Emerging Creatives
Last month, Stanford hosted the first ever “Emerging Creatives” conference, organized by the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities. During this three-day intensive experience, one hundred students from twenty-five universities across the country explored connections among the arts, design, technology, and business while learning from pioneers and leaders in interdisciplinary collaboration. The students participated in a bootcamp at Stanford’s d.school; worked together on creative projects; and developed a strong network of peers (they even made it official with a LinkedIn page!).
The conference was a resounding success: “I found my ‘tribe’ – people who didn’t even blink when I listed computer science, music and developmental psychology as my fields of study,” said Dylan Portelance from Tufts University. Many students traded contact information and made plans to continue working together on the projects they started at the conference. A full report, including details of the student projects and their take-aways, can be found here.
Conference attendees found a campus where creative connections are flourishing:
This winter marks the launch of a new arts track at the Bing Stanford in Washington program. Students from multiple majors are getting unprecedented access to world-class Washington arts institutions through internships and courses in the arts. Richard Meyer, professor of twentieth-century American art in the Department of Art & Art History, serves as the faculty chair of the arts track and is in residence at SiW this quarter.
Back on campus, a new Art in Your Dorm initiative brings creative workshops directly to students throughout the residences. It was piloted to great success during New Student Orientation and is officially launching this month.
The energy and resources behind these programs make them an accessible, engaging part of the Stanford experience for students. Emerging creatives at Stanford also have access to career support and mentorship through a suite of new programs designed for those who seek careers in the arts and creative fields. Internships in arts administration offer students valuable work experience and the chance to expand their professional network through partnerships with a variety of arts organizations across the country. Additionally, a campus wide collaboration called “Art is My Occupation” offers alumni mentoring, career advice, an “arts career trek” and even a course on professional development.
The creatives have most certainly emerged at Stanford and we are building programs throughout the university to support their creativity and engagement with the arts.
