This past Tuesday, Lakeview art students had the pleasure of visiting the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown. Art teacher, Jeff Piper, led the group of young artists to the museum with the help of parent chaperones. Piper and the students were very pleased with the trip and all the different pieces they were shown. He says, “It’s always much more impressive to see the artworks talked about in class with your own eyes. I think the students were impressed with their experience. My objective for the trip was to have created an appreciation for the visual arts and I think it was successful.” Students got the chance to see many different pieces of American art and were exposed to new visions of art they have never before seen. On the trip they saw pieces of impressionism, abstract, realism, expressionism, and even kinetic art. A huge hit for the students was seeing a Van Gogh in the flesh. They saw famous pieces including Winslow Homer’s Snap the Whip, as well as Lincoln the Railsplitter by Norman Rockwell. Many of the art students thought the trip was a tremendous success. Junior, Miya Brannan says, “Our docent was really cool and we saw a lot of interesting pieces. Hopefully, next time we could spend more time to experience more artists.” Many students were surprised at how many famous pieces of art were only 25 minutes away. Senior Tarryn Mansfield says, “I was so impressed by how many pieces of art they had. I especially loved how many different types of art they had, too.” Junior, Kaitlyn Bobeczko says, “It was cool to learn about the different pieces of art. I never miss a chance to leave school – Pipe it up.” The art students loved the trip and would like to expand their curiosity and desire for art at other museums as well. Senior Drew McLennan says, “I wish we had more time to explore the depths of the beautiful American art displayed at the Butler. An hour just couldn’t suffice and quench my thirst for  great American beauty.” Overall, the art field trip to the Butler Institute of American Art  was both an enlightening experience and a great opportunity for the young artists of Lakeview.