Pratt-SILS Summer 2008 Institute in Florence, Italy

FLORENTINE ART AND CULTURE
MUSEUM & LIBRARY RESEARCH & DOCUMENTATION

The School of Information & Library Science (SILS)
in collaboration with The School of Architecture
invites applications for Pratt-SILS Summer Institute in Florence
3-Weeks, May 26 - June 13, 2008 - a 3-Credit Course
We are pleased to announce our new interdisciplinary program. Experience life at the intersection of art, architecture and information. Immerse yourself in Florentine culture through its museums and libraries. Develop your knowledge and skills attending lectures and demonstrations and carrying out research. Whether you aspire to being a librarian or art historian, this course will enrich your understanding, placing you at the heart of your profession.

Application

Course description

ROME Visit

Research Sites

Schedule

Cultural Visits

Accommodations

Cost and course Registration

Florence Panorama

Della Robbia - lute player

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
When the museums, libraries and cultural sites of Florence become your workplace - research becomes your passion. Subito - a real leaning experience occurs. With visits to the great churches, museums, archaeological sites, libraries, and parks of Florence, students document their research with photographs, drawings, and notations to be included in an extensive visual diary from which they identify a research theme illustrating a collection of related artifacts.
LIS students produce a museum exhibition catalog and ADE students create a visual arts curriculum plan based on experience, observation and artifacts. LMS students create a thematic resource guide for children.

Medici cameo

I-ARTE: Medici - Information, Research, Technology and Education: Medici: The acronym, "I-ARTE" describes the broad areas encompassed by course projects for which students develop their own themes. This summer's program focuses on Medici art and culture as it shaped Florentine culture and influenced and continues to influence the course of Western civilization. Within this theme, Medici design as it applies across the arts and culture and as it may be applied to digital environments will be explored and documented. Students have the option of team projects.
Above: Cameo, plasma in gold setting: Alessandro de'Medici, Duke of Florence. c1535.

RESOURCES: Several weeks before the course begins, we will post readings, online resources and course daily schedule of events, visits and lectures.

Italian Language Resources
The course will be taught in English; however, reading ability in Italian is helpful.

ROME Visit - a weekend (Friday-Sunday). One trip outside of Florence is planned as a group trip. Among the many site students visit are the Vatican, and the Villa Medici.

Villa Medici dates from 1540 and was owned by Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici and inherited by his family, the grand-dukes of Tuscany and served as their embassy in Rome. Since 1801 it has served a the home of the French Academy of Art.

RESEARCH SITES:

Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Fienze - Reading Room (Students obtain library cards for regular study at the BNCF.

Uffizi Library - is part of IRIS- Consortium of art history and humanities libraries in Florence. Established since 1993, it is composed of the Berenson Library; the library of the Dutch University Institute for Art History in Florence; the library of the Uffizi; the library of the Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell'Arte R. Longhi; the library of the Instituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento; the library of the Officio delle Pietre Dure; and the library of the Università Internazionale dell'Arte.

Uffizi Gallery - The Uffizi Gallery, founded in Florence in 1581 by the De Medici family, is one of the oldest museums in the world containing many important works of Italian and other schools dating from between the 14th and 18th centuries, including the largest existing collection of Tuscan Renaissance paintings. Virtual Uffizi, the complete catalog - http://www.arca.net/uffizi/

Archivo di Stato Di Firenze

CULTURAL VISITS During the first 2 weeks of the Institute, we visit important museums and art libraries and of Florence, dividing our time between the study of art and artifacts, cultural landscape, art documentation and bibliographic resources. Libraries, a sampling Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Uffizi Library Biblioteca Laurenziana Villa Berenson /I Tatti (Harvard University) Fondazione Roberto Longhi Biblioteca dell’Universita degli Studi di Firenze Monuments, a sampling Santa Croce / Cappella dei Pazzi Santa Maria Novella / Chiostri Santa Maria del Fiore / Campanile di Giotto Battistero di San Giovanni Cappelle Medicee / Chiesa di San Lorenzo Orsanmichele San Miniato al Mont
ACCOMMODATIONS - we give students options - here's one that's convenient and affordable We will be adding other options soon -
INSTITUTO OBLATE DELL ASSUNZIONE (Via Borgo Pinti 15, 50121, Firenze, Tel: 055.2480582, Fax: 055.2346291) Near the Duomo and just a ten minute walk from the train station, this lovely convent is a former villa and it is quite beautiful. Students pay 40 euros per night without breadfast. Most rooms do not have baths but the bathrooms are quite modern. There is a beautiful garden in the center of the convent. There is both a chapel and a TV room. If you do not have much luggage, you can walk, otherwise take either Bus 23 or 14 to the Piazzo Dumo.	.

PEOPLE

Course Instructor: Professor Anthony Caradonna is a graduate of Pratt Institute and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He is a partner in his own firm, AC2, a recipient this year of an ID Magazine furniture award. He has taught at Parsons School of Design, Columbia University, Cornell University and since 1993 Pratt Institute where he served as Undergraduate Chair of the Department of Architecture and was the Rome Program's coordinator and is currently a member of the Rome faculty.

Professor Caradonna's design firm, AC/2 Studio, founded 1997, is an interdisciplinary firm specializing in architecture, interiors, lighting, and furniture, textile, and object design. His in-depth knowledge of Italian art, design and architecture as both a practitioner, artist and researcher, makes him ideally positioned to teach this interdisciplinary course so that it speaks to both students of art, architecture and information from buildings and monuments of Florence to its museums and libraries.

Pratt students at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence
Photo by T. Giannini

Florence- Duomo - photo by T. Giannini

This course builds upon SILS nationally acclaimed program in "cultural informatics" and also its successful seven-year track record as a partner for LIS education with NYPL Research Libraries (HSSL and Performing Arts) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As an interdisciplinary program with architecture, it brings together the study of art, architecture, museum and library research and digital technology. Importantly, it responds to student interest in international programs in the arts and the need for students to bring broad cultural perspectives and cultural experiences to their studies. This course supports SILS Museum Library Certificate..
Course Project:: Drawing upon the city's rich cultural resources, students develop topics for exploration and research selecting a representative group of art objects from museums and cultural sites using Florentine libraries to document and explore their topics. Based on their research, students will produce an exhibition catalog.
Global Contexts: Today, museums and libraries live at the intersection of arts and technology. It is at this point of convergence, that we define the field of "cultural informatics" and where archives, special collections, and media collections become accessible to a broader public. The arts and information science depend increasingly on global cooperation and understanding to support international projects and research. This program will help prepare students to work in these new global cultural environments.

SCHEDULE
Dates: May 28 -June 15 Plan to arrive the Saturday or Sunday before the course begins on Monday May 28. Students may arrive a few days early and stay at the Convento Oblate. If may choose this option but will need to notify us by March 1.
May 27, Sunday - Arrive in Florence, register at the Convneto Oblate. Class gets acquainted - refreshments served.
May 28, Monday - A walking architectural tour of Florence guided by Prof. Caradonna.
Institute Schedule: Three weeks, Monday-Friday (approx. 9AM-5PM), times may vary by day depending on library and museum schedules.
Week 1-2: Lectures/demonstrations by curators and librarians at museums, libraries and archives in Florence enriched by seminar sessions. Students learn not only about Florentine art, but the resources and documentation for its study, as well as Italian perspectives on art and information. By the end of the first week's activities, students should identify their topic/ theme of interest on which their course project will be based.
Week 3: Students do research at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, the Uffizi Library and other art libraries on topics based on the art and culture of Florence and the library's collections. Each student produces a final project: For LIS 697 the project produced is in the form of a research and exhibition guide based on the student's topic/ theme, and for ADE students, the project take the form of a curriculum design.

APPLICATION
The Institute is open to students enrolled in graduate programs or holding graduate degrees in library and information science, the arts and humanities, interested in research in the Art and Culture of Florence. We encourage students to apply as early as possible as a maximum of 16 students will be accepted to the program.
Click for application form.
CONTACT: For further information or questions - email the Pratt-SILS office: infosils@pratt.edu or call 212-647-4682.
Information to include with application:
Fill out the application form and include a resume indicating undergraduate degree, graduate study and or graduate degree(s), related work experience and a statement on professional goals and your interest in the Florence program.Your full name, address, e-mail and telephone number. Send application and materials to: Florence Program: Pratt Institute, School of Information & Library Science, 144 West 14th Street - 6th floor, New York, NY 10011.

COST

Application fee: Non Pratt students should include a $40 application fee.

International fee: all students pay a $200 international fee which applies to student party, dinner and events.

Tuition for the course is that of a 3-credit course = $2,250.

Deposit - Once a student is notified of acceptance, a $500 deposit will be required to hold a place in the course. The deposit will be applied toward the course tuition.

Full Payment - Payment in full is due by April 15.

COURSE REGISTRATION:

SILS students register for LIS 697- Florentine Art & Culture: Museum and Library Research & Documentation.

Send application forms and payments to:
Florence Program, School of Information & Library Science, Pratt Institute 144 West 14th Street 6ht floor,
New York, NY 10011.

RT Airfare to Florence: Students make their own arrangements for travel to Florence to accommodate individual travel needs, departure cities and return dates. Students are encouraged to book early and to use agencies that offer student fares or other special rates.
Estimated RT airfare New York/ Florence - $650.
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Dean Giannini in Florence Café

We welcome you to Pratt-SILS International Programs. Now with exciting summer programs in Florence and new for 2007, in London, we know that your program participation and experience will enrich your education and bring new perspectives to your studies in art and information both in theory, research and practice.
Tula Giannini, PhD, MLS, MM
Dean Pratt-SILS
Coordinator, Pratt-SILS International Programs.

CONTACT
Please address your questions to:
Dr. Tula Giannini, Dean
School of Information and Library Science
Pratt Institute
144 West 14th St. 6th. fl.
New York, NY 10011
email: giannini@pratt.edu