Features

After a two-year hiatus thanks to the pandemic, SVA Destinations, the College’s travel, art-making and cultural program, is back again in full force in 2023. SVA Destinations aims to reinvigorate your passion for art, fulfill the dream of renewing the creative spirit and breaking out of the daily grind. 

While SVA’s travel program offers nine choice getaways this summer, one of the premier exotic destinations that checks all those boxes is Design West, an international summer design school located in the beautiful village of Letterfrack in Connemara, on the gorgeous and windswept west coast of Ireland.

Running this year from June 17 – 30, for these inspirational two weeks, participants will work with leading designers and artists from across Europe and the U.S., including BFA Design and BFA Advertising Chair Gail Anderson (BFA 1984 Media Arts), Conor Clarke, Ken Deegan, Brankica Harvey, Anni Seligmann, Job Vogel and Martin De Porres Wright. (In the image below, from left to right, are Wright, SVA Executive Vice President Anthony Rhodes and Clarke.)

We spoke to Clarke, a co-founder and director of Design Factory, a design studio based in Dublin, briefly about the program’s appeal, the rousing beauty of the location and more.

“Letterfrack is a unique and beautiful village at the entrance to Connemara National Park,” Clarke explained about the remote location and how it serves its students. “Unplugging from our hectic everyday working lives—commuting, cell phones, deadlines, media saturation—participants will immerse themselves in the wild and rugged Connemara landscape and use it both as a mode of research and as a source of inspiration.”

“The people and the local culture are great sources of inspiration. The landscape is awesome, and the wildlife and nature are equally so,” he continued.

 Design West facilitates both individual and collaborative approaches to the making of 2D and 3D design expressions, including visual communication, installations, and abstract and environmental design. “We are looking for participants to engage with the local environment through observational studies—walking as research—the study of found objects, and interactions between communities, landscapes and nature,” he explained.

The program gives participants the opportunity to explore new ideas through research and making in a unique environment and is led by a cross-disciplinary group of international tutors and professional technicians. “It’s a catalyst to recharge your creativity by providing a unique facility, location and experience outside your normal working environment,” he said. Plus, he adds, “There’s great food. Great pubs with atmosphere, lively conversation and traditional Irish music. Beautiful islands to visit, mountains to climb, beaches to swim off, and have barbecues after.” 

Programs are open to students, working artists and other professionals, so plan to adventure beyond New York this summer and apply online now.