Martindale studies fine arts in London

Honors Tutorial College English and history major Callie Martindale was awarded an Undergraduate Experiential Learning Award to support a study abroad experience in London, England. The program was established to create an opportunity for students to study and analyze the fine arts in English culture. Callie and her fellow student travelers attended multiple performances and visited diverse art venues, analyzing various art forms such as movement, instrumental, and visual art.  

Callie saw a lot while in London though her time was cut short. “Some of my favorite experiences were seeing the London Symphony Orchestra, attending a production of The Taming of the Shrew at the Globe, walking through Virginia Woolf’s inspiration garden, seeing an exhibit of the works of Picasso at the Royal Academy of Arts, and visiting Paris on a free weekend (mere days after I left, France proceeded to shut down its borders). I also made sure to have some unique experiences of my own that were not on the program’s agenda. I volunteered at the Feminist Library in Peckham as a part of their Acquisitions Team and explored the British Museum with a new local friend that I made. London became my oyster and I did feel as if I grew to become more than a simple tourist; I felt what it was like to truly live in the city. It became my own.”  

“Going into it, I must confess my expectations were not terribly high. I expected to maybe learn some fun facts about music history, look at some art, then go off and do my own thing. I wasn’t expecting the classes to be the highlight of my time abroad; the highlight was going to be London, of course!” Callie is very grateful for being granted an experiential learning award. If she had waited a semester later to apply, she most likely would not have traveled to London. Unfortunately, the pandemic cut the trip short. Callie, her professor, and classmates waited for a word from Ohio University’s administrative team on how to or not to proceed with their trip. They quickly returned home.  

Being in London helped reestablish a connection to fine arts that Callie had been longing for.  Callie reflected on the new things she tried and how she made the constant effort to stay out of her comfort zone. “The coronavirus was a sobering reminder that life is unpredictable, and you have to seize every opportunity as they come. I’m so incredibly thankful that my spirit didn’t let me waste any second of my time in London.”