For Faculty
The Office for the Arts is an important collaborative partner for arts initiatives in the Harvard community, including curricular undertakings.
The OFA's Learning from Performers program brings professional artists to campus each year to engage with students. These guests range from emerging artists to individuals of international note, representing a broad range of artistic disciplines. The program encourages collaboration with students and faculty within and alongside the curriculum. The OFA also nurtures specific arts undertakings with funding and direct production support and counsel. While these grants are generally made to student-led arts organizations, some of these connect to curricular initiatives.
From time to time, the OFA will also undertake special programming in collaboration with academic partners – e.g., a Leonard Bernstein Conference with the Music Department, a Bluegrass colloquium with Folklore and Mythology, and an examination of ethical and social issues in genetics through the creation of a new theatrical work in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. In addition, the Harvard Dance Center, Ceramics Program, and professionally-led orchestras and choruses link directly to curricular as well as extracurricular arts activities.
For more information or to discuss ideas, please contact Alicia Anstead, Associate Director for Programming.
For Staff
The arts at Harvard offer a terrific way for staff members to attend events, get involved with the arts and discover their own creativity. What follows is a list of opportunities for staff members to participate in the arts scene in a variety of ways. Please note: Some activities will have virtual offerings. Some will be on hiatus due to Covid-19. Please check particular event listings or contact us directly.
Seasonal Opportunities
Harvard Summer Chamber Ensemble
The Chamber Ensemble, led by Director of Harvard University Band and Wind Ensemble Mark Olson, is open to brass, woodwind, and percussion players who are part of the Harvard Summer School community. Participation is open to all Summer School students, Harvard students working or studying at Harvard during the summer, and Harvard faculty and staff.
Harvard Summer Chorus
The Harvard Summer Chorus, founded in 1936, is a unique blend of all ages, backgrounds and histories. As a program sponsored by the Harvard Summer School, the Summer Chorus welcomes high school students who take part in the program, as well as collegiate singers and adult community members from all over the world. Led by Andrew Clark, Harvard University's Director of Choral Activities, the Summer Chorus performs masterworks each year with a professional orchestra and soloists in Sanders Theatre. Find out more about auditions here.
Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus
Founded in 1979, the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus – with 120 student, faculty, staff and community singers – performs two concerts of major choral-orchestral works each season in Sanders Theatre at Harvard University. Members represent a variety of music backgrounds and experience levels. The Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus and its conductor Edward Jones welcome you to participate in an ongoing adventure into fine music-making.
ARTS FIRST Festival
Each fall, the Office for the Arts puts out a call for performers and volunteers to become a part of the team for our annual ARTS FIRST Festival in the spring. Students, community members and staff are always among these valuable participants who help bring one of the nation's largest college arts festivals to the stages and venues of Harvard. Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter The Beat so you can be the first to find out about ARTS FIRST opportunities and even more about the arts at Harvard.
Year-Round Opportunities
Outings & Innings
Outings & Innings is an internal Harvard service for staff, faculty, retirees, students and some other Harvard affiliates that offers a dynamic menu of date-specific tickets for a variety of performing arts and professional sports, and "anyday" tickets for movies, museums and seasonal attractions. During Covid-19 conditions, an increasing roster of virtual, outdoor and safe, socially distanced activties are being added. O&I also partners with cultural attractions and businesses to offer special HUID discounts. O&I provides significant savings on many offerings, access to high-demand events and no hefty transaction fees! A HarvardKey is required to set up a customer account and to receive O&I’s e-list of upcoming events and special offers, which have included Broadway in Boston, Boston Ballet and Boston Pops.
American Repertory Theater
The American Repertory Theater at Harvard University was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as artistic director until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff. Diane Paulus began her tenure as artistic director in 2008. A $5 discount is available to Harvard faculty and staff with HUID. Limit one ticket per performance per ID and not applicable for $25 tickets.
Arnold Arboretum
The Arnold Arboretum is Harvard University's international center for the study of plants. Occupying 281 acres, the Arboretum’s living collection of trees, shrubs and woody vines is recognized as one of the most comprehensive and best documented of its kind in the world.
Established in 1872 and planned and designed in collaboration with Frederick Law Olmsted, the Arnold Arboretum is a National Historic Landmark and one of the best preserved of Olmsted’s landscapes. Founded as a public-private partnership between the City of Boston and Harvard University, the Arnold Arboretum is a unique blend of respected research institution and beloved public park in Boston’s Emerald Necklace.
Free and open to the public every day of the year, the Arboretum is a safe and accessible community resource.
Free admission for HUID holder and one guest
- Harvard Art Museums – Visit one of the world’s leading art institutions, comprised of the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler museums.
- Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology – Explore human cultural history from Native American totem poles and large Maya sculptures to precious artifacts of the ancient world.
- Harvard Museum of Natural History – Explore 16 galleries showcasing dinosaurs, mammals, meteorites, birds, rare minerals and gemstones, the world-famous Glass Flowers, and life in New England forests and marine waters.
- The Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East – Discover exhibitions that focus on life in the ancient near east, including a full-scale replica of an ancient Israelite home and authentic mummy coffins.