Stanford Arts

Stanford Arts is a constellation of departments, programs, and people that aims to unleash the full potential of the arts on campus and in our communities.

03/17/2025

🎨✨ McMurtry transformed into a hive of creativity at ’s Open Studios! It’s always a vibe and mind-blowing to witness such an array of artwork from our student artists 🤯

Swipe ➡️ to see bold brushstrokes, immersive installations, and the talent behind it all. Tag or share this with a friend who needs this inspo—art is better shared. 🙋‍♂️🎨📲

Drop a 🔥 for your favorite piece!

03/12/2025

🌱✨ Spring’s quiet transformation is in full swing on campus 🌿

A Tree of 40 Fruit by artist Sam Van Aken, planted near the Rodin Sculpture Gallery, is waking up and its tiny buds are popping like nature’s confetti. 🎉🍑🍒

If you look closely, you can spot some of the materials where the different branches were fused. 🌳✨ With rain rolling in this week, these blooms are about to get *extra* lush. Who else is ready to watch this kaleidoscope of colors and flavors unfold?

Swing by and explore more of our incredible public art on campus!

11/08/2024

Forget paintbrushes, meet Petri dishes! 🧫🎨 At Stanford, we’re painting with bacteria! 🦠🖌️

Led by staff and faculty Helen Dang and Jenn Brophy, a diverse mix of participants from across the university learned how to grow their own fluorescent pigments using synthetic biology techniques. 🧬 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬

Co-taught by PhD student Janella Schwab and CS undergraduate Ngoc Hong Tran, and with additional involvement from BioE Artist-in-Residence Rebecca Konte, the group got to learn methods for growing their own fluorescent protein-based pigments.

The results? A colorful exhibition at the Shriram Center, showcasing the vibrant potential of of synthetic biology in the arts. 🖼️ ✨

📸: Taylor Jones
📹: Edi Dai

09/24/2024

🌟 Welcome Back, Stanford Family! 🌟

We’re thrilled to kick off another exciting year at Stanford! 🎉 Whether you’re a returning student or new to our community, we can’t wait to see all the creative energy and passion you’ll bring to campus.

We had a great time meeting so many of you at Treesources last week! From workshops to exhibitions, concerts, and more —there’s a lot to explore with the arts at Stanford.

This week, visit to see the latest exhibition Spirit House, then cross the lawn to .collection.stanford to witness its transformation for our new exhibitions celebrating its 10th anniversary 🎂🥳

Stop by Open House today for art-making and samosas, and if you haven’t already, sign up for ArtsUpdate at the 🔗 so you don’t miss any of the arts events and happenings around the Farm 🔊🌲

Let’s make this year unforgettable together. Keep an eye out for stories, updates and opportunities to get involved. Let us know what you’re excited to explore through the arts this fall! 🎨✨

06/12/2024

Adios, “Hello” 👋

Our time with Xu Zhen’s sculpture has come to an end. Last week we celebrated the first Plinth Project commissioned public artwork with music and student performances. Installed at the south end of Meyer Green, “Hello” became a fixture on campus as the “Churro” and we’re grateful for the conversation and curiosity it sparked.

As we prepare to de-install “Hello” this summer, be on the lookout for the next artwork coming to Meyer Green this fall, “Amulets,” which marks sculptor and filmmaker Alia Farid’s first North American public art commission.

05/17/2024

🎨✨ New Student Art Spotlight! ✨🎨

Check out these incredible pieces from our student community! 🌟🌲

1️⃣ ‘Salu-Salo (The Act of Eating Together)’ (Monoprints on food wrapping paper, laser cut stencils, 2024) by Mhar Tenorio (.t), Computer Science ’24

“This work showcases cultural connection and displacement. The food that should be on your table is now hung on a wall, commemorated but inaccessible.” 🟥🟨🖼️

2️⃣ ‘Monstera’ (Oil on Canvas, 2024) by Chang M. Yun (.and_lines), Chemical Engineering ’28

Work in progress: Monstera in grayscale w/ ochre yellow stems 🍃🎨

Drop a 🔥 to show love to today’s featured artists and tag a friend you want to see in a future highlight! 💬👇

Follow for more amazing student art, and don’t forget to submit your own work for a chance to be featured! 👀✅

🎉📸

05/16/2024

🌟✨ Exciting News ✨🌟 Get ready for an artistic transformation on campus as Stanford announces two new art installations coming to our community in the 2024-25 academic year. 🎨✨

Sculptor and filmmaker Alia Farid () will craft a temporary piece for the Stanford Plinth Project, while Camille Utterback (), a faculty member, will create a permanent installation for the new Data Science and Computation Complex.

“Amulets brings into view an inconspicuous yet significant object of Mesopotamian material culture,” writes Farid about the proposal of two large-scale amulets held up by one another, made of polyester resin, a modern material, and blue faience, the earliest form of ceramic glaze, invented more than 6000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, in what is today Iraq. Amulets will mark Farid’s first North American public art commission.

Camille Utterback’s installation at Stanford’s Data Science and Computation Complex features hand-painted glass panels and live computer-generated projections across a four-story stairwell. It explores themes of human history, encoding, and storytelling, prompting reflection on the connections between physical bodies and data.

“Public art is so meaningful for how it brings creative vitality to the Stanford campus in a way that is tangible and open to everyone,”

Join us in celebrating the power of public art to ignite imagination and foster connection within our community. Follow us and stay tuned for more dispatches as these works arrive to campus! 🎉🌟

01 📸 : Alia Farid photographed by Myriam Boulos, 2024)
02 📸 : Brett Bowman - Courtesy of the artist and Haines Gallery, San Francisco

Featured past works:

03 🖼️: Alia Farid, Palm orchard, 2022
Installation views of Whitney Biennial 2022: Quiet as It’s Kept (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York)
Photo: Ryan Lowry

04 🖼️: Camille Utterback, Abundance, 2007
Courtesy of the artist and Haines Gallery, San Francisco
Photo: Lane Hartwell © 2007

05/03/2024

⁣
Sliding into the weekend with some fresh art for your feed! ⁣🖼️🖌️✨
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Today we’re sharing two works from Art Practice major Lily Thai () from the Class of ‘27

01: “Dinner, Party” (Watercolor on Paper, 2022)
02: “Untitled” (Graphite on Paper, 2022)
⁣
We caught up with Lily to learn more about her and her work.⁣
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SA: What sparked your initial interest in art?⁣
Lily: I’ve always had an interest in drawing, and started watercolor in high school as a break from my typical practices.⁣
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SA: How did these come together?⁣
Lily: These pieces are informed by my Vietnamese American experience, elevating personal images underrepresented within the fine arts. Representation opens crucial opportunity for not just a celebration of culture, but also critique. In drawing from themes of parental stoicism, filial piety, war, immigration, and sacrifice, I seek to create not only a vessel to tell our story, but a visual depiction of it. ⁣
⁣
SA: How has Stanford impacted your artistic journey?⁣
Lily: Art has helped facilitate connection and exchange with my peers here at Stanford.⁣
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Want to see more art from your fellow students? Then give us a follow, drop a 🔥 and tag a friend you want to see on a future highlight!⁣
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11/17/2023

What's up arty people! 🎨🤩

With Cardinal Pride riding high for the Big Game, we want to take a moment to celebrate the artistic spirit of our students.

Today's featured artwork is from Nisha Acharya '26 .acharyaa. The piece is titled More Than A Living Goddess, Graphite (2022).

"Kumari, the living Goddess of Nepal, is not allowed to speak to those who worship her, yet her glowing eyes depict that she has so much to tell us."

Whether you're a painter, sculptor, photographer, or anything in between, we want to share your work with our Stanford Arts community. Hit the link in bio or send us a DM to be featured in our next edition!

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365 Lasuen Street
Stanford, CA
94305

Website

http://arts.stanford.edu/

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