West Virginia University students recently returned from Italy, where they studied art history in the medieval town of San Gemini.
Together, WVU and San Gemini Preservation Studies offer two summer sessions of art history courses in San Gemini, Umbria, Italy. The program is offered to all students, including students outside of WVU whose institutions don’t provide the experience. During their session, participants take art history courses on restoration, sketching, painting and ceramics.
“Italy is an artist’s dream. Everywhere you look there’s artwork that I only thought I’d see in my textbooks,” said Kelsey Clodfetter, an art history major who participated in the San Gemini program during the summer 2024 semester.
Rhonda Reymond, an associate professor at the School of Art and Design led 16 students through the program’s 2024 run.
“The experience is especially impactful for our Technical Art History students who plan to go into some facet of art and object conservation,” Reymond said. “Not only do they get hands-on experience and a chance to see if a particular medium is a good fit, but they can also use the hours toward their pre-graduate program field experience requirement.”
Students took classes in San Gemini and explored Italy.
San Gemini Preservation Studies is a non-profit international institute for restoration and preservation studies (IIRPS). Based out of Brooklyn, New York, the organization works with highly qualified art conservators to provide students with rare opportunities to get hands-on with ancient artworks and techniques.
Through the partnership with WVU, students from any major can register for the summer sessions. Liza Wan, a biology major preparing for dental school, said the trip provided a unique opportunity to embrace the creative side of her field.
“When I burnished my gilded panels, it was similar to how dentists burnish silver amalgam fillings,” Wan said. “When I mixed plaster for frescos, it was like mixing alginate for impressions. And of course, matching colors, shades, and shapes to create an appealing final product is important too. Restoration is a part of both fields. Dentists just work on a different medium: teeth!”
Reymond said the intense four-week program encourages both professional and personal growth. Though their courses are in English; students are immersed in the Italian language and culture.
“I was lucky to be able to travel to many cities during my time there,” Clodfetter said. “One of my favorite moments was in Siena. We arrived in the city just five minutes before the Palio, a famous medieval horse race, started in the Campo di Fiori. The jockeys represent the different contradas (neighborhoods) of the city, and they have their own mascots, colors, and traditions. Our entire time there was full of festivals and music.”
“At the Carsulae archaeological site, I walked on an ancient Roman road!” Wan said. “I also visited Assisi and Spoleto to see the beautiful churches. At the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, I saw works by Cimabue and Giotto. And in the Spoleto Cathedral, I saw a beautiful fresco by Filippo Lippi. It’s breathtaking to see these artists’ works in real life. I also visited Marmore Falls, a waterfall made by the Romans. Through these visits, I have gained more appreciation for Italy's history and beauty.”
Students interested in participating in the San Gemini Preservation Studies program can visit artanddesign.wvu.edu. Students can apply for the Gilman Scholarship, which provides funding for undergraduate study abroad including the San Gemini trip.