Halfway through my third-ever visit to the Fogg Museum, one of the three museums that make up the Harvard Art Museums (HAM), I began to truly appreciate the surreal experience of walking through gallery rooms completely alone. Aside from the faint sounds of upbeat tunes and art-focused chatter echoing throughout the grand halls of the museum, it felt as if all that existed in the world was me and the selection of impressionist-inspired paintings that I’d stumbled upon.
As I sat upon one of the many wooden benches scattered throughout the rooms, I realized I hadn’t ever had the opportunity to admire art in a one-on-one setting like this. In all of my wanderings through museums around the world, I’d never felt as at peace as I did here. At Student After Hours, there were no tourists with audio packs or small children being chased by parents who had hoped to enlighten their offspring at a young age. It was just me and the landscape painting that I’d circled back to for the third time within half an hour.
Excited to share my newfound enthusiasm for appreciating art in solitude, I ventured back out into the main hall of the museum. There, I was greeted by an intoxicating mix of funky jazz (courtesy of DJ Xavley), groups of enthusiastic Harvard affiliates sipping on specialty mocktails, and a plethora of opportunities to engage in rich dialogue about art. On the basement level, the Materials Lab was open, so I opted to linger there to talk to peers while being conveniently surrounded by art supplies that could provide an easy out to an awkward conversation. During the rest of the year, the Materials Lab offers public workshops focused on calligraphy, indigo dyeing, photo collaging, painting, and mosaic work.
Tonight, the diverse array of people present were working with markers and specialty postcards. Some people were undergraduates, like me, majoring in everything from Art, Film, and Visual Studies, to Philosophy, to Biomedical Engineering. Others were graduate students or the occasional faculty member. Some attendees dressed more formally, rocking a blazer and nice slacks or a mid-length dress, while others opted for a CS50 t-shirt and a zip-up hoodie. It seemed that everyone was welcome at Student After Hours, as long as you had a HUID to get through the front door.
According to Jeanne Burke in an interview with the Independent, the Academic and Public Programs Coordinator for Harvard Art Museums, attracting a diverse crowd is exactly one of the many goals of events like Student After Hours. The event is “the museum’s way of saying…welcome! We are here. We want you here. Here are some of the amazing things happening.” For that to be effective, students in all forms need to feel a sense of acceptance from the museum and the community, regardless of their prior experience with art. As she put it, “We hope that by coming to After Hours, you recognize and realize that this is a place for you. And you don’t have to have any museum-going experience—you don’t have to even have any art background.”
The museum welcomes student engagement in all forms—whether it is “as simple as walking through the courtyard to go to your class” or something more involved, like getting a job at the museum as a Programs Assistant or a Student Guide. At the end of the day, Burke explained, it doesn’t matter how a student utilizes the museum, just that they enjoy it. “We honestly just would love students to feel comfortable in our space.” The dilemma, however, is that most of the time, the museum is completely open to the public, which can make it harder for students to feel relaxed. For the museum, it creates this “really interesting dynamic where, although [HAM is] open to the public, [the museum staff] really do think of it as a place for Harvard students.” The annual Harvard-exclusive Student After Hours event is a step towards improving this dynamic and encouraging students to find comfort in the museums’ stunning halls.
Another program that strengthens the bond between Harvard students and HAM is the Student Print Rental Program, which was previewed at Student After Hours on Sept. 19. Established in the 1970s, the program allows Harvard students to rent prints from the official HAM collection for the entirety of the academic school year. Compared to the prices and art quality you might find on Etsy, the program presents a unique opportunity to adorn your dorm room with an original print for only $30 (provided you return it undamaged). Mary Lister, the Assistant Director for Collections at HAM, explained that all of the prints are specifically acquired “for the purpose of being part of the student rental program.” As a result, students can select from a thoughtful curation of prints from artists that they might not have otherwise encountered.
As evidenced by its longevity, the Print Rental Program has demonstrated success time and time again. Not only has the HAM received “great feedback from students,” but the program has also encouraged students to continue engaging with the museum. Students often return to re-rent a specific piece year after year or to discover more work from an artist they’ve previously enjoyed. “For everyone who’s aware of the program, it’s a really exciting event,” Lister said. Another exciting aspect of the program is that there is no publicly available list of the prints. Other than the preview at Student After Hours, renters have no idea what their options are until they enter the building. “It’s literally the coolest kind of shopping. I think of it as a sample sale… You have no idea what’s out there, and you literally have to go through and look through the containers,” Lister explained. In her view, “It’s all about that visual impact. That’s the part of the day that’s really fun for me. Just to hear students say, ‘Oh my goodness,’ this speaks to me.”
Indeed, the eager energy in the room was almost palpable as I entered the sizable crowd that had gathered at the Student After Hours preview of this year’s available prints. There was a mix of newcomers and returning renters, but the excited expression on all their faces as they scrutinized each print, mentally deciding which one would look best nailed above their twin XL, was the same. My face, too, likely betrayed the elation I felt at knowing that one of those beautiful works of art would be imminently hanging in my Lowell single. While the official rental day for the print program is Sept. 30, for the time being, I am content knowing that I’ll soon get to bring the piece that I’d found tucked away in silence on the third floor of a Fogg exhibit to my very own room.
If you’re interested in renting a print for your own Harvard-affiliated housing, then show up to the museum’s Art Study Center anytime between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. Arrive through the Broadway entrance and choose one of the many beautiful print options available. Prints are rented on a first-come-first-served basis, so if you are looking forward to picking out a particular type, show up on time. Make sure that you are prepared to transport your print because you’ll be walking out of the museum with it! It’s all yours until May 5, 2025.
Mia Tavares ’27 (miatavares@college.harvard.edu) desperately needs a print in her room to compliment the singular poster she has of Jesus juking out Satan in a heavenly basketball game.