A summer in Paris awaits those interested in taking part in the annual Art History Travel–Study Course offered by the University of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Open to students from all areas of study, as well as non-students, this three-credit course consists of a series of excursions, lectures and walking tours, exploring the history and art of the magnificent French capital. Masterpieces of art and architecture are examined as living artifacts, while day trips to small towns offer a chance to see the more tranquil side of the French lifestyle.

The 2009 trip is scheduled for July 3-19 and will be instructed by the U of L's David Coman, a teacher in the Faculty of Fine Arts (Calgary campus) since 1998. Coman studied art history at McGill University and the University of Toronto prior to joining the U of L. His area of expertise is early 19th-century painting and graphic arts in France and Britain and he has lived, worked and researched in Paris intermittently since 1995.

The trip is open to students from any field of study in any post-secondary institution. Non-students can also take part, but will be required to register in the course and pay the tuition portion of the trip cost. There is no need to have a background in art or French as the course is designed to be very accessible to all.

Course material will consist of daily excursions to museums and art historical monuments, each of which will involve bettween three and six hours of class activities. Following that, the rest of each day is completely open for exploration. The academic environment of this trip is designed to be very relaxed, but attendance at each excursion is mandatory.

The cost of the 2009 trip is $3,750 with a deposit of $1,000 due in the U of L cash office by Feb. 6.

For more information on this exciting opportunity, click on the Art History Travel–Study Course link.