Arts Trip to New York, October 7-9, 2010
After a sleepless overnight bus ride
for many of us (note to coordinators: next time let’s leave in the morning), we
were dropped off at our hotel for breakfast before visiting the High Line, a
three storey high linear park that combines industrial heritage, contemporary
design and sensitivity to urban ecology. It also offers stunning views of the
Hudson River and Midtown Manhattan. Next up was the always exciting MoMA followed
by a well-earned lunch at Swizz. Friday afternoon was open: while some students
took advantage of the opportunity to rest, most hit the streets of New York and
explored the city.
Saturday morning introduced students to medieval art and architecture: the
real, at the Cloisters Museum, and the revival, at the Cathedral Church of
Saint John the Divine. Luckily for us all, the weather was great, so we stopped
for a picnic in Central Park at we walked across to “Museum Mile” from the
Upper West Side. On the afternoon’s agenda were the Guggenheim and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, where some of us hung out on the roof amidst the
supports of the Starn Brothers installation “Big Bambú” and others toured areas
of the collection of interest to them with teachers as guides. Those of us who
signed up for the optional evening activity were not disappointed: Hotel Savoy,
a theatrical performance in which a single viewer at a time explores an old
hotel and meets a variety of its employees and residents, was haunting and
offered an amazing opportunity to wander around the Beaux-Arts Goethe-Institut
building on Fifth Avenue.
A large group headed off to Brooklyn
early on Sunday to shop at the amazing Brooklyn Flea, check out the brownstones
in Park Slope, and get a quick taste of Prospect Park. We met up with the rest
of the group at the Brooklyn Museum where the highlight was seeing Judy
Chicago’s “Dinner Party” before sinking into our seats on the bus for the drive
home. Here are some of the comments we
received from participants in the 2010 New York trip:
“I found the balance between
organized and free time perfect and the balance between touristic and “New
Yorker” activities really great for understanding and appreciating New York
culture.”
“Very well-planned trip. Great museum choices.”
“Costs were extremely reasonable considering the quality of the accommodation
and the admission to the museums.”
“Very nice to see so much art we’d studied in class. Company was astronomical,
friends were made and stories shared.”
“Loved getting around on my own. Discovered New York, finally!”
“The teachers who came were helpful and fun.”
“I will definitely be going on the trip next year.”