By Rebecca Foltz
May 2, 2018
Artists thrive off of art. To quench their hunger, Southwest Baptist University’s Society of Art took two trips throughout the month of April to the St. Louis Art Museum and City Museum, and to Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Before the sun peaked above the horizon on, a group of artists with coffees in hand gathered inside the Jester Learning and Performance Center. On April 14, 2018 the Society of Art travelled to the St. Louis Art Museum and the City Museum. The group consisted of 13 students and two faculty members, David Platter and Chad Caldwell.
The St. Louis Art Museum is full of pieces ranging from ancient Egyptian sarcophaguses to American modern art. Students came face-to-face with famous paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas, and Andy Warhol.
After lunch at Fitz’s Bottling Company, the group went to the City Museum. The best way to describe this St. Louis attraction is by calling it a gigantic jungle gym. The building itself consists of sculptures and other oddities. Students crawled on their hands and knees as they explored the vast array of tunnels and passages. Here’s a word of advice: bring a pair of knee pads.
Only two weeks after their St. Louis excursion, the Society of Art went down to the birthplace of Wal-Mart, Bentonville, Arkansas (April 28, 2018). However, they were not there to go shopping. Bentonville is home of Crystal Bridges Art Museum, known for its architecture and art. The museum has a large collection of outdoor sculptures along various walking paths. Inside are paintings and sculptures by Georgia O’Keeffe, Thomas Hart Benton, Norman Rockwell, Roy Lichtenstein, and more. Students made it back to SBU with plenty of time to go the Mozarkian. The group was made up of ten art students, three art faculty, (David Platter, Chad Caldwell, and Deby Gilley) and the Honors Fine Arts class of twenty plus students three music/honors faculty members (Jodi Meadows, Renee Waters, and Jeff Waters).
“It was a fun experience that allowed me to see amazing art and get to know the amazing people in the art department, ” said Elizabeth Scott, an art education major and member of the Society of Art.
The St. Louis Art Museum is located at 1 Fine Arts Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110. It is free to enter and open at these times:
Closed Monday
Tuesday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
More information is available at http://www.slam.org.
The City Museum is at 750 N 16th St, St. Louis, MO 63103. The price ranges from $12.00 to $19.00 and is open at the following times:
Monday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am to Midnight
Saturday 9:00 am to Midnight
Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
More information can be found at https://www.citymuseum.org.
Crystal Bridges Art Museum can be found at 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712. Admission is free except for occasional special exhibitions. Their opening and closing times are as follows:
Monday 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Closed Tuesday
Wednesday 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Visit https://crystalbridges.org for more information.
Interested in joining the Society of Art? Contact any of the art department professors, Briana Archer (s724827@sbuniv.edu) or Jessica (Hendricks) Griffis (s724786@sbuniv.edu).
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Infuse Student Media or Southwest Baptist University.
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