Night at the Museum

Going into the Night at the Museum as a pre-med student, I initially thought the event wasn’t really for me. Sure, the Art Majors would probably have a blast, but what relevance could art have to my field or future goals? Then I spoke to an upperclassman friend who was taking a Human Anatomy class, and she told me that one of her assignments was to visit the Brooklyn Museum and analyze sculptures of people to study bone structure and posture. I was intrigued by that assignment, and after hearing about it, I started to see how connected art could be to science. I realized that art can be reflected in everything — even in medicine.

At the Museum, I saw a variety of beautiful sculptures and paintings. Many were magnificent and lavish, but more importantly, each portrayed a unique message. I saw voices in the paintings: messages that couldn’t be captured by a thousand words. That night taught me that art is a language where pictures speak and thoughts are formed, and that each artist has their own voice — just as every person has their own place in art.

In Biology lab, we sketch the organisms we observe because images can describe what words cannot. Through pictures, we visualize what’s otherwise hard to grasp. My experience at the Museum reminded me how deeply art and science are connected— both are tools to understand the human body and the world around us.

Bring a Folding Chair: A Portrait of Shirley Chisholm by Bisa Butler

When I saw this art, I was struck by the color contrast in it using unique shades. At first, the green background made me think of nature and calmness. I even wondered if Chisholm was connected to environmental activism. But I realized that many of Butler’s portraits have green backgrounds. Other details I found were: One hand is gloved while the other is bare, and her right and left sleeves are completely different. her skirt features a pattern of chairs, which caught my attention because it was unusual, but researching a little about Bisa Butler, I knew it had significance: In Butler’s art, variety and intensity of colors suggest the depth and complexity of the person she portrays. When I learned more about the chair patterns, I found out that there is a Shirley Chisholm quote: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”. This gave the chairs a meaning, they were symbols of independence and self reliance. They represent the courage to create your own space when you are excluded. What I noticed the most though is Chisholm’s bright blue hand. her raised hand feels like a gesture of leadership. Also, since the color used was blue, it emphasized her calmness and trustworthiness. Overall, Butler’s quilt was so meaningful. The layered fabrics and the unique colors wonderfully showed who Chisholm was.

In this museum, I see the universal struggles I and many other New Yorkers face in our everyday lives. There are artworks in the museum that address severe underlying issues in not only this city, but this nation as a whole. A prime example of this is Sebastian Errazuriz’s “We are the 99%,” a provocative display of the economic inequality present between those of different socioeconomic statuses. When looking at such depictions, it’s important to think about what exactly is the artist trying to convey to me? In this case, Errazuriz is sharing what he believes to be a crucial issue in our current society that affects all of us regardless of the differences between us.

I can relate my current major, accounting, to the Night at the Museum due to the ways you can interpret different pieces. While me and my group were walking around, I realized each of us had different opinions when it came to determining the purpose and meaning of the different pieces. Accounting isn’t just about numbers and statistics, but how you can make decisions based on what is laid out in front of you [such as case studies]. These artistic factors help open you to different perspectives, just like how accounting requires you to listen and interpret different perspectives.

In comparison to my previous ideas about museums, this experience has reinforced or challenged those ideas because I used to be an avid hater of museums. I thought they were boring and time consuming, however throughout macaulay I have learned how to be a critical museum visitor and really broadened my scope. I’ve learned that museums can actually be intriguing and valuable when you find a topic that interests you. I would highly recommend other macaulay students to visit museums because it’s a positive way to learn and appreciate beautiful art, while opening your perspectives and visiting new areas!

I feel that among everybody around me I feel a little international because of my mixed heritage so my relation to all of the American art is mixed as well. It’s my hope I can find common ground with my peers in the future

When I typically go to museums I have to find interest in other cultures and countries, which is fine. I have no problem learning new things, but the lack it representation in most museums creates no meaningful connection to audience of minorities. I can spend hours in a museum just looking for a small section of my people being represented, to be able to learn and admire my own culture. This museum was a breath a fresh air.

After visiting the Brooklyn Museum with Macaulay, I’m realizing that museums serve the very important purpose of bringing people together to understand art. In such a diverse city like New York, there are so many different people constantly interacting with each other, just like within the Macaulay community. During my experience at the Brooklyn museum, I was able to see this diverse blend of struggles and cultural values in person through art, and what made it better was my real world friends of so many backgrounds to experience them with me as well. Whether it was through composition or purpose, every piece was unique, and the differences within the people around me helped me understand the importance of diversity and different values in art. For these reasons, I think it is imperative that Macaulay students visit more museums and keep an open mind, taking into account both their own and other communities.