Stanford and the Arts
Visiting Stanford | Stanford and the Arts
Stanford University is not only an incubator for new ideas and businesses locally; it also makes a huge contribution to the Palo Alto cultural scene, and many of its best programs and exhibits are open to the public.
Cantor Arts Center
The Cantor Arts Center, housed in an imposing example of neo-classical architecture, is one of many cultural touchstones at the university that are available to the public. The museum, which houses an impressive permanent collection and hosts substantial traveling shows, is open Wednesdays–Sundays and is always free. The Cantor also owns a major chunk of works by Rodin, including an outdoor sculpture garden.
Stanford Lively Arts
Stanford also nurtures a major performing-arts series that brings national touring groups to campus during the school year. Stanford Lively Arts offers more than a score of concerts in a season that runs from October to May. The shows range from classical to jazz to avant-garde dance. Each year sees some ongoing collaborations between guest artists and Stanford faculty and students. Next season, for instance, visiting performers and scholars will work with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra on the Prokofiev Project. For more information on the series, call 650.725.ARTS.
Stanford Jazz Festival
Stanford is, of course, geared to the rhythms of the academic year, but it hardly goes dormant over the summer. The major draw in the dog days is the Stanford Jazz Festival, presented by the Stanford Jazz Workshop. This year’s festival welcomes James Moody, Keith Terry, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Regina Carter, among many jazz greats, to campus. The event also features a number of sessions designed to introduce young audiences to America’s music. The concerts and workshops run June 26–Aug. 8.
Lectures and Workshops
The university is also, as might be expected, a fertile home for lectures, workshops and conferences on a variety of topics that range from the hard-core academic to vital current events. These are often free and open to the public. The good place to keep track of what’s coming is the school’s detailed events website: events.standford.edu.
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