February saw forty-six lucky AS and A2 Art, Photography, Graphics, 3 D Design and Textiles students crossing the Atlantic and heading for New York City. The aim was to enable students to see a range of art at some of the most important art museums and galleries in the world, and to find inspiration for their own work, in addition to learning about a city that occupies a unique place in the context of 20^th century art. This aim was met splendidly as our students took advantage of the opportunity to visit a number of galleries where they were able to carry out primary research, comparing styles and techniques as well as gaining an understanding of the motivation, issues and circumstances behind the artwork. Included in the busy itinerary were visits to the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney, The New Museum of Contemporary Art, The Guggenheim and The International Centre of Photography, as well as several smaller galleries.

The packed schedule allowed some free time for exploring some of the spectacular attractions that the ‘Big Apple’ has to offer, such as The Empire State Building, Central Park, Fifth Avenue, The Flat Iron Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Soho, Chelsea and Greenwich Village.

Suitably inspired by their experiences, students will be exhibiting work created during the trip within the department during the coming months.

Commenting on this hugely successful and enjoyable trip one of the accompanying members of staff observed that: “The students said they had an amazing time. It was great to see them engage and immerse themselves in the artwork and culture of the city, gaining inspiration and making connections to their own work.”