BISP spent four days in the city of Glasgow, and we went to quite a few art galleries and museums as part of our British Art course with Scott Kolbo. My personal favorite was the McClellan Galleries. There was a great variety in the artwork, ranging from the Renaissance styles (including work by Rembrandt) to the more modern art (there were a few works by Constable and Turner). There were also some pieces by Mackintosh’s wife, which were especially important in Glasgow because Mackintosh is like the patron of the city. Everywhere you go you see work that he has done, both in architecture and in artwork.

When we weren’t spending time in the galleries and museums, we spent our time wandering around and becoming familiar with the city. We were pretty close to the center so there was always a lot going on. Personally I found that I preferred Glasgow to Edinburgh, although I think this had to do with the fact that there were not nearly as many tourists in Glasgow, because there was no Edinburgh Arts Festival going on there. The city felt less commercialized, and that made it easier to see the real culture of the “Glaswegians.”

Another great thing about Glasgow was that, for the first time on the BISP, we had TVs in our rooms. This was amazing and probably the most exciting thing ever. OK, not really, but it was interesting to see the minor differences between British and American TV. They actually dub over a lot of American commercials with British accents, and I didn’t even think it was possible, but British daytime soaps are even more horrible than American soaps. So that just about sums up what I remember about Glasgow. It was a great city and very supportive of the arts. I hope I can go back again at some point in the future.

Caroline
Undeclared Major

We arrived in Wales after a long day of train travel from Liverpool. Burdened by our heavy backpacks, we trudged up the hill to the university, passing bilingual street signs in recognizable English and mysterious Welsh – Northgate Street was Stryd y Dollbarth, Elysian Grove became Llwyn Afallon, and Y Stryd Fawr meant Great Darkgate Street. Arriving at the campus, we were checked into our dorm rooms – singles, which is always a treat. The afternoon was spent relaxing and exploring Aberystwyth before a group meal in the cafeteria on campus.

It was in Aberystwyth that we began our art projects – daunting, but it was good to channel our experiences on the trip creatively. We were able to use one of the classrooms, so we spent a few hours cutting and gluing with some Simon and Garfunkel playing quietly in the background – everyone sang along when “Cecilia” came on. Presentations on the artists we researched were delivered on the lawn outside our dorm, an area we dubbed “the grassy knoll.”

On Saturday we went as a group to a production put on by the National Youth Theatre of Wales – a show called “Botticelli’s Bonfire,” which dealt with iconoclasm (destruction of art and icons) and was surprisingly relevant to the course. The biggest surprise was that a large amount of the dialogue was in Welsh – we lost the meaning of the lines, but it was worth it to hear the fascinating language used.

On our last day in Wales, we took an old fashioned steam train from Aberystwyth to an area called Devil’s Bridge, where we spent the afternoon hiking. The trail wound around waterfalls and valleys, with perilously steep stairs and spectacular vistas. Afterwards, the group collapsed on a grassy area and sunbathed – napping and reading before the train brought us back. We packed our luggage that night, prepared to set out for Penzance the next day.

Katherine
Communications Major

Entering our third country in the United Kingdom brought much relaxation! Our time in Aberystwyth, Wales was incredible. The scenic landscape and quiet little town was a perfect place for us all to relax and enjoy. The town is located on the coast, with many Victorian style homes lining the water. I have fallen in love with all the different colors of doors in the United Kingdom. Aberystwyth triggered my camera-happy finger, with its scenic beauty and unique doors.

We stayed at The University of Wales at Aberystwyth in the dorm rooms. The University was up a big hill and looked over the town. Our rooms were single dorm rooms with a nice view. The weather during our stay was beautiful, with only one rainy day. With the warm sunshine we enjoyed having class on a grassy hill! Here we started our art projects. The project was used as a tool to help us reflect about our time in the British Isles so far. Within the drawing/collage an object, landscape, self portrait, master study, and text had to be present.

Sunsets are my favorite and Aberystwyth was the perfect place to enjoy the colors of the sky. Many of us would head down to the water to watch the sun set at night. My favorite evening was the night a big group of us went and got Kebabs and ate our dinner sitting on the wall watching the sun set over the ocean.

One of our day trips was taken on a steam train to Devil’s Bridge. The train ride was gorgeous with the green hills, sparkling ponds, and cute little lambs that covered the hillsides. The ride was about an hour and we even had to stop to fill the train with water so we could make it up the hill! Once arriving at Devil’s Bridge, we went on a hike around the waterfalls. Our hike was through many green trees that would frame the falls. There were three different waterfalls within our 45 minute hike. Being in God’s beautiful creation was incredible. The weather was lovely with the warm September sun beating down on us as we walked through the lush trees. As crazy as it sounds, some of us enjoyed tea up in a little house after our hike!

In Wales they have very cute wooden spoons called Love Spoons. They were given to symbolize courting in a relationship and to show love for each other. These hand-crafted spoons were in many of the stores. Each spoon is different and unique in size, shape, and stain of wood. Between the landscapes, sunsets over the ocean, quiet town, Devil’s Bridge, and the Love Spoons….My time in Wales was delightful!

Nicole
English Major

The cultural diversity and aesthetic quality of the city of London never cease to amaze me. This being the second time we've been here, I've already mastered the Tube and found regular hunting grounds for further exploration. To name a few, the Golden Jubilee Bridge is lovely to walk across, especially at night when most of the city, including the bridge, glows with light. Another special place for me is the South Bank near Waterloo Station. A jumble of shops, street performers and white and blue string lights makes this a perfect place to sip a latte and people-watch.

Now to art. As you know, I am no art major, but I have enjoyed this section of the trip very much. The Tate Britain has by far been my favorite gallery thus far. The first time we went as a group, I was overwhelmed by the amount of wonderful art contained within the walls. Since it is too much to mention at once, I'll mention only a couple things. First, the painting The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse. I've been looking forward to seeing this painting ever since my advisor told me it was in London. To see it in the Tate, up close, is a beautiful sight. I think I sat there for at least 10 minutes just looking at it. The detail and work put into the painting is absolutely brilliant. The painting's subject was inspired by Tennyson's poem of the same name. Even though it is inspired by a poem, one does not have to know the poem to feel the sorrow, pain and unique beauty in the picture. It was a breathtaking experience.

The second time I ventured to the Tate Britain, I did so alone to see Chris Ofili's newly opened exhibition of monkey paintings. This is the same Ofili that caused the art scandal in New York City when a painting of the Madonna with decorated elephant dung on it was shown there. The monkey paintings also had elephant dung, decorated with beads and glitter, recognizing Ofili's African heritage in which elephant dung has mystical qualities and high importance. The paintings were a spectacle of African design and vibrant color, beautiful, exotic, and no doubt worth the couple of hours I spent there.

Another event of high worth was one of a different matter, but still wonderfully aesthetic: theatre. I had the oppurtunity to see one of Shakespeare's 30-some odd plays in the famous Globe Theatre--rebuilt as it was thought to be in his time, thatched roof and all, pre-1666 when the Great Fire destroyed it. Having never seen The Winter's Tale performed, and having studied it fairly recently in Doug Sugano's Shakespeare class, I jumped at the chance to see it. I bought a groundling ticket, which gave me entrance to the standing room directly in front of the stage-- where lowly peasants and tradesmen stood hundreds of years ago. The beauty of the Globe is that everyone can afford it. My ticket cost £5, and there are box seats that offer slightly more comfort with a sitting pillow for a good sum more. It is just as in "Sweet Will's" day; peasants and nobles alike had the means to attend theatre performances. As far as the play's concerned, it was the best Shakespeare performance I've seen in my 20 years. A play at the Globe is a unique experience. I reccommend being a groundling, turning off all non-Elizabethan forms of communication, putting away the magic flashing box and transporting back in time to a world of musicians, oaths of love, bears, rivalries, and above all, clowns. As long as some Shakespeare plays can be, especially when one is standing, I dared not avert my eyes from the scene. Three hours later, I was speeding happily down the Tube back to the hotel, just a bit more in love with the old charming city of London.

Jenny
Religion Major

After a week of the craziness of life in Glasgow and Liverpool, it was a breath of fresh air to take the train to Wales and spend our second week in the tiny town of Aberystwyth. We literally walked off the train with huge smiles on our faces as we saw how quaint and sunny this little town by the beach was, and knew it was going to be a good week!

While we were in Glasgow and Liverpool, the majority of our time was spent viewing and evaluating art at various museums. Aberystwyth was our time and place to make it. There are no galleries in this small town, and a local student even laughed when he heard we had come there to study art. In reality the setting was absolutely perfect to create our own pieces. To be in such a restful place, and experience the beauty of the ocean, was quite inspiring; it made me want to create something! The pace of life there inspired reflection as well... without a billion different options of things to do every moment as in a city, we instead spent our days working on projects, and evenings watching the sunset together on the beach, skipping rocks, and thinking about life.

We were given the assignment of making a book of any sort that was a reflection of our experience thus far. It was to include a self-portrait, landscape, master study, object drawing, and text... and from the beginning, it was incredible to see how each individual ran with such broad guidelines and created a piece which truly fit them. None of us (except for one art major) had any previous experience with art, and thus we came to this project with much apprehension, but once we actually started, it was an exciting and enjoyable experience to try making something ourselves, after having spent so much time reading about art. The assignment helped us reflect upon and process all that we had experienced thus far. And, as we shared the finished products recently, it was apparent how going through that process of trying to communicate our experience and create something of worth, was significant and transforming for each person. In addition, I think making our own art has changed the way we view the art we have seen since. I now understand that seriously to attempt to make art is quite a feat, demanding all of one's efforts. Therefore art deserves respect, regardless of what I might think of it otherwise.

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