Study Trips

To learn more about Contemporary Art and Criticism in New York City study trip please join Study Abroad and Faculty trip leaders at one of the scheduled info sessions.

Thursday, September 14, 2023 - In-Person
11:15 am - 12:15 pm 
Sharp 817

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 - Online
3:30-4:30pm
Join via Zoom

New York City is a cultural center, and no matter where you choose to live and work, you will need to negotiate the economic, critical, and institutional hierarchies governing this metropolis. This trip starts to map the different art worlds that operate in this city and their intersections.  We will meet with artists, critics, curators, dealers, and collectors as a means of examining the dense exchanges of making and discourse. Sites visited will include artists’ studios, current exhibitions, museums, commercial galleries, and non-profit spaces.

This class is both exciting and more importantly hugely essential to all young artists and burgeoning cultural producers as it illustrates firsthand the increasingly important interrelationship between making and distribution. The contemporary art landscape is shaped by a supply-and-demand economy and to pretend otherwise is naïve. Thus, this class focuses on the interchange set up between critical, commercial, and institutional frames of success. It discusses the pros and cons of living in a cultural and economic center and should be a required class for all students, even if they hail from NYC.

Tuition Fee cost per credit (NOT INCLUDED IN PROGRAM FEE):

Undergraduate $1,785 per credit hour 
Graduate $1,860 per credit hour

Program fee (DOES NOT INCLUDE TUITION FEES):

Approx. $1250 (not including airfare to New York and accommodations). Includes admissions, ground transport, and any group meals. A group accommodation option will be provided. Students are not required to stay in group accommodations for this trip.

Accommodation

Students are not required to stay in the group accommodation for this class and may find their own accommodation provided they can meet the faculty at the scheduled departure point each morning. Details about the arranged group option accommodations, including costs, will be available at the information sessions.

Airfare

Budget appx. $300 for airfare if flying from Chicago. (Note this is only an estimated figure. Actual fare will depend on many variables including airline, number of stopovers, ports of departure and return, and date of ticket purchase).

Other expenses

Students need to plan for personal expenses while on the study trip. These would typically include primarily meals, and any other incidental items (for example, art supplies, souvenirs, etc.).

Itinerary and internal transport

Students should meet at the designated location and time for the first day of class. Students who selected to stay with the group accommodations should arrive at the designated check-in day and time.

Public transportation will be the main source of transportation and Metra Cards will be provided.
                    
Previous trip’s course testimonials

“The class was very challenging and rigorous as well as rewarding. Every day was full of activities, but we were also asked to apply critical thinking to every meeting with an artist or curator, not to accept things as they are presented to us and to question everything around us- from curatorial choices, how certain artists presented their practice and so on. We were encouraged to ask questions and lead discussions which was extremely challenging but also very rewarding.” 

“This course was an excellent way to scratch below the surface of the NYC art ecosystem and meet some of the artists, gallerists, curators, and museum administrators that make it all tick. I've done my own DIY version of this, but I especially appreciated having more of a behind-the-scenes view.”

“I would highly recommend this course to absolutely anyone at SAIC - this course is incredibly valuable to both artists, art historians, and art administrators alike. The first hand experience you will receive being on the ground and meeting with people in New York is absolutely invaluable and there is no other course that will teach you these things. Being able to see artists' studios and meet with artists who are showing at galleries and museums was incredible, and being able to meet with curators and administrators at some of the most prominent and important institutions in New York (and the world) was such a life changing experience.”                

The following students are not eligible to register for study trips:

• First-year undergraduate students who have successfully completed less than 30 credits at SAIC at the time of registration (unless a particular study trip has been designated for first-year undergraduates)
• Students currently on disciplinary probation or subject to any other disciplinary sanction
• Students currently on academic probation
• Students who have received a "No Credit" grade for a previous study trip

The following students' study trip participation will be reviewed:

• Students who become subject to academic or disciplinary sanction after registration. Note: a student whose study trip registration is canceled due to this review must appeal to the Refund Review Committee for refund of fees.

Registration for study trip is a multi-step process which takes place online via SAIC Self-Service. See a step-by-step guide to Study Trip registration.

Pre-registration and Info Sessions for summer study trips begin at the start of spring term, and at the start of the fall term for winter study trips. Pre-register via SAIC Self-Service. Select the Other Services Non-Mobile tile on your laptop. This is NOT accessible on mobile phones.

Pre-registration is mandatory for all students who plan to register for a study trip. It is REQUIRED to access to Step 2 (registration, deposit payment, waiver completion). If you are still researching options, pre-registration can help you decide—it is an easy process with important information that applies to all SAIC faculty-led study trips.

Completing Pre-registration does not register you for a study trip. By reviewing the details under each tab/section and indicating your agreement, you will be confirming your eligibility and accepting the terms of participation should you successfully register for a trip. It is a required step to move to Step 2 (registration, deposit payment, form completion). After successfully completing Pre-registration, you will receive email notification with more details about Step 2.

Financial Aid Priority: Complete pre-registration by February 15 (for summer trips), September 15 (for winter trips).

Submit a financial aid application as part of Pre-registration. If you are eligible for financial aid, and you complete Pre-registration by the financial aid priority date above, Student Financial Services will review it and issue a response prior to study trip registration. Be aware that any funds awarded will not be available for use as your study trip deposit. Note that this is not the final deadline for financial aid applications. You can still submit an application after the priority deadline and SFS will review it as soon as possible.

Register for study trip class, pay deposit, and complete a waiver and a Health Disclosure via SAIC Self-Service.

Register for Your Class
Online registration typically opens in the middle of March for summer study trips and middle of October for winter study trips. For winter 2024 study trips registration will be open on October 11, 2023.

Registration Times
8:45 a.m. – Graduate students, post-baccalaureate students, seniors, and juniors
12:00 p.m. – Sophomores

• In order to register, access PeopleSoft in the same way you would usually register for on-campus courses. Search by “Off-Campus Study Trip” subject area, and then enroll in the “Study Trip Reservation” class corresponding to the study trip you plan to take. 

• Credit type and the amount of credits (e.g., 3 credit studio and/or 3 credit art history) will be added to your registration later based on what type of credit you selected when completing Pre-registration (Step 1).

• You must have already completed Pre-registration to get access to study trip registration (Step 2). Check your account in advance and clear any holds that may prevent your ability to register. A waiting list will be available at the Registrar's Office if the trip is already full.
   

Pay Your Study Trip Deposit
After you successfully register, you must pay a nonrefundable $525 deposit within 24 hours in order to secure your place. Payment can be made by credit card (Visa, Discover, American Express, or MasterCard) or by electronic check (ACH) via the TransAct link in the My Account section of Self-Service. You may also pay by paper check or money order in US currency at:

SAIC Bursar's Office: Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave., room 245

Important: As study trip deposits are nonrefundable, do not pay your deposit before you have successfully registered for the trip.

Complete Waiver and Health Disclosure Tabs in Self-Service
Each participant is required to read, understand, and sign a waiver within 24 hours of registering as well as complete a health disclosure. These must be submitted in SAIC Self-Service as soon as you make your deposit. Access them at Study Trips Step 2 under the Other Services Non-Mobile tile on your laptop. (Not accessible on a mobile phone). Read them in advance to become familiar with SAIC policies.

• Legal Waiver
• Health Disclosure
• Study Abroad Alcohol Use Guidelines
• Cancellation Agreement
• Covid-19 Travel Waiver (This will be a paper form completed and submitted to Study Abroad)

Failure to make your non-refundable deposit and agree to each item outlined in the Waiver tab within 24 hours may drop you from the course.

After registering, each participant must return to the Study Trip link in SAIC Self-Service to complete the My Travel Info tab by a specified due date soon after registration. Here is a copy of the tab:

• Travel Information

Other information that must be submitted to Study Abroad:

• A copy of your passport (for international trips)