I chose to
study abroad in Barcelona because it’s a city with a lot of art culture. Back in the United States, my major is graphic design and I love everything about it. My study abroad experience has been enhancing my knowledge of this field by learning through different approaches. I am learning about topics that relate to design in various ways and this is allowing me to gain new perspectives and inspiration. In this blog I will explain what my education here in Barcelona is like and why I believe it is a great place for graphic designers to study.
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| A painting by Joan Miró in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona |
I am enrolled in the Business, Design, and Innovation program with CEA. This means that I take a class through the University of Vic with study abroad students from other programs and countries. However, since the University of Vic is actually located really far away from Barcelona, the class is held at BAU, which is a design school in Barcelona. My favorite part about it is that the school building is an old factory that has been renovated to have a modern interior with a lot of character. The class that I am taking here is called “Design Thinking” and I like it a lot. It is about creative thinking and teaches different ways to problem-solve and stimulate ideas.
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| The design school, BAU, used to be an old factory! |
I will say that one of the main reasons I chose Barcelona is because I was fascinated about the architecture, especially that of Gaudí. I knew I wanted to learn more about his work. One of my favorite classes that I am taking with CEA is called Architecture and Painting in Barcelona. My favorite part is that we don’t just learn from a book. We sometimes tour the buildings we are learning about during class periods, because what better way to learn than by observing the works in person? I am also looking forward to learning more about other artists such as Picasso, Dalí, and Miró.
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| A visit to the Sagrada Família with my Architecture and Painting class to study Gaudí's work |
Another great thing about Barcelona is that there are so many museums! Which means there are so many opportunities to learn about art and design. One of my favorites is the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, which contains all sorts of art, from thousand-year old Romanesque paintings to Art Nouveau furniture. This week I visited the Disseny Hub Barcelona (the Museum of Design) and it has exhibitions of graphic design, fashion, furniture, and much more! Also many of these museums are free to enter on weekend afternoons!
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| Looking at the graphic design pieces at the Museum of Design in Barcelona |
Photography is another one of my passions and I was really excited to learn that I would be able to study it in Barcelona. I am taking a photography class which teaches both the technical aspects of the art and encourages me to become more immersed in the culture of Barcelona as I go out to take photos. This week, my teacher took us to a museum exhibit and we studied photographs by a famous photographer from Barcelona. I also have the opportunity of being a MOJO photographer for CEA which means that I take photos like these on the blog. It’s been a really great experience so far and is helping me improve my photo skills. I would definitely encourage anyone studying abroad with CEA that is interested in photography to apply for this position!
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| My teacher explaining the photographs of a Barcelona photographer in the museum exhibit |
Sarah H. is the Fall 2017 MOJO Photographer in Barcelona, Spain. She is currently a Junior studying Graphic Design at Champlain College.
