The Diverse Museums of NYC
Growing up in NYC, I’ve grown used to the diversity in the city. NYC is known as one of the most diverse cities in the world, and this diversity is reflected in different areas of the city. One area in particular is the city’s museums. The cities numerous museums showcase different cultures and time periods. Many of these museums are also free or cheap for students. I took advantage of this fact to go to three of the museums the city had to offer.
The first museum I went to was the Frick Museum. Located on the upper east side of manhattan, the Frick shows a variety of paintings, sculptures, statues, and other works from European artists. The Frick Museum has a mix of permanent pieces as well as exhibitions, so depending when you go you might see new works of art and old favorites. I happened to go to the Frick when they were hosting a teen night event. The event was made with the intent to help introduce a younger audience to the art at the Frick. I went with some friends from high school to check it out and immediately noticed the fine interior of the building. As I walked through the exhibit I got to see a lot of nice statues, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings. The current museum curator even allowed the students to ask him questions about his job and some details about his education (after all he obtained a PHD from Oxford). To me it represented the ideal art museum. They even gave free pins with images of some of the art to students on the way out.
Me standing in the center area of the Frick
The current museum curator taking questions from those attending.
Another picture of the center area of the Frick
The second museum I went to was the Merchant’s House Museum. I could write about it, but rather I’ll talk about it.
The third and final museum I went to was the Metropolitan Museum of Art (also known as the MET). One of New York City’s most famous museums, it offers a variety of exhibits ranging from paintings to artifacts. On my visit, I chose to view some of the various artifacts on display at the museum. The artifacts I viewed were from different time periods from all over the world. In one area I could see ancient Greek and Roman artifacts, while in other areas I saw Japanese artifacts. I also saw suits of knight and samurai armor in an area dedicated to old forms of weaponry. Amidst all the diversity I saw, I felt like writing a poem about it all.
Around the World and Through Time In an Hour
I take one step forward,
To Greece, full of pottery, statues, and fine jewelry,
Amidst bronze swords and armor,
I walk up a flight of stairs to Japan,
I am greeted by fine calligraphy and paintings of the past,
I make a turn and stumble upon past tools of destruction,
Knights in shining armor, fearsome samurai,
Gleaming swords and ornate guns,
All this contrasts to the machinery outside,
But for a moment,
I feel as if I am back in time
Some ancient greek jewelry
A suit of samurai armor
An ornate sword
Although I only visited three museums, there are many other museums scattered throughout New York City. With museums dedicated to all sorts of artifacts and cultures, it’s safe to say NYC’s museums do an excellent job of representing the cities diversity. So the next time you’re in NYC and want to see artifacts of the past or some of the great works of art, don’t worry. There’s plenty of that to be found within NYC’s museums.
