Louisiana Tech University’s School of Design presents Japan Unpacked: Recollections of Study Abroad June 2025, an exhibition showcasing the creative reflections from students who participated
in the school’s summer study abroad program in Japan. The exhibition is on view now
through Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the Bertha and Moffett Galleries at the F. Jay Taylor
Visual Arts Center on campus.
This summer, 17 Louisiana Tech University students traveled to Japan for a two-week study abroad program exploring art, architecture, and cultural heritage in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Hakone, Kamakura, and beyond. Highlights included visiting the Studio Ghibli Museum, the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architecture Museum, and a range of world-class contemporary and historical sites.
Student participant Emily Leibowitz said the trip reshaped her perspective: “As a designer, it felt like a reset. Being in a new visual landscape challenged me to slow down and truly see. The trip pulled me out of the monotony of my daily routine and into a space where small details carried meaning.”
Led by School of Design faculty Nicole Duet and Bailey Craighead, the program immersed students in museums, historic temples, vibrant markets, and cutting-edge design districts. The experience broadened their global perspective, deepened their understanding of Japanese culture, and strengthened their skills in observation and visual storytelling through a required sketchbook project.
“This exhibition reflects what happens when students are fully immersed in a new culture — their sketchbooks, photographs, and artworks reveal not just what they saw in Japan, but how it shifted the way they see,” said Nicole Duet, associate professor in the School of Design. “Japan Unpacked captures a sense of wonder, attentiveness, and the creative momentum that comes from stepping outside the familiar.”
Japan Unpacked features student sketchbooks, photographs, collected objects, videos, and artworks inspired by their journey. The exhibition remains free and open to the public weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Nicole Duet at nduet@latech.edu