U.S. History Class Field Trip to the Williams College Museum of Art

U.S. History Class Field Trip to the Williams College Museum of Art

On November 13 , the 11th grade United States History classes went on a field trip to the Williams College Museum wcmaof Art. History Department Chair Jeffrey Welch organized and accompanied the students on the trip, which consisted of viewing paintings and photos from throughout the early 20th century. According to junior Cameron Hadley, the students on the trip observed the four pieces of art, analyzed them, and then were asked questions about them. The photographs were taken in the 1920s and 1930s, and reflected American life at the turn of the 20th century. The first photo featured a scene of Harlem taken by Erik Siskin. The second photo, by Dorothea Lange featured a plantation owner in the Mississippi Delta. There were also two paintings, one by Benjamin Brown created during the late 19th century, and the other by Grant-Wood, done during the 1930s. At the end of the trip, students voted on their favorite of the four art pieces as part of a Williams College Arts program to study the popularity of artwork. Welch says that the trip went “very well overall” and that the “museum staff and the Williams College students who served as guides were very impressed by our student’s knowledge.”