Bringing Travels Back to the Classroom
Dr. Beth Kuebler-Wolf recently traveled to Beijing, China to present a paper at an academic conference. She says, "Because I also teach the history of Chinese art I spent some extra time in Beijing in order to visit some of the historic sites and modern places that make China so compelling for me as an art historian."
Beijing, which means "north capital," is not only the current capital city of China, but also the historic home of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The famous Forbidden City palace complex is in the heart of Beijing. Just south of the Forbidden City is the iconic Tiananmen Square, where Chairman Mao’s portrait still gazes down upon throngs of people in the square 60 years after he proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Dr Kuebler-Wolf spent some time visiting these sites, as well as other important places like the Temple of Heaven and the Yuanming Yuan (the old Summer Palace). These are places that are important in the history of Chinese culture and Dr. Kuebler-Wolf says, "I was thrilled to get firsthand experience of Chinese art to share with our students and incorporate into my teaching. The most exciting place for me was the 798 District." A little bit north of the city center, the 798 District is an area of abandoned Bauhaus style buildings built by the Soviet Union that has been re-claimed and turned into a district of galleries featuring the work of contemporary Chinese artists.
Dr. Kuebler-Wolf reports, "Contemporary art is from China is some of the most collected, talked about work today and it was very exciting to get to see new work and new artists in person at some of the influential galleries there." She reports that the ultimate highlight of her trip, however, was climbing the Great Wall, which is "both breathtaking in its beauty and humbling in its scale. My travels will come back to the classroom as I share my experiences and observations with students in Contemporary Art and in Survey of Chinese Art."
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Previously Featured
- Assisting Surgeries Right from the Start
- Internally Auditing a Fortune 500 Company
- Respecting creation and using resources wisely
- Journey of a Lifetime
- Bringing Travels Back to the Classroom
- When Ice Cream and Accounting Go Hand in Hand
- Sowing Seeds of Peace
- Students on Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome
- The Birthplace of an Ocean
- Serving One Another, Society, & the Church
- Our students try to give of themselves, “from head to toe.”
- Hands-on Learning with a Professional Artist