Study Abroad & Travel Courses
Bring your creative practice to places you never imagined with a semester abroad, exchange program, or travel course.
Study AbroadFrom Laos to Mexico: Student Travel Courses Emphasize Craft and Sustainability
Jenine Shereos & Jennifer Varekamp
Program Area Chair, Fibers & Chair, Fashion Design
- Faculty
Embroidery workshop with Esteban Rodriguez and Virginia Alverez during the Threads of Oaxaca travel course. Photo by Jenine Shereos.
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In the first few weeks of 2025, two groups of MassArt students spent their winter break engaging with local artisans in Laos and Mexico.
In the northern villages of Laos, students travelled with Fashion Design Chair Jennifer Varekamp to work alongside local artisans through the social enterprise, Ma Té Sai, on the preservation of craft and culture. They also explored the unique natural landscape of Laos through a boat trip along the Mekong River, a scenic bike tour of Luang Prabang, walks in the villages, and visits to Buddhist Temples and other historic sites.
Evening boat cruise in Luang Prabang on the Mekong River in Laos. Photo by Emi Weir
Natural Dying Workshop Ban Nyanyang during the travel course, Laos: A Journey Into Culture and Craft. Photo by Jenn Varekamp.
Embroidery Workshop w/ Lanten Group at Ban Phiengngam. Photo by Jenn Varekamp.
In Oaxaca, Mexico, students travelled with Fibers Program Area Chair Jenine Shereos to collaborate with a community of textile artists. The group participated in hands-on learning through studio visits, conversations, demos and workshops focusing on natural dyes, weaving, embroidery, and papermaking in the context of cultural and environmental sustainability.
Ana-Sofia Sarmiento and Francesca Santiago grind chochineal the traditional way at the natural dye workshop at BII Dauu Cooperative in Teotitlan. Photo by Jenn Varekamp.
Visit to a textile studio in Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec during the travel course, Threads of Oaxaca .
Through MassArt’s International Education Center, students have a variety of opportunities to study abroad and enroll in travel courses. By immersing themselves in new ideas, approaches, and techniques — while exploring different geographies and cultures — students are inspired by global artists and designers on a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience.
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