Exchange program gives art students the chance to be “Heir and There”
TCNJ students visited Germany and displayed their artwork as part of a cultural exchange program between the College and Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University.
When Elizabeth Mackie was teaching art at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt as an exchange professor in the 1970s, she fell in love with Germany. After meeting Jochen Fisher, chair of the art department there, the two toyed with the idea of developing an exchange program for art students.
Years later, Mackie, now a professor at TCNJ, made those dreams a reality with “Heir and There,” a program she set up with Fisher and Assistant Professor Katrin Ströbel that links TCNJ with Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in an effort to teach students about culture through art, working to bridge the gap between the two countries.
“I think the opportunity to make those close ties with artists from another country who think differently and present ideas differently was really valuable,” Mackie said.
Last semester, German students visited TCNJ, displayed their art on campus, visited different American cities, and took in this country’s culture. From June 28 through July 14, TCNJ art students visited Germany to display their artwork at the University of Frankfurt.
While in Germany, TCNJ students explored the Rhine, visited castles and vineyards surrounding Frankfurt, and traveled through the towns in the nearby area.
Kelsey Long, junior art education major, benefited greatly from her experience in the class.
“I feel like I’ve made a lot of friendships, not just with the Germans but with other students in the art department,” Long said. “We tend to be separated by year and major, especially within art education, because our curriculum is so tight. And I feel I’ve gained long-term Frankfurter friends that I can keep in touch with and visit even after the exchange is over.”
Posted on August 19, 2010