WVU Global Positioning Studies - GPS

03/02/2026

The application deadline for the 2026 GPS Awards is this Friday, March 6. If you have applied and been accepted to participate in a GPS course this year, this is an excellent opportunity to help offset travel costs. Please note that GPS Awards are available only to School of Art & Design majors.

Eligible Courses for 2026 GPS Awards:
🌎 19th Century Landscape Art & Photography in France
🌎 Ceramics in China
🌎 Disegno Italia
🌎 Jackson Hole Photography Workshop
🌎 San Gemini Preservation Studies

For more information please visit: https://creativeartsandmedia.wvu.edu/school-of-art-and-design/resources/gps-award

02/01/2026

ATTENTION STUDENTS: The application deadline for most Summer semester GPS courses is today, Sunday, February 1. Don’t miss this opportunity to earn academic credit while participating in immersive, hands-on learning experiences around the world.

Below is a brief overview of available Summer 2026 GPS courses. Please follow the links for full details and application information.

19th Century Landscape Art & Photography in France
May 13–23, 2026
This collaboratively taught Art History and Photography course examines how place shaped landscape art in 19th-century France, with travel to Paris, surrounding suburbs, and key regional artist colonies.
https://wvuabroad.wvu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=12077

Ceramics in China
June 1–July 11, 2026
Partnering with Jingdezhen Ceramic University, this program immerses students in Chinese ceramic traditions, culture, and contemporary practice while studying with leading Chinese artists in the historic center of porcelain production.
https://wvuabroad.wvu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=910

Disegno Italia
June 28–July 25, 2026
A four-week study abroad program that explores Italian art and design through place-based learning in Tuscany and contemporary design study in Milan.
https://wvuabroad.wvu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=897

Jackson Hole Photography Workshop
June 9–18, 2026
An immersive photography course exploring the dramatic landscapes of northwestern Wyoming, including Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.
https://jhpw.wvu.edu/

San Gemini Preservation Studies
June 29–July 8, 2026
A summer field school in central Italy focused on historic preservation, restoration, and conservation through lectures, research, fieldwork, workshops, and site visits.
https://wvuabroad.wvu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=11181

These programs offer truly life-changing experiences while helping you make progress toward your degree. Apply soon, and feel free to reach out with any questions!

02/01/2026

09/29/2025

The Architect Frank Lloyd Wright course explores Wright’s life, work, and impact on modern architecture. From Prairie Houses to Fallingwater and the Guggenheim, students study how his designs respond to place. With direct access to Fallingwater and Kentuck K**b, students engage deeply with Wright’s theory of organic architecture—a foundation for today’s sustainable design.

09/26/2025

Space: Atacama is a four-week, six-credit multimedia art adventure course in the remote northern desert of Chile. Students immerse themselves in the landscape while exploring themes of perception, self-awareness, and environmental connection—creating bold new works that merge technology, creativity, and the raw beauty of place.

09/25/2025

Students in the Summer 2025 Art and Environment: Ireland course had the unique opportunity to work in dedicated studio spaces with access to a printing press, darkroom, photographic studio, digital lab, 3D lab, library, and more. Over the course of two weeks, they were encouraged to experiment, take risks, and push the boundaries of their creative practice. The results were inspiring and showcase the incredible talent and dedication of our students.

08/19/2025

🎨 Painting in New York City | Graduate Course 🗽

For the past two years, graduate students in the WVU School of Art & Design have spent spring break immersed in the heart of the art world. This eight-day intensive course takes students into the vibrant cultural landscape of New York City, offering an unparalleled opportunity to study painting and contemporary art in context.

The program included visits to iconic museums such as The Met and The Guggenheim, tours of galleries in Chelsea and the Lower East Side, technical workshops at painting supply studios, and explorations of the city’s dynamic public murals. Through this experience, students deepened their understanding of both historical and contemporary painting practices, while connecting directly with the city that continues to inspire artists worldwide.

08/18/2025

🍀 Art and Environment: Ireland | Summer 2025 🌊

The Summer 2025 Art and Environment: Ireland course was based at the Burren College of Art on Ireland’s west coast. Students explored the Burren region’s striking natural landscapes, diverse ecosystems, and the cultural and spiritual significance of place through studio practice and field experiences.

The program included an overnight visit to the Aran Islands, a day in Galway, foraging with local experts, conversations with local artists and writers, and excursions to nearby sites of historical and ecological interest. Open to all WVU School of Art and Design majors and minors, the course provided access to dedicated studio spaces, a printing press, darkroom, photographic studio, digital lab, 3D lab, library, and other facilities.

08/17/2025

📸 Jackson Hole Photography Workshop | Summer 2025 🏔️

The 2025 Jackson Hole Photography Workshop immersed students in the breathtaking landscapes of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This seven-day program included visits to Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and the National Elk Refuge, among others.

Based at the historic Murie Ranch, students engaged in hands-on learning with professional artists, refined their skills in digital work sessions, and received personalized critiques. The program also included inspiring visits to local galleries in Jackson, Wyoming, merging nature, art, and community.

08/17/2025

🏛️✨ San Gemini Preservation Studies | Summer 2025 ✨🇮🇹

San Gemini Preservation Studies (SGPS) provided two rigorous four-week field schools in historic preservation, restoration, and conservation in San Gemini, Central Italy. The 2025 program focused on preserving cultural heritage through hands-on projects such as cleaning and restoring the medieval city portal, cleaning ancient documents in the town archives, restoring documents on paper, cleaning and reconstructing ancient Roman pottery, creating archival boxes, and learning traditional painting techniques in San Gemini.

Students gained theoretical knowledge in classrooms and practical skills through workshops, collaborating with scholars and visiting historical archives to foster a multidisciplinary approach to historic conservation and preservation.