Grade Six Tours The Marvelous Met!

On May 17, Middle School history teacher Mary Bosworth and art teacher Kate Bancroft accompanied 30 Middle School boys to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they viewed objects in two galleries showcasing artifacts from sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central and South America, as well as classical art of the Greeks and Romans.

Highlights of the first exhibit included decorative and ceremonial objects from Nigeria; sculpture from West and Central Africa; images of gods, ancestors and spirits from New Guinea, Melanesia and Polynesia, as well as sculptures from the Precolumbian cultures of Mexico and Central and South America.

In the Greek and Roman galleries, a few of the highlights include a Cycladic harp player, Minoan jars from Heinrich Schliemann’s collection, and a kouros statue from the archaic period. It was a treat for the boys to see for themselves some of the great works that have been discussed during the year. After viewing a number of artifacts, the boys were assigned to draw an object that captured their interest and set about the task with great concentration and effort. 

At the end of their tour, Ms. Bosworth – who noted how fortunate we all are to be so close to the Met – asked the boys to describe their experience in one word. Responses included “memorable,” “exquisite,” “mind-blowing” and “fun!”

Ms. Bancroft added, “I feel so grateful to have shared this wonderful afternoon viewing and discussing art with our sixth graders. The boys' observations and insight sparked a lot of interesting conversations that I hope will continue in art class in the coming weeks.”