Museums and art galleries are great for learning, small day trips or inspiration to try something new. In late 2024, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City announced the construction for a new wing, expanding the building for their 20th and 21st century pieces. More recently, the news brought attention to museums and the architect behind the new wing, Frida Escobedo.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, commonly known as The Met, actually started in Paris, France, when lawyer John Jay thought to create a national institution and gallery of art. Once returning to the U.S. and under Jay’s presidency, the Union League Club in New York rallied a group to support the cause. On April 13, 1870, The Met was created but did not open its first official building until 1880 on Fifth Avenue, where it sits today. The museum is now filled with extraordinary works by some of the greatest artists of all time, including Claude Money, Van Gogh and Gustave Moreau.
Estrid Jackson (10) believes architecture needs to be well thought out because it is everywhere.
“Architecture and visually pleasing designs are very important for a building, especially a museum. Art and aesthetics are pleasing and healthy for people to be around, considering that the buildings and architecture in question are things that we have to be around all the time,” Jackson said.
The new Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing, known as the Tang Wing, began construction earlier this year and is scheduled to finish by 2030. Designed by Frida Escobedo, the first woman and person of Mexican ethnicity to design a wing for The Met, the goal for the new wing is to add room for the new exhibits while being sustainable. In the five-story building layout, the Tang Wing offers areas for vegetation and a green roof to allow an ecofriendly element to the museum. The construction and opening will generate 4,000 union jobs, aiming for 30-40 percent participation by minority and women owned businesses, according to metmuseum.org. By having the new wing, there will be more educational and community centered opportunities as well.
Escobedo, as discussed on metmuseum.org, wanted to design the wing that connected all parts of the museum and the new collection.
“Our goal has been to create a building that fully meets the needs and aspirations of The Met, weaving together vital connections between the Modern Contemporary Art galleries and other areas of the Museum,” Escobedo said. “The wing is in New York, yet of the world; it reflects the global nature of this great collection and also draws inspiration from The Met’s unique surroundings.”
While it is not as well-known as The Met, the Spartanburg Art Museum also houses many exhibits from local artists and creators. Joined with Spartanburg’s Chapman Cultural Center, the museum paves a way for learning opportunities and internships for those interested in art free of charge. Along with the Spartanburg Art Museum, local schools, including District 7, make the effort to display outstanding students’ work across town. Whether in the West Gate Mall, the District 7 Administration Office or in the Spartanburg County Library, the art exhibits around Spartanburg create experiences for residents to appreciate art and for artists to show their work to their town.
Bella Fix (12) enjoys viewing art at an exhibit or museum because of how much deeper the experience can be in person rather than online.
“More people should go to see art in person in galleries and museums because it shows support for media that is being kind of left behind with the rise of AI,” Fix said. “Art pieces being so accessible online is taking away from the experience that walking an art exhibition or museum gives alongside the art; the way the art is displayed often adds to its meaning.”
