Marie Mosca

Opinion Editor

This winter I had the wonderful opportunity to enroll in a winter class that involved studying in New York City for an entire week. We had some preparatory work before leaving such as readings about architecture and history of the buildings we would be visiting as well as thinking about what we would like to do for our project that would encompass what we learned during our stay. I chose to write a blog via Tumblr while others wrote papers, did a series of drawings, or similar things that catered to their particular interests.
We visited MOMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cooper Hewitt Museum, The Society of Illustrators, Local Projects, and the 9/11 Memorial Museum. We were actually able to meet and talk to the designers at Local Projects who designed the technology for both the Cooper Hewitt Museum and the 9/11 Memorial Museum. The week was full of seeing spectacular art and asking questions of some great designers and artists.
When we were not visiting museums, my friends and I found affordable eateries, took several strolls through Central Park, went to the top of the Empire State Building, saw Chicago on Broadway, explored Strand Bookstore, went bowling, shopped in Chelsea’s Market and attended the Comedy Cellar where we saw famous comedians like Chris Rock, Louis CK, Michelle Wolf and Gary Gulman. I had a blast the entire time and made a ton of new friends.
I sincerely hope that the Art Department runs more classes like this in the future. I am not at all a city girl and even having the experiences of taking a train and a subway as well as walking and navigating the streets themselves was a huge adventure. I believe that I came back a totally new person and was then more inspired to get back to my own art making as a result.