Barat Foundation's Summer in Provence 2009

Pyramid Painting

2009-07-26T08:06:00.001-07:00

Throughout our time in Provence, we worked on 3 triangular canvases. We deconstructed the landscape into shapes, then added our own symbols of Provence. I am happy to exhibit the piece in the Barat Foundation's upcoming art show "Relics from the (other) Realms" opening September 25th at our center, 765 Broad Street, Newark NJ.

Me, Athena

2009-07-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. I'm writing this post from New Jersey, honestly a bit sad to have left Provence. This was an incredible summer for me. I haven't had such a good time since I was a student myself on the program! Group dynamic is such an intrinsic part of the program, and this year we hit gold. Something about the students and the staff both created a recipe for the simplest and richest summer of my life. Having such a small group allowed the kind of personal one on one time that creates a strong family like dynamic. I was lucky enough to get to know each student on a personal basis, and watched them grow and transform through their creativity, their French language, and their own personal being. It is my goal to create a safe forum, where students feel free enough to take risks and experience their surroundings as immediately as possible. This year, I was truly moved by their achievements, on so many levels. It is not often that a girl gets to spend a summer in the south of France surrounded by such beauty and growth. It will take some time for it all to sink in. In the meantime I will post images of our grand finale, pyramid painting. As well as some images from some final projects.
All my bests
Athena

Thomas

2009-07-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

Thomas, our illustrious French Teacher with his two favorite accessories, a newspaper and espadrilles. Rumors are he owns 20 pairs. Thomas was truly a pleasure to work with, knowledgeable and kind, he kept us up to date on current events, shared his understandings as a native of the South of France, and was always able to facilitate simply and beautifully.

from Chandri

2009-07-24T01:02:00.000-07:00

Hello and bonjour from Chandri Barat, Executive Director of the Barat Foundation

I am writing this from Provence, France, doing what I like best to do: introducing students to art, culture, french language, and the importance of being truly present and living in the now.

Officially, I am Program Director, French Teacher, and Yoga Instructor here in Provence. Unofficially, I am “mama bear” and have had the sheer pleasure of getting to know a dozen young people, not as students or acquaintances, but as family. Each of these young people is unique, each one has with something very special to contribute, each one brings their own distinctive light and courage to our group. Watching their transformations and growth has been a deeply profound experience for me. As an educator striving for excellence and dedicated to personal growth, these young people’s transformations continue to motivate and inspire me.

Chris

2009-07-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

My name is Chris, I'm 15 and from Newark, NJ. I am enjoying this trip so much with so many amazing people! It was a dream of mine to come to France. I'm learning a lot about French culture, people, food, experience and language. We have visited many beautiful places like Gordes, Les Baux, and two of my now favorite cities, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. What has touched me most during this trip is the simple way I see French people treat eachother, with kindness. Since day one, I've noticed the French attention to detail. No matter how busy peopole are they will always greet you with a bonjour or bonsoir. Treating others kindly, formally, with love and respect seems to be an embedded part of the culture. I hope to bring some of this back with me to Newark.

Keisha

2009-07-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hi! My name is Keisha, I'm 17 and from Newark, NJ. My favorite part of this trip was seeing a performance in the Avignon theater festival called "Boomerang". I liked it because there was so much expression in the dance. I was really blown away. For our art projects, we had to choose a symbol for our stay here. I chose the sun. Because, while my light can be blocked, it also can shine so bright! I tend to be shy, and just peek over the hills sometimes. But here I realize that it's ok to come out of my hiding place, and just be who I am. I can come out and show the world what I can do! There's a beginning and start to the day with the sunrise and sunset. Provence has helped me realize that everything and everyone has a start. My start is here and now!

Nicole

2009-07-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm 16 and from Washington D.C. My favorite part of this trip is just being in France! I love sitting in a cafe with waves of French washing over me, picking up snippets of conversation, and slight differences in culture. It's like I have secret access into another world! I love the struggle of ordering in French, and then sweet success of getting in right!

Zach

2009-07-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

My name is Zach, I'm 16 and I live in Orange, NJ. I have traveled a decent amount, but I have to say that Provence is an epic place. Just from the deck of the house we are staying at, I see miles of forest and farmland until a great wall of mountains. On this trip, I have seen a vast field of sunflowers, acres up acres of vineyards, and ruins that date back thousands of years. I have also seen two dances, a jazz festival in Marseilles, a Picasso and Cezanne exhibit in Aix en Provence, a photo festival in Arles, and a theater festival in Avignon. If I am going to remember anything about this trip, its variety!

Aaliyah

2009-07-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Name is Aaliyah Bowen, I'm 16 years young, I live in Newark, NJ and attend NCA, Newark Collegiate Academy. After coming to Provence it has shown me that reality isn't so harsh and that it doesn't thave to be. Also, that the real world isn't always cruel and cold. My reality can be much larger than violence, guns, gangs and drugs; but miles of green as far as the eye can see, and greetings from strangers on the street. Coming to Provence has taught me to keep my eyes open because there's so much to see and if you're not in the moment, you will miss it.

Cassandra

2009-07-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Cassandra, I'm from Ridgewood, NJ. My favorite day during this trip was when we went to the Pont Du Gard. It was one thing to study it, but to be able to see it in person was just breathtaking! This whole experience has been so eye-opening.

Sophia

2009-07-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here in Provence the experience has been amazing. When I saw the fields of Lavender at the Abbaye de Senanque, I couldn't believe my eyes! In Aix, the fountains, and in Avignon how people were showing their art to the public. And one of my favorite things, La Cathedrale des Images in Les Baux. I was surrounded by Picasso paintings every direction I looked! I felt like I could have staid there all day (if I brought a blanket). I will definately miss Provence, but I will be happy when I am home because my mind will be filled with wonderful memories.
I am 15 and from New York City.

Gretchen

2009-07-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, my name is Gretchen, I'm 17 and from Bermuda. My favorite part of the trip was just being able to live here! It has changed the way I look at my life by making me realize that we cannot live in the past or wait for the future. What we have is right now and if we don't recognize it we're gonna miss out on our own lives. This trip has really made me appreciate life, and made me feel very lucky.

Walter

2009-07-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Walter Jean-Jacques. I'm 17 years old and from Newark, NJ. The time I have spent in Provence has enabled me to become more open-minded by offering me settings where I am able to clear my mind and just think. The chance to travel to the top of various hills and mountains of places such as Lacoste, has caused me to tap a part of my brain that has been enclosed. The thoughts that I have had here inspire me to make my own music. The various new sounds that I make with my alto sax have been heavily influenced by the diverse sounds of nature here, especially the hissing sound of the cigale at the heat of the day. This experience of living in Provence has helped me to understand the true meaning of just letting nature take control of your mind.

Marseille and the Jazz Festival

2009-07-21T04:15:00.000-07:00

We visited the port town of Marseille, climbed to the top of the city to the beautiful Byzantine Basilica, Notre Dame de la Garde, then staid into the night for the acclaimed 5 continent Jazz festival. The town was so alive! Even on a Monday night the streets and cafes were full of laughter and conversation.

painting at home

2009-07-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

We have been working on a painting triptych based on what we have learned from Picasso and Cezanne about deconstruction and landscape. The students are divided into teams of three and each has rotated 3 times, so that everyone has worked on all three canvas. I can't wait to see them finished! They will be included in the Barat Foundation's fine art exposition opening September 25th in Newark, entitled "Relics from the Other Realms". I'll post pictures as soon as they're done!

Bastille Day in Avignon

2009-07-17T09:54:00.001-07:00

On the 14th, Bastille Day, we ventured to the lively city of Avignon for festivities and fireworks.

Give Open Light

2009-07-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

This is a collective poem we wrote at the top of the mountain in Lacoste. Each student wrote independently, and then we fused all the writings into one poem:

Give Open Light
Provence 2009

I came from a lost state
These walls are wise
How do I find the fire inside me?
I want peace
Tiny are the ants
Where am I going now?
I am made from happiness, yellow and tiny
My companion is air
I can give anything
I can make anything
My companion is the wind
I can make the sound of hope
I want a dose of reality
How do I find water, the ability to float and remain untied?
Gigantic is uncontrollable
Tiny is delicate
At the top of the hill is desire
Purple wind
A description of a flower
I take advice
I need courage
I want confidence
My pilgrim heart is yet to be found
My companion is a dream
My home an oasis
A long thin sturdy weed
Seeing them is rare
The story of traveling

Bastille Day at St. Saturnin Les Apt

2009-07-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

The night before Bastille day, on the 13th, our little town of St. Saturnin had a town "ball" and lantern festival. A little band played live music, and we saw some extremely well coordinated partner dancing from the older couples. Many of our students were amazed to see so many different generations of people celebrating together.

Sunflower Field

2009-07-13T04:24:00.000-07:00

On our way home from Arles we stopped in a sunflower field. Maybe Van Gogh painted here. There is nothing quite like being amidst a field of sunny faces.

Arles and the Rencontres Photography Festival

2009-07-13T03:23:00.000-07:00

We visited the Roman city of Arles, Van Gogh's most inspiring city, during the annual photography festival. The festival boasts formal classics such as these featured from Willy Ronis, as well as new photography pushing the boundaries of the medium. This year was the 40th anniversary of the festival and Nan Goldin, an American woman, was the creative director. As her style is fierce realism, we saw some very powerful work documenting various realities around the world. One that stuck out was a documentary of Camden, NJ by French photojournalist The students had strong and mixed opinions of what they saw.

Camden by Jean-Christian Bourcart:

Avignon, the Palais Des Papes and the Theater Festival

2009-07-13T02:46:00.000-07:00

We visited the city of Avignon to see the historical walled city, and to experience the annual theater festival. The city's population triples during the festival as theater companies from all over the world come to exhibit their newest work. Spectators also come from miles around, many travel from other countries just for the festival. We visited the gardens of the Palais Des Papes, and later on in the evening saw "Boomerang" a dance performance about the current state of social and ecological climate in the world.

Boomerang:

Le Pont Du Gard

2009-07-11T05:16:00.000-07:00

We visited one of the man made wonders of the world, the Pont du Gard, a Roman aquaduct from 100ad, which took water from the Rhone to Nimes. The math of the pont works out to a 35cm decline over each kilometer for over 55 kilometers, so as to keep the water flowing smoothly. It really is a feat of human creation.

Art and Yoga at home

2009-07-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post some images of the students in their yoga class as well as their art workshop. This collage was part of a deconstruction exercise, where first we painted entire pages with "the colors of provence" in watercolors, then the students sketched the landscape view from our balcony, then broke it down into geometric forms. We then cut out the forms and created collage. This collage was created by Sophia, Cassandra and Gretchen.

La Tour De France et Les Baux de Provence

2009-07-11T04:22:00.001-07:00

We went to the tiny town of >>?>?>? to watch the Tour de France. Hopefully the video upload works for everyone, and you can see the video of the bikers passing us by. It really is such a thrill! Seeing the race go through these little towns is so exciting; I think more so than seeing them in the larger cities; because it really gives a sense of how many different villages and towns the race goes through and all the French people who line the streets throughout the country to witness the massive event.

Later on in the day we went to Les Baux de Provence, one of my favorite villages. Situated atop a Bauxite mountain it boasts an impressive view of the Luberon valley. Just outside the village is La Cathedrale des Images. A former Bauxite mine, currently used for massive projection exhibits. This year's exhibit was Picasso, so we were well prepared, having seen his exhibit in Aix en Provence, as well as learning about his life and effects on the art world. Here are some images from the exhibit. It was totally surreal walking through his paintings, I wish you could hear the music as well, it was a full immersion into the world of Picasso!

The Market at Apt

2009-07-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

This morning we made our first visit to an outside market. We brought back tapenades, olives, fresh breads, sausages and cheeses from the region for our lunch. It was delicious!

Aix, Cezanne and Picasso

2009-07-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

We visited Aix en Provence, city of a thousand fountains; to experience her sites and see the renown Picasso Cezanne exhibition. It was incredibly moving to see the two masters side by side. We all learned a tremendous amount, even I, as I wasn't aware how much Picasso truly followed "le chemin", or the teachings of Cezanne. We discussed some quotes from the artists: "Every day I make progress, that is what is important." by Cezanne and "I never approach a painting as a work of art, always as a research. I search constantly, and there is a chain of logic inherent in each research." by Picasso. I posed the questions, "How are you better today than yesterday?" And "What is your research?" to the students to reflect and write in their journals.
Visit the exhibition site by clicking here.

Gordes and L'Abbaye de Senanque - day 3

2009-07-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

Today we saw for ourselves, perhaps the most iconic Provencal image, the Abbaye de Senanque, and France's "most beautiful village" (yes they have a competition in France), Gordes. We stayed for the Monk's to perform Vespers, a Gregorian evening chant.

The students had a photography competition to capture the most picturesque vision of the day so I am posting some of their work below. Enjoy! (Walter forgot his camera and I still need to upload Gretchan's...)

Aaliyah:

Cassandra:

Christopher:

Keisha:

Nicole:

Sophia:

Zach:

Our town, St. Saturnin Les Apt

2009-07-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

Today we went to explore our own town, St. Saturnin Les Apt. It is a quaint village of about 1,500 people. I have honestly never been in such a friendly place, the local people are more than willing to talk with us and exchange. There is a castle at the top of the village from the eleventh century, and we were thrilled to explore. There, at the top of the mountain we had a creative writing exercise.
The students have also been taking turns going to buy bread in pairs in the morning, an excellent way for them to practice their French Language.
We have officially started our Language Courses. Based primarily in conversation, I have already seen many of the students improve greatly. Students feel comfortable ordering in cafes and asking for directions. We're immersing!

Some student views of the town:
from Aaliyah:

From Cassandra:

From Christopher:

From Keisha:

We Arrived!

2009-06-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

After a long journey we arrived at our home in Provence! Secluded in the mountains in St. Saturnin les Apt, we are amidst iconic Provencal beauty. Lavander and Olive Trees line the yard, while a delicious swimming pool sits in the center. We ate dinner: tomatoes and mozarella, roasted chicken, an erray of quiches, salad and fresh bread. Tomorrow we will begin French classes, have an overview of our arts workshops, a walk into town, and an evening film, "Les Triplettes de Belleville". These kids are great! Honestly, an awesome group. They are happy and playful with one another, help each other out, and are all so thrilled to be here. I can't wait to see what we create together! I will keep you posted.
a bientot!
Athena