Summer Arts & Design Programs Abroad in Italy

Accademia Riaci, Florence:
Located in the heart of Florence, Accademia Riaci provides summer art courses, design courses and culinary arts programs to students from around the world. One of the leading art and design academies in Italy, we offer intensive summer programs in fashion, painting, drawing, graphic design, interior design, and jewelry making among many others. Suitable for beginners and experienced professionals, our summer art, craft and design programs are taught in English, Italian or Spanish. You can choose to study for 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks or 12 weeks. You can combine different courses. Private lessons are also available.

Accademia Riaci Summer Art & Design Programs:
You can combine different courses. Private lessons are also available.

All of our summer courses are intensive, with 22 lessons per week with instructor + 22 Independent Study sessions per week (without instructor). 

• Summer Art & Design Courses
Study for 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 12 weeks. Taught in English, Italian or Spanish

- Art History 
- Art Management
- Bag Design
- Bag Making 
- Ceramics
- Fashion Business
- Fashion Design
- Glass Art
- Graphic Design
- Interior Design
- Jewelry Making
- Jewelry Design
- Shoe Making
- Shoe Design
- Painting & Drawing
- Product Design
- Restoration of Paintings 
- Textile Design
- Italian Home Cooking
- Italian Language
- Enjoy Italy Course
- English Language

• Culinary Arts - Italian Home Cooking
Study for 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 12 weeks
In our summer culinary arts courses, you can learn all about Italian cooking and Tuscan wine. You will learn at least 64 recipes a month.

At the instructor's strong request, we limit the class a maximum of 3-8 students, therefore, you can experience almost one-to-one lessons.

• Samples of Summer Study Programs:

- Interior Design:
In this course, you learn Italian interior design, which has the reputation for having the world’s best sensibility in color, mode and functions.

You will learn not only interior design concepts, but also complete final work based on your instructor’s theme, such as residential, retail and public facility design.

Instructors will give individually-tailored advice to each student depending on whether they are beginners or have some experience.
 
- Painting / Drawing:
Participants in these summer courses will start by learning the basics of oil painting, water-color, fresco and other techniques.

You will extend your learning to space structure and understanding of shading, composition, including lectures on art history.

In order to study Italian art and outdoor drawing, participants will learn both traditional techniques and modern techniques.

- Jewelry Making:
The jewelry making technique called "open work" has been widely used in Florence since the time of the Renaissance. Suitable for beginners, it’s one of these techniques that can be only taught here.

The main motif is flowers and leaves. Beginners can start carving and will be able to complete a “bangle” in a month.

For those who have previous jewelry making experience, they eventually complete beautifully glistening crystal and two rings, utilizing stone setting on colorful semiprecious stone.

Other projects include pendant head, bracelets and other original work. Absolute beginners who choose to study for 2 months can learn from the very basics and eventually will be able to make a pendant head and brooch.

- Graphic Design:
You will improve your artistic sensibility learning about color, advertisement and illustration space conception unique to Italian life. You will nurture your individual creativity using vivid colors.

- Ceramics:
You will learn simple hand twisting techniques to creating ceramics using terra cotta. Experience the feel of Italian clay!

- Restoration of Paintings:
You will learn various techniques in preserving and restoring historical inheritances through both traditional and the most current techniques. You will restore real 15th century paintings.

- Glass Art:
Stained-glass work seen in many churches in Italy continue to enchant people. You will make this stained glass art directly from local artists.

It is possible to make all forms of stained glass work, such as wall decoration, lamp, stand-cover, jewelry box, mirror decorated with stained glass, depending on the length of your participation in these classes.

We will instruct you from the basics, especially for those with no experience.

- Fashion Design:
Our intensive summer fashion courses provide practical study on leading Italian fashion trends. You will learn everything from fashion design to actual construction of garments.

- Leather Art (Shoe Making, Shoe Design, Bag Making, Bag Design):
As you know, shoes and bags made by Feragamo and Gucci are famous for their high quality. You will learn every aspect of designing shoes and bags from Florence’s craftsmen with top skills.

Students with no previous experience can start by creating an easy pocketbook. If you already have experience, you will make your own original work. 

However, if you are interested in shoe making, you need to take at least a 4-week course in order to complete a whole process in which you will learn every step of techniques prized as the world’s best leather art of Italy.

• Spring & Academic Year Study Options:
In addition to our summer courses, Accademia Riaci provides short-term spring courses in culinary arts or jewelry-making, year-round short courses (ranging from 1 week to 24 weeks), semester programs, 1-year courses, 2-year diploma program (taught in Italian only) and 1-year master courses.

For further information on our intensive summer art courses in Florence, Italy, please email us below.