After spending the fall semester studying in Britain and traveling across Europe, 22 University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point students brought their international experiences back to campus in the form of visual journals.

The journals, mixed-media pieces that express what they observed while studying abroad, will be on display in the courtyard of the Fine Arts Center (FAC) on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 3 to 5 p.m. The exhibition will be held in conjunction with the opening reception of the "Simplify/Amplify" show in the FAC�s Carlsten Gallery. Both events are open to the public free of charge.

UWSP Art and Design Professor Robert Erickson, one of the leaders of the semester abroad program to Britain from Sept. 16 to Dec. 8, 2002, assigned the journals to students in his drawing class at the International Students House in London. The pieces display a range of images, Erickson said, including the student's observations and commentary about cultural, political and social issues.

Both art and non-art majors created the pieces, which were exhibited at the London house right before the group returned to the United States.

"It was suggested that we hold an exhibition of the projects at UWSP as well," said Erickson, "so that students here could see what students experienced there and to encourage more students to participate in international study."

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