Lynne Johnson Travel Award Reflection by Yolanda Fan
During the summer of 2025, the Lynne Johnson Travel Award in the Art Department supported Art History major Yolanda (’27) in traveling to Suzhou, China to study Classical Chinese gardens firsthand. Established in honor of Dr. Lynne Johnson, the award encourages students to engage directly with works of art through independent travel, deepening their understanding beyond the classroom.
Reflecting on her experience, Yolanda shares:
“During the Summer of 2025, I traveled to Suzhou, China, and explored seven Classical Chinese Gardens. This experience significantly enhanced my academic and artistic understanding of Chinese garden design, allowing me to move beyond studying these spaces through images and texts to engage with them in person. As an Art History major, I find it especially valuable to experience and see works of art firsthand through travel. Pictures cannot convey the same sense of scale, atmosphere, and complexity that define these spaces. While walking through the gardens, I took note of the borrowed scenery and the relationship between the built and natural environments. I observed Classical Garden elements such as the flowing water, Taihu rocks, architecture, and framed views, unfolding gradually before my eyes.
The trip also allowed me to connect my prior coursework to my experiences in the gardens, particularly the Arts of China course taught by Professor Gao. The coursework provided a foundational understanding of the principles of Chinese classical gardens, which became much more tangible when experienced in person. Overall, this experience strengthened my ability to analyze a non-Western artistic tradition and will continue to enrich my academic work. I am very grateful for the Art Department’s support in making this opportunity possible through the Lynne Johnson Travel Award.”
We are proud to support students like Yolanda as they expand their learning beyond the classroom and into the world.
Visit Yolanda’s website to learn more about her experiences!
More Information to apply for the Lynne Johnson Travel Award is linked here.