Among the swirling cultural scenes and historic artwork that fills the streets of Rome, 14 students from Moore College of Art & Design learned to connect with themselves, their art and the world around them.
The trip was conceived and led by Francesco Sgrazzutti, an adjunct professor of Interior Design at Moore. Sgrazzutti, who moved from Venice, Italy, to the United States in 2007, was excited about bringing a group of students of all ages and all majors to the Italian capital, which he described as an artist “destination for centuries.”
Throughout this unique 12-day trip, students were exposed to both institutional Roman art and contemporary scenes throughout the city. Each student was required to create a series of 30 or more hand sketches that told the story of their trip through their eyes.
Sgrazzutti assigned hand sketching over digital design because he felt it allowed the artists to remain present and weave themselves into the city’s “social fabric.”
“I wanted, for one moment, for this sketch to belong only to them,” he said. “Otherwise, you produce something which is intended for somebody else. And we need also to deal with our own ego and try to communicate first of all, to ourselves or to an ideal audience, but without feeling the push of pleasing anyone.”
Although Sgrazzutti wanted students to visit architectural landmarks and museums—they took guided tours of St. Peter's Basilica and the MAXXI Museum of 21st Century Art, to name a few—the professor made sure they experienced the daily life around them.
They stopped in sustainable fabric stores, perfume shops, coffee shops and anywhere else that allowed students to become part of the city.
“You expose yourself to the unfamiliar in order to know better about a different culture and know more about yourself. And I think. in the research that every artist undergoes. is a great occasion,” Sgrazzutti said. “It’s not by chance that many artists in the past traveled to get inspiration.”
Addison Earnst ’25, an Illustration major, applied for the trip to expand on both the drawing skills and social skills she said she learned at Moore. When it came time to sketch, Earnst said she learned to focus on the current moment rather than pushing for perfection.
“The assignments were loose enough to where you could put your own personal spin on things, but also structured enough that you didn't feel like you were alienated from what was going on,” she said. “[Sgrazzutti] did a really good job of making sure that we were able to put our own touch on things instead of all of our sketchbooks looking the same and doing similar work even if we were all at the same place.”
Addison Earnst '25.
Earnst enjoyed the benefits of traveling with an interdisciplinary group. She was able to make friends—and stay friends—with people she’d never met at Moore because they were in a different major. Ultimately, the social and artistic aspects combined to make the trip a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” that enriched her education back home.
“I think it helped me be less self-conscious of my work,” she said. “I used to be really afraid of drawing in front of people. When you're in a situation where not only do you have to, but it's fun, it definitely makes a difference.”
After they returned to Moore, Sgrazzutti asked students to write an essay about their adventures. He said he wants them to think of each moment as chapters of a book, stringing them together to create a narrative about their time in Rome.
Those narratives will be on display for the Moore community to see from March 9 to April 13 in The Galleries at Moore. The essays and a collection of sketches will also be accompanied by a slideshow of photos from the excursion.
When asked if he’d like to go on another study abroad trip with students in the future, Sgrazzutti answered with an emphatic “yes,” and only one destination came to mind: “Venice.”
Want to learn more about more enriching opportunities to study abroad and travel internationally at Moore? Click here for more info!
Photos by Francesco Sgrazzutti, Interior Design adjunct faculty.
