EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Leah Talatinian
Senior Officer for Marketing and Communications
The MIT arts community mourns the passing of Brit d’Arbeloff, Corporation Life Member Emerita and one of the most dedicated champions for the arts at MIT, who died on May 8, 2026, at the age of 91. For nearly three … Continued
Xinyu Xu takes home this year’s prize When Xinyu Xu ’26 was eight years old, her entire school was invited to participate in an all-day sports festival at Beijing’s National Stadium—the “Bird’s Nest” stadium that had just been completed for … Continued
Four graduate artists win this year’s prize: Coco Allred, C Jacob Payne, Jessica Stringham and Harrison White Each year, accomplished professionals enroll in MIT graduate art, architecture, design programs. They come in search of new skills. But they also bring … Continued
We may never unravel the complex DNA that codes for human creativity. Some artistic talents seem to take shape from thin air, inexplicable and otherworldly. Others appear more human, the fruit of hard work and perseverance. But no talent, whatever … Continued
Clay Lewis, Andrea Marcano-Delgado, Perry Naseck, and Gloria Zhu were chosen this year Since 1979, the Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT) has been honoring members of the MIT community for their arts-related contributions with the annual Laya and … Continued
The Council for the Arts at MIT congratulates the recipients of the 2025 Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts, awarded for excellence in a body of work. Ars longa, vita brevis. Life is fleeting while art endures. It’s not that … Continued
According to family legend, Holden Mui ’25 learned to read sheet music before he learned to read words. “I don’t know whether that’s true or not,” says Mui, a double major in Music and Mathematics who in April learned he’d … Continued
Vivian Clarissah Chinoda ’25, Ezekiel Daye ’25, Emi Grady Willis ’25 and Ana Schon SM ’25 earn the prestigious award This week the Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT) publicly honored four students for their arts-related contributions to campus … Continued
The Council for the Arts at MIT provides funding for arts projects that engage the MIT community. The Council’s Grants Committee considers proposals for projects in the fall and spring semesters. Spring 2025 Grants Committee Funding Recipients Twenty-one projects by MIT students, staff, and … Continued
MIT students reimagine the architectural survey at an important site of African-American history When Booker T. Washington arrived in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1881 to start a new land-grant university for Black students, he discovered that there was no federal money … Continued
The Council for the Arts at MIT provides funding for arts projects that engage the MIT community. The Council’s Grants Committee considers proposals for projects in the fall and spring semesters. Fall 2024 Grants Committee Funding Recipients Fourteen projects by MIT students, … Continued
Sophia Chen, Michael Peters, Wuming Theater Club, and Alan Zhu Take Home Prestigious 2024 Wiesner Awards This week the Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT) publicly honored four students/groups for their arts-related contributions to campus with the 2024 … Continued
All across the MIT campus, researchers in 30 departments and five schools regularly test the boundaries of knowledge. Research at MIT is often empirical—based on quantifiable data gleaned from controlled experiments and observations. But there is another genre of research … Continued
For Phoebe Lin ‘24, a deep appreciation for music began as a family affair: after starting to learn piano at age 4 and picking up the flute as a teenager, she and her brother, Andrew Lin ‘22, would accompany each … Continued
Dear Council Members, I am pleased to announce that Emily Peckham will assume the position of Director of the Council for the Arts on May 6, 2024. Emily has been Development Director for the Points North Institute, home of … Continued
An exhibit marking the culmination of Gonzalez’s work at MIT demonstrated the potential for microbes and minerals to generate sustainable building materials Laura Maria Gonzalez (SMArchS ’22) came to the Department of Architecture at MIT with a big question about … Continued
An MIT panel charts how art and design will be impacted by Artificial Intelligence Few technologies have shown as much potential to shape our future as artificial intelligence. Specialists in fields ranging from medicine to microfinance to the military are … Continued
A new exhibition at MIT Wiesner Student Art Gallery explores the practicalities and play of architectural aging The average lifespan of a house in the United States is between 50 and 63 years, from construction to demolition. For Lauren … Continued
In 1945, towards the end of World War II, Germany’s ten most accomplished scientists were taken captive by the allies and confined to Farm Hall, a villa in the English countryside outside of Cambridge, UK. The group included three Nobel … Continued
Get to Know Kidist Adamu, Cici Mao, Tristan Shin, and Tianyuan (Margaret) Zheng Each year, the Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Student Art Award is presented to four honorees—either students or MIT groups—for exceptional artistic contributions to the Institute community. … Continued
Combining digital technology with the human voice, Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT winner Pamela Z creates layered music from everyday life In the mid-eighties, artist Pamela Z was working at Tower Records on Columbus Street in San … Continued
Theresa Clare McHugh ’23 has always known that music is their greatest passion. A classical soprano, McHugh has been studying voice since the fifth grade, and redoubled their dedication to the craft at MIT. Singing is more than an extraordinary … Continued
The 2023 Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts at MIT recipients: Manar Moursi, Reina Mun, and Karyn Nakamura What happens when technologies fulfill their mission? What happens when they fail, or decay, or when the need for … Continued
The Council for the Arts at MIT provides funding for arts projects that engage the MIT community. The Council’s Grants Committee considers proposals for projects in the fall and spring semesters. Spring 2023 Grants Committee Funding Recipients Eleven projects by MIT students … Continued
One of the beauties of art—of all creative endeavors—is that it cannot fully be quantified. Statues and films and stories all have value. But apart from a few high-flying market makers, it’s hard to assess their actual worth. The difficulty … Continued
