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June 2026

The Journey Behind July's Curriculum

Written by Elle Costanzo
30 June 2026

For this month's article, I'd like to share my time spent in France, the intentions behind my visit, and the lessons I learned from studying art in such a historically rich place.

I began my journey in Paris. We landed on Thursday evening, and by Friday morning my husband and I headed straight to the Louvre. The Louvre itself was breathtaking, but what surprised me just as much was the city surrounding it. This was my first time visiting France. New York, where I spent much of my early adulthood, has buildings that are often just over a hundred years old. In France, many buildings have stood for centuries.

The French take great pride in preserving this history. I can see both the strengths and the challenges that come with this way of thinking. Holding onto history, finding identity through it, and sharing it with the world carries tremendous meaning. At the same time, simple things like road efficiency, public transportation, and infrastructure often felt rooted in the past. Having lived in Seoul, I have grown to appreciate how efficient infrastructure shapes everyday life. Likewise, New York has always impressed me with its constant drive toward innovation.

Yet standing among France's historic architecture, I understood why this pride exists. In a perfect world, we would have French architecture, Korea's infrastructure, and New York's wildly free way of thinking. Of course, reality doesn't work that way, but traveling reminds me why I value the diversity of different cultures and perspectives.

We then traveled to the south of France, which I had been looking forward to the most. These landscapes inspired many of France's greatest artists. Our original plan was to visit the Musée Matisse. Although Henri Matisse formally studied in Paris, he spent much of his later life in Nice. His museum is located there, but unfortunately it was temporarily closed during our visit.

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Instead, we visited the historic Villa Masséna, musée d'art et d'histoire. The museum guides visitors through history as they climb its grand staircase, moving through galleries that eventually arrive at contemporary works. Seeing modern artwork displayed within such classical architecture was an incredible experience. It reminded me that art history isn't something frozen in the past, but something that continues to grow and evolve.

Throughout my time in France, I also became fascinated with the architectural details that surrounded me. One element I found myself photographing repeatedly was the ornate Parisian doors. Unlike much of today's minimalist architecture, these buildings celebrated decoration and craftsmanship. I couldn't help but wonder what is lost when our cities become so minimal that one metropolis begins to resemble the next. Details give architecture identity, and identity gives places character.

From the Studios

This idea became the inspiration for July's curriculum at Protégé.

This month in Jeongja, students will explore French-inspired artwork throughout the month. Inspired by the Parisian doors, students will create their own architectural adornments using clay on presentation boards. Utilizing clay tools, they will carve symmetrical designs based on the photographic research I conducted throughout Paris.

The following week we will study Pointillism, followed by Joan Miró, with each lesson inspired and curated from my travels.

This month in Gwanggyo, students will continue exploring the concept of layers; how lines, textures, shapes, and objects can build upon one another to create images and depth. During the first week, students will create layered cityscapes by painting solid colors beneath detailed line work.

Those interested will also experiment with cross-hatching and stippling to create shadows and depth, reinforcing the idea that complex images are built from many simple parts.

artwork by rory shin

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