NYC Art Tour

Students from Year 10 to the Sixth Form spent half term exploring New York’s creative quarters.

Following a pandemic-induced hiatus, our international art trip resumed this autumn, with an action-packed tour of the ‘big apple’. Over the course of several days, 49 GCSE and A Level Art and Art History students enjoyed multiple gallery visits, early morning street photography, Brooklyn graffiti tours and sketching the skyline. As with all our trips, in line with our Project Zero goals, all flights were carbon offset; students also discovered the benefits of sustainable fashion on a thrift store trip.  Emma in the Lower Sixth reports back on some of the highlights:

‘After a breezy trip through customs, we had arrived in New York. Across five days, we went to a total of 11 museums, including the Met, MoMA, and the Whitney. Not only did we visit some of the best art museums in the world, we went to several iconic New York locations such as the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square on a Saturday evening. A real highlight was the One World Observatory.  Following a journey through some fake cavernous rocks and a trip in an elevator, we learned how New York had evolved over time, greeted with a 360° of the city. Clear skies meant we could see over all of New York and into New Jersey (the actual home of the Statue of Liberty) and the setting sun provided glinting windows and shimmering shadows – golden hour at its finest.

My personal highlight was definitely finding a $300 blazer for $10 at a store during the thrift session organised by Ms Wrigglesworth and Ms Morgan. It was amazing to experience New York in small groups, while the morning ‘espresso runs’ with Miss Bluck and Mr Hunter’s photography sessions really allowed us to take the city in from new perspectives to get that perfect shot – or shots! Dr Slade was invaluable when trying to navigate the colossal task of taking on the Met, directing us to all the best eras and must-sees for Art Historians.

Another highlight was when Mr Hunter and a group of Year 11 Swifties visited Taylor’s former house in the famous Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village, after marvelling at the minimalist wonder of Donald Judd’s former New York studio and home: the Judd Foundation in Spring Street.

The New York Art Trip was a once in a lifetime experience that I was lucky enough to be a part of. I cannot thank the Art Department enough for taking time out of their half terms to accompany us on the seven-hour flight and shepherding us from museum to museum on the subway. It was a truly enriching and fun trip.’