Members of the Peddie Community embarked on a Culture Bus trip to the Governor’s Island Art Fair in New York City on Sunday, Sept. 24. The trip offered a unique experience to Peddie students and faculty members interested in art, as well as anyone with some free time looking to enjoy the sunny weather and explore the park.

The art fair displayed contemporary pieces created by more than one hundred talented artists worldwide. Most of the exhibitions took place in abandoned houses or buildings. For many of those on the trip, this art fair was unlike anything they had seen before. According to Connie Wang ’20, one of the students in attendance, the exploration element of the Governor’s Island Art Fair differentiated it from other art exhibits, galleries, or museums. “They were in all different places; they had separate buildings, and it was a lot less formal,” said Wang.

When asked about a particular piece that was memorable or outstanding, Wang identified a simple room with black frames and black balloons. Wang recalled, “It was very minimalistic and I really liked it.” In addition, she recounted another eye-catching exhibit of human silhouettes, created by using dots or circles ranging in color and size.

A highlight of the trip, as Feyza Kilic ‘20 described it, was talking to the artists about their handwork. Kilic had the unique opportunity to meet with Jayoung Yoon, an artist whose exhibit was entirely crafted from human hair. Yoon also introduced one of her pieces, a three-dimensional skull made from her own hair, to Kilic.

Ha Chi Phan ’20, a sophomore currently taking a painting course at Peddie, said that this visual arts culture bus trip gave her the perfect opportunity to see unconventional works and a place where the buildings around the fair accentuated the artwork itself. She described the feeling of the houses to be “old, run down, peculiar, but ordinary and familiar at the same time.” As Phan pointed out, “The vibe of the house really tied the exhibition together.” Phan also noticed that the dark halls in the houses “were unlike other exhibitions, which mainly had a lot of natural lighting.”

Overall, the Governor’s Island Art Trip provided goers with more insight into the wide variety of contemporary styles. Furthermore, students like Jessica Cheng ‘20 were able to find themselves admiring the city skyline, hanging out with friends, and roaming the park. The contrast of intriguing artwork with a peaceful city day constituted an intriguing field trip for all in attendance.