Just past the mid-point of the Spring 2023 semester, as everyone was in need of a little additional inspiration, Drs. Kris Belden-Adams and Karen Barber arranged an optional long-weekend trip to Chicago for interested students in their Introduction to Western Art (AH101 Honors) and Art History II. (AH202) courses, and Belden-Adams’s 19th Century Art class (AH351).
The group walked the Loop to see public sculptures, and boarded an Architecture Boat Tour to learn more about the city’s vibrant architectural history, which started with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. But the highlight of the trip (next to the amazing deep-dish pizza) was a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago. Students saw art from all periods and from all over the world in the museum’s top-rate collection, and also saw some of their favorite in-class artworks, in real life. For many students who had never before left the South, the trip opened their eyes to new artworks, cultures, and life experiences.
If you would like to donate to the department to help cover the costs of future trips for students, please contact the University of Mississippi Foundation at umf@umfoundation.com.
