If you asked me as a freshman, do I want to learn something about art? My answer was definitely no. I thought art is very distant from my life. I’m sure many others feel the same way. But now, art has become an intricate and indistinguishable part of my life.
During my undergraduate program, supply chain management was always the direction I wanted to learn until my sophomore year. Something happened back home during my sophomore year and put a long and dark shadow over me. I felt severely depressed and things no longer interested me. I found myself filled with nothing but remorse for not dedicating more of my time to my grandfather before he passed away. Then on a bright and sunny day in the spring of 2019, a trip to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. saved me from my gloomy days. I saw Claude Monet’s La Promenade brilliance with my own eyes for the first time. The soft tones and warm sensation emitted from the painting perplexed me. To believe the background story of the woman in the painting, Monet’s wife Camille, was ill and would soon pass away was difficult to grasp at first. That captured moment was so real and vivid that it transcended time and space; people were still able to realize the eternal love engraved in that canvas. I was deeply moved by the powerful message of this painting, that love can be held and passed on through a lifetime and even in death still hold its weight and meaning. Hence, for the first time in my life I understood the true power of art, and the idea of pursuing further study in this area started to burgeon.
With this idea in mind, I chose to start my journey by taking an Art History course as one of my undergraduate electives. I have also learned that illustrations are much more than all about emotions. They are a social product that reflects the situation of economics, politics and values in a historical context. Increasingly intrigued by the strong connection between art and social evolution, I have become more and more determined to pursue a master’s degree relating to the art industry. Choosing University of Wisconsin-Madison is also one of the most correct choices I made.
What I want after graduation is to pursue a career in museum education in an arts institution. Since arts has healed me during my period of depression, I would love to expand its influence and to let the arts have the platform and reach to potentially heal more people. In the long term, I would like to establish my own art gallery and an online sharing platform to expand the influence of art.
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