By Isabelle Talley
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| Dancing in the rain on the top of a Meteora monastery! |
Why study abroad in Greece?
Greece has always been one of my top bucket list places to visit. It's also where most of the art fundamentals originated. The country is full of beautiful bright colors and I wanted to see them first hand to hopefully inspire me for future artworks. This 17-day trip was a for-credit Nazareth art history course, Aegean Art & Culture.
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| Standing in front of The Maidens at the Acropolis Museum (just smiling, because funny poses were not allowed). |
What were your top experiences in Greece?
The first happened when we visited the Acropolis. When we were walking through the entryway architecture (Propylaea), it just hit me how old this structure really was. The fact that we could be right up close to the original material (so much so that I touched it) was mind-blowing. All I could think about was the number of people spanning centuries who have walked where I was walking.
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| Posing with friends in front of the Parthenon on the Acropolis. |
The second happened when we visited the Meteora (suspended) mountain-top monasteries. These mountains were uniquely made from the whole area being underwater at one point. Settlers found these spectacular structures and made monasteries at the tops. Our first day there was a cold, rainy day. I was taught that rain just makes a day more memorable, so as it started to pour in the middle of our tour, I kept that same attitude. A few other students and I were out in the courtyard of the monastery dancing in the rain. It was truly the most fun experience I've ever had. I also was able to see a lightning strike between the clouds as we were walking back down the steps. I felt like a little kid again. The day would have been amazing if the sun was shining, but the rain made it unforgettable!
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| Painting I made, inspired by my experience at Meteora, titled: Dancing in The Rain. It can be seen on Instagram (@isabelle.art05), my art account. |
What was challenging about the experience?
The biggest challenge of the trip was the food. I'm a picky eater and my stomach got to a point where it didn't want to experience any more new flavors or textures. Everything tasted like olive oil, and I was homesick for the flavors I'm used to. I powered through it though because I couldn't not eat. I figured out I could order their versions of my comfort foods (chicken nuggets, chicken souvlaki, pizza, pasta, etc.). I actually ended up liking their versions more because they tasted fresh and were less heavy on my stomach. I did try as many new foods as my stomach could handle though. It was really cool being able to shock my friends by telling them I ate fried octopus tentacle, saganaki, grilled fish, and so much more. Although it was uncomfortable, it did broaden my palette!
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| My friends and I stumbled upon an outdoor craft show in the National Gardens in Athens during our free time. |
How did studying abroad change you?
It changed my whole perspective of the world. It felt as if a door was opened up to me. I know other places exist but physically being there made it real. It also reformed my timeline of the world. I knew our country was young, but being in Greece and seeing structures from thousands of years ago really put things into perspective. I was just in awe in the ancient city of Philippi where we most likely walked where the apostle Paul walked.
It also updated my comfort zone. I'd never been that far away from home. I started to miss my comforts but learned how to find new ones within the new culture. I learned how to stay positive while being uncomfortable.
The art history part of the trip added very valuable tools to my artist toolbelt. Greek art set the foundation that led to the Renaissance, Impressionism, all the way up to Contemporary Art now. It deepened my understanding of the artwork by physically standing in front of it and looking at it with my own eyes.
I have the goal of becoming a full-time fine artist and this trip allowed me to learn how to turn my life experiences into inspiration for artwork. I was able to create and show a small body of work from the trip, which allowed me to practice showing a collection and talking about my work in front of other people! I was also lucky enough to sell some original work (that wasn't a commission) for the first time!
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| Title of painting: Opened. Original painting sold to the Center for International Education. It’s currently hanging in the study abroad conference room! |
What difference did it make to have a Naz SPARK Grant ($1,500)?
The SPARK Grant was the reason I was able to go on the trip. I've never really traveled, due to low funds, and I wouldn't have been able to afford a trip like this if it wasn't for the SPARK Grant!
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| Laughing with my Naz professors, Hilary (Toothe) and Doot (Bokelman), on the rooftop of our hotel. It was our last night in Greece and we were celebrating our last yamas (cheers), with smiles, wine, music, and Uno! |
What prepared you to get the most out of this experience?
The art history professors (Doot and Hilary) helped prepare me in past classes to be able to effectively absorb the information on the trip. Also, their amazing personalities made the trip so fun and memorable.
Isabelle Talley graduated from Letchworth Central School (New York) and is a junior at Naz majoring in studio art. She is co-president and a dancer and choreographer for Dare2Dance. She also works as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the local YMCA. She was so inspired by her Greece experience that she is intent on traveling again; she’s looking forward to studying in Vietnam and Cambodia in the summer and hopes to make and sell more artwork from that trip, “so stay tuned,” she says.
