All the Beauty in the World

Patrick Bringley is the author of All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me, which chronicles his decade-long experience as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Born into a family that valued art and creativity, Bringley’s early exposure to the arts came through his parents. His mother, Maureen, an art history minor in college and a Chicago theater actor, regularly took Bringley and his siblings to the Art Institute of Chicago. His father, a community banker with a passion for music, instilled in him an appreciation for artistic expression through his dedication to playing piano.

After college, Bringley initially pursued a career in journalism and publishing, working at The New Yorker magazine, a position immersed him in New York City’s literary and cultural world. However, his life took a dramatic turn when his older brother Tom was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at age 26. Seeking a drastic change following this loss, Bringley left his prestigious job at The New Yorker and applied for a position as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This unconventional career move forms the basis of his