AP Studio: Delhi Field Trip

On November 11, a group of 17 AP students, Mr. Gerberding, and I hopped on the train to Delhi. Our four-day trip included two days of train travel and two days of visiting art galleries, historic sites, art shops, and more in Delhi.

AP ART!

November 12: Our first stop was the National Gallery of Modern Art, which is located just next to India Gate and is a fantastic museum. The students really enjoyed the artworks on display, from Miniatures to huge Abstract Paintings. 

Most of the group outside of NGMA

Next, we went south to Hauz Khas Village for lunch and a quick walk through the village and to the ruins. Short on time, we only were able to stop into one gallery.

Students at the Hauz Khas ruins.

Admiring artwork at Lokayata Artist's Gallery in Hauz Khas.

After Hauz Khas we visited Reflections Art Gallery, which is run by a Woodstock alum. Our inspiring host talked to us about how Reflections aims to connect art with social issues and to encourage artists to create artwork that centers around truth, beauty, and goodness. Some artists connected with the gallery spoke about their own work and career paths and we also were able to see artworks that relate to social issues of Tuberculosis and abortion. Overall, the students were very inspired to create art with a meaning!

 

Hearing about the mission of Reflections.

 

A recent body of artwork created by a variety of Reflections artists on the issue of Tuberculosis.

For the evening, we first went to Dilli Haat to enjoy food and handicrafts from across India. And, as a special treat, we were invited by a gracious parent of one of the students who is a wedding planner to visit a wedding pooja site she designed. It was an incredible display of design!

The elegant entrance to the wedding pooja site!

November 13: On Saturday, we started off at Qtub Minar, a historic site in South Delhi. The students enjoyed seeing beautiful architecture and spent some time sketching. 

Sketching with the Qtub Minar pillar looming in the background.

Next, we went to Vasant Kunj to visit the Delhi Art Gallery in DLF Emporio. Again, we were treated extremely well by the Art Advisor there and were given a brief overview of some exceptional modern Indian artists such as MF Husain, Jamini Roy, FN Souza, and many more. 

Touring the gallery.

After lunch, we went to an art supply shop in South Ex (Sita Ram Stationers) to stock up on some specialty art supplies that aren't available in Mussoorie. The shopkeeper appreciated our visit so much that he treated us all to free coconuts across the street!

Trying out some professional painting equipment!

Fresh cocunut!

Our last stop of the trip was at India Habitat Center. After dinner, we went to a short film festival. The films were mostly from India and were all very entertaining. After the films, we briefly stopped into some of the galleries around the center. 

A closer look at pen drawings. 

Overall, the trip was a great success. Many thanks to those who helped make it possible!