The Juanita & Ralph Harvey School of Visual Arts is sponsoring a free trip to the Dallas Museum of Art on Feb. 27 for some 60 students.

Gary Goldberg, art professor, said, “We try to pick exhibitions that we can incorporate into our studies. Many of our students have never been to these museums before and those that have haven’t been in a long time, so this is an opportunity for them to see professional art work in a very high caliber.”

This trip to an art museum happens once every fall and spring semester. The trip is to various museums in Texas and is not always in Dallas.

Goldberg said, “We do it two times an academic year, one in the fall and one in the spring.”

Goldberg said the point of the field trip is for students to be exposed to more artists and the social commentary art poses on the world.

“Sometimes they’re [art pieces] political. Sometimes they’re economic, but they tie in with all the things we study in the university. It’s our [art department] hope that they’re inspired by great works of art that they see and that they develop an appreciation of size, scale, intent and just a further appreciate of the arts,” Goldberg said.

Shea James, art sophomore, said she is excited to go on her first visit to a major art museum.

James said, “This will be the first big museum that I actually go to. As an art major I should probably go to more art galleries and learn about other artists, but I haven’t so I’m excited about this opportunity.”

Joselin Flores, general business freshman, said she is excited to see the new art since she last visited the Dallas Museum of Art more than a year ago.

“I haven’t been since the beginning of my senior year in high school and I can’t even really remember all that I saw so it’ll be nice to go back again since I’m taking art appreciation,” Flores said.

Flores said she is excited to see different cultural exhibits.

“I would like to see Mexican or Aztec paintings or sculptures. It would be nice to see some of my history being appreciated in such a big place,” Flores said.

James said she is looking forward to seeing the new exhibits the museum will have on display.

“I’m not sure exactly what’s going to be there but I did hear we would be going to the Japanese Gardens and that sounded interesting,” James said.

Goldberg has been organizing these trips since their inception 15 years ago. Goldberg said he hopes that students gain inspiration from other artists on this trip.

Goldberg said, “We, the art department, think art is for everybody and the more you know about art, the more you will understand about not just art but the issues that they deal with.”

Students majoring in art are required to go on this trip.

James said, “It wasn’t mandatory last semester, so I actually wasn’t planning on going. So, this semester, I’m a little more excited about it because I don’t have to worry about my core classes conflicting with anything and I also get five points of extra credit for my graphic design class.”

Usually the trip requires one bus and students are not permitted to take personal vehicles or return back to campus a different way than they came.