Travel & Transport

BFA/BA Semester Abroad and Post-Baccalaureate Residency Travel

In coming to Pont-Aven students and faculty study, make and experience art in an international contemporary art context. The scene is different, who are the artists, where are the art galleries and alternative exhibition spaces, what is being shown in the salons and art fairs? New architectural ideas are going hand in hand with fine art theory. Traveling as a group to places like London, Venice, Madrid, Paris, and Berlin, we explore these art centers together, discussing what we see: the local zeitgeist as well as techniques, social issues, and new approaches to the integration of art, architecture and city planning.

These visits will be an integral part of course work, with group discussions led by faculty focused both on particular works of art and broader concepts. Encounters with artists and art students in each city will intensify the experience. Students will return to Pont-Aven with sketches and ideas to feed their studio work. This travel component is a requirement of the program, as it is integral to the PASCA concept of integrating international contemporary art with studio focus.

Transportation and Travel for all Programs

The semester program calendar alternates between focused studio/classroom time in Pont-Aven and two intensive Study Trips to major centers of contemporary art, including London (Frieze), Paris (FIAC), Venice (Biennale), Madrid (ARCO), Berlin, Bilbao, and Barcelona. The students can thus experience both the stimulation of a vibrant international art scene as well as immersion in French village life, allowing them the time, space, and safe environment that encourages the exchange of ideas and exploration of new possibilities.

Transportation by bus the beginning and end of the program to Pont-Aven from Paris, and from Pont-Aven back to Paris, will be arranged by PASCA and is included in the program costs. Air transportation to and from Paris at the beginning and end of the program must be arranged individually or through PASCA’s designated travel agency, and is the responsibility of the student. Most transportation in and around Pont-Aven is done by foot. No home is more than a 15 minute walk from the school, and it is perfectly safe to walk the village streets at any hour. There is local mass-transit bus that runs between the neighboring towns of Concarneau and Quimper, and a nearby train station in Quimperlé.

All transportation expenses for required study trips are included in the cost of tuition. Additional excursions organized by the Office of Student Life may be available during the summer or semester program at an additional cost.