Dorsky Museum Analysis

Attending college offers many unique opportunities. It is up to the students to take full advantage and utilize such occasions . Of the many events, two that stood out were a discussion, or lecture, and the Dorsky Museum. The lecture took place on October 8, 2015, in the Lecture Center on the SUNY New Paltz campus. There, several people eagerly awaited the speaker, Marianne Hirsch, a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She spoke of the negative consequences of museums and suggested new theories as to how to remember previous historical events. On the other hand, the Dorsky Museum was a different experience. We attended the exhibit for a class field trip on October 29, 2015. The works of art in Dorsky

For without change, we cannot move forward. While it was made clearer to me in the museum, both trips involved this concept. The museum was immersed in change, or alterations. During the trip, a particular work of art, who represents this change and acceptance, stood out. It was a simple landscape piece by Jervis McEntee. In a room full of brightly infused color landscape paintings, this one looked dark. As a result, the painting drew attention to itself. At first glance, one may think it was gloomy, however, it was quite the opposite. Within the finer details, two men can be spotted. These figures were wearing union and confederate uniforms, or in other words representing opposing sides of conflict, however they were placed in relaxed sitting positions. The men seemed to accept each other. This signifies change, and proof that even the most horrific battles will not last forever. The background seemed to echo this, as the painting was set at dawn, or the beginning of a new day. Therefore, even when times are hard, believe that change is possible, and that will lead us to move

During her discussion, Marianne Hirsch argued museums failed in creating justice for tragedies and often took up space in order to rehash old wounds. She called upon the audience to decipher their thoughts by asking how the majority of museums, such as the Anne Frank museum, made them feel. The result was overwhelming in her favor. While looking at these photos, one cannot help, but feel indignant or emotional. The overall purpose of the lecture was to persuade individuals to build museums that do not create these feelings, rather recognize the occurrence and move on. Professor Hirsch inferred that nothing good comes from dwelling in the past. While she was talking about museums, this can be taken as a life