Every time exam week overwhelms undergraduate students, everyone flocks to their many stress-relievers. Respite may be found in sporadic napping or compulsive exercise, but I favor strolling through museums. Every time I walk through the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the paintings seem to foster my much-needed slow-paced momentum. Therefore, the Met has continually been my oasis of calm in a cacophonous city. Clearly, I was not the only student finding an escape in the acclaimed museum, when I learned about the museum’s event for college students during the most stressful time of the year.
On March 1, 2012, the Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted An Oasis at the Met during exam week in order to encourage students to escape from their books, essays, and exams and celebrate the Museum’s New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and Later South Asia (also known as NGAALTICALSA). The College Group at the Met, a group of 25 local college students, organized the event for undergraduate students, but also welcomed graduate students with a valid up-to-date student ID. Most attendees learned about the event via Facebook, and as soon as the event claimed to have 3,058 attending students, I clicked the attending button as well, in anticipation of visiting the museum afterhours. The event soon found students begging for an invite, and the event was one worth begging for.
Upon entering the museum the night of the event, even though I consider myself a regular visitor at the Met, I was stunned by the museum’s different atmosphere. Dimmed lights and candlelit-scattered tables were filled with throngs of students. While there were few newcomers to the museum’s galleries, everyone was excited to explore the museum’s newly renovated galleries, especially while munching on Middle-Eastern snacks like falafel and grape leaves. The College Group at the Met offered four free tours, in addition to the free admission and snacks. I went on the first tour, led by the student curators who were knowledgeable but wrestled with the noise of the crowds.
A highlight of the tour was the Met’s new courtyard. The Met has been renovating the New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia since 2003. On November 1, 2011, the Met fully opened its galleries and showcased its new Medieval Islamic courtyard created by living Moroccan craftsmen. With tile patterns based on those in the Alhambra palace in Granada and carved cedar molding based on renowned woodwork of the 14th century Islamic school in Fez, the courtyard was just short of Moroccan people convening during their daily routines. In addition to the vivid detail in the design, this courtyard epitomizes an oasis that many students search for during periods of stress. The ambiance of the bright (artificial) light and the small bowl full of water and planted with lily pads allows students to stop going through the motions and enjoy the art around them.
After the tour, the museum began to bounce with avid dancing and chatting. Musical guests, Zikrayat and DJ Louie XIV pleased the crowds by playing both pop and contemporary music for the cultured crew. Being in the museum after hours seemed positively overwhelming, and once everyone started dancing to the music I was skeptical about experiencing a rave at the Met, but the scene stayed tame, with students grooving in their best attire. Guests were encouraged to “dress to the nines in their best semi-formal attire or national dress,” and I have to confess that the event was just as much about fashion as it was about art. Female students sported heels in gravity-defying heights and shapes, while the male students had so many hipster glasses and vintage SLR cameras, I lost count. The event ended and successfully provided the slow rhythm of walking through a gallery and the quick thrill of dancing afterhours at the Oasis at the Met. Surely, the Met will become a new stress-reliever for a plethora of anxiety-stricken students as soon as final exams begin.
The best news: The College Group at the Met have an event coming up on May 15 in conjunction with The Costume Institute’s special exhibition Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations. Stay tuned for another oasis.