My experience at the Brooklyn museum was much more exciting than I thought it would be. I was able to meet new people from Hunter College and old high school friends from Queens College that became part of my group. All of us truly enjoyed the exhibits. The exhibits that particularly fascinated me were The Mummy Chamber, The Rise of the Sneaker Culture, and American Identities: A New Look.

The Mummy Chamber contained many precious relics from the Ancient Egyptian time period. I was amazed how well preserved the mummies and sarcophagi were. The sheer volume of the collection surprised me as well. In fact, according to the Brooklyn Museum website their collection contains more than 170 objects that “explore the complex rituals related to the practice of mummification and the Egyptian belief that the body must be preserved in order to ensure eternal life.”

Prior to visiting the Brooklyn Museum, I never thought that sneakers could be considered art, unlike my younger brother. As far as I was concerned, they were something you put on to protect your feet and keep them comfortable. It turns out that many see them as an “urban icon.” The exhibit explored the social history, technical innovations, fashion trends, and marketing campaigns of sneakers over the past two centuries.

My favorite exhibit was the American Identities: A New Look. I’ve always been a huge fan of American History. The art, however, allowed me to visualize it. My group discussed two paintings from this section: George Washington by Gilbert Stuart and Fallen Bierstadt by Valerie Hegarty. What I liked the most about these two paintings, and the American art section in general, was that there many small details that provide hints to the time period that the painting depicts, although, they could be interpreted in many different ways. For instance, the rainbow in the background of the painting of George Washington may represent a symbol of peace after revolution and the prosperous beginnings for America.

 

Here are some of the pictures that I took with my phone: