This page compiles your reflections on art, community, museums, and more, informed by your time at Night at the Museum.
To have your own reflection appear on this page, submit a reflection of your own.
Analog fan? You can also respond to these prompts on paper and peruse the responses of others. Come find our table on the third floor.
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How would you relate your current major or field of study to your experience at Night at the Museum? What connections can you see?
I am a studio arts major at Hunter. Art has always been my passion, and has always fascinated me with how many techniques, art styles, and uniqueness there are in the art world- new and old. This is my first time coming to Brooklyn Museum, so it felt exciting being able to experience this new area and scene of art, with its own style of curation and vision. As an art major or artist in general, not only do you have to think about your art piece, you also have to think about how your piece will be displayed. The environment that surrounds your art is crucial to how people view your art. One example of this that I witnessed at the museum is the framework: “Several Seats”. It’s an art curation that displays historical seated figure painting, with most figures being people born into or in hold of power. These paintings were deeply rooted into colonialism and displacement of those with less power. With that in mind, the museum decided to hang these portraits at seat level, instead of hanging them high above eye level. With how I interpreted it, I saw it as a take over of power, by putting figures who were on high pedestals before at eye level, maybe even below us- the people who these figures have historically taken advantage of and oppressed (at least coming from a hispanic point of view). Overall, coming to this museum has been a beautiful experience, and seeing the artistry that many of these works hold is absolutely outstanding.
Izzy Rodrigues
Hunter College
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What would you add that is missing or what would you like to see in the American art exhibit in the future?
Walking around the Brooklyn museum, I kept my eye open for things that relate to my heritage, yet I couldn’t find any. The Chinese American people have carried much of an importance since the 1850s, being one of the first immigrants working on the railroad tracks in the Western Region of the Americas, yet I looking around I only encountered one painting of Chinese American culture, one of empowerment but not any of the struggles our people faced, especially the discrimination and oppression during the Gold Rush and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
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Choose a piece of art you saw that invoked strong feelings for you. Describe the response you had and why. (Don’t forget to include the title and artist.)
The art piece “My Friend Will Be Me” by Sasha Gordon evoked a childhood memory of painting human figures specifically of the female figure. I never painted a figure resembling my own but I think that would be really empowering and encourage self positivity for the artist!
Hunter College
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Choose a piece of art you saw that invoked strong feelings for you. Describe the response you had and why. (Don’t forget to include the title and artist.)
This art work provoked strong feelings for me because it captured the daily mental challenge not only me but my peers face. We have to strive to reach certain expectations but with all the hard work we deserve a break. Going to school and working and reaching these goals are not easy we just need a breather which is well deserved.
Natasha Saltos
Lehman College
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Choose a piece of art you saw that invoked strong feelings for you. Describe the response you had and why. (Don’t forget to include the title and artist.)
A piece of art I saw that invoked strong feelings was “Flower Sniffer” by Emma Amos. “Flower Sniffer,” with its background complementary colors (blue and orange) fit in with the wallpaper behind it, but also drew me in with its more muted color palette. Looking at this painting, I felt calmer and more grounded. This piece presents a quiet and intimate moment; we peer through a rounded frame, a literal window. The painting allows personal interpretation because the story behind it and the woman is not clear, as emphasized by the rough brushstrokes.
Jenna Wong
Brooklyn College
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Compare how this experience reinforced or challenged your previous ideas about museums. Would you encourage other Macaulay students to visit museums?
This experience reinforced or challenged my previous ideas about museums because I realized that despite the differences in generations from most of the art and me, I can still relate and find meaning. I would encourage other Macaulay students to visit museums because it reflects an important aspect of history and culture in a unique way.
Vincent Moccio
College of Staten Island
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What would you add that is missing or what would you like to see in the American art exhibit in the future?
I would add art that covered more African American history within New York City. This connects to me and how diverse New York can be. In this way, many people who are of African descent and not, can view the evolution of African culture in New York
Nathanael Owusu
Baruch College
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How would you relate your current major or field of study to your experience at Night at the Museum? What connections can you see?
The painting exhibits in the museum inspired me a lot with a range of different styles and subject matter! As someone who wants to study Studio Art and Education, night at the museum felt like a great way to analyze art, learn about the history, and interacts with others and gain different perspectives. As someone who is interested in portraiture, observing the ways concepts, feelings, and greater themes can we conveyed with the depiction of a person with a single glance is incredible. I especially liked reading the history and context behind the art! I hope that when I begin to take studio art classes I can build a skill and style because as of now I am self taught. I love drawing the complexity in emotions in the human face and the beauty of the human body. Seeing the historical importance of these types of art, especially the Impressionism at the Museum inspires me to create more despite being busy with school. I hope one day I can teach art to others and have deeper conversations with peers who are just as passionate!
Isabela Morales
Brooklyn College
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Where and how do you see yourself, your communities, and/or New Yorkers in this museum?
I see my self in a lot of these exhibits as they represented my roots of the bronx and people of color. I saw these pictures of empowerment, and felt very connected to their emotions. Seeing how far we have come as a society and community reminds me that there has been so much growth, and much more to go
Marcos Sanchez
Baruch College
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How would you relate your current major or field of study to your experience at Night at the Museum? What connections can you see?
Working in Healthcare, I will need to work with people of many different backgrounds and be able to validate all of their experiences. I believe this is important to make the patient feel like they are being actively listened to and sympathized with. This is shown to improve patient care qualities.
Alonzo Monsanto
Alonzo Monsanto
Lehman College
