A Trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art

In the Armor Court: Deasia Bronaugh, Jamecia Prescott, Sharrell Pointer, Leeshawna Howard, Dia Williams-Richmond.
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If you ask most Cleveland Municipal School District students if they have ever been to the Cleveland Museum of Art, chances are the answer would be no. Regrettably, a visit to this jewel in the University Circle cultural crown has become unattainable because field trips are so costly. However, guided tours for groups of fifteen or more are available on a first come, first serve basis and teachers can apply at the CMA Education Department section at www.clevelandart.com. Fortunately, before Christmas break I was able to take five Collinwood High School students on a tour of the newly renovated galleries of CMA, which is ranked as one of America’s top five art museums. Their enthusiasm was a delight to witness. Here are some of their comments:

Senior, Dia Williams-Richmond: One of the different types of exhibits that interested me was the Armor Court. That was the most beautiful area I had ever seen. There were tons of different weapons and armor that the soldiers wore back in the medieval times and even earlier. It was very interesting being surrounded by such history and I imagined myself as a soldier back in those days. Fighting off the bad guys and protecting my country. I believe this is why I have a passion for going into the armed forces. Back in those days the people cherished and loved their country and I admire that and just seeing the history of weapons and how people fought in the past, and how everything has advanced in technology was so interesting.    

Going to museums inspires me to want to get out and explore the world. I would like to see the entire world and just travel while I am still on Earth. Going to different countries and experiencing their culture is the best feeling in the world. You can be someone else for a day and that is what life should be about. Experiencing and picking up new tasks will prepare you for life and get you ready for a very diverse world. Field trips are important during the academic year. They prepare students such as myself to experience something different and be open-minded to a very diverse world.

Senior, Leeshawna Howard: I, myself, enjoyed the different colorful portraits. Some were very delicate such as single women with little children. In the Armor Court there were suits of armor, mail shirts, and different types of helmets. It reminded me of the story I have just read in my English IV class about “Beowulf.” We also saw different types of weapons such as swords, guns, and crossbows, which were useful back in medieval times and which I found fascinating. In another gallery, they had some romantic statues that were very passionate as well. In the decorative arts areas, we saw beautiful Faberge boxes and eggs. There were a lot of gold ornaments used by the upper class in Europe. With all of the information I learned that day, there was more to it than just art alone. I had a terrific time at the museum. I feel that every student should have the opportunity to try something new and take the advantage of the cultural institutions in Cleveland. I personally plan on visiting CMA again soon to learn more about it.

Junior, Sharrell Pointer: There was all kinds of furniture in the museum. It had many chairs, and couches. There were also a couple of antique tables. The cutlery was also very nice. There were gold ones, silver ones, and some were really small. The vases were all really colorful, bright and shiny. There were also boxes for holding cigars and cigarettes. They were all really small and could fit in the palm of your hand. They also had very pretty designs on them. The jewelry was everywhere. There are many necklaces, bracelets, and rings. The armor that was there came from a lot of different time periods. The armor was for every part of the body. The shields and huge swords accompanied the armor. Other weapons included small handguns and large crossbows. After visiting the museum for the first time, I thought that it was great and I would consider going back.