Traditions and Cultures of The Southwest

August 2 - 10, 2008

Course Description: The City of Santa Fe and its surrounding region, as well as the Native American, Hispanic and Anglo peoples are the text for the Institute which is a model of interdisciplinary humanities study. Immerse yourself in the history, art, architecture, literature, folklore and ecology of the region through field trips, lectures and a research project designed to focus on a particular area of interest. The Institute engages participants in intense field site and academic study of people and places using readings, local experts and Lesley University faculty.

Location: The Institute is offered every other summer. We are housed in the dormitories at St. John's College in Santa Fe. The campus is nestled beneath the Sangre de Cristo mountains and there is easy access both to central Santa Fe and pleasant walking trails. The cafeteria offers a variety of regional as well as vegetarian menus in a pleasant glass-enclosed area and terrace overlooking the city and the mountains.

Faculty:

• Martha McKenna, Ed.D., is Provost and Professor of the Arts at Lesley University. She teaches courses in the interdisciplinary arts, humanities and aesthetics.
• Sharlene Voogd Cochrane, Ph.D., serves as Director of the Division of Interdisciplinary Inquiry and teaches courses in history and cultural studies. Her focus is the intersections of gender, race and religion.
• Kristina Lamour Sansone, MFA, teaches graphic design at The Art Institute of
  Boston at Lesley University.  Her research interests include preschool age
  design processes, and projects that bridge graphic design with general
  education.
  

Institute Program: Lectures and guest speakers will include eminent local historians, artists and writers.

Field sites include:

• Randall Davey Audubon Environmental Center
• El Rancho de las Golondrinas
• Santuario de Chimayo
• Taos Pueblo
• Mabel Dodge Luhan House
• Santo Domingo Corn Dance
• Museum of Indian Arts and Cultures
• Museum of International Folk Art
• Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
• Home and Studio of Georgia O'Keeffe

Additional field sites will be determined by interests of individual participants.

Readings: The reading list will include works by some of our speakers and will provide a frame of reference for the future study of the traditions and cultures of the region. In addition, we will provide articles of interest and guidelines about each day's activities.

Individual Projects: Students taking the institute for credit will design a research or integrative creative project that integrates the themes of the week and reflects their personal and professional interests. We will also give attention to providing additional resources to meet the interests of non-credit students. Lesley faculty will provide guidance and assist in identifying appropriate resources.

Sample Itinerary:

Day 1

• Depart for Santa Fe - meet group at pick-up area at Albuquerque airport.
• Group transportation by van to St. John's College in Santa Fe.

Day 2

Native American Feast Day

• Day visit to Santo Domingo pueblo for the "Corn Dance."
• Late afternoon meeting to reflect on experiences and share journal writing.

Day 3

History of New Mexico's Cultures

• Morning session with historian Marc Simmons, author of New Mexico: an Interpretive History.
• Afternoon visit to the Museum of International Folk Art, with artist Marie Romero Cash.
• Evening meeting: Conversation with Rina Swentzell, architect.

Day 4

Day Trip: Spanish Colonial Ranch

• Day visit to El Rancho de las Golondrinas, with historian Adrian Bustamante and Golondrinas administrator John Berkenfield
• Evening meeting: Research groups

Day 5

Day Trip: Taos

• High Road to Taos: Chimayo, Las Trampas, Ranchos de Taos
• Taos Pueblo
• Mabel Dodge Luhan House
• Evening meeting: Research groups 

Day 6

Day in Santa Fe

• Morning visit to Randall Davies Audubon Environmental Center.
• Afternoon visit to Georgia O'Keefe Museum and Museum of Indian Art and Culture.

Day 7

• Research day and/or optional field study
• Day visit to Ghost Ranch, home of Georgia O'Keefe
• Evening meeting: Research groups

Day 8

• Morning research or optional field trip
• Afternoon presentations of projects
• Evening gallery openings and dinner celebration

Day 9

• Depart Santa Fe

Suggested Optional Field Trips

• School of American Research
• Artist's studios
• Galleries
• Walks in the surrounding area
• Palace of the Governors
• Museum of Fine Arts
• Historical walking tour of Santa Fe

LESLEY SEMINAR COURSE IN NEW MEXICO

Participants interested in extending their stay can register for Landscape Painting: Searching for the Spirit of Georgia O’Keefe, taught by Kat O’Connor. This exciting travel course, sponsored with the Worcester Art Museum, offers opportunities to paint in the magnificent New Mexico landscape, while simultaneously absorbing the area’s rich Spanish and Indian cultures. Visit www.lesley.edu/ce/ls/arts.html for details.

Landscape Painting: Searching for the Spirit of Georgia O'Keeffe
LFINE 5000 KAT O'CONNOR

DATE: Saturday, August 4–Sunday, August 12
LOCATION: Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico

FEES: includes academic instruction, eight-nights housing and board at Ghost Ranch, travel and field trips in New Mexico, and O'Keeffe House and Museum admission. The fees do not include airfare to and from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Non-credit:$1,775 (double room/common bath)
$2,095 (semi-private room/shared bath)
$2,175 (single room with bath)
$1,575 (non-student guest)
3 Credits: An additional $450.
Note: Lesley students pay their regular tuition rate plus $900.
 
PREREQUISITE: Students should be proficient in their choice of color medium (watercolor, traditional and water soluble oil, acrylics, colored pencil or pastel).
NOTE: Space is limited, so register early.
 
Follow in Georgia O'Keeffe’s footsteps, as we paint in many of her favorite locations at and around Ghost Ranch—including the spectacular White Place (Plaza Blanca) where she painted Blue Sky, a painting owned by the Worcester Art Museum. Students will learn to create strong compositional studies, preparatory sketches, and color studies for on-site works. Work in your preferred medium—oil, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, or pastel—and come with a basic understanding of that medium. Course instruction will include lectures, discussions, individual time with the instructor, museum tours, and critiques.
 
This exciting travel course, co-sponsored by the Worcester Art Museum and Lesley University, provides you with opportunities to paint in the magnificent New Mexico landscape, while simultaneously absorbing the area’s rich Spanish and Indian cultures. Residing at Ghost Ranch, you’ll have ample time to explore the nearby hills, Kitchen Mesa, Chama River, and the Pedernal, some of O’Keeffe’s favorite painting sites. The first night will be spent at Ghost Ranch in Santa Fe, providing the opportunity to kick off our week with a visit to the O'Keeffe Museum. A subsequent optional visit to Santa Fe later in the week will focus on exploring its rich culture, food, and art scene.
 
Most painting is done out-of-doors, and requires moderate walking and carrying abilities, although there are a limited number of electric golf carts which can be rented directly from Ghost Ranch for travel around the ranch (not included in the fee).
 
Faculty Bio:
Kat O’Connor earned a Bachelor of Arts in drawing with highest honors from Montana State University in 1990, and an M.F.A. in painting from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1995. She has exhibited her work nationwide, including three solo shows at regional museums, and has won numerous awards. Her work is included in many private and corporate collections, and she is currently represented by Joyce Paulson Associates of Cambridge, MA. O’Connor has shared her love of art with students at Southwest Texas State University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Worcester State College, Worcester Art Museum, and the DeCordova Museum.

http://www.lesley.edu/ce/

Click here to view photos from Summer 2003 trip

For more information please contact:

Joyce Wadlington at (617) 349-8298