The Art of Personal Expression

Visual Arts Intensive
July 3 - 15, 2026

Round Roman arches, frescos, and Renaissance masterpieces frame this experience immersing students in the historic and natural beauty of Spoleto. Students will derive inspiration for their artwork from the architecture, gardens, and culture that surrounds them. Embarking on day excursions with an art historian to the surrounding hillside towns, students will glean first-hand knowledge of intrinsically woven regional artwork. As the sun gently fills the landscape, with easels and mediums in hand, students will set forth into the medieval village of Spoleto, Italy. Carefully guided to understand the nuances of light, color, line, and form, they will narrate their personal experience onto paper, drawing board, and canvas. Students will capture details through expository drawings in their sketchbooks, fundamental to building observation and developing visual research. In the studio, students will work with varied drawing mediums to render figures and form. Exercises are targeted to expand a students’ skill base bringing their drawing/painting to a higher level. Studies will address the understanding of proportion, composition, and value as it relates to the picture plane. Traditional and contemporary processes will be explored.
- Portfolio Development
- Plein Air Painting in Local Spoleto
- Still Life, Landscape, Portrait, Figural Studies
- Drawing Foundations and Techniques (Pastel, Charcoal, Conte, & Ink)
- Painting Techniques
- Italian Art History with Day Trips
- Advanced Color Theory
- Art Criticism
- Writing Artist’s Statements
- Composition
- Review of Elements of Art and Principles of Design
- Sketchbook Growth
Raúl Miyar
*subject to change
Born in Cuba and raised in the United States, Raúl Miyar has been a professor and the Chair of the Fine Arts/Illustration Department at Chavón | The School of Design in the Dominican Republic for the past twenty years. Chavón is an affiliate of the Parsons School of Design in New York.
He received his BFA from Xavier University and his MFA from the University of Cincinnati. Before becoming the Chair of the Chavón Fine Arts Department, Raúl taught Visual Arts and Art History at The Lovett School in Atlanta, GA. He has taught in the Spoleto Study Abroad program since 2000. In addition to teaching, he has also focused on curatorial work in the Dominican Republic for the past several years and is the Head Curator at Casa Quien Gallery in Santo Domingo, DR. He has also been creating personalized amulets to satisfy his need to work with his hands for over fifteen years (raulmiyar.com). Raúl currently resides in the Dominican Republic.
Our class schedule follows a typical Italian pace of life. The sample schedule below may vary slightly to allow students to paint/sketch at all times of the day. There may also be variation to accommodate the interests of the group and the work each student would like to do in Spoleto.
- 8:00am - Breakfast at the Convent
- 9:00am - 12:00pm - Classroom Work
- 12:00pm - 1:00pm - Peer Critiques
- 1:15pm - 2:30pm - Independent lunch in Spoleto
- 2:30pm - 4:00pm - Free Time
- 4:00pm - 8:00pm - Field sketches
- 8:00pm - Family-Style Dinner
All students live together in European collegial style at the Residence di SantíAngelo, a gorgeous 15th century convent in the medieval section of Spoleto. The convent has been beautifully renovated with modern conveniences and has spacious courtyards and colorful gardens. It is only a short walk from the residence to classes, the main piazzas of town, and the restaurants where meals are served.
Students are supervised by faculty, staff, and resident advisors who live at the convent with the students. Classes take place in beautiful buildings throughout the historic medieval section of town with abundant, luminous spaces for photographic exploration.
Program Dates: July 3 - July 15, 2026
Total Cost: $5400
What’s Included
- Tuition for courses
- Two meals per day
- Lodging in a gorgeous 15th-century convent
- Course materials
- Entrance fees for group activities
- Fieldtrip-related transportation within Italy
What’s Not Included
- Airfare
- Passport fees
- Travel or Medical Insurance
- Personal expenses
A $95 non-refundable fee is due upon application. All applications received by 11:59 pm on Nov 30 will waive the $95 application fee. Within 2 weeks of your acceptance into the program, a non-refundable 50% deposit is due. The remaining 50% balance is due by May 1, 2026.
Students are supervised by faculty, staff, and resident advisors who live at the convent with the students. Classes take place in beautiful buildings throughout the historic medieval section of town with abundant, luminous spaces for photographic exploration.
Summer Programs Team
summerprograms@spoletostudyabroad.org

Applications are no longer being accepted.

“I loved my experience in Spoleto so much; the unique culture, the beautiful scenery, the friendly atmosphere, and most importantly, the teachers. I’ve attended a lot of art programs, but I’ve never encountered a more solid and amazing faculty before. Every class is fun, different, and refreshing.”

— Tara, Interlochen Arts Academy