
Things I never imagined would be so important to me until after I got to Yale:
- Owning seasonal clothing
- Access to a refrigerator
- Appreciation for art history
As a result of Yale’s mandatory distribution requirements (and my great pursuit of knowledge), I’ve been given the privilege of exploring subjects I would have otherwise never considered, leading me to ultimately take up a double major in East Asian Studies. This semester, I dug deeper and expanded my horizons to learn a wider breadth of East Asian history through art.
Milling around museum grounds to study art from the lectures
I’ve always been a big fan of museums, having frequented every major museum in San Francisco and during all my vacations. After this class, however, I think I can upgrade myself to patron status after spending 2 hours every week listening to a storytelling format lecture about the themes and major pieces in Asian art. Accompanying the lectures is the section, which is where the magic happens.
Close-ups with museum pieces
For the first section of the year, I walked to the Loria Center, having been conditioned to head there for lecture, only to be greeted by an empty classroom. I frantically checked Canvas - the location of the section is in an unexpected place. The Yale University Art Gallery. I was hit by a rush of adrenaline as I sped walked out of the building, across the street, into the welcoming lobby of YUAG. Seeing me drenched in sweat with a panicked look on my face at being 5 minutes late to the first section of the year, a friendly graduate student offered her help as I stored my backpack in the lobby. As I walked down the stairs to the basement into a hidden showcase room, I was awestruck by the room filled with artifacts laying bare on the desk, waiting for me to examine.
One of the original prints of The Great Wave off Kanagawa
I was mesmerized by the chance to look at ancient artworks from only an inch away, with no constraints on the angle or lighting or glass barrier typical in a museum visit. I am super grateful for the Yale University Art Gallery and the cozy classroom spaces that provide unique interactions with museum pieces.