, professors included, we pursue and discuss big questions, concerning what art is, how it operates, and how it shows deeper into nature and into reality - questions too significant to be exclusionary. It also speaks to the rigor and general quality of the program that a number of alumni (myself included) come back to assist and attend the program for longer. In short, at Marchutz I found a serious, collaborative, creative community with integrity, not to mention some extraordinary friends and mentors that I'll have for life.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was lucky enough to stay with the Ponthots, a wonderful host family with some artistic flair and a beautiful garden who, of course, helped me practice my French. We still keep in touch!

My host mom and dad happened to be great cooks, and the daily fresh fruit, vegetable, etc markets in Aix are unbeatable.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

IAU students can tend to stick together, and it can be be easy to become isolated in the American hub, especially if you are staying in an apartment. But there are opportunities - mixers, French conversation buddies, some collaborations with the local French universities - that can enable you to branch out. I was lucky enough to make some French friends through the connection of my American roommate's French boyfriend, which isn't uncommon. In any case, staying with a host family is a great first step.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Again, many courses are taught in English, with American students. But between french classes, a host family and extracurriculars, there are plenty of opportunities to practice the language.

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans

• Combination of intellectual & creative rigor
• The Professors - John Gasparach and Alan Roberts
• Straightforward, no-nonsense feedback from professors

• Selectivity
• Deserves more attention
• The capacity to give more merit and financial scholarships

The Academic or Linguist