This Tuesday, March 24th, French students from the High Tech High School (HTHS) traded their classrooms for the world-renowned galleries of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET). This immersive field study served as a vital research expedition and a strategic precursor to the school’s highly anticipated headline event: The French Immersive Experience Museum.
Organized by the French Club (FC) and the French Honor Society (FHS), the upcoming school-wide museum—set to open its doors on May 1st—will transform HTHS into a living tribute to French culture. This visit to The MET allows students to gather the primary source material, artistic inspiration, and cultural data necessary to build their own professional-grade exhibits.
The Great Impressionist Scavenger Hunt
Under the guidance of Dr. Laje Gashi, and chaperoned by Dr. Nina Lavlinskaia, students didn't just walk through the galleries; they engaged in a high-energy Scavenger Hunt designed to sharpen their "curator’s eye." Students navigated the 19th-century European Painting pavilions to "hunt" for specific artistic signatures: Identifying how masters like Monet and Renoir captured fleeting moments of daylig; Analyzing the "impasto" brushstrokes that transform from abstract dots into clear images when viewed from a distance; Locating "19th-century selfies" and portraits that tell the story of daily life in the Belle Époque.
By successfully completing their scavenger hunt, students collected "artifacts" for their own museum. French 3 students utilized the galleries as a "film set," capturing on-location footage for extra-credit video projects that will feature themes ranging from French fashion to historical reenactments. These student-produced films, along with original sculptures and paintings, will be the centerpiece of the Immersive French Museum in May.
"Our goal is to show that art and language are not just subjects to be studied—they are experiences to be lived," said Dr. Laje Gashi. "This trip was the perfect spark for our big event. By hunting for these masterpieces at The MET, our students are now ready to bring the heartbeat of French culture back to our own halls at High Tech High School."
As always, thank you for your support!
