Anna Wallace Pitts, a junior double major in art history and studio art with a minor in the Blount Scholars Program, was accepted to the University of Glasgow in Scotland as an exchange student for the spring semester. Back in February, we contacted her by email to find out how her studies were going:
UA ART: What attracted you about going to Glasgow?
AWP: Glasgow was really appealing to me because there is so much happening in this city–there are always new exhibitions up and countless galleries and museums to visit. It also has a huge music scene. The city of Glasgow seems to have a perfect mix of old architecture and history alongside diverse, unique modern developments. Also, it’s a nice escape from the heat of Alabama — there have been snow flurries and hail storms all this week.
UA ART: What are you studying at the university?
AWP: I am taking a course on Chinese art that looks at representations of the Ten Kings and the Netherworld as well as a course called Portfolio which focuses on art history practice and developing writing skills needed for professions in art history. I’m also in a history course, Celtic Civilisations, which examines cultural issues such as emigration and the decline of Gaelic languages, to give a few examples.
UA ART: Would you tell me about something unusual or interesting that you’ve experienced since you’ve been in Glasgow?
AWP: One fun thing about my coursework here is that fieldwork is included in my Portfolio course. I’m required to go on various museum or gallery visits and submit brief write-ups. The unusual thing about that class is that it is taught by a different person each week so you are always adapting to different lecture styles. Overall, there is a much higher emphasis on independent learning here than at UA but my assignments and professors at UA have left me well-prepared.
UA ART: What do you hope to do after you graduate in May of 2021?
AWP: I think I’d like to take a year and move somewhere to teach English as a foreign language; but eventually I want to work at a museum.
Anna Pitts was named to The University of Alabama Presidents List for fall 2019, spring 2018 and fall 2017. She was named to The University of Alabama Dean’s List for spring 2019 and the fall 2018. Pitts has been awarded the Elizabeth B. Bashinsky Endowed Art Scholarship, the Bradley Family Endowed Scholarship, the Farley Moody Galbraith Endowed Art Scholarship and the Carol B. Merkle Endowed Scholarship.
For more information about The University of Alabama’s programs in studio art and art history, visit our Degree Programs page.