By Ehsa Murray
Students file through the doors, curious to see what awaits them. Upon entering, they encounter countless pieces of art, each one different from the last. Amazed, they split into their assigned groups, eager to explore the many wings of the museum.
This is how the 7th grade students felt on Friday, Nov. 7. The entire 7th grade boarded two yellow buses and waited to be transported to the Phoenix Art Museum. The museum has more than 17,000 works of art with genres ranging from Latin American to Fashion Design. The museum celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009, and welcomes anyone excited to learn about the different styles and time periods of art.
When the students passed through the open doors, their docents greeted them. A docent is a teacher and tour guide who accompanied the groups as they made their way through the museum. Friendly and helpful, the docents displayed the artworks and explained more in depth about the stories each painting, sculpture, or design told.
The tour was interesting and enlightening to partake in. Students learned about the different types of textures and colors needed to really make a painting “pop,” how important balance is to the pieces, and how the styles of the artist gave each painting its own unique quality. The students also got a bit of a history lesson as they examined artworks made during the Italian Renaissance and beyond.
Student Grace Diehl said about the trip, “It was fun and very educational.”
Capprianna Sampson said, “It was cool, but I wish I could have roamed around some more.”
Echoing her thoughts, the trip to the Phoenix Art Museum was a worthwhile and entertaining experience. I myself would gladly return to experience the magic of the artworks once more.