Study Art in Paris

Study art history in one of the great cities of the world: Paris, France. The 10-day program will cover art and culture from the Renaissance to the present through the lens of artworks in French collections, and students will receive course credit for Art-115: Art History Survey II.

Course content will be delivered online, and students will have two meetings before departure to cover travel information and preview course material.

During the program, students will visit La Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame, the Louvre Museum, the Musée d'Orsay, the Orangerie, Versailles Palace, the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the Centre Pompidou, Monet's home and studio in Normandy and other locations. Students will have the opportunity to see world-famous artworks by Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Van Gogh, Picasso and countless others.

Students will also explore well-known sites in Paris: the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, the Opera (Palais Garnier) and the Luxembourg Gardens, as well as take walking tours of the Montmartre neighborhood, the Left Bank, the Île Saint Louis, the Marais and others.

Apart from museums and art, there will be plenty of time to enjoy the beauty and ambience of the city. Students will visit markets, parks and architectural landmarks and walk through neighborhoods, sampling pastries, coffees and whatever else the class discovers.


Dates: June 20-29

Faculty: The course will be led and taught by Wake Tech faculty members Dr. Robert Mayhew and Dr. Allison Fox, who have extensive knowledge of Paris and its world-famous art collections.

Accommodations: Students will stay at a boutique hotel near the center of the city.

Meals: The hotel provides a hearty breakfast every morning. Daily low-cost meal options will be available in area markets and restaurants.

Cost: $3,970 (subject to change), but Study Abroad scholarships are available. A $500 deposit is required by November 15.

The cost includes the following:

  • Direct, round-trip flights between Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris
    Travel is booked through Wake Tech's travel agency liaison, and arrangements made by course leaders. Students may make their own flight arrangements to lessen the cost.
  • Comfortable hotel with private bathroom and extensive breakfast daily
  • Ground transportation (commuter rail and metro passes) for site visits and sightseeing tours
  • Museum entrance fees, guides and audio headsets
  • Farewell dinner at a classic French restaurant

The following items are not included in the cost:

  • Wake Tech course fees and tuition ($240)
  • Mandatory Wake Tech international health insurance through GeoBlue ($12)
  • Any airline baggage fees
  • Cost of a passport
  • Incidental expenses

For more information, email Robert Mayhew at [email protected] or Allison Fox at [email protected].

Daily itinerary

  • June 20 (Day 1) – Depart RDU on an overnight flight to Paris
     
  • June 21 (Day 2) – Introduction to Paris
    A bilingual assistant greets students at the Charles de Gaulle Airport and accompanies them to the hotel. Once checked in, students begin the field section of the course. After a brief introduction to the neighborhood, the class heads to notable Parisian landmarks, including the Île de la Cité, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Île St. Louis for a late-afternoon pick-me-up, before ending in the cozy Marais District.
     
  • June 22 (Day 3) – Paris and its historical neighborhoods
    Explore some of Paris' rich architectural roots:
    • Visit the Cluny Museum for a taste of medieval Paris
    • Walk through the stately gardens of the Tuileries and the 17-century Louvre Palace
    • Visit the world-famous Opera
    • Take a walking tour of the medieval village of Montmartre – home to many modern artists – which commands spectacular views of the city
       
  • June 23 (Day 4) – The Renaissance
    Students spend the day studying the Renaissance and Baroque collection of the Louvre Museum, including artwork by Da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt and others. The museum has 9 miles of artworks and 403 rooms, students will also tour some of its lesser-known artworks and smaller spaces.
     
  • June 24 (Day 5) – Baroque and Rococo
    Students spend the day at the Versailles Palace, a few miles outside Paris, exploring the Royal Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and André Le Nôtre's stunning gardens, including Marie Antoinette's fairy tale Hamlet, where she spent her days in the guise of a peasant shepherdess.
     
  • June 25 (Day 6) – 19th Century
    Students first examine the collections of the Musée d'Orsay, including Courbet, Manet and Van Gogh. After lunch, they visit the small, but spectacular, Orangerie Museum to view some of Monet's Water Lilies series, which was commissioned for the museum. The day concludes with a visit to the iconic Eiffel Tower.
     
  • June 26 (Day 7) – Day trip to Giverny and Normandy
    Students travel by train from the historic Saint Lazare train station to visit Monet's home, bucolic gardens and art studio in Giverny, an hour outside Paris, where he lived for 40 years.
     
  • June 27 (Day 8) – 20th Century
    Students get private tour of the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton and the fantastic Centre Georges Pompidou, viewing Matisse, Picasso and key modern artists. In addition to considering the impact of experimental and controversial artworks in these collections, they can examine the stunning buildings themselves.
     
  • June 28 (Day 9) – Free day in Paris
    Students have the opportunity to return to favorite places or find new ones. The day ends with a farewell dinner at the historic Bouillon Julien restaurant, a jewel of art nouveau architecture (subject to availability).
     
  • June 29 (Day 10) – Depart Paris on a same-day flight to Raleigh