Every Piece has a Story

Every piece has a story and the stories make the pieces come alive!

Today we visited the North Carolina Museum of Art. This beautiful and unique museum is sprawling with some of the world's most beautiful art. From Picasso and Monet to ancient Egyptian art. The museum itself is a work of art, constructed of 48% glass, the natural light illuminates the museum with beautiful hues. We were guided through the museum by a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic docent, Ms. Harriet Weinstein. Ms. Weinstein had a story about every piece that she presented. The stories, along with her enthusiasm, made the artwork come alive. Before Ms. Weinstein's story, I thought that this Rodin sculpture, The Kiss, was just about two lovers embracing. Ms. Weinstein had a much more intriguing story: this woman Francesca fell in love with her fiance's brother Paolo while studying the romantic story of Lancelot. Francesca's fiance discovered the couple and murdered them both. Rodin's sculptures were inspired by Dante's Inferno. The couple was sent to the second ring of Hell for their passion and lust. This story really changed the way I viewed this piece of art. I wonder, did the lovers actually even get to kiss before they were murdered? The story also intrigued me, I wanted to learn more about how Rodin's other sculptures related to the remaining rings of Dante's Hell.

A story can really make a piece of artwork come alive. Self-guided tours are rewarding in themselves because you can make up your own stories and view the artwork in many different ways. However, Ms. Weinstein's stories were inspiring; they made me analyze the art and not just take the beauty at face-value. I think it is important to have a knowledgeable and enthusiastic docent when taking students on field trips like this. You should always plan to meet the docent prior to the field trip so you can discuss what exhibits they will be visiting and what the docent plans to tell the students. Ms. Weinstein provided a rewarding experience full of invaluable stories. I hope docents like her are available for my future museum fieldtrips!