Each semester, we partner with faculty to present signature arts events. These events are planned in full partnership with the faculty, and programming is deeply embedded in the academic mission of the university, interdisciplinary, and usually engage multiple schools and programs within the university. In addition, Signature Event programming is expected to also provide opportunities to engage community partners, and as much as possible, be free and open to the public. Faculty who partner with us to curate residencies and other significant events become Faculty Arts Fellows. The spring 2017 Signature Event is a residency with AXIS Dance co-sponsored by the BU Dance Program, Disability Services, and Sargent College.

The Arts Insiders Program has been created to ensure that students develop an active and participatory role in the arts as a meaningful element of your BU experience and personal, academic and social development.  Here is how it works – students leaders from our Arts Council select a few exciting arts events in or around Boston each semester and students can sign up to attend free of charge.  Arts Insiders is a great way for students to meet new people and explore the Boston area.  Space for each event is limited so be sure to Sign up for the Arts Insiders notices which give you first dibs on upcoming trips and activities before we open them up to the general student body!

For more information please contact our Graduate Assistant at artsinbu@bu.edu.

We offer grants for faculty, students, and staff projects that directly engage BU students in the arts. The next deadline is March 18, 2016. We also offer Graduate Arts Research Grants and support two undergraduate summer research grants through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. 

The BU Arts Initiative is pleased to invite entries for an annual exhibit on the 8^th and 9^th floors of the BU Administrative building at 1 Silber Way. We invite local alumni, faculty, staff, and students to enter artwork into this juried exhibition. 2D works including, but not limited to, painting, textiles, photography, drawing, printmaking, and graphic design, are welcome. The exhibit will run from approximately June through May.

We’ve made sure BU students have affordable—and in many cases free—access to the best of Boston’s art scene, including FREE access to the Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Harvard Art Museums and the Institute of Contemporary Art, as well as the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Each fall we coordinate an event to showcase arts programs and events at BU. Check out the participants for this Fall’s upcoming 2018 Arts Fair on Friday, September 7th from 11am-2pm on the GSU Plaza.

Every year we bring over 3 dozen Boston area arts organizations, BU programs and BU student groups together to share their programming and involve students in the arts on & off campus.

The BU Arts Initiative has several ways in which we can support faculty and arts programming in various schools and centers, including grants and marketing/promotion. Interested in us promoting your upcoming arts event on-campus? Send us an e-mail to artsinbu@bu.edu including all information, a link & a relevant image.

Sign up to receive an email every Wednesday night with a list of on campus arts events and other news for Thursday through the following Sunday. That is 10-days of events for you to check out on BU’s campus and beyond!

Our partnership with CAS Writing supports the expansion of the Arts Now program, which uses the arts (currently theatre, poetry, and jazz) as topics for the teaching of writing skills.

Through our partnership with the Medical Campus and the College of Fine Arts, we support expanding the role of the arts in the lives of patients, students, and hospital staff. For more information on the art/wellness connection, visit the Global Alliance for Arts and Health.