On Friday, April 24, art classes from Paint Branch went on a field trip to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Though the groups got a late start due to the buses, they enjoyed a sunny, 70-degree day for the 30-minute ride to the museum.
The buses arrived at the National Gallery of Art around 11 am, where the group became part of the large group of visitors in D.C. for the day. There were people with suitcases, families visiting monuments, people in suits heading to work, and people with umbrellas to cover themselves from the hot sun. Upon arrival, the students were instructed to leave their backpacks on the bus, but were told that they could bring small bags with them. PB Photography teacher Mr. Hicks gave instructions that included where the group would eat, that one building had more antique furniture and paintings, and the other had more modern art. Lastly, the group was told where to meet at 1:15 pm to head back to PB.
Students were able to get pamphlets at the front desk and start exploring wherever they wanted to. At first, students were a bit confused as to where to go because the museum was big, but then, after finding fellow classmates to follow, they found their way around. Once they found the underground cafe, there was a choice whether to eat right away or at 12:00. Regardless of when students chose to eat, the whole area ended up being pretty full because there were several schools visiting the museum.
The security at the museum was very strict, as there were guards at every exhibit. They would follow people around sometimes, which seemed odd to some students, but they do this to make sure that people don’t go too close to the exhibits. Some of the pieces on display included old paintings of former presidents, antique chairs, wardrobes, vanities, and more. People seemed very interested in the paintings and took time to read about the pieces and the artist who did the work.
At the west building, there is a rooftop that is open to the public that has a huge blue chicken sculpture, numbers made of metal, trees, and, of course, more security. From the rooftop, you get a great view of parts of D.C., including people getting around, the buses, and the Capitol Building. A number of people on the roof waved down at people below, hoping to get them to wave back.
The field trip came to an end at around 1:15, and everyone arrived at the meeting point. All the teachers came together and checked in to see how people felt about the trip and whether they would come back to visit on their own sometime. On the bus, most of the students slept or talked about the museum. The bus got to Paint Branch at 2:36, just a little later than expected. The National Gallery of Art is definitely a place everyone should visit at least once; the experience is worth it.
