Perspectives on “Hamilton”

Last year Allyson Hobbs taught a one-unit interdisciplinary undergraduate course “Hamilton: An American Musical” that explored why Alexander Hamilton and the contemporary musical based on his life resonate so profoundly with the American public.

Hamilton is one the most popular and most celebrated musicals in American history. It has essentially redefined the American musical by drawing on the language and rhythms of hip-hop and R & B, genres that are underrepresented in the musical theater tradition. Last year Allyson Hobbs, associate professor of history in the School of the…

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The first two VAF artists are Turkish ud player and composer Necati Çelik and Indian photographer Gauri Gill

New Visiting Artist Fund in Honor of Roberta Bowman Denning (VAF) brings international artists into Stanford classrooms across campus.

The Office of the Vice President for the Arts at Stanford University announces the first two artists in the new Visiting Artist Fund in Honor of Roberta Bowman Denning (VAF). The program brings international artists into Stanford classrooms in order to provide a stimulus in artistic thinking and aesthetic perspectives to disciplines across the university.…

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Afro Pop dancing with a master

Philip Amo Agyapong brought the theory and practice of African traditional dance forms to Stanford students.

For a dance student, the master class is a rare and treasured opportunity. It is a chance to not only observe an expert demonstrating a particular art, but also to physically engage with the expert. Over 20 Stanford students had that opportunity in Roble Gym with Afro Pop dance master Philip Amo Agyapong. Originally from…

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British novelist Zadie Smith to speak at Stanford

This year’s Stanford Presidential Lecture in the Humanities and Arts will feature acclaimed British author Zadie Smith on March 7.

Zadie Smith, a prize-winning British novelist, essayist and short-story writer, will speak at Stanford to deliver the 2019 Stanford Presidential Lecture in the Humanities and Arts on Thursday, March 7. As part of the event, Smith will read from one of her works and then converse with Harry Elam Jr., vice president for the arts…

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Stanford University announces Stanford Live partnerships with Goldenvoice and the San Francisco Symphony

The partnerships at Frost Amphitheater will include rock, pop and classical concerts as well as spoken-word performances in the inaugural season of this newly renovated venue in the university’s arts district.

When Frost Amphitheater reopens in the spring, the Stanford and South Bay community will again be able to enjoy live music on the terraced lawn. And thanks to Stanford Live’s two new musical partnerships, the performance offerings are richer than ever. Frost Amphitheater will reopen this spring after an extensive renovation project that includes the…

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“Sequence” returns

After being indoors at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for the last three years, Richard Serra’s sculpture Sequence has returned to the Cantor Arts Center to stand again in the open air.

Sometimes a work of art leaves both metaphorical and physical marks, causing us to consider the physical space it occupied, as well as its impact, long after it’s gone. Such is the case with Richard Serra’s massive steel sculpture Sequence, one of the distinguished artist’s greatest achievements. Video by Kurt Hickman Timelapse video shows reinstallation of…

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Science meets art at Stanford

Science and art are often regarded as distinct – either a person can’t be serious about both or an interest in one must relate somehow to work in the other. In reality, many scientists participate in and produce art at all levels and in every medium. Here are just a few of these people –…

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New Stanford exhibit showcases propaganda posters made during China’s Cultural Revolution

About 50 posters, on view at the East Asia Library through April 24, show propaganda messages and artwork produced during Mao Zedong’s rule in China.

A new Stanford exhibition displays propaganda posters from Mao Zedong’s rule in China, offering a window into the country’s chaotic and bloody Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976. This 1951 poster is titled “Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Birth of the Chinese Communist Party.” (Image credit: Courtesy East Asia Library, Stanford University) The exhibit, Modern Chinese Political Posters, is…

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New Stanford Libraries exhibition highlights rare artifacts important to Stanford research

Scholars Select highlights rare books and artifacts held in Green Library collections that are valuable to the research of scholars at Stanford. Faculty members share their cherished item.

A 17th-century volume of William Shakespeare’s plays, a piano roll recorded by Claude Debussy and a 1959 edition of the Green Book, a travel guide for African Americans driving through the Jim Crow-era South, are among dozens of unique artifacts now on display at Stanford’s Green Library Bing Wing as part of a new exhibition. Scholars…

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Roberta Smith and Jason Andrew in conversation on Feb. 6, 2019

The Anderson Collection at Stanford University presents an evening with Roberta Smith, co-chief art critic of The New York Times, and Jason Andrew, independent curator, producer, archivist and writer, on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m., at Bing Concert Hall on the Stanford campus. The two will be in conversation about the work and life of…

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Stanford Department of Art and Art History presents “Michael Richards: Winged”

On view at the Stanford Art Gallery Jan. 22-Mar. 24 with a reception on Thursday, Jan., 24, 5–7 p.m., and an academic symposium on Friday, Feb. 8.

Stanford University’s Department of Art and Art History presents Michael Richards: Winged, a solo exhibition of sculpture and drawing dedicated to the late artist Michael Richards (1963–2001). Curated by Alex Fialho and Melissa Levin, Michael Richards: Winged will be on view at the Stanford Art Gallery Jan. 22 through Mar. 24, 2019, with a reception on Thursday, Jan, 24,…

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Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater renovation on pace

The university is upgrading the 82-year-old facility while preserving its iconic past.

In the summer of 2017, renovation construction began on Frost Amphitheater, a venue that holds a special place in the hearts of all those who were lucky enough to attend an event there since its opening in 1937. The goal of the project is to build a state-of-the-art stage and introduce other back-of-house amenities, as…

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Stanford polymath blazes a new trail with his design manifesto

Written as a photo comic book, Ge Wang’s publication charts new ethical and aesthetic territory.

Stanford scholar Ge Wang has chosen an unconventional medium for a manifesto about why technology and design needs to reflect human values: a comic book. “It’s nerdy. It’s philosophical. It’s a core dump of my brain in comic form,” said Wang, an associate professor of music in the School of Humanities and Science, who has…

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Gilded frames enhance paintings from the Gilded Age at the Cantor Arts Center

Museum framer creates gilded frames using squirrel hairs, agate stones and recipes found in a 15th-century manual.

During the holiday season, the whole world seems more luminous and shinier, from sparkling lights to beautifully wrapped gifts. Sparkle and shine are also on view at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center this season, particularly in the exhibition Painting Nature in the American Gilded Age. That’s because the word “gilded” in the title of the exhibition…

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Poet Eavan Boland recites new poem at UN event honoring Irish women’s suffrage

English professor and acclaimed poet EAVAN BOLAND recited a poem at the United Nations headquarters Wednesday, Dec. 5, in celebration of 100 years since the women of Ireland were granted suffrage. Boland, the Bella Mabury and Eloise Mabury Knapp Professor in Humanities and the Melvin and Bill Lane Director of the Creative Writing Program, read an excerpt from…

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