Art History Abroad | The Autumn European Gap Semester Program

AHA is the one gap year program that truly allows students to immerse in culture and learn powerful lessons in history and life. Tutors form real, lasting connections with both students and the history being taught. I did AHA the fall semester of my gap year in 2021 and know the friendships I made will last me through life. The program completely changed me. I met some of the most influential people in the field of art history, saw history in a way I never could have previously, and was allowed to experience the true culture of every place we traveled to. I saw the Sistine chapel completely empty at 6 in the morning, ate incredible meals in a small vineyard outside of San Gimignano, saw the ceiling of San Marco Basilica light up at night, and shared unforgettable conversation with friends and locals. I’m left with friends who are family, tutors I can always reach out to, and a confidence that only could have been drawn from living the way I did. The people involved with AHA are wonderfully unique and intelligent individuals, and any person willing to be open to the full experience will grow.

It is challenging to articulate the extent to which Art History Abroad shaped my gap year and the time after it. If you are ready to absorb as much knowledge, culture, and joy as possible, Art History Abroad is the program for you. The tutors are excited about their disciplines and even more excited to share it with the students. The friends I’ve made are still some of my closest friends, and hold such a special place in my life. From private tours of galleries in London, sketching in the hilly landscape of Tuscany, and spending days walking through Rome’s history-steeped streets, it is truly an experience to treasure for a lifetime.

These are the truths I came away from my course with:
The art I saw on this course pales in comparison to the people I got to see it all with. Every church I walked through was only divine because of those who taught me to look up and smile at the stars on the ceiling. The joy in art is allowing yourself to be moved, even if it means crying in crowded galleries. Living a good life revolves around allowing yourself to love those around you, and letting them love you. Strangers you have very little in common with can become your most beloved friends.

AHA gave me a million gifts, but these are the ones most precious to me. This course is beyond worth it.

AHA was an incredibly valuable experience for my education and growth as a person. I was given so many exciting opportunities throughout the semester, and ended up with not only a greater appreciation of art and culture, but some of my best friends. The access to the European art world this program provides is unmatched. I was able to experience so much that I would have never thought possible. Additionally, there was a great balance of learning and fun. I found we had the freedom to explore cities on our own and experience the world as young adults, while also being given plenty opportunities to learn. I would recommend AHA to anyone looking for a different kind of educational semester centered around immersion and first hand experiences.

Art History Abroad surpassed all of my already high expectations. As an introvert, I was worried that I would be overwhelmed with the fast paced nature and social elements of the course. I was happily proved wrong. Instead of being overwhelmed, I became more comfortable and outgoing. The course is perfect for people who love learning without the pressure of exams. I still find myself using the skills I was taught, even now that I have returned home. An experience like this does not end when it’s over; it stays with you. I cannot recommend this program enough. Not just from an interest in travel and art history standpoint, but also the impact it had on my self discovery.

A year ago I would never have been brave enough to do something like this, but I am beyond grateful that I did. I worried my anxiety would hinder my ability to enjoy the program because of its fast paced nature and many sociable elements, but I was so wrong. Even beyond their incredible teaching, the tutors were incredible supports throughout the entire course. Instead of being overwhelmed, I became more excited, engaged, and extroverted. This program is an incredible experience not just for art history education and cultural immersion, but self discovery.

I can honestly say that my 6 weeks with AHA on the autumn gap year was one of the best experiences of my life. It would be almost impossible for me to pinpoint one highlight of the trip because every single day was packed with so many exciting activities, exploring new cities, their histories and culture.

To give an idea of some of the incredible things we saw I will outline some of my personal highlights from my favourite city: Florence. I loved visiting the Medici chapel, the San Marco convent, the contemporary exhibition at the Strozzi Palace and watching the sunset from the hill of San Minato. But this is just Florence!! To stress how much these highlights don’t even scratch the surface of what we saw, I am almost certain that everyone on the course would come up with different highlights of each city and would undoubtably struggle (as I clearly have) to pinpoint just one best thing about the trip.

As well as learning loads about the History of Art in each city, we had the opportunity to learn so many other things about the cultural history of each city. We went to the opera in Naples, spent a day learning about the Romantic poets in Rome, took part in an amazing gold leaf workshop in Siena, learned how to make pasta and do paper marbling in Florence and saw Murano glass making and rowed gondola’s in Venice. Our evening spent in St Marks in Venice was also completely mind bogglingly magical.

I also have to mention how special the tutors are to AHA. Their breadth and depth of knowledge and passion for their subjects had a huge influence on me, and transformed the way I think about, approach, and talk about art. They were truly at the core of the group. The way they taught us was always full of heaps of knowledge and was delivered with bounds of energy which was truly inspiring. We were also all really encouraged by the tutors and by one another to think for ourselves, discuss our ideas, and respond to the things we saw in our own way. Loads of my friends would leave museums and galleries with drawings, paintings, poetry, written responses, photographs and even songs, which responded to works we saw, which was a really lovely thing to see. Everyone learnt a great deal, and whether people had known anything about Art History before or not, it was really lovely to see everyone’s confidence grow and ideas flourish as the trip went by.

AHA is definitely a family and everyone got on so well. Almost every evening all the students and tutors ate dinner together which was a really lovely way to end of the day. And aside from the invaluable volume of things we learned, we all made some incredible friends - anyone who witnessed any of our goodbyes to one another on the last night would see how special the bonds we made were!! I have no doubt in my mind that despite how quickly the trip flew by, the memories and friendships I made will last a life time.

I can’t thank AHA enough for helping to catalyse a passion for History of Art as a subject as well as providing me with the academic confidence and excitement to launch myself into the many other areas of Art History I have yet to explore. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend 6 weeks on my gap year!!

The Art History Abroad Autumn European Gap Semester Program is a wonderfully enriching intellectual experience for gap year students. The Program's knowledgeable tutors teach the history of Europe not through dry lectures but through engaging and immersive "sessions" in which students get to interact with history in a first-hand manner through the art and architecture that they encounter. Art History Abroad also teaches students how to navigate life away from home effectively. The Gap Semester fosters a spirit of maturity in all Art History Abroad students. Aside from the appeal of the Gap Semester with respect to the growth of students, the 12 weeks students and tutors spend together in Europe are unbelievably enjoyable.