Encountering Art Daily

Photo by Natasha Moustache

CFA Faculty

Encountering Art Daily

A Note from the Dean: Summer 2023

May 24, 2023

To live in an art museum would be amazing. This is a thought that I have had many times over the years. There are few places that I love more than an art gallery. I find the dynamic between the spare minimalism of brilliantly white walls and the complexity of exhibited artwork to be compelling.

Back when I lived in Chicago, I often would hold meetings at a coffee shop across the street from the Art Institute. Before and afterwards, I would cross the street, climb the stairs (passing those iconic lions), and spend time with Archibald Motley’s Nightlife and Gustave Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy Day. I did this for nearly 15 years.

One of my priorities when I moved to Boston was to introduce more people to the thrill of an art gallery. Two years ago, we renovated our Stone art gallery. It was an enormous undertaking. We knocked down walls, installed massive street-level windows, created a new entranceway onto Commonwealth Avenue, invested in new lighting, and more. The result was extraordinary. The Stone itself is a work of art. It is now one of the great art galleries in Boston.

Since reopening, we have welcomed more than 10,000 people through Stone’s doors. There is no one “type” of BU Art Galleries visitor. Over the past few months, we have greeted aspiring artists, critics, families with young children, and even the (now) number two all-time leading scorer in the NBA. Visitors have spent time with the original creations of Josef Albers, Amy Sherald, Hank Willis Thomas, and even cartoonist Charles Schulz, the creator of Charlie Brown.

Our art exhibitions are free and open to the public. Thanks to the generosity of alumni, cost is not a barrier preventing students, neighbors, and even the casual passerby from having an experience with inspiring artistry.

There is a lot that can be said about the arts at BU—music, theater, and the visual arts—from the excellence of our faculty to the rankings for our academic programs. However, I want to call attention to those quiet moments when introspection is enabled by an artistic encounter. To see, to hear, to be touched by art is a profound experience.

I would love to hear about your first experience in an art gallery, concert hall, or theater. Feel free to email me at cfadean@bu.edu.

Harvey Young, Dean of CFA