Art Study trips to Amsterdam

Curriculum Themes

Fine Art

Modern Art

Photography

Art History

Installation

3D Design

Why Amsterdam?

Having produced iconic artists such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt, Amsterdam’s reputation in the arts is undeniable. Visit the classics in the museum quarter, by way of the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh exhibition. More recently Banksy has moved in, with the Moco museum hosting the worlds first collection of over 50 pieces of his signature pieces. Hop over a couple of canals and you are in the Spiegelgracht, the cities art district. Lining the narrow streets are over 70 miniature galleries, which showcase local talent, ranging from sculpture, graffiti and photography. Just watch out for all the bicycles in the red lanes!

 

Express yourself

Visiting Amsterdam isn’t just about viewing another artist’s work. With breathtaking architecture, intricate canals, colourful markets and beautiful parks, Amsterdam provides artistic subjects around every corner. Take a stop and sketch tour, exploring some of the quirkier installations in the city as well as giving students the opportunity to create their own masterpieces with Amsterdam as the subject. A visit to the Foam Photography Museum offers student workshops to help grow their photography and interpretation skills.

What to do on an Art and Design study trip to Amsterdam?

There are so many activities for students to explore their artistic licence. Here we have just a few excursions we can include in a bespoke itinerary.

For students studying Fine Art, this museum explores the life and works of Hollands most famous artist. Plagued with mental illness, Vincent Van Gogh expressed his thoughts and fears into his paintings. With inspiration from Japanese prints and Parisian impressionism, Vincent’s works demonstrate what a creative mind he was. Over 100 years after his death, he continues to influence modernist painters with incredible pieces such as Sunflowers.

Sat opposite the grandeur of the Rijksmusuem, this modern art gallery has been home to some of the greatest art creatives of our time (including Koons, Hirst and Haring). Due to the owner’s prominence in the art world, they can showcase exclusive, never seen before pieces. Currently showcasing the largest ever collection of Banksy works, alongside Roy Lichtenstein, this gallery is perfect for students studying Fine Art, Installation, 3D design or are just looking for a new inspiration. The Gift shop is a great place to buy souvenirs, before ending the exhibition out in the gardens, where installations have been placed to gaze at before you leave.

Known as the city’s art & antiques district, the Spiegelkwartier offers a more informal way to explore the art on offer in Amsterdam. A historic neighbourhood with typical old Dutch houses, galleries showcasing local talent and antiques shops with displays featuring 18th Century medical equipment, we send students here to gain more inspiration and explore all the variations of art on offer. Even some of the bakeries in this area produce masterpieces in the form of pastries and chocolate.

 

 

Villadelarte.com Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 38
A post shared by Spiegelkwartier (@spiegelkwartier) on

If you just want to take in some of the city, we can offer tours with local guides to show you historic buildings and must-see sights. Some of our tours are focussed solely on the city’s art offerings, showing you unusual pieces of street art, taking you to one room exhibitions set up by local budding artists, and stopping in some of the beautiful places, allowing you to stop and sketch, paint or photograph the surroundings.

With an interactive exhibition all about Amsterdam, the A’DAM lookout offers 360 degree views across the city centre, harbour and beyond.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt3oYjbA8_q/

This grand looking building is the centrepiece of the museum quarter. With over 8000 items of art and Dutch history on display, spanning 800 years, this museum delivers much more than paintings from times gone by. Ranging from Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’ to Yves Saint Laurent fashion designs, students studying all art topics will be able to take inspiration from at least one of the many exhibits on offer. The collection is as varied as it is breath-taking. Outside the museum is the famous ‘Iamsterdam’ sign, which creates an amazing photo opportunity with the building in the background.

 

Rijksmuseum this morning. #rijksmuseum #amsterdam A post shared by Rijksmuseum (@rijksmuseum) on

An urban park situated opposite the bustling Leidseplein Square, Vondelpark is an oasis for tourists. With scenery and wildlife in abundance, a walk, or cycle around this park offers a unique opportunity for budding artists to practice their skills. Whether its sketching, painting or photography, we encourage students to spend an afternoon exploring and discovering new subjects.

 

#amsterdam is so much more than a city of clichés! A post shared by Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark (@stayokayvondelpark) on

Foam is a photography organisation which focusses on internationally developing young talent. Not only does it offer a stunning museum where viewers can find out about the photographer and the context behind the image, but they also offer workshops for youth groups. They have different programmes available, including learning more about digital cameras and portrait taking.

 

Lucas Foglia grew up on a small farm near New York City that bordered a large forest where he used to play when he was young. Sadly hurricane Sandy flooded the farm in 2012 and destroyed the oldest trees in the forest. On the news, scientists linked the storm to climate change caused by human activity. Foglia confronts us with the issue by showing the process of science behind climate change such as a scientist measuring the velocity of a glacier or a woman captured on a mountaintop connected to a EEG machine to measure her cognition in the wild. Foam.org/lucasfoglia . Kenzie inside a Melting Glacier, Juneau Icefield Research Program, Alaska © Lucas Foglia / Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery #foamamsterdam #humannature @lucasfogliaphoto #lucasfoglia #climatechange #photography #glacier #juneau A post shared by Foam | #foamamsterdam (@foam_amsterdam) on

Amsterdam’s famed canal ring, which is now recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site, is made up of over 165 different canals. Therefore one of the quickest and easiest ways to see the city is on the water. Whether you want a guided boat tour, or the ability to ‘hop on and hop off’, we can arrange a canal cruise to suit all groups.

Situated 30 minutes north of the city is this open-air Windmill museum. About as significant to the Netherlands as the Canal ring, the windmills are a symbol of the countries innovation to remove the water from the lowlands, so they could farm there.  This museum lets you go inside some historic mills as well as see local products being made such as wooden clogs.

In addition, the city has so much to offer in free time within your tour, why not try out some of these

  • Shopping in Gassan Dam Square
  • Madame Tussauds
  • Ripley’s Believe it or Not

Example Itineraries

Our educational travel experts have spent considerable time crafting a selection of ready-made itineraries for your Art Study trip to Amsterdam, which you will find below — entitled ‘Aperture’ and ‘Cityscape. However, we can also create a tailored itinerary to meet the educational needs of your group.

Day 1 Arrive in City Centre, check in, guided city tour. Dinner at local restaurant
Day 2 Foam Photography Workshop, Canal Cruise. Visit to Foodhallen
Day 3 Moco Museum, Vondelpark, Travel Home
Day 1 Arrive, visit Museum Quarter and spend time in Van Gogh museum and Moco Museum. Vondelpark sketching, check in and have dinner locally.
Day 2 Speigelstraat Art District, Stop and Sketch city tour, Canal Cruise, Foodhallen
Day 3 Tour of Rijksmuseum, Heineken experience, A’Dam Lookout, dinner Day 4 Free shopping time, travel home

Getting there

Flying is the quickest way to get to Amsterdam, with the average journey time from the UK being around 50 minutes. Most airlines fly into Schiphol, including Easyjet, Ryanair, British Airways and the Dutch national airline KLM. If you would prefer, we can offer coaches with ferries to drive you over to the continent and back. Alternatively, you can try Eurostar’s new direct service to the capital from London St Pancras.

Where to Stay

Stayokay Vondelpark Situated on the Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s version of Central Park, this modern hostel is in the perfect location for studying art. Providing breakfast, wifi and clean spacious rooms, this hostel provides a great base for any trip.

 

Ibis Styles Amsterdam Amstel This hotel is situated on the outskirts of the art district, and a 5 minute walk from the restaurants, shops and markets of the Oude Pijp region of the city. A simple yet modern hotel, it provides a delicious breakfast to start you on your day and WIFI throughout the hotel including all rooms. Opposite is the stop for Tram 4, which takes you to Centraal station in a matter of minutes.

When to Visit Amsterdam?

This is a year-round city, offering very different experiences in summer and winter. Between November and January, every evening the canals are lit up with light art created by local artists. Take an evening canal cruise to see the beauty of all the artwork on offer. In the summer, the streets are lined with tulips, the parks are a hive of activity with cyclists and picnics, and the sun glistening on the canals just seems to make everyone that little bit happier!

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To find out more, call us on 03333 110335 or email info@msgtours.com

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Let’s talk.

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03333 110335