Art in Real Life: Visions visits NYC
By Lauren Highfill
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Visions members in New York City. |
For members of the student art guild, Visions, works of art came to life during their recent trip to New York City. The four-day tour took them to the Guggenheim, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Chelsea and several other art galleries.
These trips have earned the endearing name of “art attacks” because students experience so much of the contemporary art scene in less than a week. “It’s exhausting but such a worthwhile experience,” said Visions member Kelly McKernan.
In addition to seeing works of art the students have studied in class, the group was also given the opportunity to see contemporary artwork in person. For McKernan, one of the most affecting exhibits she saw was the Guggenheim’s collection of works by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang. “He does large, 3-D installation art which was really cool to be a part of and walk through.” Students also got to see the use of innovative mediums. “We also saw some paintings that Guo-Qiang had done using gunpowder,” said McKernan.
The Met offered students the chance to see an outdoor rooftop exhibition of American artist Jeff Koons and a photography exhibit with works by Sherrie Levin, Andy Warhol and Josephine Pryde, among others. McKernan said, “At the Met I got to see some of my favorite artists’ works in person. That was a very emotional and satisfying day because you get so involved with studying an artist and understanding the historical context. Seeing it in person, you think, ‘Wow, I feel like I was a part of that now.’”
Every year, Visions plans several trips to epicenters of art including New York City and Chicago. According to Diana McClintock, associate professor of art and Visions adviser, these types of field trips expose students to the contemporary world of art in a way that complements the education they receive in the classroom.