Study away may conjure ideas of distant travel, but sometimes, there are lessons to be learned in a remote corner of Virginia.
The Eastern Shore Fieldwork Studio is an Interior Design course developed in partnership with VCU Global Education that brings students to Virginia’s barrier islands for a weeklong immersive experience. Comprising 14 islands that hug 70 miles of Virginia coastline, the area is home to wilderness, delicate natural habitats and small communities.
The 2025 Eastern Shore Fieldwork Studio was supported by a generous donation that provides students with a lower cost option to study away and experience new environments and cultures.
Since the course launched in 2022, more than 45 students from Interior Design, Graphic Design, Art Foundation, Communication Arts, and Art Education have made the trip. Most recently, students partnered with the Barrier Islands Center (BIC) to design and build an outdoor exhibit for the annual Art + Music on the Farm event, which draws thousands of visitors each year to experience Eastern Shore culture through art and music.
Working closely with BIC staff, students and faculty designed and built the exhibit in under a week, bringing elements of the BIC collection beyond the museum building. Participants translated their observations and lived experiences of the Eastern Shore into an immersive bamboo-and-textile installation that encouraged visitors to pause, gather, and engage.
“This immersive model teaches students methods for understanding place through slow, attentive practices,” says Emily Smith, assistant professor of interior design, who co-leads the Eastern Shore Study Away Program with Tim Hamnett. “It encourages them to recognize people, landscape and culture as layered and interconnected—and to carry that understanding thoughtfully into their art and design work.”
