On Oct. 29, 67 of Mrs. Moore’s AP Language students, 6 parents, and 2 teachers boarded a bus to Bentonville’s art museum, Crystal Bridges, for a field trip. Mrs. Moore is a participant in the ARTeacher Fellowship and had been learning from Crystal Bridges, the Kennedy Center, and the Walton Arts Center how to connect art with her teaching curriculum. This field trip was only one of the results of her newfound knowledge and ideas.
“I want students to see that argumentation is in everything. I also want them to understand that the way they interpret an artwork or piece of writing is valid, even if it is not what others might think, as long as they have evidence and can explain their reasoning,” said Moore.
The question Moore asked her students to keep in mind throughout their visit was, “How does medium influence the social commentary or argument the artist is making?” Students were also charged with the task of wandering the museum, searching for artwork that related to one of ten topics they are studying to prepare for their reading of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.
“I enjoyed it a lot. It taught me more about art and creativity, and that you can express yourself in countless ways,” said senior Hadley Apple of her experience.
Crystal Bridges is free to the public, and is currently featuring an exhibit called State of the Art, which is composed of artwork made by current artists found at work throughout the U.S. The students were led by Crystal Bridge’s staff through tours in the morning before the exhibit was open to the public.
“I was hugely inspired by the State of the Art and just knew that it would be perfect for our class,” said Moore. “The museum staff talked about HBHS students as being some of the most academically engaged and advanced of any students they have ever worked with.”
After these tours, the students had lunch and were then able to break out into small groups to explore the remaining art galleries independently.
“I thought it was really fun,” said senior Kyle Jones. “Even though we missed class, the amazing artwork we got to experience made up for it.”
The students were given a worksheet to fill out while exploring the museum. They had roughly 3 hours to peruse the galleries, searching for works that related to their chosen topics. All types of mediums were seen during the day, including a giant El Camino piñata and a room made entirely out of tin foil.
“I liked looking at the moving art,” said senior Kyle Jones. Several of the art exhibits involved movement, video, and sound, unlike the traditional acrylic on canvas.
Each student got something different out of their unique experiences, but they all boarded the bus to return to school with a sense of enlightenment.
“It goes along with ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ Art also creates an argument for what that artist is trying to convey,” said Apple. “I think [Mrs. Moore} wanted us to understand that there are different ways to approach a question, and different ways to argue your ideas.”