Great Works II

The museum I visited was the Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side near Central Park. Haven’t been to this museum for at least 10 years, I forgot there were so many exhibits and how big the museum actually is. As a little kid, I would only look at the exhibits that were fun and exciting, such as the dinosaurs or other big animals. This time around, I decided to take a look at some exhibits I’ve never been to or knew that existed. One of them was the Hall of African Peoples.

The Hall of African Peoples displays African culture and lifestyles dating back all the way to ancient Egypt. The hall contains four environments: the grassland, desert, forest, and river. I spent most of my time in the forest region, or the woodland. The exhibit was well organized and represented each region with a different color, so visitors wouldn’t be confused  and easily realize what region they’re in. With so many artifacts and collections, I was able to learn how they developed, their cultural traditions, religions, beliefs, and hobbies. One thing the forest Africans valued a lot was their music. Not only was it a form of entertainment, it was a type of language. They made drums and idiophones out of the limited resources they could find in the forests. These hand made instruments allowed them to express their thoughts and beliefs. In addition to their music, there are so many more aspects of their lives to learn about.

Idiophones

Other Musical Instruments

Overall, having this assignment and coming to the museum made me realize how many benefits a college student can take advantage of as well as the many museums New York City has to offer. It was a great experience to relax and enjoy a day at a museum that I haven’t been to for so long. I recommend everyone to find the time and check out the Museum of Natural History, where you can learn so many things you wouldn’t learn from school or on your own. Plus, there are so many exhibits that at least one will interest you.