All-Art Experience in New York City: Met, MoMA and More

Program Registration. After 4:00 p.m., come to the hotel’s boardroom located on the lower level to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 4:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Group Leaders on our programs are highly trained and knowledgeable about many aspects of the city. We will also have the benefit of local experts who will provide information and commentary on areas of particular interest. This program will extensively use the NYC subway system. Each participant will receive an unlimited weekly MetroCard for use throughout the week. The cost is included in the program. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

In a restaurant near the hotel. This program is able to offer vegetarian and gluten free meal alternatives. The gluten free meals are not guaranteed against cross contamination. While modifications to accommodate other dietary restrictions might be possible on a case by case basis, they cannot be guaranteed. Participants requiring other alternatives should discuss with the group leader upon arrival, be prepared to self-select from the included menu choices and discuss modifications with the serving staff at the restaurants.

Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening will be at leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

In the hotel breakfast area.

We will be joined by an art historian who will give us an overview or our art program in New York City. After a short break, we’ll also have an introduction to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and its collection prior to our field trip this afternoon. This program is structured so that we learn a bit about each museum and its collection prior to our self-directed visits. Once at the museums, the collection may be experienced in a variety of ways: simply strolling gallery to gallery; using an audio guide created and provided by the museum to learn about the art in depth; joining a docent-led tour for various overview looks at collections or galleries, etc.

In a nearby restaurant.

We’ll take the subway to the Museum of Modern Art for an afternoon of self-directed exploration. Founded in 1929, the museum has been devoted to presenting the most thought-provoking modern and contemporary art as well as promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern art. MoMA will help us consider the question, “But is it art?” The collection numbers nearly 200,000 works including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, media, and performance art works, architectural models and drawings, design objects, and films. MoMA recommends use of the Bloomberg Connects app which provides in depth information about a great number of museums and their collections.

At a restaurant near the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will take the subway uptown and then stroll across Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art — known to art lovers as the Met — for an introductory session with our art historian and get tips on navigating the galleries. The remainder of the morning will involve self-directed exploration to see what interests each of us most. Founded in 1870, the Met is one of the world’s greatest museums with a collection spanning more than 5,000 years of creativity. Its artistic treasury from every corner of the world includes paintings, arms and armor, costume, decorative arts, musical instruments, photography, works on paper, and much more. There are 26,000 objects from ancient Egypt, the largest collection outside Cairo; 2,500 European paintings, one of the most extensive collections anywhere; and the most comprehensive collection of American decorative arts, paintings, and sculpture in the American Wing. The Beaux-Arts façade and Great Hall of the iconic flagship building — designed by architect and founding museum trustee Richard Morris Hunt — opened in 1902. Today, tens of thousands of objects are on view at any given time. The Met has moved away from hand held audio guides and highly recommends use of their proprietary app 'The Met' for use in the galleries.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like at the Met. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. The museum features several choices including a cafeteria and an informal café. Don’t forget the food carts out on 5th Avenue!

Continue exploring The Met according to personal choice.

At a restaurant near the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll start our morning with an introduction to The Whitney Museum of Art. Founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the museum specializes in American Art. While boasting an extensive permanent collection of well-known artists and its share of famous pieces spanning the late-19th Century to the present, the museum is also known to showcase younger and lesser-known, more avant-garde artists. Following the talk, we'll head down to the Whitney via a stroll on The High Line. An adaptive reuse of an old freight rail trestle, The High Line is a wonderful linear park two stories above the city, winding its way mid-block, tucked behind buildings - many of which are new and designed by award winning architects. The High Line also features a well-curated collection of public art. Upon arriving at its southern terminus, we'll enter into The Whitney Museum for self-directed exploration.

In a Meat Packing District Restaurant. The area around The Whitney is called The Meat Packing District which harkens back to the neighborhood's previous life. Today, most of the old abattoirs and industrial buildings have been renovated into upscale shopping and dining.

For those interested in checking out a few of the art galleries in the Chelsea arts district this afternoon, one of our art experts will lead us on a 'gallery crawl,' arriving back at the hotel approximately 4pm. Those who prefer not to join will have the afternoon free to do as you like. The Free Time opportunities are virtually limitless in NYC. Perhaps take in another museum or see a Broadway matinee. The Group Leader will be happy to help with suggestions and assist with logistics.

On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure. Our hotel is in the heart of the theater district. You might like to attend a Broadway show, explore independently, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or just relax.

At the hotel.

We'll start the day in our meeting room with a lecture about art in New York followed by an introduction to The Frick Collection which we'll visit this afternoon.

We'll have an extended lunch period for lunch on your own.

We’ll regroup and take the subway up to The Frick Collection. The Frick Collection, one of the world’s most impressive private galleries, has been housed in the grand Fifth Avenue mansion of Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), who became one of the wealthiest men in America thanks to his manufacturing and railroad interests. Frick was an enthusiastic patron and collector of the arts. His personal collection was opened to the public in 1935. We will see not only extraordinary works of art — including masterpieces of Western painting, sculpture and decorative arts — but also get a sense of how Mr. Frick viewed and enjoyed his collection in his home. Highlights include works by Bellini, Constable, El Greco, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Holbein, Titian, Turner, and much more. The paintings in many of the 16 galleries are still arranged according to Frick’s design, with additional works purchased by the Frick Collection over the years in a manner deemed to correspond with the aesthetic of the collection. The house, furnishings, and works of art are an oasis in this sometimes chaotic city.

At a restaurant near the hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll have a wrap-up discussion with one of our art experts and review of the week to provide some further perspective on everything we’ve seen and done. We expect to end by 10:30 a.m. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!