*Note: Dates subject to change
Come to Peru and encounter a unique cultural experience while gaining insight into South America's large tradition of textile crafts as well as other artistic practices. In addition to our in-depth study of textiles, we will also concentrate on art practices and institutions, focusing on those which have opposed political and social oppression. In this sense, we will visit museums and artists' studios/galleries in both Cusco and Lima. We’ll explore Peru’s rich culinary history by visiting San Pedro Market in Cusco and learn to cook traditional dishes. In Lima we will embark on a tour of traditional restaurants in the bohemian arts district of Barranca where we will dine like the locals. Another focus is the pre-Hispanic archaeological sites located in the Sacred Valley, with a visit to Machu Picchu as the highlight.
The studio element of the trip will primarily take place in the small Incan town of Ollantaytambo where we will learn to spin, dye and weave wool yarn using indigenous Quechuan craft traditions. Working with a women's weaving cooperative in Patacancha, a small mountain village located 45 minutes from Ollantaytambo, we will spin yarn by hand and learn basic and advanced back-strap weaving techniques from the artisans. We will work with a local master dyer gathering flora and fauna on the mountainside and dye the yarn that we have spun with these materials.
Meals will be shared with local families in both Ollantaytambo and Patacancha to gain a better entrance into and appreciation of Peruvian culture. In this small way, we will embrace cultural tourism as a means of inter-cultural exchange which in turn helps to reduce stereotypes commonly associated with tourists and the host country. This will begin the conversation as to the difference between mass tourism and traveling purposely within a community.
This study trip will give enough occasions to savor the wonderful landscapes of the Sacred Valley and the Pacific coast, to visit many cultural heritage sites, to gain a hands-on knowledge of Peruvian cooking and its textile culture, and to interact one-on-one with the locals.
Credits: 3 or 6 credits STUDIO (3000-level)
Instructors:
Pamela Vanderlinde, Fashion Design
Eva Marxen, Art Therapy
Program fee: Approx. $2,650 (including transport during the program, accommodation and some meals; not including airfare to Peru).
PLUS Tuition cost per credit:
Undergraduate—$1,613 per credit hour
Graduate—$1,665 per credit hour
Airfare:
Budget at least $900 for airfare if flying from the United States. (Note this is only an estimated figure. Actual fare will depend on many variables including airline, number of stopovers, exchange rate fluctuations, ports of departure and return, and date of ticket purchase).
Online registration begins: October 10, 2018
Deposit due at registration: $525
Information sessions:
Monday, September 10, 12:10 p.m.
MacLean Centre, 112 S. Michigan Ave., room MC 707
Thursday, September 27, 4:15 p.m.
MacLean Centre, 112 S. Michigan Ave., room MC 112
