Emily Poirier, Co-op Student

The Red Lake District High School’s arts department, consisting not only of Visual Arts but also Drama, Music, and Media Arts, has always planned trips to incorporate both education and creativity, and it is no different with the New York Arts Trip that is currently in the fundraising stages.

Janet Hager, Drama and Media Arts teacher, and Rhonda Bobinski, Visual Arts teacher, are the main coordinators of the trip, which will take place in May of 2012. Though the idea of going on a trip to New York was brought up in the last school year, the planning and fundraising process didn’t swing into full force until September of this year.

“New York is where it’s at for the Arts scene, from the Museum of Modern Art to Broadway,” explained Bobinski when asked why they chose New York. The group, which currently consists of 15 students, will be using a touring company that will give them behind the scene tours and some freedom with their time. This leniency means that the group will be able to choose what to do as they go, which will allow for a more engaging experience, according to Bobinski.

Any school trip must be educational in a way specific to the class, and the New York Arts Trip is no exception. “This trip will absolutely apply to what the students are learning,” Bobinski assured. As a strong believer that students must experience what they are learning in classrooms to fully understand it, Bobinski explained that the things the students will be seeing on their trip would only be beneficial to their learning. “Students will be amazed to see the true textural quality of Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Starry Night’ painting, or put the sheer size of Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles D’Avignon’ into visual context. Their experiences will also be a catalyst for a plethora of future creative endeavors of their own.”

As all groups that have planned trips or other events must do, the students have been doing plenty of fundraising to be able to go to New York. “I like to call it ‘funk’ raising,” said Bobinski. “To date, we have sold popcorn and drinks during Cultural Days, ran a very successful Halloween dance and are in the process of selling photographs to students.” The group also has change jars set up throughout the community. Bobinski added that they appreciate any donation that is given to them.