This last day of the trip may have been my favorite out of the entire week. After watching videos ​about the Orsoni studio for class, having a chance to see it in person was very exciting. The vivid ​colors are even more breathtaking in person, and getting to see the behind the scenes- both the ​production process itself as well as the various ways in which the tiles are utilized in art- was ​incredibly interesting. It was particularly fascinating learning about the design philosophy of the ​workers. Although parts of the work could be automated, they place so much value on having ​everything be handmade. The fact that each mosaic tile is slightly different makes them unique ​and adds tremendously to their artistic value. Hearing about how these workers who had been ​cutting glass for 35 years still found immense fulfilment and joy in their work made me begin to ​think about my own future and how I could pursue a path that would give me a similar ​satisfaction. Randomly meeting the professor on the boat and then getting to go to his house in ​Murano was also an unforgettable highlight of the trip. It was a treat seeing the glass displays in ​his house, meeting a few of his cats, and learning about his background in both material science ​and philosophy. Finally, Burano was likely my favorite place that we visited during the trip. I loved ​the contrast of the vibrant colors of the houses with the serene atmosphere. After an activity-filled ​week, having the chance to sit by the peaceful waterside and watch the sun set over Burano was ​a blissful way to conclude an amazing trip.

I found the Venice trip to be both informative and fun. The days were packed. Every hour it felt like we ​were doing something different. The tasks I enjoyed the most related to art history and conservation. ​The first day we spent on Murano included a fantastic lecture and gallery tour by a local art historian. ​Seeing the development of glass art-forms within the cultural context of the artistic mediums and ​trends of the time added material points of reference. I also found the day on archiving on San ​Giorgio Maggiore to be fascinating. The texts we saw in the glass archive inspired me to do some ​further research on marble imitation in glass in preparation for my final project. Then, the visit to the ​archiving lab was really insightful. Learning about how different pieces in Venice are being archived ​was really interesting on a technological level. While it was not specifically related to glass archiving, I ​found the technology used in the process to be really impressive. It was also really enjoyable to bond ​with other students on the trip - there were a lot of people in the class I had barely spoken to because ​the lessons were so content-focused, so it was a slightly daunting, but overall rewarding experience to ​be sent to a different country with people I did not know that well!

I’m blessed to have experienced this Venice trip with the Glass Class. The mix of building community, getting an understanding of how locals live, learning about the history of glasswork in Venice, and trying all the delicious foods made this trip perfect for students that want to know what it’s like to travel abroad and simultaneously learn so much in a short period of time. This day specifically, we explored the Orsoni furnace, the only mosaic tile furnace still functioning in the center of Venice. Many art pieces around Venice are made out of these beautifully hand-crafted mosaic tiles, with the most well-known being the mosaics in St. Mark’s Basilica, which we visited on Wednesday. This tour allowed us to see the day-to-day activities at the furnace, the process behind every colored tile, and we were able to even pick some tiles out for ourselves from the furnace’s leftovers bin. We got to feel what it was like working there in the past and see how it continues to be used in our future, from restorations to modern pieces. Professor Shimony, who has owned a house in Murano for four years, showed us what its like to live as a local in Venice and the kind of artistic glassware houses could have. From there, we got to see the beautiful historically well-known colorful houses of Burano and see the unique lace that is hand-made from boutiques there. As we ended with a wonderful dinner with good food, good company, and a great speech from our professor, this day really brought the trip to an end in a beautiful way and I’m so happy to have been given the opportunity to experience this.