Art class members visit national galleries in D.C.

The art program took 100 students from Art 2, 3, and 4; Photography 2, 3, and 4; Computer Graphics 2, 3, and 4; IB Arts and Ceramics to a trip to the museums at the National Mall on Dec. 10. They were given the opportunity to visit the museums of their choice, most deciding to go to the National Gallery and the Hirshhorn.

Senior Sammi Van Heest was one of many who visited the Hirshhorn.

“My favorite part of the trip was the Dan Flavin exhibit in the Hirshhorn which was entirely fluorescent lights and very beautiful,” Van Heest said.

The seniors traveled in a small group rather than alone.

“Traveling in a group is a whole lot more fun,” Van Heest said. “But seeing some exhibits alone can help the viewer truly connect with that piece.”

Sophomore Katie Kenny also visited the Hirshhorn and felt that Isamu Noguchi’s sculptures inspired by his time in a Japanese internment camp were extremely powerful.

“Learning about an artist’s life and influence behind the work can significantly impact and change the meaning you feel from a piece of work,” Kenny said.

The trip was organized by art teachers Nicole Walter, Amanda Wright and Patrick Ander.

There are a lot of museums on the National Mall and we wanted to give our students an opportunity to see the artwork there,” Ander said.