The story of UGA Cortona starts more than 55 years ago with a friendship forged between sculptor and art professor emeritus John D. Kehoe, the late founder of the university’s Cortona study abroad program, and former mayor of Cortona. Today, UGA students arrive year-round in Athens’ sister city, perched atop a Tuscan hill, to practice art across various mediums. This fall, the College of Veterinary Medicine’s biomedical physiology course joined the roster.
“UGA Cortona has strategically broadened its foundational curriculum in studio art and art history by incorporating interdisciplinary approaches,” said Chris Robinson, UGA Cortona director. “This cross-college partnership underscores our commitment to experiential learning while fostering a rich academic environment that bridges the arts with diverse fields of study.”
Spearheaded by Dax Ovid, an assistant professor in the department of physiology and pharmacology, the semester-long course brought seven biomedical physiology students to Cortona for an experience that would dissolve the boundary between art and science. Manual dexterity, visual acuity, empathy — these are the skills that both artists and medical professionals must possess to succeed.
The crossroads of art and science
For some students pursuing health care careers, the path seems narrow: choose science and leave art behind. This course, however, reveals the natural harmony between medicine and the humanities.
“The Italian Renaissance is famous for its collaboration between artists and scientists working together to better understand the human body,” Ovid said. “Creating this opportunity for both physiology and art students to learn anatomy together made perfect sense.”
For some of the biomedical physiology students, putting pen to paper to sketch anatomical concepts was entirely new territory. “A lot of us have never taken an art class before, and that’s why it has been so rewarding,” said K’niya Tuitt, a fourth-year biomedical physiology major on the pre-med track. “I’ve learned things through these courses that I could not see myself being exposed to in a normal science class, and everything we learn pertains to the human body and medicine.”
“This program has rekindled my love for creating art,” said Piper Corsi, a second-year biomedical physiology major on the pre-dental track.
Students quickly recognized the parallels. “In ceramics, I’ve learned to build from the ground up with shape, form and balance,” said Morgan Schoen, second-year pre-med biomedical physiology student. “Every small move I make, every small adjustment affects stability and the overall result, and I connect that to how small cellular changes can affect how a body functions.”
For Kendall Metts, third-year biomedical physiology student, art classes opened her eyes to possibilities beyond science. “Before taking an art class, I had no creativity,” she said. “But dealing with art has really opened my mind — I’m someone outside of science. I can do other things.”
A renaissance in medical education
Cortona sits at the center of the region where art and medicine first joined forces during the Italian Renaissance through the study of the body by figures including Leonardo da Vinci.
“We’re in the heart of where anatomy education was born and how that informed art in the Renaissance,” Ovid said. “Even though today it feels like art and science are completely different fields, we’re drawing from that history and bringing it back to life through this class. The anatomical structures we’re learning through drawing shapes our understanding of physiological function and vice versa.”
Students participating in the UGA Cortona program live in a 13th-century monastery perched on a cobblestone hill, inside the ancient Etruscan walls of this close-knit community of just more than 21,000. The John D. Kehoe Center has been the center’s home since 2005.
Co-taught by Ovid and Kris Schramer, associate director of UGA Cortona for more than a decade, each class session alternates between approaches. Ovid dissects the layers beneath the surface, teaching students about bony projections and internal anatomy, including anatomical variations across different populations. They focus on preparing students to work with diverse patient populations. Schramer leads students in rendering these concepts with a live model.
The semester offers three courses in biomedical physiology: careers in biomedical physiology, figuring the human body through drawing and faculty-mentored shadowing experiences. Along with these courses, students opt to take courses in photography, art history, graphic design, oil painting and ceramics.
Hands in the community
Beyond the classroom, students gained hands-on professional experiences in Cortona. Enza Valente, responsabile administrativo at UGA Cortona for more than 25 years, coordinated shadowing opportunities at a local pharmacy, dental practice and veterinary clinic.
“Here, students get to live in a small and safe medieval town, making real connections to the city of Cortona. The experience that students get is unlike anything they have access to back home,” Valente said.
Students also volunteered with La Misericordia di Cortona, a medical assistance association founded in 1285. They spent shifts responding to calls and accompanying staff in ambulances.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to practice emergency medicine back in the U.S.,” said Diego Perez, third-year biomedical physiology student and founder of Corazón Consciente, a UGA student organization promoting heart health awareness. “I am grateful to have this experience because I can now say I am passionate about this and know that I can handle it.”
Building empathy through practice
The course achieves something beyond technical skill development by combining anatomical study with artistic practice and community engagement.
“I’ve learned how to approach the human body with empathy through the figure drawing class,” said fourth-year biomedical physiology student Lydia Venzon.
Other students expressed the value of working across language barriers in the community. “It’s improved my observation skills and ability to understand others,” said Emmerson Sands, third-year biomedical physiology student.
As UGA Cortona enters its 56th year, the biomedical physiology course represents a new chapter in the center’s evolution. In Cortona, students discover they don’t have to choose between art and science. They can, and should, embrace both.
For more information about UGA Cortona, visit cortona.uga.edu.
