Author: WILLIAM MA

For my video assignment, I would like to visit a farmer’s market (particularly one of GrowNYC’s Greenmarkets) and talk to some of the farmers/volunteer workers/visitors/etc. I think this could be interesting as sustainability and environmental awareness has been a hot topic in recent years.  A farmer’s market that focuses on sustainability and supporting local farmers ties into this topic well. I also think this could interesting visually because of the bright colors of produce and groups of people.

HOST INTRO: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to as The Met, reopened its doors to visitors last summer after five months of being closed. Changes have since been made to accommodate for the pandemic and over a year later, business has seemingly recovered well. The Met’s president and chief executive, Daniel Weiss, claims that the museum has more than tripled it’s daily attendance since autumn. William Ma took to the museum to ask museum-goers about their experience at the changed Met.

AMBI: Museum patrons walking around the museum.

TRACK: For some, the Met is just as they remembered. Founded in 1870, the museum has existed before anyone alive today was born. It’s hard to imagine that the museum could change drastically within just one year. Today, I am visiting The American Wing and am accompanied by Chris Sudduth. Despite being a New Yorker, he has not visited the museum since elementary school. Previously indifferent to the arts, after winning a vintage jacket in an auction, he has grown to appreciate them.

ACT: CHRIS: “…It changed my perspective on museums… I was never really a big museum person. I didn’t have the patience. Ever since I got the jacket it just put it in a whole new perspective for me. I  appreciate art more. I appreciate learning about them, reading the years, the significance, and things like that.”

TRACK: However, much has changed since the last time he visited.Even one of the wealthiest museums in the world have yet to fully recover from the costs of COVID. Max Hollein, director for the Met, estimates that the museum has suffered $150 million in financial losses in just a year, with larger losses predicted in the future. He predicts that it will take years until the museum can expect a full return of tourism revenue. For Chris, this deepens his newfound appreciation.

ACT: CHRIS: “To be able to experience and enjoy the art that you see here, it takes a huge team of people and specialists to maintain.”

TRACK: Many employees have been laid off as a result of these financial losses. However, this isn’t the only change. The Met is now considering selling artwork from it’s permanent collection to cover costs. The Met is one of many museums to take advantage of a pandemic policy. Until April 2022, museums are now able to sell art to fund collection care- rather than only going to acquire future collections. A controversial decision, but many understand this decision will help keep the museum afloat.

ACT: CHRIS: “It’s sad to hear that. But it’s a greater appreciation because without that how could we enjoy this stuff?”

TRACK: For a frequent museum patron, changes in the permanent collection are more noticeable. Andrew Slane, who visited frequently before the pandemic and strongly believes in arts conservation, felt a change upon his return.

ACT: ANDREW: “I’m actually noticing it now since it’s my first time back since the shutdown since reopening. There are some wings that I would like to go in that are actually closed right now.”

TRACK: Having visited at least ten times in his lifetime, Andrew would always visit Baroque Period Rooms. However, this is the first time he is unable to see them.

ACT: ANDREW: “As a New York city resident it doesn’t upset me that much, since I know I can come back and that I have the privilege to be able to do that. If I were a tourist, I would actually be a little more upset.”

TRACK: However, Andrew plans to spend the rest of his visit seeing as much as he can. While he is disappointed in the changes, he believes it is important to support the museum. Despite director Hollein’s estimate that it will take years for the Met to recover, patrons like Andrew loyally support the museum.

ACT: ANDREW: “In terms of being around people and listening to people look at the art, people seem really excited or more excited than they used to be. I don’t know if it’s just a post-reopening excitement? That energy has been great.”

AMBI: Footsteps of museum patrons.

TRACK: William Ma for Baruch College.

For my Photoville assignment, I went to the “Keeping Love Close: What Does Love Look Like” exhibit at Times Square. It stood out to me from other exhibits because it features creators and subjects of Asian descent. This is something that resonates with me personally, given my own identity as Chinese-American. For the last year, whenever I saw an Asian face in the news I would always fear that another hate crime occurred. I think this gallery is very powerful because it shows humanity without tragedy. These stories deserve representation- not to prove humanity, but to boldly claim that they are human. I like the idea of this gallery taking space and being unapologetically Asian.

What I really enjoyed is how the gallery showcased each photographer’s unique story and artistic styles. For example, Haruka Sakaguchi’s photo showcased mixed-media elements. Her photo was torn, but put back together with tape. The tape had a mix of Japanese and English writing. 「くれぐれも」 (best regards) and “checking in” is very representative about the anxieties Asian-Americans face, and how community helped them survive. Even if one didn’t understand either language, the distressed collage and blank expression of the model’s face does portray the feeling of anxiety.

For my radio story pitch, I would like to visit a museum and interview people visiting. A lot of non-essential businesses such as museums have been open for a while now, with many people seeking a return to “normal” patronizing them. Museums are a part of New York culture, so I imagine there will be many people who will be happy to elaborate on why they’ve returned. I think a museum is an excellent place for a radio story because of consistency. The volume in museums tends to be controlled, allowing for consistent interviews and ambient noise.

https://medium.com/@william.ma_64840/how-hurricane-ida-disproportionately-affected-a-chinese-neighborhood-92807c4e919e

For my photo essay, I would like to discuss how Hurricane Ida (natural disasters as a whole) often have disproportionate effects on lower-income and marginalized communities. One of my relatives has a friend in Queens who lost his entire home to flooding in Ida. I plan to interview him and some of his neighbors, to get their perspective of the flooding.

I’ve already spoken with some of them. One has issues claiming disaster relief because of language barrier issues, some already struggling due to the pandemic before the flood, students who will have issues continuing online education after their means of attending class are destroyed. All of these issues stem from systematic inequality and I believe they deserve to be highlighted.