Our recent photo contest was just one facet of an overall commitment on the part of Abbey Road to the arts. Abbey Road has always deeply supported arts education and the exposure of teens to art in a fun, low-key way. Abbey Road's foremost commitment to the students is an academic one, and art provides another route for students to engage in critical thought and dialogue and immerse themselves in a new culture. Abbey Road provides an environment for such modes of learning. 

Abbey Road's Florence Art program integrates daily studio practices with the long, rich tradition of arts in Florence. Students take studio art classes, art history and on-site observational drawing classes, then go out into the city to museums, art galleries, private collections, walking streets studded with beautiful old buildings.

"One of the major benefits of the program is that we don't just do the major museums and major churches, we do it all," said William Binnie, a member of the Florence Art program staff. "We may go to the Uffizi in the morning and then hike up to a small hillside Romanesque church in the afternoon. Big museums often house astonishing collections of artwork, but we try to balance out everything, so it's not just a highlights tour but rather more of a 'nooks and crannies' tour mixed in with the major sites."
However, every Abbey Road program involves a great deal of art, architecture and art history, due to being based in major European cities with long histories and well-preserved art and buildings.
"Each program has access to some of the most unbelievable collections, both private and public, on the face of the earth," said Binnie. "However, artistic resources are hardly limited to museums and galleries, because simply walking around the city is like being in a museum in itself."
Indeed, Abbey Road parents note that cultural immersion happens every day on an Abbey Road program. "Sigal got to see and touch the Acropolis," said Sharon Azmon, whose daughter will take her second trip with Abbey Road this summer. "She walked the beautiful city of Florence and was completely taken by the warmth of its people and its beautiful art."

"The photography was what really sealed the deal for Michael, as he is an avid photographer at home and loved that taking pictures of his trip was built into the program," said Pam Mallon. "The museums and fineart blew him away."

"You simply cannot go on an Abbey Road program and avoid being completely overwhelmed by the richness of the cultural and artistic heritage of each city," Binnie said