Stanford Arts Institute

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Humanities at home

From their kitchen tables and their living rooms, faculty in the School of Humanities and Sciences translate poems, compose music, share childhood memories, read meaningful texts, examine visual artworks, and more.

What has been on the minds of Stanford professors as they navigate this turbulent and anxious time? Where do they find comfort and solace, challenge and struggle, beauty and grace? While many aspects of campus life are now mediated through a computer screen, the extended time apart has offered us a rare chance to hear from faculty informally,…

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The Faculty Women’s Forum presented its Outstanding Leader Award to Jisha Menon

Jisha Menon is an associate professor of theater and performance studies in the School of Humanities and Sciences, director of the Center for South Asia and faculty director of the Stanford Arts Institute.

The Faculty Women’s Forum, which acts to enable women faculty members to thrive at Stanford, presented its inaugural awards – for outstanding leadership and outstanding sponsorship – to two faculty members on Monday at a virtual ceremony. The Faculty Women’s Forum presented its Outstanding Leader Award to Jisha Menon, an associate professor of theater and performance studies in…

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Solidarity, anguish and action

Stanford Office of the Vice President for the Arts stands in solidarity with Black students, colleagues, artists and activists fighting against the racial violence, inequality and systemic injustice.

With yet another Black person, George Floyd, killed at the hands of the police, all across this country protestors have swarmed into streets, risking disease and death. When the words of a people are consistently unheard, their bodies will speak. They will march on the streets, they will declare their pain, and they will make…

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Jisha Menon leads the Stanford Arts Institute

Jisha Menon, associate professor of theater and performance studies in the School of Humanities and Sciences, is the new Denning Faculty Director of the Stanford Arts Institute (SAI). Menon will continue to teach and she remains director of Stanford’s Center for South Asia. She is affiliated with the Program in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies,…

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Spring quarter 2019 guest artists

Thirty different departments and organizations on campus host 80+ guest artists during spring quarter.

Over 30 departments, centers and campus organizations host guest artists each quarter. The Architectural Design Program and the University Architect/Campus Planning and Design Office co-present the annual Architecture & Landscape–Spring Lecture Series, and the theme this year is “Architecture of Humanity.” The series features five designers who believe architecture has a much greater responsibility beyond aesthetics.…

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Stanford unveils new Presidential Residencies on the Future of the Arts and welcomes international guest artists

Guest artists from around the world bring vitality and variety to campus in the fall.

Artists from across the globe come to Stanford to perform, create and engage. The 80-plus guest artists visiting campus this fall are hosted by over 20 Stanford departments, centers and programs. Some of the artists will be at Stanford for a single public event and others will stay for an extended visit for deep engagement…

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Stanford Honors in the Arts capstone program evolves with a new Mellon grant

A new grant will support Stanford Arts Institute’s development of an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in the arts.

Stanford University has been awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to support the development of a new undergraduate, interdisciplinary program in the arts to be administered by Stanford Arts Institute. Honors in the Arts students present Bacchae, an immersive theatrical experience utilizing locations across the Stanford campus. (Image credit: Kristen Stipanov) The $400,000 grant provides support for…

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Stanford arts leadership capitalizes on Arts Initiative momentum

Harry Elam and Matthew Tiews are taking the arts to the next level.

When Harry J. Elam Jr. began his career at Stanford 26 years ago in the Department of Drama, as it was known then, the Dance Division had not yet joined the department, Roble Gymnasium was still an athletics facility and the arts district was years away from conception. His office in Memorial Auditorium was literally…

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Harry Elam appointed vice president for the arts and senior vice provost for education

Harry Elam, vice provost for undergraduate education at Stanford since 2010, has been appointed to two additional key leadership roles in the Office of the President and Provost. He will now oversee the non-departmental arts programs as well as direct and coordinate critical efforts in education, President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Provost-designate Persis Drell announced Monday.…

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Stanford Arts Institute fellows examine the role of art in cities

A new one-year arts fellowship program at Stanford signals a shift in focus for the institute to research and teaching. The subject of Creative Cities will be explored from multidisciplinary angles.

Beijing, Mexico City and Mumbai are cities whose recent histories have notably been reconsidered, and are being rebuilt with art as a central lens. According to two new Stanford Arts Institute (SAI) fellows, Detroit and New Orleans belong on that list of cities as well. The scholars will be researching the role that arts are…

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Stanford students create a mobile art studio that rolls with learning opportunities

A Stanford student-built mobile art space offers rewarding experiences in creativity and sustainability.

Three weeks before most Stanford students arrived on campus to start fall quarter 2015, Stanford guest artist David Szlasa was building a portable art studio with a small group of students at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. The studio was built from salvaged scrap material available at the Jasper Ridge maintenance site. Eleven students enrolled in…

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Spark! Grants: A Year in Photos 2014-15

From a rock band record release to Steve Reich, from Much Ado About Nothing to original, student-written musical theater, this year’s Spark! grant supported creative diversity across Stanford campus. These student groups, individuals, undergraduates, and graduates enliven the campus with their artistic endeavors. 2014-2015 Projects: SImps Workshops The Long Way Around The Benevolent Institution Proof…

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Summer Plans

It’s June, which means the campus is preparing for Commencement: The fountains are being coaxed out of hibernation, student prizes are being awarded, and the now-annual Senior Arts Gala is taking place at Bing Concert Hall. This year’s gala promises a showcase of some of the most talented performing and visual artists of the Class…

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Choices!

It’s May at Stanford and that of course means – an exciting smorgasbord of arts activities. Every weekend is packed with an abundance of arts options. Make some difficult choices – or attend them all! Here is just a sampling of what each weekend brings: May 1-3: Musical Happy Hour with Fleet Street and Chanticleer…

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For Stanford Symphony Orchestra, The Planets align

For two nights, the Stanford Symphony Orchestra took center stage at Bing Concert Hall to perform The Planets by Gustav Holst. However, this was no ordinary production. An enormous projection screen, featuring images from around the solar system, accompanied the orchestra. The piece is broken into seven movements, with each movement corresponding to a particular…

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A Scene, A Song, A Number – Game On!

It was the first-ever 72-Hour Musical Theater Contest in Stanford history. Possibly in anyone’s history.

In this whirlwind of a weekend, small teams were given the challenge of creating a musical theater piece (one song, one scene, and one dance) – all over the course of only 72 hours! Three days of intense creative endeavor culminated in a live cabaret- style performance where teams presented the results of their hard…

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