My name is Emma Haren and I am an art history and political science double major. I am a sophomore at St. Olaf College. I am a trombone player in the Norseman band and a participant in the Sloyd, or Swedish wood carving, club. Both of those things are just hobbies and I will be pursuing a museum career.
I learned about this course at the open house just a few days after deciding on adding political science to my art history repertoire. It seemed like the perfect intersection. Getting to be in the presence of fantastic collections of art I loved so much through a computer screen and being present for the big government decisions appealed to me. At the time I figured those two fields were pretty separate, but now after the few orientations we’ve had I’m coming to understand how interconnected they are. Obviously funding is a big way they are connected, but I look forward to understanding more about that connection as the month goes on. Going forward in this trip I hope to visit sites and understand how they are possible, how the government has been a help or a hindrance for them and just acknowledge the people who helped make them possible.
Another big part of my excitement for the trip is just immersing myself in another culture, even though the culture is still a part of the United States. The big city aspect of it will be new for me, but I look forward to completely mastering public transit.
By the end of this trip, I feel confident that I will have a deeper understanding of how to promote the arts in our world and how advocating for them will make a difference!