Art display showcases study abroad

Fifty photos don the walls of the 114 gallery at Kresge Art Center, their vibrant colors illuminating many scenes from across the world.The exhibit, called This is My World, features photographs taken by students who attended study abroad programs.All students were enrolled in a new online class offered during summer semester 2010, called Studio Art 491. Peter Glendinning, the professor for the class, designed it for students who were attending study abroad trips and wanted to explore the world of photography.

We got this idea that we could offer a course for nonmajors with no prerequisites,Glendinning said.One requirement was they had to be on an overseas study program. Then they would shoot their pictures digitally, upload their photographs from wherever they were in the world and literally have a classroom online.The students used the website Flickr to upload and share their photos. Glendinning said the students had to take at least six photos for 25 categories including light and shadow, signs, landmarks, self portrait, architecture, nature and transportation.

More than 12,000 photos were taken by the course’s 29 students and uploaded by the end of the semester, Glendinning said.Only one student was a studio art major. Other majors included zoology, biology, engineering and media arts and technology.Animal science senior Jessica Makowski said taking photographs was challenging because she studied in the Netherlands and felt it was difficult to find things to photograph.The pictures were a lot harder for me,Makowski said.I really had to pay attention to a lot of things.Glendinning said seeing the world through photography will help students have a cultural exchange as well as a photographic exchange. He wanted them to take hold of the world they were living in and see every area of the world is unique, he said.

They got an understanding not only how other students in other parts of the world were going to address the assignments, but also how different it is over there,Glendinning said.They were sharing things.The This is My World exhibit will be at Kresge Art Center until Jan. 28. The exhibit then will be moved to the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey, Mich., and remain there until March. In addition to both art centers, the exhibit will travel to different Michigan high schools during the next year.These students now have the pleasure of knowing their work is going out into different communities and is representing the university and the study abroad program,Glendinning said.Saint Johns, Mich., resident Seth Schneider attended the opening reception Monday night. Schneider came to support a friend who had work in the exhibit.I think (the exhibit) is cool,Schneider said.I like it.Journalism senior Erica Treais took Studio Art 491 while she was in England and France for her study abroad program. She is excited to see her work in the gallery.I have only looked through the windows,Treais said.I am excited. We didn’t get to choose what photographs went into the exhibit.