15 October 2021 • Arts When the Art Galleries of NYC Become the Classroom

Ten students in the Art and Architecture Department traveled to NYC to see art and meet alums working in the fine arts industry.

Over the course of three days, students in the Art and Architecture Department visited five acclaimed art institutions in New York City and connected with alums in fine art, gallery management, gallery curation, art sales, architectural design, and entrepreneurship. The experience was funded by artist Jonas Wood ’99, whose work has been featured in exhibitions at prestigious galleries and museums worldwide, including the Gagosian gallery in NYC.

Wood established the Jonas B.R. Wood Endowed Studio Art Travel Fund to help give HWS students the opportunity to see the most important contemporary and historical art available and interact with alums working in the arts. Wood recognizes the importance for young artists to have firsthand experience with art, and the value of learning about how artists share their work with the public.

Students were accompanied by Professors of Art and Architecture Ted Aub, Phillia Yi and Nick Ruth. They visited the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), Pace Gallery and Miles McEnery Gallery.

Alums shared insights about entering the art world and led behind the scenes tours. Alums included: Miles McEnery Gallery Managing Director Peter Colon ’01; Pace Gallery Associate Director Hannah Root ’15; Pace Gallery Sales Assistant Bailey Carter ’19; Architectural Designer at Fogarty Finger Architecture Elva Ye ’13; Founder and Creative Director of Aimee Wilder, Aimee Wilder ’00; and Walter Cruz ’11, a designer at EquancyNo11 and MFA graduate student at The Maryland Institute College of Art.