June 4 - July 16, 2013

 

Art 150 Drawing/Painting the Landscape (4 credits)
Professor Alison C. Hall
The focus of this course is on methods, materials, and techniques of pictorial organization from observation, memory, and Italian works of art, using painting and drawing mediums. Classes are held in plein air, weather permitting. Outdoor work will include Todi and the surrounding area. Various readings accompany studio sessions. We will explore ideas of cultural history, history of the landscape in art, and how landscapes are being transformed by the modern world. Final portfolio of personal work is required. Visits to museums in Florence, Rome, and Assisi are a part of class work. No prerequisite. Course will be taught on an individual level, taking into consideration each student's experience and skill. May not be used towards art major requirements. Open to first-year students.

Class contact: 4 hours a day for 22 days, (normally) Monday through Friday but schedules may change according to travel times. Total contact hours - 88.

 

Humanities 150 Italian Culture and Language (4 credits)
Professor Alison C. Hall
This course combines language study with social and cultural activities. Students acquire elementary language skills in structured classes taught by the Language Institute and will be able to communicate in Italian during practiced daily activities. Experiential activities in Italian include art restoration, tours of archeological sites within the Roman and medieval sections of Todi, participation in a contemporary artist's workshop, study of Etruscan vessels, and lectures on the History of Feminism in Italy. Lectures and readings will support all activities. Final exam will be administered for language component. No prerequisite. Open to first-year students, this course does not satisfy general education requirements.

Class contact: Language instruction by the Language Institute of Todi, two hours three times per week for five weeks (30 contact hours) and experiential components: nine contact hours of Art Restoration, nine contact hours of Tours of Todi, nine contact hours of Inside the Artist's Studio, nine contact hours of Italian History. These sessions will bring small groups of students into direct conversatonal experiences with members of the Todi community. Lectures and readings support all experiential activities. Groups may range from four to eight in size, depending on the number of students.

Supporting Activities for Humanities 150 Italian Culture and Language

Art Restoration
Instructor Enzo Zoccoli
Students meet with Enzo Zoccoli, a native of Todi, for a total of nine hours to restore paintings from the 1400 - 1800s. This component is hands-on inside a working bottega of restoration. Zoccoli's family has been in the restoration business for than 100 years. Component is hands-on; translation of Italian to English by Professor Alison C. Hall. A lab fee is included in the cost for all materials. Contact hours - 9.

 

Tours of Todi
Tour Director Federico Spiganti (left) and Carlo Zoccoli (right)
Students explore the medieval, Etruscan, and Tuderti history of Todi with a native of Todi who undertakes major archeological digs, spelunking expeditions of the underground Roman water systems, and the cataloging of ancient fragments from pre-Christian churches in and around Todi. Students will see how this history affected the community of Todi and how it has shaped the present day community of this small hill town. Walking tours and hands-on activities with ancient artifacts are included. Component is hands-on; translation of guided tours provided by Professor Alison C. Hall. A lab fee is included in the cost. Contact hours - 9.

Etruscan Vessels/Ceramics/Inside the Artist's Studio
Instructor Antonio Buonfiglio
Students will have the opportunity to make ceramic vessels with a working artist of Todi who has shown his work in Amsterdam, Germany, and Italy. He is a modern artist who has studied in Naples and Rome, and, like most classical artists in Italy who apprentice under masters, Antonio has been an artist assistant to Bruno Ceccobelli for over six years and Beverly Pepper for over two years. Students will be introduced to the process of hand-building ceramics and Etruscan methods, a tour of Antonio's working studio, and contemplating what it means to be a modern-day artist in a country rich in tradition. Component is hands-on. A lab fee is included in the cost. Contact hours - 9.

 

Italian Language
Instructor Lilli Caporello
Students will study Italian at the Language Institute of Todi. Classes should help students aid in the transition of living in a foreign country and enable them to interact with the locals as well as partake in everyday activities such as buying groceries, ordering coffee, and taking public transportation. Contact hours - 30.

 

Italian History
Instructors Carlo Zoccoli and Luana Mariani (pictured, left)
Students will meet with local historians Carlo and Luana to discuss early Italian history, the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, and post-war Italy. Students will explore the archive of Todi, speak with women who were part of the feminist revolution, and enjoy lectures on Etruscan and Roman history by Carlo Zoccoli. Component is hands-on; translation of guided tours through archive provided by Professor Alison C. Hall. Contact hours - 9.

Qualifications of Faculty

A qualified Hollins faculty will teach the Art 150 Sp Topic course, translate, provide lectures and readings to accompany all experiential components, excluding the introduction to Italian language. The Language Institute of Todi will supply students with classrooms, language instruction, necessary language handouts, and housing.

• Alison C. Hall has an M.F.A. in painting from American University in Washington, D.C. Alison currently divides her time between Roanoke, Virginia and Todi, Italy. She has taught drawing and painting at Hollins for seven years. During that time she has taken art students to Italy every summer. While there they paint in a landscape whose light has fascinated artists for centuries, they hike mountains in search of Etruscan history, and travel to see some of the greatest works in the history of art. Alison’s training as an artist comes from a solid foundation of drawing and painting. Her interest in the history of painting and the constant influence of Italy informs her work that is made in the studio. Her teachers' teachers were taught by the ultimate drawers: Mondrian, Giacometti, Helion, and Hofmann to name a few. She believes their spirits persist through her teaching. In 2011 Hall received the prestigious VMFA Fellowship in drawing and the Bethesda Painting Award. Exhibition records include shows in NYC, Washington, D.C., Italy, and Amsterdam. Her work is represented by the Smith Center Art Advisory in Washington, D.C.