Cultural Experience Field Report

The virtual cultural venue that I selected is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is colloquially referred to as " The Met," is one of the largest museums in the United States, located at 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Its success can be highly attributed to its strategic location. It's situated in two iconic sites of the city; the Met Cloisters and Fifth Avenue. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2018 report, The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the third most visited museum in the world, with about 7.36 million annual visitors (McCarthy, 1). It contains over two million collections worldwide and in different times and cultures in its 17 curatorial departments. Its root dates back to 1866, after a group of Americans, led by lawyer John Jay proposed and agreed on the establishment Gallery of art as a national institution that could bring art and art education to America (Burroughs, 320). The Metropolitan Museum of Art was thus established and incorporated on April 13, 1870. The museum can be accessed through timed tickets that can be purchased online or through reservations and have a limited entry capacity due to its high demand.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The Metropolitan Museum of Arts is a sculpture museum with numerous artworks, including Egyptian sculptures, the art of Africa, Oceanic and animals, Asian art, Greek and Roman Art, and European art. The majority of these sculptures span over 15000 years and cover almost all major civilizations and cultures globally. While on my virtual visit to the museum, I realized that the museum has a variety of resting spots, which not only provide an opportunity for visitors to view the surrounding atmosphere but also to rest, with guides that help them avoid getting lost. Even though I was impressed by almost every piece of artwork present in the museum, the Mummy Board of Lineferty stood out. The medium used in making this sculpture is wood, gesso, and a careful combination of paint and varnish. The artwork represents the Egyptian culture in the reign of Ramesses II.

Another interesting experience was the 3D view of the Helmet Mask. The Helmet Mask is a sculpture from the Bamum Kingdom, one of the kingdoms of Cameroon. The mask, has both political and cultural significance, as it indicates prestige and privilege. The masks are believed to have been ordained by gods; hence one who is accorded the Helmet Mask is already chosen by god (Burroughs, 320). They were therefore won by distinguished individuals. The Helmet Mask, which dates before 1880, is made of wood, glass beads, raffia, copper, and cowrie shells.

First, the selection of the materials making the mask depicts its value and significance in this kingdom. The mask bears a rich accumulation of copper, cowrie shells, and glass beads. The glass beads and cowsheds are carefully joined to form and smooth and fine texture associated with loyalty. The blue color is evident in the sculpture, which symbolizes peace and security. Furthermore, the cowrie shells and beads are well architecture to depict stylized spiders, which the culture of the Bumum kingdom associates with wisdom.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the virtual visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was an interesting and learning experience. The museum, which was incorporated in 1870, is located along 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York. It is one of the largest museums in the world, with more than 2 million collections of different arts, from different periods and cultures. Some of the interesting sculptures that stood out during my virtual visit are the Helmet Mark and Mummy Board of Liberty. The combination of beads and cowrie shells in the Helmet Mark helped me understand how different tools like color and texture can be used to bring out feelings and beliefs.

Work Cited

Burroughs, Bryson. "The Museum of Modern Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 24, no. 12, 1929, p. 320.

Great Museums. "A World of Art: The Metropolitan Museum of Art." YouTube, November 9, 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHrmoSlfLD0

McCarthy, N. "These Are the World's Most-visited Museums." World Economic Forum, May 29, 2019, www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/05/the-worlds-most-visited-museums/

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Met Collection." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, April 27. 2020, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection