Lee University art students spend semester studying in France
Lee University students Lillana Holland, Jordan Lenarz, and Madison VanHook, senior studio art majors, have spent their semester studying at the Atelier Neo Medici art school in Monflanquin, France. Through the program, the students have the opportunity to study Renaissance art technique while being immersed in French culture.
“This is a unique opportunity to work closely with a painting master to learn techniques derived from centuries ago in an environment that allows for complete immersion in the discipline of painting and drawing,” said Mary Mathias-Dickerson, Lee professor of art. “Living in Monflanquin is a wonderful cross-cultural experience. Students enjoy the slower place of life and the time to focus on an artistic process that they love.”
The Lee students have the opportunity to study in the French city of Monflanquin.
As part of the unique collaborative study agreement between Lee and Atelier Neo Medici, the students spent the first month of the semester in Cleveland, working with Mathias-Dickerson to create reference material, drawings, and studies to prepare them for the program. They departed for Monflanquin on September 18 and will return on November 22.
Holland works on her art piece while at the Atelier.
“During my time in Monflanquin, France, I’ve experienced significant personal and artistic growth,” said Holland. “Living abroad alone for two months has allowed me to fully immerse myself in painting and drawing, learning from Greg Pelizzari as well as through self-guided practice. The quiet countryside has given me space for reflection, deepening my faith, and broadening my worldview in ways I’ll always be grateful for.”
Holland with her finished work and Greg Pelizzari, the master artist at the Atelier.
Students at the Atelier receive six hours of instruction Monday through Thursday and spend up to eight hours a day in the studio working on the time-intensive Renaissance painting and drawing techniques. On weekends and evenings, outside of the studio, they attend cultural activities in the village or nearby towns, go for walks in the countryside, and practice speaking French with local residents.
Lilliana Holland, Madison VanHook, and Jordan Lenarz explore France while attending the Atelier Neo Medici.
"I'm not sure words can bring justice to the incredible opportunity we are so fortunate to experience,” said VanHook. “I will forever credit this trip as a pivotal moment in my life. Not only has it shaped me as an individual and an artist but has given me the confidence to pursue a future I would have never imagined to be possible. I am overfilled with joy and gratitude.”
Vanhook poses with her portrait art pieces.
The Atelier Neo Medici’s fundamental ideas and principles are based on those found in the Renaissance concept of an atelier. Without diminishing the students' individuality, the master imparts to the students his knowledge of color theory, art history, and painting techniques. The importance of a disciplined and profound knowledge of painting technique is emphasized at the Atelier through lecture, demonstration, and trips to museums. Students learn all aspects of their craft, from pigments, mediums and tools to a scientific analysis of light and of color and the relationship between them. Students learn to become conscious of what they are making creatively, technically, and intellectually.
For more information about the Atelier Neo Medici or Lee’s art program, contact Mathias-Dickerson at mmathias-dickerson@leeuniversity.edu or https://www.leeuniversity.edu/academics/arts-sciences/communication-arts/art/.
