The Inside Scoop on Study Abroad, Florence
The deadline to sign up for the fall ’24 semester of NYSID’s extraordinary Study Abroad, Florence program is on June 15. Deciding whether to spend a semester abroad is a big decision and it helps to have the facts and insights from students who have experienced the program.
Amira Briggs and Abigail Morgan
For BFA students, NYSID’s semester abroad in Florence, Italy, exists through a partnership with SRISA (the Santa Reparata International School of Art). If six students enroll in a semester, NYSID sends a seasoned faculty member to accompany them as an instructor, making it possible for students to take in-person NYSID studio classes. (This year, those instructors were Warren Ashworth in the fall and Randi Halpern in the spring.) Students enrolled in the program take online and in-person NYSID classes along with electives with SRISA. NYSID students live in apartments typically within a 15-minute walk to one of SRISA’s four campus locations, with students from all over the world. They accomplish their NYSID studios in a tightly knit group with their NYSID instructors and peers. SRISA curates day and weekend trips led by art and design instructors. The program ensures NYSID students can stay on track with their degree program, while having the adventure of a lifetime in another culture.
Here, Amira Briggs and Abigail Morgan, two twenty-one-year-olds who completed the Study Abroad, Florence program in the fall ’23 semester, share their experiences.
What was the best aspect of Study Abroad in Florence?
Abigail Morgan: I had never flown to another country before, so for me, the most amazing thing was being able to see what we were learning about in person.
Amira Briggs: Immersing ourselves in a different culture was important. There are a lot of differences between the way Americans live and the way Italians live. For example, there is no walking out of your dorm in sweatpants and messy bun there. People put more work into their appearances.
Abigail Morgan: Yes! And I admire their simpler way of living. There are no washers or dryers. I made my espresso on the stove every morning. They move more slowly through life, especially in contrast to New York.
Curated design trips to other locations in Italy are built into this Study Abroad program. Will you tell me about that experience?
AM: I was able to travel almost every weekend, with SRISA or on my own. The best trip was to the Venice Biennale (an international art and design exhibition hosted annually in Venice). We went with a SRISA instructor named Cynthia Mohr. We got to walk around and see how each country took a prompt and interpreted it in their own way. The whole trip was around design.
AB: The Biennale was a great one. But going to Siena was my favorite. The facade of the duomo there is pink, my favorite color, and it is breathtaking. I was captivated by the layout of the neighborhoods, the different colors, the different ways the buildings were sloped. It inspired me and drove my projects forward.
Will you tell us about your classes?
AM: Everyone at SRISA was super nice and helpful. I liked that I had different class options at SRISA than I did at NYSID. I took SRISA’s printmaking course and that was my favorite class. I took four SRISA classes and all of them were great. And I still got to stay on track with my NYSID courses.
AB: I took four NYSID courses and only one SRISA class. They are really supportive at SRISA, so I was never afraid to ask for help. I took “Food & Culture” with SRISA, and it was a fun experience that involved going to markets and buying fresh foods. My online NYSID studio was great. But my in-person courses with Warren Ashworth (the NYSID faculty member who accompanied the group in fall ’23) were the best part of my academics in Italy. Warren was incredibly helpful every step of the way. Getting so much one-on-one time with Warren while I studied at SRISA is what really shaped me as a designer, because he is incredible.
AM: Yes, it was great to have Warren there. The group of us from NYSID even had Thanksgiving dinner together. I especially loved working with Warren on the final project for our studio, which was a renovation and restoration of St. Ursula Monastery (built in 1309). We were able to visit the building in person. I also loved being in the small, intimate learning group with friends.
How did this experience impact you?
AM: Their buildings appeared softer to me and their colors, warmer, and this has influenced how I design…I am still specifying materials and applying motifs I saw in Italy. Terracotta brick and paintings on the walls are still things I think about as I am designing. Studying in Florence changed the way I approach design.
AB: I always have the feeling of being in Italy in the back of my head, and it is a part of me now and part of my designs. Immersing yourself in another culture gives you a chance to step outside your comfort zone. It teaches you things about yourself as a designer and a person. It really is life changing.
How to Find Out More
If you would like to find out more about the program, please contact NYSID Associate Dean Daniel Harper at daniel.harper@nysid.edu by June 1, allowing ample time for document submission and deposits before the June 15 deadline. Thanks to our generous funders, the College provides students with study abroad scholarships to help reduce the cost of participating in the program for those who need financial assistance.
Help Make Study Abroad Semesters More Accessible
The out-of-pocket costs of study abroad can be a barrier to entry for many of our students. NYSID wants this program to be for the many, not the few. The College has been working to raise funds to make this semester-long study abroad program affordable and accessible to more students. We’re aiming to raise funds to give six students study abroad scholarships by June 1, two weeks before the deadline for students to register for the fall semester. If you’d like to help please give to the study abroad fund and designate Scholarships — Travel in the drop-down menu. Have questions? Reach out to Development Director Joy Cooper.