What is Art Trip?

updated July 8 2002
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The Great God of the Arts revealed Art Trip to my students and I while teaching a class on Gothic Art at the Ottawa School of Art. That was in 1983; already! Looking at slides, we all decided to organise a trip to Europe in order to crystallise the knowledge we acquired since the beginning of the school year. So, I called Air France, reserved the cheapest hotels that I could find in Let's Go Europe, and Art Trip 1983 was born. We were 17 happy campers, packs on our backs, art history books in hand, at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, and a few days later, on the train to Florence and Rome. The hotels were filthy, the Youth Hostel in Florence, disciplinary. But we had so much fun; nothing would stop us from seeing the Louvre, the Uffizi, the Vatican Museum, and more.

Since 1983, Art Trip has evolved. The posters are done on the computer and not by hand anymore. Publicity is found in the Artist's Magazine and on the Web. Now, our hotels are clean, better situated, the service is professional, and still affordable. The grocery stores (super-marché) are around the corner so we can buy food and wine reasonably priced. I know my restaurants; the chefs know me. Exposés and lectures are given on sites. Art-trippers participate actively in the diffusion of knowledge.

Art Trip is still the dynamic cultural trip with the estudiantin philosophy. Some define it as the ultimate adult backpack trip or the super deluxe backpack trip for young adults. Flexibility, freedom, fun and knowledge are the keys to Art Trip, the reason why many Art Trippers upon their return in North America still believe they have not been on an "organised" trip. As one would say,this tour avoids the tourist trap of travelling in high season and the itinerary is designed to see things at a relaxed pace.