Category Archives: turkey

Spring Break: Day 3 in Istanbul – From a Cannon Factory to delicious street food

By Peter Drake (Dean, Academic Affairs)     Erdal Kara met us at the “Tophane Cannon Factory” to show us the exhibition space that the Academy might have for a future show. It is a remarkable space that was the site of the Ottoman Empire’s cannon production.  There is one room that was used exclusively to pour iron for thirty-foot… Read More

Spring Break: Day 2 in Istanbul with Peter Drake

By Peter Drake (Dean, Academic Affairs) Erdal Kara took us to Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University to meet with the Rector, Yalçin Karayagiz; Faculty Emeritus, Kemal Iskender; Professor, Mahmut Bozkurt and Erdal himself. The first part of our meeting was spent remarking on how similar our two programs were and how unique they are in the larger world of art… Read More

Spring Break: Dean Peter Drake Arrives in Istanbul

By Peter Drake (Dean, Academic Affairs) Janice and I arrived at Istanbul International Airport at 6:00 am. Remarkably, Erdal Kara was there to meet us and drive us into town. Erdal is in charge of international students at Mimar Sinan University and is very invested in facilitating student, faculty and alumni exchange between Mimar Sinan and the Academy. Ali Karem… Read More