Field Trip – MSW style!

This week in one of my classes, we went on a “field trip” to UNC’s Ackland Art Museum.  Initially, I didn’t really know what to expect and had not given much thought to why we were having class at an art museum.  Our museum visit was such a treat and a great way to see our learning integrated in a totally different setting.  My classmates and I were able to engage individually and as a group around various paintings and photographs.  This exercise showed me how much of myself and my life experiences I bring to this work.  Even to the way that I interpret the scenes in a painting are colored by my own personal life story.  Each of us has a unique life experience that very much does impact our relation to the world in which we live.  This can absolutely be a good thing but it is also something to be aware of.  I made quite a few assumptions when looking at the artwork in the museum, and I am sure I make those in my daily life as well.  Not making assumptions would be ideal but is next to impossible for most of us.  However, even through my time in the museum, I am seeing that being aware of my assumptions and pushing my own thinking is valuable and significant.  I love that my professor provided us such a unique opportunity for experiential learning outside the classroom.