The Lewis Cass Kings are officially in the homestretch. With less than a month left of the 2026-2027 school year, students at Cass are becoming restless, waiting not so patiently for the last day of school. With finals, AP tests, and finalized grades looming in the distance, the AP Spanish and AP art classes took a much-needed break to the Newfields Museum in Indianapolis.
Taking a brief “descanso” (break) from their daily routine, instead of walking the halls of school and being on a bell schedule, the students roamed freely around Newfields museum, exploring everything from classical art to more modern installations. For the exhausted juniors and seniors, this was a rare opportunity to slow down and take time to really enjoy the wonders of art up close, rather than through a screen.
The AP Spanish class began their Spanish art unit in early November, and originally planned a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. However, due to scheduling conflicts, the trip was pushed from December to January, then February, March, and eventually landed on a random Tuesday at the end of April. This particular Tuesday was the only day with no spring extracurricular conflicts, and Señora Karmel quickly snatched up the date, finalizing the plans for the trip. The week prior to the excursion, Señora Karmel discovered that the Art Institute of Chicago was also closed on Tuesdays, another wrench in the plans. With the input of the AP Spanish class, the group opted to pivot plans to a simple trip to Indy, knowing that while Newfields offered a much smaller collection of Spanish art in comparison to Chicago, the students would still get their fill of amazing artwork.
After departing the school at 7:45 for Indy, the group stopped for breakfast at Lincoln Square Pancake House. Junior, Adalyn Brown mentioned breakfast was her favorite part of the day, “The most fun part of the day was breakfast. It was cool to experience a different atmosphere and try the variety of foods they offered.” After the brief stop for breakfast, the crew was off to the museum to explore. Ms. Karmel shared a few expectations: Behave, make sure you see the Spanish art, and have fun! The students went their separate ways and accomplished just that.
While one group had trouble finding the Spanish section, Adalyn and senior Braylee Pierce quickly found the painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Painted by Marcos Cipac de Aquino in the 16th century, the Virgin of Guadalupe is one of Newfields’ most famous paintings (Newfields Collection). Some other paintings on display included St Simon, Luke, and Peter, all paintings by El Greco, a famous artist from the AP Spanish art unit. Adalyn shared about her experience, “It was nice to see some of the Spanish artwork and already know the history behind it.”
As the school year continues to wind down, the visit to Newfields was an excellent way for students to remember that learning does not only have to occur within the confines of a building, but it can also be found in the most unexpected places. Sometimes, stepping away from the daily grind is exactly what is needed.
