Local man studies art, architecture in Italy on Owatonna

OWATONNA — St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona has long offered study abroad programs. But, in 2009, the school offered a summer program for athletes who are not able to spend an entire semester away from campus.

One Owatonna native decided to take advantage of the opportunity and traveled to Italy in May, preparing himself for a summer internship and a future career in the arts.

Lincoln Nguyen, a St. Mary’s hockey player, enrolled in the Italian Arts and Culture program and traveled to Italy earlier this summer.

During the three week program, Nguyen visited Rome, Florence and Venice, studying the birthplaces of some of the world’s most renowned art and architecture.

“We concentrated on the Renaissance and Baroque period, where art evolved. We studied how art progressed from that area throughout the world,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen, who is studying graphic design, said the sheer number of artists and great productions that can be found in Italy was intriguing to him.

Students learned about the art’s history before traveling abroad where they were able to put what they had learned into tangible connections.

“Looking at the architecture and to know how it was built, just to see something so big and so spectacular was intriguing to me,” Nguyen said.

The graphic design major may be entering a more mechanical field of art in the future, but Nguyen enjoys painting, both oil and acrylic paints as well as drawing.

It wasn’t just the art Nguyen studied that he says will help in his future career, but the culture of Italy as well.

“The fashion and designs and marketing is so much more trendy. Fashion over there is completely different. Milan is the fashion capital of the world an we were right next to it,” Nguyen said. “Seeing the graphics will play more of a roll in my job when I graduate.”

After the program ended, Nguyen and a few of his friends extended his trip, driving through Europe to Amsterdam before returning home. Nguyen also visited Germany which is known as a powerhouse in the design markets, which he kept is eye on for future inspiration.

Nguyen spent the rest of the summer working at an internship with a Minneapolis record company.

He is hoping to enter a graphic design position in a related field after graduation in spring — or even better in with sports company which would tie both his college athletic career and art experiences together.

“I can do a lot of things with my major. Although, that will be a process, trying to get into something like that right out of school,” he said. “ I don’t know we’ll see.”

Wendy Reuer can be reached at 444-1565.

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