Snapshots of a scene. Small pieces of a memory. Snippets of reality drawing you into your imagination. These are the moments captured through the Oxford 2022 Summer Art and Design Program. Hello, my name is Hailey Bangert and I studied abroad as an art student in the summer of 2022. The Art and Design Program was unique because I was not only able to travel to the United Kingdom, but to Austria and Italy as well. As someone who had never traveled abroad before, I did not know what to expect. Over the course of this trip, I gained incredible experiences, met some amazing people, and gained a new perspective of myself and the world. Apart from seeing some of the world’s most famous landmarks such as Big Ben, the Colosseum, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I experienced breathtaking art, architecture, and landscapes I didn’t even know existed before.
My appreciation for diversity and culture grew immensely over the past few months. I was able to experience being an outsider in a culture. In America, I usually fit right into the mold: I go to college, have amazing friends, am pursuing a great career, and have an outstanding church based community. When I studied abroad, I had to rely on the kindness of others and learn multiple cultures that were extremely different from mine in order to have a successful trip. In many instances the cultural norms, social guidelines, and even language was different than what I was used to. For example, in Austria, it was difficult to communicate with many of the locals who spoke mostly German. I learned to be more aware and observant of the people and places around me. Since I was participating in an art class, we would observe, draw, and paint the scenery around us. The rustling of bushes, chatter of conversation incomprehensible to me, and glimpses of 1,000 year old buttresses flying from buildings suddenly stood out to me as I immersed myself in the culture. Connecting with my surroundings exposed the fine details of each location we traveled to. This present mentality allowed me to see the culture in a new way. The artistic aspects of the trip enriched my understanding of foreign culture and aided in giving me an alert and engaged experience as we tracked through Europe.
Though traveling was spectacular, I also had impactful moments interacting with the Christian community abroad. One of the most striking memories to me might have been when I went to a church service in Oxford. I met a plethora of college students and Christ followers in the UK. It was truly a riveting experience to see the church flourishing in a culture so different from mine. I saw people who didn’t speak English worshiping and pursuing a life with the church. This experience leads me to one of the biggest takeaways I gained from this trip. The church is universal, and has no cultural limits. Every culture is beautiful in its own way. Though the world is so diverse, the message of the Gospel is a binding tie that translates into any language. Overall, studying abroad strengthened my faith, and allowed me to experience the vast diverse world in an entirely new way, and allowed me to view life through a new lens.
Featured Photo: Even the rain couldn’t stop the Summer 22 Art and Design groups adventures! While in Oxford, to raining almost every day so we learned to explore and adapt to weather as a group.
Group dinners were a common occurrence in the house. We would all cook and discuss the happenings of the day while enjoying good food and company.
Art in Austria! This is one of my favorite drawings of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. I was able to immerse in my environment and really take in the entirety of the spectacular architectural piece.
Sunny Day in Oxford: This was one of our first nights getting dinner as a group. We went to an outdoor restaurant in the suburbs of Oxford.
University Park: This is one of my favorite photographs from my photography series of an abandoned bicycle in University Park, Oxford.