We are pleased tp repeat last year's popular painting Bali trip due to popular demand. Please see the trip review in Passages for details.

Bali was the site of numerous artistic journeys; we want to replicate these journeys in spirit. FOM welcome ALL to explore the natural forms and ritualistic expressions of the Balinese figure as it is found in the landscape of Ubud. Artist Joan Kelly, a leading figure painter in Singapore, will teach this four-day painting/drawing workshop in Ubud, Bali. The idea is to discover, interpret and respond to the visual expressions that capture the rich sensual nature of Bali. Whether you are interested in creating art that reflects the impulses of your imagination or letting the forms directly represent the conscious world, Bali provides both inspiration and visual celebration of color and form. All levels of experience are welcome. There will be individual instruction and demonstrations. The four-day workshop consists of working with the model in the landscape for four mornings. We expect everyone on this trip to paint/draw in lieu of the normal research associated with FOM study tours.

In the afternoons, we will visit galleries, artist studios and museums such as the Nekka and the Puri Lukisan. We are also privileged to have one of the island's leading gallery owners helping us understand the role of art in Balinese culture. There will be one afternoon to explore the island on your own.

This trip will of most interest to those wanting to actively engage with Bali through art, so even old Bali hands will find this trip unique, as well as those who want to learn to paint or improve their skills. This trip is the second in a series of art and art history-oriented trips under the FOM Study Tours umbrella. Participants are limited to approximately 10 to ensure a high level of interaction in the workshops.

The total cost is $1,735 SGD ($1700 if paying by cheque or cash), which includes airfare, breakfasts, dedicated local minivan transport, guides, entry fees, insurance, tips, and accommodation on a single basis, as well as a contribution to the FOM general fund. The cost when sharing a double room is $1,435 SGD ($1400 if paying by cheque or cash) The cost does not include visas, departure tax, art supplies (we will provide the details on what to purchase pre-departure), and lunch and dinner, given the diversity of dining options in Ubud. Flights will either be on Air Asia or Jetstar. Please register early and latest by December 15, 2011, as we need to confirm air tickets and rooms. We expect to sell out fast. The information briefing for the trip will be at 3 PM, Wednesday, December 14, 2011; meet in the lobby of of SAM.

We encourage spouses, significant others, and older children (age 15 and above) to join, but we do insist everyone makes art on this trip. Please contact the tour leaders if you have any questions.

To register, please send (a) a completed Study Tour registration form, (b) a photocopy of the first page of your passport, (c) a completed FOM Release Form, and (d) a SGD $500 deposit (per person), cheque made payable to FOM to:

Friends of the Museums (FOM)
Study Tours: Painting Bali, March 2012
61 Stamford Road
#02-06 Stamford Court
Singapore 178892

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This is a slightly modified and expanded version of a 5-day study tour led by Patricia in April 2010. (You can download and read the study tour article that appeared in Passage here.) This trip is four full days longer and continues west into the Gansu Corridor with a final day in Chengdu. The itinerary has been designed to provide snapshots into China's vast history ranging from a Warring States Period tomb to a modern Buddhist pilgrimage centre.

We depart Singapore 10:10am on April 20, change planes in Beijing, and arrive in Xi'an 7:25 that evening. Our itinerary in this ancient capital includes the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, the Xi'an City Museum (to see a Sogdian burial chamber), the Big and Little Wild Goose Pagodas (of Silk Road fame), the Xi'an mosque, night market and the Stele Forest with its extensive new Buddhist stele exhibition hall...and, of course, the world-famous Terracotta Warriors. Lying outside of the city are ancient tombs where we'll visit three of the most memorable including that of a Han Dynasty general (Huo Qubing) who fought the Xiongnu, and a Tang Dynasty prince and princess as well as the monumental site of the mausoleum of the infamous Empress Wu.

Departing Xi'an by the same gate used by ancient Silk Road caravans, we'll travel west, visiting two of China's most famous Buddhist grottoes (Maijishan and Xumishan) plus Shuilian Dong, Daxiang Shan, the excavated tomb of a Qin Dynasty Duke who was interred with hundreds of his slaves and household members, a temple (Fuximiao) dedicated to the mythic founders of the Chinese people built beside an ancient Ming Dynasty fortress where shards still remain to be found, an immense Buddhist complex (Famensi) that was once a historic temple that houses an astonishing long-lost treasure trove that includes a mysterious 'secret' glaze and a sharira (blood relic) of the historic Buddha. Our trip includes two local markets (the famous Xi'an Night Market and the Lanzhou Antiques & Flea Market, and three excellent museums: the 'Forest of Stele" in Xi'an, the Guyuan Museum and the Gansu Provincial Museum with its vast collection of Silk Road artefacts including China's most famous statue "The Winged Horse". Our next-to-last day, April 28, is spent at the base of the Gansu Corridor in the city of Lanzhou until we depart at 4:05 pm for Chengdu, where we spend 24 hours before arriving in Singapore just after midnight Sunday evening, 29 April (at 00:40 am on 30 April).

The full itinerary is available upon request. Handouts and podcasts will be provided all group participants and pre-trip meetings will be held to ensure maximum on-site payoff beginning 2 February 2012. All participants will be asked to prepare a short presentation on a specific site or relevant topic. Click here for recommended reading and other resources.

The approximate cost is S$4030, (or S$3,950 if paying by personal cheque or cash). The final price will be announced in February dependent on RMB/SGD conversion rates and airfares. This includes CA flights (no 'red-eye' flights), compulsory twin-share accommodation, all meals (except the first evening in Xi'an), transport, entry fees, tips, travel insurance and a contribution to the FOM general fund. It does not include your China visa and such private expenses as extra meals, alcoholic beverages, personal purchases, laundry or phone calls.

And importantly: you must be in good physical shape, able to walk a few (1-2) kilometres at a time and climb many flights of outdoor narrow stairs to reach the grottoes...but it's all well worth it! This is a great itinerary.

To register, please send (a) a completed Study Tour sign-up form, (b) a photocopy of the first page of your passport, (c) a completed FOM Release Form, and (d) a $1000 deposit cheque made payable to FOM to:

Study Tours: Classical China (April 2012)
Friends of the Museums (FOM)
61 Stamford Road
#02-06 Stamford Court
Singapore 178892

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Contact and Tour Leader: Khatiza Van Savage, tel. 9758-1016.

This journey blends learning about Bhutanese Textiles with the support of the Bhutan Textile Museum, and attending a Festival to witness the Bhutanese in their finest Kira and Goh. Bhutan textiles are considered among the last of the major work of Asia to gain recognition in the West, with the intricate brocades and complex supplementary warp patterns being unmatched anywhere in the world.

Our opportunity to see the colourful and fine Kira and Goh worn by the Bhutanese will be at the Ura Tsechu, a festival held in Bumthang in the central valley. The festival offers many a great moment to immerse oneself in the culture and religion, while gaining merit alongside the people attending the festival. While in Bhutan we will aim to have our journey interspersed with lectures from noted experts on relevant topics. This will add value to the Study tour learning initiated in Singapore.

This journey requires a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 16. Approximate cost S$6,800. Final cost and itinerary to be advised. Cost includes: FOM Levy, insurance, all Airfares , Bhutan Visa, Tourism Dev't Levy, twin-share rooms - Bhutan and Bangkok, all meals, all Lectures, transport, guide, museum fees, tips. Excluded are alcoholic beverages, laundry, Internet or phone calls. If this journey is of interest, please, contact Khatiza Van Savage (details above).

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The desert cities of Uzbekistan are some of the most interesting and spectacular of the Silk Road trading places. The monumental madrasahs, palaces, fortresses, mosques, minarets and caravanserais of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are awe-inspiring and unique and many are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Savitsky Museum at Nukus in the Republic of Karakalpakstan houses the second largest collection of avant-garde Russian art in the world.

We will fly to Tashkent and drive westward to Samarkand, once the capital of Timur's Empire, where we can admire the exquisite polychrome tile work of the 3 madrasahs and towering minarets in the Registan. We will visit Gur Emir, the tomb of Timur and the Street of the Dead in the necropolis of Shahi-Zinda which is still today a holy place of pilgrimage. The Hall of the Ambassadors in the Afrosiab History Museum contains murals from the throne room of the ruler of Sogd. In Shakrisabz we will view the monumental "White Palace" and the family cemetery of Timur, all built by slave craftsmen. The 10th century Samanid Mausoleum in Bukhara is completely monotone and yet it must be one of the most playfully decorative constructions of Central Asia, only surviving the ravages of the Mongols because it was buried under the desert sands. The vast palace fortress, the Ark, bears witness to the cruelty of the bloodthirsty emirs. We will visit the Kalon Minaret, "Tower of Death", Chor Minor, Bolo Hauz Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah, one of the most esteemed active Islamic universities. Bukhara is famous for its handcrafted puppets, inlaid metalwork, suzanis and gold thread embroideries and silk carpets so we have to take time in the covered bazaar!

We will drive further west to Khiva, a well preserved walled museum city where we will visit the Amin Khan Madrasah and minaret, the Harem of the Khans, Kunya Ark, Djami Masjid and the Pakhlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum. We can climb the Islam Hodja Minaret for a panoramic view of Khiva and watch the famous Khivan tight rope walkers. A small museum explains the fascinating Menonnite connection with Khiva. From Khiva we drive across the Amu Darya river to Nukus in the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan to visit the Savitsky Museum, which has been called Le Louvre des steppes. Here is a treasure trove of banned Russian art, smuggled into the remotest desert of the former Russian empire where nobody visited...until now. We fly back to Tashkent and spend a day visiting various museums and in Khast Imam Square we will view the world's oldest Koran. Join us to see all this and much more.

Approximate cost is SGD $6,400 which includes domestic and international air fare, twin-share accommodation, all meals, transport, guide, entry fees, tips, travel insurance and $200 contribution to the FOM general fund. The cost does not include visa, camera fees and private expenses such as alcoholic beverages, laundry or phone calls.

To register, please send (a) a completed Study Tour sign-up form, (b) a photocopy of the first page of your passport, (c) a completed FOM Release Form, and (d) a $1000 deposit cheque made payable to FOM to:

Study Tours: Uzbekistan (October 2012)
Friends of the Museums (FOM)
61 Stamford Road
#02-06 Stamford Court
Singapore 178892

Six to eight pre-trip study group meetings will begin mid-January 2012. All participants will be expected to prepare a 20-30 minute presentation on a specific site or relevant topic.

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Rajasthan is one of the most culturally colourful and vibrant states of India. We will begin our journey by flying into Jodhpur after an overnight stay in New Delhi. After a traditional lunch in Jodhpur, we continue our journey by bus to the 'Golden City' of Jaisalmer. The approximately 5-hour bus ride takes us through the rough terrain of the seventh largest desert in the world, the 'Thar Desert'. For the next two nights, we stay at the Fort Rajwada in Jaisalmer.

The desert city of Jaisalmer founded by Rawal Jaisal in 1156 CE generated its wealth due to its great location on strategic trade routes. We will see Jaisalmer Fort, one of the most interesting forts in the world, which stands proudly amidst the golden stretches of the Thar Desert. Built in Rajput and Islamic style with its Pols (gates), about a fourth of the city's population still lives within the fort. No to be missed are the beautiful havelis, richly decorated houses of fabulously wealthy merchants and a 12th century Jain Temple during our tour through the city. Late in the afternoon, we will head towards the famous 'Sam Dunes' after passing through the abandoned village of Kuldhara, which despite standing desolate in the middle of the desert, has a romantic appeal. Here, the camels will take us up the dunes where we will enjoy the picturesque sunset. After this, we enjoy a private dinner with entertainment and a talk on folk music. Next day, early morning, we will have the opportunity to see the sunrise over Jaisalmer Fort at Gadsar Lake. This lake once provided the water for the entire city.

After breakfast, we leave for Jodhpur, famously known as the 'Blue City'. It was once the capital of Marwar State and a major trading centre. Today it is the second largest city in Rajasthan. We stay at Devi Bhawan, a little hotel in the city centre. In the evening, we dine with a local Rajput family.

The following morning we explore the town of Jodhpur, its clock tower and markets. After lunch, we head to Mehrangarh Fort, which stands a hundred feet in splendour on a perpendicular cliff above the skyline of Jodhpur. It is one of the most fascinating forts of India, and is an amalgamation of many smaller forts hosting a large collection of weapons, arms, musical instruments and palanquins. In the evening, we dine at the famous 'Raas Hotel' located at the foot of the cliff with its spectacular view of the Mehrangarh Fort. The Raas recently won the 'World Holiday Building of the year Award' at the World Architecture Festivals Award in Barcelona in November 2011.

The next day we head towards the famous 'Pushkar fair', which is one of the largest cattle fairs in India. Thousands of local folks of rural Rajasthan come to sell and buy livestock as well as participate in the religious festival. We will be visiting the old town of Pushkar, as well as a famous temple dedicated to Brahma. We will be staying comfortably in air-conditioned tents. After breakfast and more time at the Pushkar fair, we head to Jaipur, via Ajmer, where we have a quick stop over at the famous 'Dargah Sharif' Shrine. People of all ages and religion come here to this Sufi shrine to pray and have their wishes granted.

In Jaipur we stay at the centrally located 'Diggi Palace'. The following morning we start our visit to Jaipur with an optional hot-air balloon ride. After breakfast we head to see the 'City Palace', with its many splendid collections and there-after the world famous Hawa Mahal, 'Palace of Winds'. In the afternoon, we will see 'Jantar Mantar' an observatory built by Jai Sing II in the 18C. It is a magnificent collection of astronomical instruments modelled after Ulugh Begh's in Samarkand. After this, we will have time to explore Jaipur's shops. That evening, we dine at a private home where we have the pleasure of meeting the Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur

The next morning we go to see the magnificent Amber Fort, set on a hilltop built with white marble and red sandstone. In the afternoon, we go to visit 'Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing' followed by our farewell BBQ at the Stud Farm of the late 'Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur' which is situated within the compounds of Rambagh property. The final day following a leisurely breakfast and some late shopping, we bid farewell to colourful Rajasthan and head home to Singapore via Delhi.

The cost of the tour is approximately SGD $5,300 (paying by checque or cash). Final cost and itinerary will be advised. This includes domestic and international airfare, twin-share accommodation, all meals incl. water, transport, guide, entry fees, tips, travel insurance and $200 contribution to the FOM general fund. The cost does not include visa, camera fees and private expenses such as alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone calls or the optional balloon ride in Jaipur.

To register, please send (a) a completed Study Tour sign-up form, (b) a photocopy of the first page of your passport, (c) a completed FOM Release Form, and (d) a $1500 deposit cheque made payable to FOM to:

Study Tours: Rajasthan (November 2012)
Friends of the Museums (FOM)
61 Stamford Road
#02-06 Stamford Court
Singapore 178892

Seven pre-trip study group meetings will begin mid-March 2012. All participants are expected to prepare a 20-30 minute presentation on a specific site or relevant topic.

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