On Thursday, February 20th, the 6th grade class went to the San Francisco Asian Art Museum. At 8:30am, we jumped into different cars and headed over the beautiful Bay Bridge. We saw amazing views of the bay, got a glimpse of Alcatraz, and saw sail boats and cargo ships.
As we arrived at the museum, our tour guide greeted us. We were all amazed with the beautiful architecture of the building and the large pillars. As we entered, we viewed a slideshow presentation and they walked us around different exhibits from the Buddha statues, The Lost at Sea: Art Recovered from Shipwrecks in Vietnam, and handmade dolls. We each got a map of Asia and went on our way to learn more about Asian Art.
As I walked around, one of the artifacts that really fascinated me was the ritual vessel that was shaped like a rhinoceros. The vessel was used for storing wine or food. The beautiful masterpiece was made of bronze circa 1100–1050 BCE. According to an inscription on the inside, it was made in China during the Shang dynasty.
One activity that I really enjoyed was the sketch aquarium. We got to color our own sea creature and watched it appear on the wall. The art technology animated our drawings. It was really cool to interact with them as they swam around including feeding them virtual fish food.
After several hours, it was time for lunch before heading home. We gathered at a nearby park to eat. What was extra fun was that there was a public Zumba class happening. Many of us, including Ms. Kepp, got to join in and participate in the dance! We had such a great day in the city. The museum was a fascinating experience to learn more about Asian art and culture.