This program will study the effects of global warming and other relevant ecological issues affecting the environment in northern Sweden and, in turn, its local arts and culture. From Kiruna to Moskosel, Boden, and Stockholm, we will visit artists' studios and museums, and meet with leaders in the arts and culture to understand how this northern society deals with its rapidly changing environment.

This region's delicate ecosystem is currently being disrupted, displacing reindeer populations and, with them, its indigenous Sámi population. Sápmi, as the land is called in its original language, has been inhabited for centuries by Sámi families dedicated to reindeer herding. This balanced relationship has been disrupted by iron mining, displacing families and thousands of animals. And with them, their ecosystem.

Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, is located in the middle of Sápmi, and has been a mining city for more than a century. Today, its soil is sinking, and its inhabitants have been mandated to move two miles east. Together, we will think about how inhabitants balance economic growth while sustaining an activity that inevitably will affect the soil under their own homes.

We will travel to Moskosel and Boden, visiting rapids and other natural highlights, learning about the Swedish forest and how its inhabitants embrace the environment. In addition, we will visit artist residencies and museums in the middle of the woods.

The second part of the program takes place in Stockholm, where much of the arts and cultural activity is concentrated. We will visit key institutions, including the Moderna Museet, the Royal Institute of Arts, and the International Programme for Visual and Applied Arts, among others.

Tuition includes: Double-occupancy hotel accommodations, daily Continental breakfast, welcome and farewell dinners, guided tours and museum admission, as well as transportation within the Norrbotten region, flight from Luleå to Stockholm, and local transportation in Stockholm.