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1998-2001 Student Research

At Home in Ouro Preto

By Havi Asch      

            In Ouro Preto, I felt a lot more comfortable and at home than I did in São Paulo.   As soon as we entered Ouro Preto I found that there was a much more charming and quaint feeling than in the urban chaos I found on the streets of São Paulo.  

            It was such a relief to be surrounded by mountains and nature along with the cobblestone streets, red tile roofs and beautiful churches.  I instantly felt that the pace of life in Ouro Preto was my preference.  In São Paulo I felt like a number, so anonymous and as if everyone is in their own world.  In Ouro Preto, many people made eye contact and looked up as I walked by.  In a lot of ways I felt as if I stood out as a tourist a lot more in Ouro Preto, but at the same time, I had more autonomy and felt more connected to people.

Historical Treasures: Finding Culture Where You Don’t Expect It

By Javi Hairston  

Our trip to Ouro Preto was a refreshing break from São Paulo.  I learned things that I never knew about the African Diaspora.  Ouro Preto, which means “black gold” in Portuguese, has greater significance for be beyond the gems that were found in its many mines.  It signifies the value and multiple contributions of a group of peoole in Brazilian culture, in a particular region, where they were treated as the "other," as inferior, yet able to leave a tremendous impression on the culture.

Phases of Art:  Baroque in Ouro Preto

By Sara Donahue    

            I have always been in love with art, paintings, specifically I collect various paintings of some of my favorite artists:  Van Gogh, Monet, and Picasso.  Before coming to Ouro Preto, I thought I had a very good understanding of many types of art.  But from this trip I learned about Baroque and its three phases, an art form I had never encountered before.  The three types of Baroque, the first phase called Baroque, the second, King Joao 5, and the third, Rococo, are all very distinct styles used in religious ornamentation in Brazilian churches.

Ouro Preto:  Feeling Black Solidarity

By Aracely Ruiz

From November 4, until November 7, our group spent time in Ouro Preto City in Minas Gerais State.  For me, Ouro Preto was completely the opposite of São Paulo.  Ouro Preto is a calm and tranquil town, where I had the chance to relax and not feel like everything had to be done quickly.  In São Paulo, a big city, everything is rushed—similar to New York City.

Slavery and Suffering in Ouro Preto

By Dapo Akinleye    

Slavery, it can be argued, was the greatest human atrocity.  Visiting Ouro Preto reinforced that to me again.  Being in the city and visiting remnants of slavery, I could almost feel the presence and pain of all the Africans who were forced to pave the City’s roads, work the mines, and construct Churches.  Walking the streets of Ouro Preto, initially made me fell that the City was similar to Europe:  Roads made of stones, European Churches, Baroque architecture.  It looked as if the Portuguese wanted to transplant Portugal directly to Ouro Preto.