Program Reviews

I have never studied art history as a subject, however there was never a boring moment throughout my time in Italy. The tutors are passionate, thoughtful, knowledgeable, engaging and want nothing more than for you to learn!
I joined AHA for the 6 week course in January to February and I can honestly say I was amazed. If you have an interest in people, places, art, architecture, history, food, wine, travel, you will find this course fantastic.
I fell in love with every city we visited only to fall in love with the next when we moved on - it's remarkable how many places you may end up visiting that aren't on the schedule!
This experience with AHA was truly inspiring and will stay with me for a very long time.

AHA was an incredible 6 weeks with beyond memorable experiences and with friends I will hopefully have forever. The tutors are fun and interactive really bringing more life to a usual dull classroom where I had previously been learning history of art for the last two years. If anything I would recommend anyone to do it who has any tiny sliver of interest in adventure, travelling, art or just a fun thing to do on your gap year or any time in your life!

I had the absolutely pleasure of taking three Art History Abroad courses over the past few years; in 2014 I participated in the Spring Gap Year Course and in 2015 I had the pleasure of going on both the Northern and Southern Italy Summer Courses.

I can honestly say that Art History Abroad changed my life. After struggling with depression and anxiety throughout high school, I decided to take a gap year and focus on what I loved: history of art. I could not have found a program that was more suited for my needs. AHA offers a unique experience full of beautiful education, beautiful places, and beautiful people.

To be fair, my first trip with AHA was a bit rough socially. The group on my six-week gap year course consisted of only 8 people, and we had a tendency to stomp on each other's toes. Yet, there is something magical about AHA programs that keeps social anxiety at bay. Seeing and learning about absolutely stunning art *daily* gave me a new perspective on life--perhaps it allowed me to see the 'bigger picture' and step back from the futile high school drama that had so clouded my world. The program was so delightful that even teenage drama could not make me unhappy. I was constantly educationally stimulated and surrounded by fascinating people; it was a breath of fresh air.

In case you were wondering, the tutors are amazing. Every single one of them. By attending three programs in total I was able to meet the majority of the AHA ensemble and I can say that every tutor hired is capable of eloquently teaching as well as mediating groups of teenagers (which I must say is pretty remarkable). I consider many of them good friends and hope to stay in touch with them in the years to come. The friendships I've made with fellow AHA students have also stayed with me throughout the years. As students who attend the program come from all over the world, AHA connected me with intelligent people and an array of global perspectives.

The trips are seamlessly organized; all museum trips are scheduled in advance and do not require grueling hours of waiting around. AHA also provides students with the occasional free day or afternoon, which allowed us to truly explore and get a feel for Italy (the country I now hope to move to).

Overall, AHA gave me a head start in life. I learned more than I could have by simply sitting in a classroom, I got real-life experience in a foreign country, I became better with conflict-resolution with friends and roommates, and I met absolutely amazing people. Ultimately, AHA prepared me for my first year at NYU and solidified my love for the history of art. I could not recommend it more highly.

Writing a review of any given month is a hard task. Writing a review of an entire month in Italy with Art History abroad is truly gargantuan. The sheer variety of activity from reading Dante in Verona, joining the victorious contrada for their triumphal banquet in Siena to learning how to be a Gondolier in Venice is extraordinary and it would be an easy task to write an extended piece about any of these events.
It was such a pleasure and a privelege to be so immersed in Italian culture lead by tutors whose passion both for Italy and the art we saw was so infectious that I believe anyone no matter how uninterested in art would have enjoyed themselves and profited greatly from the trip.
The organisation was thorough both on an overall level and day to day. Everything was pre booked and there was not a single moment in a month when there was any logistical hiccup, testament both to the tutors on the ground but also clearly a well oiled machine behind the scenes.
If I was pressed to pick a single "favourite" aspect I would have to pick the atmosphere and the camaraderie present in the group. By this I mean the manner in which we as students were encouraged to discuss culture in a way that we do not normally have time nor the inclination to do so. This took place at so many different points and in so many different ways, from being asked to read poetry on our night time gondola ride to simply being challenged in our own presuppositions and perspectives. It is a hard thing to articulate but rather than being teachers and taught we were simply a group revelling in our surroundings and challenging each others perspectives on what we were seeing. I feel priveleged to have been a part.

It is always difficult to convey what an AHA course entails exactly, and what every student will inevitably gain from the trip. Phrases like "study abroad" and "guided tour" simply do not do this magically all-encompassing, fulfilling adventure justice. The impeccable local knowledge of the tutors makes falling into any "tourist traps" highly unlikely. For example, I remember thinking how authentically Italian our experience was when we were welcomed to a big celebratory supper in the street with members of this year's winning Contrada of the Palio in Siena. Learning to row gondolas, paper marbling, wine tasting and going to the opera in the Verona Arena are just a mere handful of examples of the experiences outside of Art History that made my four weeks in Italy with AHA so priceless and unforgettably special.
It was a real privilege to examine all art and architecture in situ. This, combined with such rigorous expertise and infectious enthusiasm of the tutors meant that each day was revelatory and enriching in some way, and the act of learning felt effortless.
Joining a course with AHA is immeasurably valuable and I cannot recommend it enough!

In a heavy rain storm one afternoon in Rome we were rushing back to the hotel and passed the Pantheon, and so decided to take shelter in it. Seeing the rain streaming through the oculus really brought home why geniuses like Brunelleschi were so fascinated with such ambitious Roman engineering. It's original function as something dedicated to 'all Gods' also was evident as it's very much at the mercy of the elements, and this classical harmony seemed almost reverential to the power of Mother Nature and the Gods.

Before starting the course I had never studied art history formally, and I wasn't really sure what to expect from it. I needn't have worried, however, as the tutors were extremely supportive and their passion and enthusiasm allowed my love of art history to grow throughout the course.

The course was a great way of meeting new people and learning about Italian culture. In the evenings, the meals together were a good way of getting to know the other people on the course and they were also just really good fun. The tutors knew of local places off the beaten track with amazing food.

I thoroughly enjoyed the weeks I spent in Italy and would wholeheartedly recommend AHA to anyone with an interest in art history.

I first heard about this course from an old History of Art teacher at my school. Planning to apply to university with this subject, I thought it would be a great course to do during the summer, with exposure to art in-situ - something I would have never been able to do in the classroom.

This whirlwind tour of the greatest (artistic) hits of Venice, Florence and Rome was probably one of the most exciting trips I'd even been on, also confirming History of Art was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. There's something wonderful about seeing a work you've studied in lessons in the flesh (or should I say canvas/marble?), it makes you realise that it isn't simply a grouping of facts you need to learn for your exam, but an actual image with a message that has influenced masses of people over the years. Furthermore, the content of the course is what is in my A2 syllabus, so this helps me consolidate the information for my exams.

I go to boarding school so independence isn't a new concept to me, but this course also helped me develop other skills. I decided to budget my meals (just for the fun of it) and ended up very successful - definitely something I'll put to use in uni! As a person with very bad navigation skills, all the free time we had in foreign cities meant I was going to have to work something out and in the end I'll say I did pretty well in not getting completely lost.

Best of all, the people I've met have made such a huge impact. The tutors were wonderful and I made such good friends. I know it may sound cheesy, but you may meet some of your closest friends on this trip and the memories I've made with them will most likely stay with me for life.

So if you're up for great art, food and company, I'd definitely ask you to check AHA out - I certainly do not regret doing so.

I had the most amazing time on the AHA course and would recommend it anyone even if they have never done History of Art before. I hadn't done History of Art before and it wasn't a problem as the tutors are very good at explaining everything as well as keeping it interesting with games and their general enthusiasm bouncing between paintings and sculpture starts to resemble some kind of dance!

Spending 6 weeks with 15 other people also means you get to know them well and hopefully make life long friends ships. The evenings spent in bars and restaurants are great fun and an easy way to break the ice when you don't know anyone else.

Some special moments were the Scrovegni Chapel, a private tour of St. Marks, visiting the underground Etruscan tunnels and visiting a textile factory in Venice. I can't think of a better way to spend 6 weeks.

My second AHA course was probably the best six weeks of my life, the first one wasn't bad either. I'm no kind of art historian but the truth is you really don't need to be. Obviously it's sick for art nuts but it's also insane for those who ain't really bothered, because afterwards you are definitely bothered!

The tutors are more like learned puppies dressed in neon than dingy old professors decked out in tweed. These serial fun lovers are never happier bouncing from masterpiece to masterpiece, whilst making frequent pit stops in local bars to discuss the highlights of the day over a glass of wine. As well as knowing a s***tload about art they also know the coolest places to eat, drink and just generally chill!!! They are honestly the funnest, coolest, most hilarious (with exceptions(you know who you are)) people I've ever met!!

The other students are also awsome!! Granted it's a bit daunting spending 6 weeks with 15 people you never met before, but a 2 hour plane ride and the first of many bar crawls really break the ice, and a while you realise how lucky you are to be around such rockstars!

All that's left to say is that the food literally blows you mind and I'm seriously considering doing a 3rd course!!!