Pause for Art

Watch online!

If you haven’t seen one our PFA videos, check out the original series with professional artists and alums, and the Harvard 2020 Seniors edition on YouTube. 

About Pause for Art

Screenshot of a PFA video on YouTubeAs rapid change and uncertainty have become a part of our everyday lives, the Office for the Arts at Harvard is offering Pause for Art: Creative Moments from Harvard, a daily dose of artistic inspiration for anyone looking to find a moment of beauty, comfort and connection. We've asked students, alumni, faculty, staff, and visiting artists to send short videos from their artistic practice and passion: music, poetry, dance and more.  Their generosity has been breathtaking, and we believe you'll find something magical and hopeful in taking a moment to step away from your work and worries to watch these rich performances. In a time when we're looking for ways to stay connected to a larger community beyond the necessary practices of social distancing and isolation, the arts keep us strong. May you find comfort and joy and a sense of belonging as you pause for art. 

Original Series

Produced by the Office for the Arts at Harvard, the Pause for Art videos were shared each day at 1 p.m. via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and our Thursday e-newsletter The Beat. You can find them on our YouTube channel and listed below.

Pause for Art participants include: 
Courtney B. Vance '82: Actor
Sumire Hirotsuru '16: Violinist
Madelyn Ho '08, HMS '18: Dancer
Natalie Hodges '19 and Eloise Hodges '21: Violinists and sisters
Arianna Paz '19: Soprano
Marin Orlosky '07-'08: Aerial dancer
John Lithgow '67: Actor
Jorie Graham: Poet and professor of English at Harvard 
Jessica Bodner and Daniel Chong: Musicians with Parker Quartet
Ben Moss '13: Performer and singer-songwriter
Peter Sacks: Painter, poet, professor of English at Harvard
Max Phillips '15 and Stella Chen '15: Pianist and violinist
Forrest O'Connor '10: Musician 
Benjamin P. Wenzelberg '21: Composer, countertenor and pianist
Drew Gilpin Faust: Professor and 28th President of Harvard University
Charlie Albright '11: Pianist (Featuring Ten Thousand Men of Harvard)
Catherine Russell: Jazz, blues, gospel vocalist and OFA Guest Artist
Reylon Yount '16: Yangqin player
Matt Coogan '11 and Liz Walker '11: Cellist and dancer
Matt Aucoin '12: Pianist and composer
Madeline Smith '14: Broadway composer and music director
Don Braden '85: Saxophone player and Harvard Jazz Combo Initiative instructor
Morris Robinson: Operatic bass and OFA Guest Artist
Charlie Albright '11: Pianist
Angélique Kidjo: Vocalist and 2018 Harvard Jazz Master
Larry and Adele Bacow: Harvard President and His Wife
Devon Guinn '17: Beatboxer
Bria Skonberg: Trumpet player and OFA Guest Artist
Stephen Greenblatt: Shakespeare scholar at Harvard
Vijay Iyer: Pianist

Watch for updates daily! #pauseforart #artworks #makeart #staysafe