Art in NYC

The majority of the day was spent at the Met Cloisters and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We started our day with breakfast and took a long train to the Bronx to see the Cloisters. Once we got off at our stop, we enjoyed a short and snowy walk to see over the city, the Hudson River, and the Manhattan bridge. We then went to the Cloisters to see Medieval and Gothic art, which I was really excited about because we just finished that unit in my AP Art History class. All of the galleries and rooms were unique and we saw stained glass, sculptures, tapestries (many of which included unicorns), oil paintings, etc. When I saw one of my favorite paintings from my art history class this year, The Annunciation Triptych by Robert Campin, I accidentally set the alarm off from getting too close for a picture for my teacher. I thought I would be taken away by guards, but I got lucky. 

We then took the metro bus to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side / on 5th Avenue. For lunch, most of the girls went to Shake Shack for burgers, fries, and milkshakes, and a few went to a bagel deli in the same area. PS - coffee milkshake is the way to go. We then began our two hours touring the Met, and Josephine and I went through each gallery together. I’m sure everyone enjoyed the art today, but Josephine and I were particularly excited as art is a big part in both of our lives. 

 We saw art from Ancient Egypt, South and Southeast Asia, Ancient Greece and Rome, and our favorites: 19th and early 20th European paintings / impressionism. I was happy to see some of my favorites, including Monet’s Water Lilies, Degas’ ballerinas, Van Gogh’s trees and fields, and much more. This was by far my favorite part of today: seeing such amazing art for the first time in person and really being able to appreciate it and take my time looking at it. It was also nice to see some of the works which I will study next semester in my class, and I will make sure to send many of my pictures to my teacher as well.

After the Met, the group mostly went their own ways for the rest of the evening. I ended up taking the bus and going to Whole Foods for a grocery run. It ended up being a 15 minute walk from the bus stop, and another 15 minute walk back to the hotel after. I felt like a true New Yorker walking my groceries to my “home” in the chilly single-digit weather. My roommates and I (Lauren Lee and Josephine Fentriss), went to a thai restaurant down the block from our hotel and enjoyed dumplings, coconut soup, fried rice, and noodles. 

All in all, today was a great art and Thai food filled day. Though the start to our trip has been much colder and snowier than expected, but we are staying warm and having a great time as temporary New Yorkers. 

Tomorrow begins the first full week of our internships! This is also my first day of work, so I am especially excited / nervous. I am interning at MAC Presents and am looking forward to what the rest of this trip and this internship has in store for me!