College learners inspired by Madrid visit
Visual Arts students at Solihull Sixth Form College visited Madrid during the half-term holidays to explore galleries, museums and prominent architectural sights.
Learners on the A level and BTEC Art & Design courses, including those pursuing Fine Art, Graphics & 3D Design and Photography pathways, undertook the residential fieldtrip in order to experience a different culture and get inspiration for their own portfolios from some world-famous artwork on display in the Madrid galleries.
Among the art galleries and museums they visited, students saw works from Holbein and Hopper at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. They also saw famous works like Picasso's Guernica, as well as pieces by Miro, Dali and Calder, at the Museo Reina Sofia. The Museo Del Prado was another stop on their itinerary, as they explored artwork by Goya, Raphael, Velazquez, El Greco and Bosch.
Other places of interest in Madrid included a visit to the Teatro Real to learn about the architecture and history, as well as a tour of the Royal Palace. Learners took a tour of Madrid by foot, visiting areas such as Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel and they enjoyed an evening visit to Temple of De Bod. They visited the El Rastro Market, La Latina area and the Botanical Gardens. The final site of interest in their trip was the Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid Football Club, to explore the architecture and engineering of the world-famous stadium.
Curriculum leader for Creative Arts, Zoe Maksymiw, commented: "We are delighted to offer our young people an overseas trip each year to a top European city and this year Madrid was the destination. It provided a fantastic backdrop to their artistic investigations, with so many great galleries and museums to visit, as well as inspiring architecture to enjoy. Our young people were exceptional. They were an asset to us as teachers and made our college proud. They took full advantage of every opportunity and absorbed everything they could about the city and its art culture. I'm looking forward to seeing how the students take what they learned in Madrid to inspire their own artwork this year. By the time we hold our own Visual Arts Exhibition in June, we will be able to see the fruits of their labours."
There is an opportunity to visit the Visual Arts department and speak to teachers and learners when the College holds an Open Evening on Wednesday 27 November. Free tickets are available now HERE.
