A unique aspect of Art History at Bolles is the fact that you can learn about an art piece and then go and see it. After studying about certain art pieces the whole year students can travel to DC on the Art History field trip and see all these illustrious pieces.

On April seventh through the tenth Mr. Dickson takes his AP and second semester Art History students to DC to experience some of the images they learned about that year. Each day is jam packed full of innovative art from different cultures and backgrounds.

On the first day of the trip the students will see Asian and African art. The second day includes going to the National Gallery for the entire day. Which covers European and American art from the 1300’s to the 1900’s. The third consists of more modern art, and a landscape tour at the Dumbarton Oaks museum. Lastly on Monday the participants will focus on contemporary art and will visit the Hirshhorn and Smithsonian Museum.

When asked about the importance of the trip and seeing the art in-person, Mr. Dickson stated, “Encountering the objects themselves made by the artists is personal.” He continued, “It’s an experience that’s not like reading a book or looking at a projection, you get to see the texture of the object, the workmanship of it, and you get a strong reflection of the personality of the person who created it.”

Cost is often an important aspect of every school trip and Mr. Dickson mentioned that the more people that go on the trip, the less expensive it becomes. The price will include airfare, food, rooms, and chaperones. Though the exact cost has not yet been configured “it’s in the neighborhood of 1000 bucks.”

Although this trip took place last year and went really well, Mr. Dickson has a new goal for the trip. “Well, last year, Ms. Meatte was a tour guide extraordinaire and she lent a lot of expertise and authority to the trip.” He continued “ So I have to basically be Ms. Meatte for the trip this year. And I feel I’ve grown into that role and can handle it pretty well.”

“Don’t miss it.”