A few weeks ago, our class met outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art and waited for everybody to arrive. While we were waiting, I took the time to admire the details of the architecture, decorations, and water fountain displays outside the property.

Once we were all inside, we with Roberto, the director of food and beverage operations at the Met.  He explained to us that the 10 different cafes and restaurants were independently owned and lacked structured, but he now oversees them as part of one group, Restaurant Association.  We got to see what was formerly a members-only restaurant, that is now open to the public. Some perks for members now include a 10% discount on the bill and reserved seating overlooking Central Park. From there, Roberto took us to the rooftop, which had a bar with refreshments, some artwork, and amazing views of Central Park and skyscrapers in the distance.  I would have stayed out there all day if I had the time. 

From there, we moved on to a guided tour. We had a very large group, including our class and others, so at times it was hard to hear the tour guide and see the artwork. We saw examples of both Greek and Romanc sculptures, as well as some very interesting sculptures from the Pacific Islands, one was a 14-foot-tall freestanding musical instrument, the largest known in the world. My favorite part was the Thomas Hart Benton exhibition; part of his mural is pictured below. Before our tour wrapped up, I enjoyed seeing works of Van Gogh, also pictured below, as well as artwork from the Baroque period. I found it very interesting that Van Gogh would paint on each side of a canvas, as supply and funds were low.

I would like to go back to the Met to spend more time in other exhibits and on the rooftop, as well as visit the Met Cloisters sometime this summer.