The Met launched its Lunar New Year exhibition in early February to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, and this is exactly how you need to start off the new year.
By: Pritheva Zakaria
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most famous museums in the world, with stunning collections hailing from every continent. Bustling with almost 4,500 visitors daily, people come to see the various arts and cultural objects that the museum has in store.
On February 3rd, the museum introduced its latest exhibit for the Lunar New Year, titled The Year of The Dragon.
Featuring an itinerary of fun activities, such as learning Chinese calligraphy and Mandarin, visitors were given the chance to learn about the history of Chinese culture, including the significance of the dragon—the mascot for the new year. The exhibition was brimming with immersive experiences, a food court, and photobooths, inviting visitors to enter the world of the dragon.
Throughout my adventure within the Lunar New Year exhibit, I met all sorts of characters, from students to tourists to elderly citizens, who were eager to talk to me about why they were there, and why it’s important to learn about this 3,500-year-old festival.
Fifteen-year-old Cathleen Zhang of Middletown, New York, had been admiring the Asian art section. Smiling, she told me that she was visiting the museum with her parents and younger sister.
“As I’m getting older, I’m learning to appreciate the art I see more—and I’m just happy that my little sister has Chinese art to look at and inspire her, because I didn’t really see that growing up,” Zhang said.
Zhang and her sister roamed around the exhibit, sharing smiles and laughs as they appreciated, questioned, and critiqued the displays, letting the art guide their conversations.
Meanwhile, the craft station was packed with one of many school field trips, the children running around with safety scissors and colorful paper. Queens teachers Colleen Russell and Mary Caufman watched their class of 9-year-olds with warm eyes as I joined them.
“It’s nice to be able to take the kids to this. For most of them, it’s their first time experiencing this culture, and through free admission with the museum, all of them can enjoy it,” Russell said as Caufman nodded in agreement.
“You see, even kids who celebrate this holiday here are able to interact with their culture, which they might feel a disconnect from,” Caufman added. “This might be one of the first times they are able to celebrate Lunar New Year with their family in this capacity.”
Evelyn, 9, could barely stand still while I discussed with her the crafts the rest of the kids were making.
“This is really fun, look at what I made!” Evelyn, proudly showing a flower headband made of tissue paper.
Art becomes a medium through which people are able to immerse themselves in various cultures, something that is comparatively difficult to do by simply reading a textbook or watching through a screen instead. Regardless of age or background, all came together under the Met’s roof to ring in the Lunar New Year
The MET itself boasts art and artifacts from an expanse of different cultures, acquired from each and every continent. Some may argue that museums struggle to bring the culture to life. The Lunar New Year exhibit though, was The Met’s way of revitalizing its artifacts by bringing communities together to commemorate their history.
Open to all, the Lunar New Year exhibit is worth checking out—what better way to start off the Year of the Dragon than learning about its history?
Generasian 
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