A Barnard student’s guide: MoMA

One of New York City’s most iconic museums, the Museum of Modern Art offers a unique experience for Barnard students.

Photo by Gabriela Valentin/The Barnard Bulletin

By Ella Estes

October 19, 2025

One of the best parts of being a student at Barnard is that New York City doubles as an extended classroom. Need a change of scenery from campus? Just hop on the subway and within half an hour, you will be at the Museum of Modern Art in midtown Manhattan, standing in front of some of the world’s most iconic artworks. But here is the best part: admission is free for students affiliated with Columbia. Just flash your student ID at the front desk and skip the $30 ticket fee. With this unlimited, free access, there is no pressure to see it all in one go. Instead, you can treat the MoMA like your own personal study break spot, dropping by whenever you have a free hour to wander.

And the moment you step inside, you will realize why it is worth coming back again and again —  there is so much iconic art packed into one place. There are pieces in MoMA’s permanent collection that everyone should see at least once — the ones you have seen reproduced as posters in your friend’s dorm and on tote bags around campus. The fifth floor of the museum houses Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” Even if you have already seen it countless times, nothing quite compares to standing in front of the real thing. Seeing the brushstrokes, the larger-than-life canvases, and allowing yourself to focus on nothing but the art is a magical experience. Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies,” located in a nearby gallery, is a series of iconic paintings, with the three in the MoMA’s collection stretching across an entire gallery wall. Of course, you cannot miss the sculpture garden — a free-flowing space of greenery, fountains, and modern sculptures. It offers a unique escape from the bustle of New York City, unifying nature with art. 

Beyond the classics, there are countless pieces throughout MoMA that are not as recognizable but still leave a lasting impression. One striking example is “Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair” by Frida Kahlo, located within the fifth-floor galleries. Painted in 1940 after her divorce from Diego Rivera, the self-portrait shows Kahlo sitting in a chair wearing a man’s suit, her signature long hair cut off and scattered on the floor around her. The piece is defiant, intimate, and deeply personal. 

Another must-see is Faith Ringgold’s “American People Series #20: Die” (1967), on display on the fourth floor of the gallery. It is a powerful response to the violence and racial tensions of 1960s America. Inspired by Picasso’s “Guernica,” Ringgold’s painting portrays a chaotic scene of Black and white figures engaged in violent struggle, their faces filled with fear and pain. The composition is bold and confrontational, forcing the viewer to encounter the realities of American racism head-on. It is the kind of piece that stops you in your tracks and leaves you thinking long after you have left the gallery.

Then, there is Jacob Lawrence’s “The Migration Series” on display on the fifth floor of the museum. It is comprised of a collection of 60 panels — though only half are on display at the MoMA, as the other half are owned by The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. — that chronicle the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North in the early 20th century. The series, which is displayed in rotation at MoMA, uses vivid colors and simple forms to tell a deeply complex and human story. Each panel is accompanied by a short caption, making the series feel like reading a graphic novel.

Do not skip the galleries devoted to women artists either. MoMA has been making a concerted effort to broaden its representation, and its pieces of Georgia O’Keeffe’s work are a prime example. Her work “Abstraction Blue,” on the fifth floor of the museum, showcases a turning point in her career — one where she decided to unlearn what she had been taught about painting and technique. 

One of the many joys of having MoMA at your fingertips is the freedom to explore at your own pace. You do not have to spend hours there to make your visit worthwhile. You can come in, see one or two pieces, and leave. You can visit with your friends, or go solo with headphones and a perfectly curated playlist. You can pop in on your way downtown or stop by when a class gets canceled. With admission covered by your student ID, the pressure of “getting your money’s worth” is removed. That freedom transforms the museum from a rare, special-occasion outing into something more personal.