On Saturday, Sept. 21, Muhlenberg students rose bright and early for the Art Department’s field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met). Decked out in their most aesthetic attire–long, billowy white skirts, printed tank tops, baggy jeans and canvas tote bags–students arrived in New York City at 11:30 a.m. for a day full of art, culture and exploration.
Upon their arrival, students were given the option to meet Muhlenberg alum Hector Yuyang Chen ‘23. A history major and studio art minor, Chen has a niche in auction catalogs that makes him uniquely suited for his role in the Met’s Thomas J. Watson Library. Excitedly opening the doors to Muhlenberg students, Chen gave a guided tour of the research library and its reading rooms.
Due to the smaller size of the group, Chen was able to customize the tour. He brought students down into the stacks–hulking shelves of gray metal filled with rare books, catalogs and manuscripts. Pulling a few selections from the shelves, Chen displayed vintage car catalogs and Chinese auction books. Narrow staircases led deeper into the archive, where students were able to peek into the Sherman Fairchild Center for Book Conservation. Outside its doors, Chen explained some of the library’s methods for preserving books, including the use of Japanese rice paper to reinforce damaged pages. The tour ended with a quick glimpse into the reading rooms, filled with diligently working researchers.
Hector Chen ‘23- “We care about access and want to help researchers thrive.”
Differing from Muhlenberg’s own Trexler Library, the Thomas J. Watson Library is a closed-stack institution; hence, its materials remain on site and do not circulate. Despite this, the library has an extensive wealth of resources, containing over 1,020,000 volumes, 21,000 periodicals and 140,000 auction catalogs. Their main clientele are employees of the Met; however, the library is also open to any researchers college-age and above. Chen encouraged Muhlenberg students to come and visit, stating, “Please, as much as you can, let everyone know that we don’t bite. We care about access and want to help researchers thrive.”
After the tour, students were given free rein of the museum and New York City. Many capitalized on this opportunity and split the day between the Met, Central Park and Fifth Avenue. Yet, even those who remained at the Met found no shortage of things to see. A sampling of current exhibitions included Mexican Prints at the Vanguard, The African Origin of Civilization, Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet and Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room. Students were also able to see the armory hall, American wing and other pieces permanently on display, such as the works of Van Gogh, Pissaro, Degas, Rembrandt and Botticelli.
Many of these exhibits could be tied back to what students were learning at Muhlenberg, in art and beyond. Some students, such as those in “Art Histories: An Introduction,” were required to complete assignments while on the trip. Others were simply invited as members of the art department.
Adrianna Fenu ‘28- “I got to learn the importance of preserving art and appreciating the work of artists. I hope to go back and visit the Met again sometime soon.”
Giving insight to the organization of the trip, Associate Professor of Art and Sculpture Frederick Wright Jones elaborated, “The trip is organized to take advantage of our proximity to NYC and the collection of the Met. Seeing the work on slides cannot compare to seeing it in person.”
Throughout the day, Muhlenberg students could be found wandering amongst Egyptian temples, Roman sculptures and impressionist paintings. Some had notebooks, others cameras. More than one selfie was taken replicating the poses of artworks. Regardless of their reason for joining the trip, it is clear each student gained something from the visit–some in a literal sense, coming back with sweatshirts, pins and posters from the gift shop. Those who explored other areas of the city also piled aboard the bus with shopping bags, coffees and fresh french fries. Reminiscing on the trip, Adrianna Fenu ‘28 shared, “I was really excited to visit the Met due to the fact that I had never gone before, despite it being close to home for me. I was blown away by the art that I got to see during the trip. It was insane to think about how big the museum is and how all of it is just dedicated to showcasing all of this amazing art. I got to learn the importance of preserving art and appreciating the work of artists. I hope to go back and visit the Met again sometime soon.” Jade Gambino ‘26 felt similarly despite this being her third visit to the Met, stating, “I love getting to explore artwork that has existed for centuries that has been preserved and cared for. The museum remains as a visual reminder of how art as a definition has developed and has been challenged over the years. I love getting to be a part of the history by experiencing it firsthand.”
