Rice University’s Department of Art History is set to commemorate the 10th anniversary of its spring break trip in a grand and culturally enriching manner by embarking on a transformative journey to Paris. This milestone event, scheduled for March 9-16, 2024, represents not just a celebration of a decade-long tradition but an exciting new chapter in the department’s commitment to immersive, hands-on learning experiences.
The week-long excursion, organized by Associate Professors of Art History Fabiola López-Durán and Gordon Hughes, will allow students to engage deeply with Paris’s rich artistic and cultural heritage. Unlike previous trips to New York, this new destination has been carefully chosen to broaden students’ understanding of art history, particularly in the context of global cultural exchanges. The trip is designed to offer a unique educational experience that transcends the typical classroom setting, where students can witness firsthand the art and architecture that have shaped global history.
“Travel is key for art and architectural history; visiting museums and cities works to foster the link between knowledge and direct experience that nurtures critical thinking,” said López-Durán. This sentiment is echoed by Hughes, who emphasized the irreplaceable value of seeing art in person: “Art is a living, breathing thing. It’s not a thing that should just be studied when you’re looking at digital projections in a dark classroom.”
The itinerary for the trip includes visits to some of the most prestigious museums in Paris, such as the Louvre and the Musée du Quai Branly. These visits will provide students with the opportunity to engage in vibrant discussions about art curation, exchange, and creation, allowing them to gain invaluable insights into the world of art history. The students will explore not just the masterpieces housed in these institutions but also the broader cultural and historical contexts in which they were created and received.
The significance of the Rice Global Paris Center, Rice University’s first international campus, cannot be overstated in facilitating this trip. The center’s staff played a crucial role in ensuring the seamless execution of the trip, from reserving tickets for museums and events to organizing the logistics of the journey. “We have been very fortunate to get the support not only of our amazing staff in the art history department but also the stellar staff at Rice Global Paris,” López-Durán said. Hughes added, “The work that Fabiola and I do is the most visible work, but it’s also the easiest work. All of the heavy lifting is done by Irene Kwan and Chelsey Denny in the art history department as well as by Camille Evans, Irene Mendez, and Garry White in the Rice Global Paris Center.”
The decision to shift from the traditional New York itinerary to Paris has already proven to be a success. While previous trips attracted around 40 applicants, the Paris trip garnered overwhelming interest, with 157 students attending the informational session and 107 submitting applications. Ultimately, 10 students were selected, with priority given to art history majors and minors, though a few spots were reserved for non-majors to allow for a more diverse group.
“We wanted to provide an opportunity for students from other departments or majors to experience what art historians do, particularly in a city like Paris,” Hughes explained. The trip’s itinerary has been carefully designed to challenge traditional Eurocentric perspectives, highlighting Paris not just as a European hub but as a global nexus of cultural exchange.
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“We want to showcase the Francophone world more broadly, be it Canada or Morocco or Algeria or Senegal,” Hughes said. “Part of our ambition for the trip is seeing that Paris is not just a European phenomenon, it is a global phenomenon.”
The immersive experience in Paris will extend beyond museum visits to include architectural explorations, culinary adventures, and encounters with the vibrant Parisian life. This holistic approach will help students gain a deeper understanding of the cultural, political, and historical contexts that shape the art they study.
“It is impossible to fully understand an artwork without actually having a sense of the culture, the politics, and the historical development,” López-Durán said. “You go from the specificities of a work of art to the context in which that work of art was produced and received. Art makes history in the moment of its production but also in the moment of its reception.”
Given the overwhelming interest and the potential educational benefits, this trip to Paris is unlikely to be a one-time event. “Everyone in the department was quite taken off guard at how much student interest there was in this trip, so now we’re thinking it’ll be a biennial event,” Hughes said.
Looking ahead, the department is considering expanding the scope of future trips to include other art and cultural hubs, such as Mexico City. However, for now, López-Durán and Hughes are focused on making the most of springtime in Paris, confident that this experience will be one of the most memorable highlights of the students’ time at Rice University.
“We’re confident this trip will be one of the most memorable experiences for the students when they think back to their time at Rice,” Hughes concluded.
