Art Club Enjoys Cultural Activities on Trip to St. Louis

A group of twenty BRTC Art Club members, faculty and staff enjoyed a two-day field trip to St. Louis and its various art and entertainment venues on April 12 and 13.  Highlights of the trip included visits to the St. Louis Art Museum and the Arch.

On Friday, all participants viewed the Da Vinci Exhibit in the Bank of America Plaza, discovering many of Da Vinci’s famous inventions and machines, then went on a docent-led tour of the St. Louis Art Museum, experiencing many masterworks of Monet, Picasso, Flemish painters, the Hudson River School, ancient Western civilizations, and more. On Saturday, the Art Club peeked into the iconic St. Louis Arch, walked through its Westward Expansion Museum, and watched a film on the building of the monument.  Some of the group members opted to ride the elevator all the way to the top of the Arch, while others preferred the relatively less dizzying experience of a steamboat ride at Laclede’s Landing.  In the free time many participants split off into smaller groups to enjoy other attractions, such as the St. Louis zoo, carriage rides, train station, mall, and wax museum.

Faculty member and Art Club group leader Dr. Sandy Davis-Baltz said, “This was an amazing experience for students and chaperones, most of whom had never ridden a train, experienced a subway or Mississippi riverboat ride, nor visited the beautiful city of St. Louis before.  The group was fantastic, and everyone had a great educational and fun-filled time.  The hotel was exquisite, the food was great, and the sites provided memories the group will never forget.  I can’t thank the SGA enough for helping provide funding for part of the trip.  Otherwise, this comprehensive trip would never have been possible for many of the students.”

Participants had to get up early to catch the Amtrak train, running from Walnut Ridge to St. Louis, which departed at 12:30 a.m. Friday, but were rewarded by a fun ride over the rails.  Students making the trip were Pam Allen, Viola Green, Lacey Morris, Jessica Keeling, Haley Quest, Lacey Blackwell, Scott Jurs, Kera Hufford, Armand Jurs, Brittany Grooms, Keri Hufford, Betty Hodge, Nikki Key, and Elyssa Davis.  Chaperones in addition to Baltz were Janice Harvey, Bookstore Director, Samantha Baltz, adjunct English instructor, Daniel Parker, Distance Education Coordinator, and Kim Bigger, Registrar, joined by her daughter, Katelyn.