Under the supervision of Dr. Nancy Durbin, Professor of French at Lindenwood University, students are trained to give tours in French of the Pulitzer’s current exhibition, Portrait/Homage/Embodiment. This training culiminates in a series of French tours with area high school students. It is a rich experience for both the university and the high school students, as they learn to talk about something new in French, and have an opportunity to use their language skills. The high school students also get a chance to ask the university students about majoring in French and studying abroad.

While training for the tours, the Lindenwood students have compiled a substantial vocabulary list, as well as short descriptions of the works, in French. Groups that participate in the project will receive these materials, as well as the exhibit catalogue, well in advance of their visit so that they will have a chance to familiarize themselves with the works and expand their “champs de vocabulaire” before the tour.

The project will also include a Soirée française, open to all adult St. Louis area Francophiles and university students. The Lindenwood students will be on hand throughout the Pulitzer’s galleries to engage guests in French about the works.

Rebecca B., student – I recently participated in a Lindenwood University French class involving the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. The class is called Speaking of Art.

The Speaking of Art class is a wonderful experience! The current exhibition at the Pulitzer, Portrait/Homage/Embodiment, is the most intriguing and moving exhibit I’ve seen at the Pulitzer in the last year. The French class came and learned about all the artwork in English, and then we discussed it. Then, we visited again for a tour in French, while asking questions and taking notes. After more tours and more discussions, we started to formulate our own tours in French. Finally, we gave tours
in French to high school French classes and our own fellow students from Lindenwood.

The Pulitzer Foundation is always a wonderful experience, whether it involves big thinking about minimalist art, or walking through the exciting torqued spiral of Joe, or musing about a 300-pound ball of steel that is said to be a self-portrait of someone. I always love the mood of the building itself, whether it’s snowing, or sunny, or at sunset, or pouring rain and storming. The light, the cool walls, and the atmosphere is so relaxing and provides a lovely setting for philosophizing about art.

In the Portrait/Homage/Embodiment exhibit, I especially was affected by Doris Salcedo’s work. As a woman who cares deeply about her country’s healing from the constant wounds inflicted by civil unrest, Salcedo ingeniously and gracefully depicts the pain and fear, along with healing, in her vivid art. She takes everyday objects and turns them into unsettling, sorrowful, or peaceful works of art that serve as witnesses to what is happening in Colombia.

Sometimes I shy away from such straightforward depictions of tragedy. My parents came to see the exhibit, and my mother wisely said, “That’s the power of art, that it helps people understand things in themselves that they don’t even know are there.” After I realize my fear of seeing others’ pain, I learn to open up, whether it is in my own art becoming a witness to life, or my support of wonderful people like those at the Pulitzer Foundation, who open up the such a place to the public, sharing with the world the beauty and moving power of art. Thank you for such a wonderful experience.

Andrew Morgan, student – This unique experience has given not only Lindenwood University French students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of French art vocabulary while learning how to guide a group through these truly remarkable pieces, but at the same time it allows for the francophone group to truly benefit as well by experiencing this exhibit from a different perspective.

One thing that is truly admirable about the Pulitzer’s method of presenting art is the focus on a personal experience. I really like the absence of wall cards with the name of the artist or the title of the work. It allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions first, then be guided to additional information from the handout or by one of us. I feel this program really highlights the Foundation’s desire to have these works of portraiture, homage, and embodiment seen in a different light and, in this case, heard in a different language as well.

Lauren Moran, student — I was incredibly pleased with how well our tours went last Friday. The students were engaging and all the tour guides were excited. You could feel the nervous energy emanating from us as we were anxious to share the amazing Pulitzer experience with others. It was so neat to hear the other students contribute their thoughts and open our eyes to things we never noticed before.

It is one thing to share facts, but it is something altogether different sharing an experience. That is why these trips have been so meaningful to me. Not only am I experiencing these works with those around me, but I also feel a connection with both the artist and the model. I find myself asking, “What is the artist saying?” “How did the model feel?” “In how many different ways is this work a portrait or a self-portrait?” With these various insights and perspectives, I discover myself digging deeper and even finding out more about my own “portrait” or identity.