Field Tripping in NYC!
The Department of Mathematics takes a field trip to see the Agnes Denes exhibit at the Shed Museum in Manhattan.
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On the sunny morning of February 21, 31 students and 10 professors from the Department of Mathematics boarded a school bus and headed into Manhattan to visit the Agnes Denes exhibit in midtown’s Shed Museum. Field trippers included undergraduate, masters and doctoral students who are studying creativity in mathematics and history of mathematics; taking a variety of mathematics and mathematics education courses; and participating in research projects.
Agnes Denes is a pioneering artist who is described as pushing artistic boundaries by using varied disciplines to explore the state of the world. Her work also is described as, at once public facing and self-analyzing. The trip brought a pause to the demands and obligations of work, as we found ourselves in an exhibit where poetry, light, philosophy, science, and the very earth we inhabit were on display for our analysis and wonder. It was a reminder that our mathematical learning can be brought to questioning, appreciating, sharing and breathing in art in all of the forms Denes had to offer!
Enjoy images from Denes’ exhibit, and be on the lookout as field trippers make use of what they learned on their outing to participate, here at Montclair State, in the artist’s vision,
investigating and visualizing knowledge—from mathematical structures to analytic thought—as a way to process what it means to be human in the world
Click on an image below to enlarge photo.
- Doctoral student Ceire Monahan, Dr. Murray, Dr. Dinapoli, Dr. Greenstein and Dr. Jeannotte enjoy lunch after the exhibit at the Spanish Mercado
- Outside the Shed Museum posing in front of NYC’s Vessel
- In front of the “snow pyramid,” our name for Denes’ art
- Dr. Vaidya and Dr. Dinapoli riding the escalator between the exhibit’s floors
- Dr. Murray’s hand waves hello in front of the Vessel!
- Dr. Greenstein and Dr. Vaidya walking to the exhibit
- Masters student Jessica Davidson reminds us of the building’s owner!
- History of Mathematics students Cathleen Paluszek, Ryan Rejale, and Jodi Buri engaged with Denes’ poetry
- Dr. Leszczynski explains to Dr. Fernández how changing “runs” in Denes’ pyramid help to create a curving effect
- Dr. Nita selfies in front of the snow pyramid
- Doctoral student Erin Pomponio wonders . . . and is mesmerized
- Dr. Murray wonders . . . and is mesmerized
- Montclair State’s field trippers enjoying the exhibit
- Dr. Leszczynski shines through the triangle
- Dr. Fernández excitedly relays Denes’ artistic vision instantiated in nature
to Dr. Panorkou - Erin, Dr. Panorkou, Jessica, Dr. Fernández, and our trip organizer, Dr. Munakata
- Professors and students wonder about the floating teardrop