Over the last thirty years, Carleton has offered a studio art focused off-campus studies program in the South Pacific. Since the retirement of program founder Professor Emeritus Fred Hagstrom, Professor Eleanor Jensen ’01 has continued the tradition.
In Jensen’s words,
The goal of this program is to bring together a studio art practice with off-campus study: drawing from nature in a new environment, producing narrative artwork in response to travel, and studying environmental and cultural issues in context. Students will work to improve their drawing skills and to see drawing as a unique way to understand the world. Work from the entire term — both drawing and printmaking — will form a visual journal in which they record their experiences of travel abroad. Additionally, students will learn about physical landscapes, local communities, indigenous artwork, and being engaged and thoughtful travelers.
Many of this year’s students loaned their sketchbooks to the library for this display, which also includes several made by Professor and trip leader Eleanor Jensen, as well as founding Professor Emeritus Fred Hagstrom.