The 2011 Bruce & Rita Roberts AP Studio Art Trip

Every September the AP Studio Art seniors eagerly anticipate the Annual Bruce & Rita Roberts AP Studio Art trip in late November. Scheduled each year on the last Friday before the Thanksgiving holiday, the trip marks the end of the first trimester in the studio, and ushers in the holiday season for the entire department. The seniors themselves choose the destination for the trip – past years have traveled to Washington DC and Philadelphia. This year’s group chose to travel for the second time to Boston, albeit by a slightly different route, and for two nights instead of one.

Our group of eight girls and three boys squeezed into the rental van early on Friday morning at the Saperstein gate, and headed north on the Taconic. Unlike last year when we encountered a winter storm right at the start of the trip, this year we had glorious fall weather all the way to the Berkshires. Our first stop was the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA.

The group viewed the collection of one of the world’s most renowned illustrators, and had a peek at his painting studio which has been transported to the grounds of the museum. On our way out of Stockbridge, one of our students, somewhat overcome by the natural beauty of the Berkshires and his own personal affection for Thanksgiving, remarked that there was nothing more charming than an old country inn dressed up for the holidays. Just as he made his remark, the van passed in front of The Red Lion Inn on Main Street in Stockbridge, and we immediately pulled over for lunch. Then it was on to Williamstown to see a Degas and Rembrandt show at The Sterling and Francine Clark Institute, and a quick stop for coffee downtown before the drive east to Boston.

After checking in to our hotel, we dined in the fashionable South End – Boston’s version of New York’s Chelsea district – at the French brasserie, Gaslight. Several brave souls, including Mr. Green, sampled the escargot, while others stuck with less adventurous French fare. In the morning we were all up early for breakfast at the hotel before our long day at the Boston Museum of Fine Art. We toured nearly the entire BFMA’s collection, with Mr. Cice providing extensive art historical background and talks on selected paintings. Just as the group was about to drop with art fatigue, we broke for a late lunch on Newbury Street, the address of Boston’s best galleries, and students were given free time to explore galleries and soak in some Boston culture. We all reconvened at CoSo, The Copley Society of Art, before heading back to the hotel. Dinner was had in the neighborhood at one of the oldest taverns in Boston. Great food and plenty of local atmosphere were enjoyed by all.

After an early Sunday breakfast, we climbed back in the van and headed south to New Haven, CT. Alum and former AP Studio star Katie Fein ’10 met us on the Yale campus and brought us to a local and student favorite pizza joint for lunch. It was great to catch up with Katie and hear about her fall semester at Yale. After lunch we toured the Yale Art Gallery, and then spent some time in Mr. Cice’s favorite spot when he was a graduate student: the Turner room on the top floor of the Yale Center for British Art. After a pleasant stroll around campus we all squeezed back in the van for the short drive back to the Hackley quad.

The 2011 Bruce & Rita Roberts AP Studio Art Trip was a spectacular success! We had perfect weather the entire time, took in more art than the students had bargained for, and enjoyed a full weekend of fun, laughs, food, and memories together. Heartfelt thanks from all of us go to Bruce and Rita Roberts for so generously funding this annual trip for the seniors.

Click here to return to Campus News.