Just about every college freshman dreams about a semester abroad, most catalogs and university web sites show various options. Surveys of high school seniors show that most expect to study abroad during their college years, but for many students, going abroad is just not possible or practical. Students get immersed in their studies, their extra-curricular activities, efforts to build start their career building, and let’s not forget their social circles. Then there are some students who for a variety of reasons can’t leave the country. They may be foreign students who worry about re-entry or they may have other reasons not to stray too far from home.
For those students who just can’t go abroad, there’s still hope, it is an option commonly called “Study Away.”
Study away is growing in popularity and have none of those hurdles in getting a foreign visa or being overseas at the wrong time. You can study in some pretty cosmopolitan international cities like New York or Washington, DC. While there’s no visa required to study in New York, wander some of the neighborhoods and you might think you are in China, Israel, Russia or Philippines. Want to teach English, help foreigners transition to US culture, these big cities with large immigrant populations may have some of the same intrigue as ones overseas.
And then there are the cultural aspects of these international hubs. If you are an art student, how could you NOT want to spend a semester in New York for example? New York City is a mecca for art lovers, and with over 100 museums, many of them world-famous. Even if you lived in NYC and visited two museums per week, it would still take you about a year to fully experience the city’s art scene. So what’s a student who has boundless passion for art but limited time in the city to do?
Enroll in a Semester Away program in New York City!;
Below is a list of four NYC destinations that will provide art lovers and art students a representative sampling of what the city has to offer:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image via Flickr by Monica Arellano-Ongpin
You can’t discuss art in NYC without giving The Metropolitan Museum of Art its due. The largest museum in the United States and one of the 10 largest in the world, The Met houses a permanent collection of more than 2 million works. In addition to its myriad artworks and artifacts, the museum offers classes, lectures, concerts, and workshops.
The Met marks the beginning of the city’s Museum Mile, which is a mile-long portion of Fifth Avenue featuring nine museums. On sites like Gogobot, you can find hotels near the Mile so you can devote as much time as possible to touring its venerated institutions.
The Guggenheim
Hosting over one million visitors annually, The Guggenheim is home to an expansive permanent collection of contemporary, early modern, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist work. Its unique cylindrical building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is considered an architectural landmark. The Guggenheim is different from most other institutions because it does not compartmentalize its collection by era or medium. Rather, it presents the works as an integrated whole.
FIGMENT NYC
FIGMENT NYC is the result of the efforts of thousands of artistically inclined renegades to catapult art out of the climate-controlled, rarefied air of galleries and into hands of the people. FIGMENT is a free, completely volunteer-powered participatory art event that takes place on Governor’s Island during the summer. This summer, visitors can play mini-golf on a course designed by artists, interact with sculptures, and play in a tree house designed for all ages.
The Cloisters
A branch of The Met, The Cloisters museum and gardens feature medieval European art and architecture. Located in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan, The Cloisters is a peaceful way to experience old Europe without enduring a transatlantic flight. The building itself was built from various pieces of European abbeys that were disassembled and sent to New York City in 1934. The art, which comes mostly from the 12th to 15th centuries, features notable works like the Cloister Cross and several Flemish tapestries.
If you visit the Central Park Met, you’ll receive a free one-week pass to The Cloisters. Likewise, admission to The Cloisters also grants you same-day access to The Met’s main campus.
It’s hard to do New York City’s art scene justice in one trip, but these four destinations are a great start. From artsy mini-golf to medieval tapestries to seven-ton Egyptian sphinxes, you’ll get a delightful taste of NYC’s best art.
Excited for more, to explore a global directory of study abroad programs in art, we encourage you used the advance search option at Abroad101.
Guest Posting from Victoria Moretti, a professional writer from the UK who contributes to Abroad101 from time to time. Victoria loves to write about businesses and macro economic affairs that move the needle. Her other loves include travel, long walks and flat whites.
