Fine Arts Takes on the Big Apple-A Reflection on the Recent Trip to NYC by Paige Jerit (’23)

From the glamorous sparkling screens in Times Square to the beautiful architecture of the buildings as you walk through the bustling crowd, New York City was a dream. Even though this was my second year attending the St. Agnes Fine Arts trip, I enjoyed it as much as the last time and had the opportunity to have new experiences in the Big Apple.

Once we arrived in New York, the first attraction we visited was the Museum of Modern Art, which I was very excited about. Our group got to experience the infamous The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh in real life and saw many other famous artists like Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, and Frida Kahlo. An all-time group favorite art piece in the MoMa was Gretchen Bender’s “Dumping Core,” a critique on mass media consumption and technology. We were seated in a dark room with thirteen monitors flashing hypnotic corporate and TV program logos. As someone who also makes art, seeing the experimental and famous modern art pieces throughout the museum was very inspiring and amazing.

Other famous sites our group saw during the day were the NBC studios and the Radio City Music Hall. To get to stand on the stage in a theater that could seat over 6,000 people starstruck me. Although we got to see many famous places, we also had free time to explore New York in smaller groups and shop. My favorite place in New York City is the Rockefeller Center which holds many fun places to shop and a beautiful ice-skating rink.

While in New York we spent our days hustling and bustling in the city, but at night, we got to experience bright lights and famous Broadway shows such as & Juliet, Moulin Rouge! and Kimberly Akimbo! My favorite out of the three shows was Moulin Rouge! I will never get over the fabulous costumes, the lighting, and of course watching Aaron Tveit sing “Roxanne” live. Viewing that show was a one-of-a-kind experience that left me crying by the end of the musical. Not only was I seeing a Broadway show, but I was seeing it with my friends, and that is a memory I will forever cherish.

Furthermore, our group had the privilege and opportunity to engage in a dance workshop with one of the performers from Moulin Rouge! He taught us one of the dances in the show, and it was so much fun to learn! The choreography was easy to pick up and entertaining-even for those who considered themselves “not good” dancers. Due to Covid last year, we were not able to have that experience, so doing the workshop this year was such a special opportunity!

Overall, the Fine Arts Trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I would encourage everyone to participate in! Being in New York City is breathtaking and so thrilling! The best part was that I was also never alone; I got to experience such a beautiful and iconic place with the people I love most. If you are thinking of going on the Fine Arts Trip next year with a couple of your friends…DO IT! You will not regret it!