News Editor and Staff Writer
Apex
art history students made the annual trek to Washington, D.C. this past Friday,
paying a visit to both the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum and
Sculpture Garden. Art teacher Ian Sands said, “This trip was very successful,
despite both the east wing of the National Gallery of Art and the second floor
of the Hirshhorn Museum being closed. However, the itinerary was customized to
accommodate the closings.”This trip marked Sands’ ninth year hosting the trip. He reflects on how the excursion has changed over time, saying, “We added a visit to the Hirshhorn to the trip the second year, and scheduled less docent-led tours. Now we only do one docent-led tour and we started at the Hirshhorn this year, unlike past years.”
Over the years the trip has increased in popularity. Sands added, “Some people want to see the art, and some people enjoy being out of the state and seeing all there is to see in D.C.” First time D.C. traveler Breielle Sheller said, “It was really fun because I’d actually never been out of state before this. It’s a new experience and I liked getting to be with all my friends while doing something new and interesting.”
Sheller recalls a docent-led tour of the National Gallery of Art, “We got into a group and our tour guide asked us if we wanted to lead the tour ourselves or have her show us the parts of the museum she wanted to show us. She basically took us through the exhibits and had us look at everything and if we had any questions we could just ask her and she would elaborate for us. My favorite portrait was The Skater by Gilbert Stuart, it was funny.”
However, the group faced a variety of inconveniences throughout the trip, including a portion wherein students and chaperones found themselves trapped at the Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge, Virginia for over three and a half hours. “[The bus] got a flat tire, but it may have been slashed,” said Sands, adding, “We saw a security guard parked perpendicular to the bus and I feared either the driver had been arrested or the bus had broken down. Luckily, the bus broke down so we could get a new tire, because we would not have been able to bail out the bus driver.” Sheller explains her experience at the mall, “The worst part was having to sit next to the phone charging station for three and half hours because we had a flat tire. It honestly wasn’t that bad though, we still had fun, but sitting in a place that isn’t that entertaining for so long gets kind of old.”
Despite the obstacles, Sands’ outlook remained optimistic. “My favorite part of the trip is when a student sees a piece of artwork that inspires them and that they can get something out of. It’s not my trip, it’s for the students. I’ve seen Monet so many times, I think I could throw up.” When asked if he could change anything about this year’s trip, Sands said, “I would open up all floors in all the museums so there could be more art for us to see. I’d also bring a spare tire and jack, as well as make sure the Mean Girls DVD worked.”
