(Video) Art Department Offers Trip to Boston

Enthusiastic art teachers and over 45 students took a bus to visit the Museum of Fine Arts and the Institution of Contemporary Arts in Boston last Sunday after the Art Department presented the opportunity to students through colorful Art + City + Food fliers.The trip was sponsored by the generosity of Steve Rineberg ‘55, who established a large fund that included money for students’ food of choice, tickets to the museums, and a personalized Art Department totebag and hat.“He wanted to cover those expenses for however many students who were interested in art and wanted to go,” Regional Director of Major Gifts Rebecca Dunham said. “From meeting him I know that he loves Exeter and thinks that art is very important in people’s lives. He participates in a lot of activities in his hometown supporting local arts organizations.” Rineberg also funded a smaller trip to the Portland Museum of Art last year.Tara Misenheimer, head of the Art Department, said that the inspiration for the event’s name, Art + City + Food, came from the coalition of these three entities for the theme of the trip.“A generous Exeter alum, who is also an art enthusiast, shared our desire to infuse the Exeter experience with a trip to the city, mixed with contemporary art and eating out,” Misenheimer said. “This proved to be one of the most dynamic, inspiring and purely fun days I’ve ever had with students at Exeter. Rarely do we get to experience this kind of day rich with visual culture and its awesomeness.”Together with the entire Art Department, Misenheimer created the concept for the trip and designed the posters, made museum reservations and ordered tickets, and decided that eating out was essential to a proper urban experience for the students.The Museum of Fine Arts provided a huge array of different types of art ranging from ancient Egyptian and African to contemporary and photography. “I really enjoyed the first art exhibit we went to at MFA because it involved a lot of 3D art and sculptures. I also really liked the photography,” Upper Michelle Ysrael said.“The exhibit 'She Who Tells A Story' was my favorite part of the MFA because it reminded me of global issues, especially the female struggle in the Middle East and the violence that is happening right now,” senior Emily Moore said. “There are worse things than just getting a bad test grade. Exeter is not just this bubble and there are things going on outside of Exeter that are more important than what we worry about daily.”The Institute of Contemporary Arts, one of the museums visited, offered group members the opportunity to see exhibits from artists in New York City. “There were exhibits of very cutting edge artworks and innovative media, including film, installations and alternative modes of presentation,” Misenheimer said. “We saw some cool portraits by Amy Silliman.”This museum held many different styles of contemporary art ranging from digital media to abstract portraits. “I enjoyed the contemporary art (including the videography and use of unconventional mediums) in the MFA and ICA, as well as the classical Egyptian and Greek exhibits in the MFA,” said upper Emily Zhu.As a result, students who participated in the trip had the opportunity to get a break from meals at the Dining Hall and instead ate at arestaurant in Boston. Students were able to break from the museum scenery and walk through the downtown area to their restaurant of choice.Students appreciated this trip, because it provided not only a nice break from the Exeter routine, but also held inspiration for those interested in pursuing or learning more about art. “I really needed to get away from Exeter for a day and take a break from work and the people that live here and be surrounded by what I’m passionate about,” Moore said.Ysrael shared Moore’s sentiments and thought that the trip was also a great asset to those who wanted to explore art. “I think trips like this are great. I’m not really into art but, but I’m interested in it, and even not being an artist, I found it really interesting.”“I knew these were places I wouldn't go to if it weren't for this trip, so I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity,” Senior Shannon Diesch said.Students enjoyed the trip so much that they wished there had been more time to explore the large amount of art that these museums had to offer. “ I wish we had had more time at the first art museum because it was so large and we didn’t have time to see everything,” said Ysrael.Many hoped that the school would provide more opportunities similar to this trip.“I wish that we'd had more time to explore both the museums and Boston, but I definitely think that Exeter should try to fund more trips like this, that are centered more on one aspect of our surrounding area's culture,” said Zhu.Diesch agreed, “I definitely think Exeter should try to fund more trips like this! It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and I would love to see for more students get exposed to these types of things.”