{"id":224046,"date":"2017-04-26T14:19:26","date_gmt":"2017-04-26T18:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=224046"},"modified":"2023-11-08T21:02:36","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T02:02:36","slug":"harvards-arts-first-celebrates-25-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/harvards-arts-first-celebrates-25-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Arts First at 25"},"content":{"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-square has-light-background has-colored-heading\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/arts-humanities\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tArts &amp; Culture\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading has-large-text\">\n\t\tArts First at 25\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tJill Radsken\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Staff Writer\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2017-04-26\">\n\t\t\tApril 26, 2017\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t7 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tOrganizers and participants reflect on festival\u2019s evolution and impact\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>It isn\u2019t an overstatement to say that Arts First has had a profound effect on the tens of thousands of students who have participated in the annual spring festival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am always struck at each year\u2019s festival that while some of the students will become gifted professional artists, many others will be future leaders in medicine and public health, education, and law,\u201d said Jack Megan, director of the Office For the Arts (OFA). \u201cYet for each of them, participating in Arts First is important. Making art is meaningful. Their undergraduate years are our last best shot at engaging them in arts practice before they head out into the world. If we can do that, the world they enter will be the better for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-69176574-2885-4900-8b72-1d7ae30f1d63\">\n\t<div class=\"featured-articles is-post-type-post is-style-grid-list\"  style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"featured-articles__title wp-block-heading\">More like this<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"featured-articles__list \">\n\t\t\n\t\t<li class=\"featured-article \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"featured-article__image\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/lithgow-still-605.jpg?resize=1200%2C750\" class=\"attachment-large-landscape-desktop size-large-landscape-desktop\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"featured-article__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/\">\n\t\t\tCampus &amp; Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"featured-article__title wp-block-heading \"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/lithgow-recalls-life-on-stage-screen-and-at-harvard\/\">John Lithgow: An actor\u2019s journey<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"featured-article__date\" datetime=\"2017-04-24\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApril 24, 2017\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"featured-article__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 min read\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\r\n\n<p>Megan has been at the helm of 16 Arts First festivals, including the upcoming 25th, which kicks off Thursday with the event\u2019s founder, actor John Lithgow \u201967, Art.D. &#8217;05, receiving this year\u2019s Harvard Arts Medal.<\/p>\n<p>Unmistakable in Arts First is a \u201cjoyousness and sense of possibility,\u201d said Megan. The festival, he added, has created transformative experiences for students while also serving to connect disparate parts of the Harvard community \u2014 the Harvard Art Museums with the American Repertory Theater, classes across the arts and humanities, and countless other collaborators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt its core, Arts First celebrates student art-making,\u201d Megan said. \u201cThe energy of this has been generative. Over the years, it has drawn our attention again and again to the importance of the arts to our students and in the world generally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have 3,000 students who participate in the arts \u2014 nearly half of the undergraduate student body. This commitment has been magnetic, pulling us toward opportunities to grow, to create curriculum, to explore new forms of learning through different modalities and creative endeavors. And, of course, it\u2019s been incredible to have a president who recognizes the inherent importance of the arts and who responds so genuinely to the students\u2019 passion for art-making. That has been a game-changer.\u201d<\/p>\n\r\n\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224051\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg 605w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg?resize=48,32 48w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg?resize=96,64 96w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hasty Pudding actors roast Jack Megan (right), director of the Office For the Arts, at the\u00a020th Arts First Festival in 2012. Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\n<p>Among the artistic alums returning to campus for the festival is composer Nicholas Britell \u201903, whose score for \u201cMoonlight\u201d was nominated for an Academy Award.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe environment Harvard creates is so important,\u201d said Britell, who will perform at Friday\u2019s \u201cCelebration of Harvard Artists\u201d at Sanders Theatre. \u201cIt recognizes that the arts can have a dual purpose: first and foremost, as a profound communication of human experience. Yet additionally, as we are learning more and more, the arts offer real practical benefits as well. Musical and arts education can have powerful cognitive benefits, especially early in life. The arts are such a critical part of experiencing the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Organizers began work on this year\u2019s celebration last summer. More than 120 student groups across the University have planned more than 150 performances, including dance, comedy, and concerts. There will be 30 visual art exhibitions. OFA has ordered more than 2,000 T-shirts for volunteers and participants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe challenge is to always make it new and fresh,\u201d said Megan. \u201cFor example, we have more practicing artists on the faculty, and we want to celebrate that. Vijay Iyer, a transformative force himself in our arts community, performed with his band on the Science Center Plaza in 2014. Yosvany Terry will play this year. We have also had the great joy of showcasing the masterful work of two vital resident ensembles: the musicians of the Silk Road, and the Parker Quartet. This level of involvement signals an exciting change at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A Bach Society Orchestra performance of \u201cAppalachian Spring\u201d gave Myra Mayman one of her most unforgettable Arts First memories. The founding director of the OFA recalled the Aaron Copland suite, performed in Sanders Theatre years ago with a pit orchestra, as \u201can extraordinary moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was sitting across from Ivan Tcherepnin [the late music professor] and it was so much the sound of tendrils coming up through the earth and this delicate transitory moment of spring arriving,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was hair-raising and we exchanged smiles because it was so apt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, Mayman couldn\u2019t settle on a single favorite Arts First experience. She recalled a group of visual arts students who re-created Manet\u2019s \u201cLe D\u00e9jeuner sur l\u2019herbe\u201d in a <em>tableau vivant<\/em> featuring two women, one naked and looking out at the viewer, the other a scantily clad bather picnicking with dressed men.<\/p>\n\r\n\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg 605w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg?resize=48,32 48w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg?resize=96,64 96w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Myra Mayman plays the cymbals in the &quot;1812 Overture&quot; during a surprise tribute to her at Loeb House by the Arts First Planning Committee and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in 2001. File\u00a0photo by Rose Lincoln\/Harvard\u00a0Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\n<p>\u201cI got a call from one of the women, who wanted to know if it was OK to be naked,\u201d said Mayman. \u201cShe ended up using discreet camouflage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Credit for the inclusive and joyful celebration belongs in part to former Harvard President Neil Rudenstine, a staunch supporter of the arts who knew the idea had \u201creal purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew this would be a major event, but also hoped \u2014 and I think it proved to be the case \u2014 that it would be a moment when all the arts groups felt they needed to perform in the best possible way,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worked incredibly hard, turned in superb performances, and people came.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As recalled by Mayman, Rudenstine\u2019s own inaugural, in 1991 \u2014 a weekend of performances with writers and musicians \u2014 served as a framework for Arts First, with Lithgow, an overseer at the time, the playmaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJohn asked, \u2018Can you run an arts festival?,\u2019 and I said, \u2018Yes, as long as I can hire a producer,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt was because of John that it happened. No one could say no to John Lithgow. No one on the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sam Wu \u201917 has been involved in Arts First since freshman year. The joint East Asian studies and music concentrator called the festival \u201ca big part of my art-making experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Wu staged a musical and visual art experience in the Calderwood Courtyard with his original work \u201cPassacaglia, en pointe\u201d for cello and harp accompanied by ballet dancers. In addition, a friend from Yale performed \u201cTree of Life,\u201d a Wu composition for piano, while another artist friend painted on a canvas dropped from a tree.<\/p>\n<p>For this year\u2019s festival, Wu is collaborating with the same friends on a neurotechnology-based interactive installation called \u201cstill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe in thinking beyond my own art form to really see how I can express things beyond music,\u201d said the 21-year-old Adams House resident. \u201cI believe in the physical aspect of music and feeling it in a visceral matter. Most times I can only imagine that, but I could see how the musical manifestation came to life with those performances, and Arts First allowed me to try something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\r\n\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224049\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg 605w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg?resize=48,32 48w, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg?resize=96,64 96w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harvard Arts Medal recipient John Updike \u201954 (right) talks with John Lithgow at Lowell House in 1998. Photo by Paula Lerner\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\n<p>The 25th festival will also include group and individual performances from the Graduate School of Design, the Ed School, the Divinity School, the Law School, the Medical School, and the School of Public Health. Wu, who grew up in China, said watching different disciplines collaborate is as much fun as being on stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes you see something you haven\u2019t seen before, and that is as exciting as sharing my work,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best times to be part of Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These experiences have staying power. Cici Yu \u201913, worked on Arts First all four years on campus, sometimes performing, always working behind the scenes, most notably as layout designer for the festival guide from sophomore through senior year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s exciting for me is the production, the months of planning \u2014 organizing rehearsals, grant writing, going back and forth on ideas, arguing,\u201d said the 26-year-old, who now teaches high school math in Chelsea. \u201cThat\u2019s the fun part of the art-making.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since graduating, Yu has returned to campus for every Arts First \u2014 and not just for the free T-shirt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like seeing what\u2019s going on under the tent, the public art on display, and watching a cappella performances,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s free and outside, and students create really thoughtful work \u2014 things that make you stop and wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since 1992, Arts First has had a profound effect on more than just the students who go on to become professional artists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108352576,"featured_media":224048,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":22,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2019-05-11 03:09","document_color_palette":null,"author":"Jill Radsken","affiliation":"Harvard Staff Writer","_category_override":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1360],"tags":[38250,4867,38253,38252,9759,13050,18508,19296,19629,24712,24772,25339,26130,38251,33697,35359],"gazette-formats":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-224046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-humanities","tag-arts-festival","tag-arts-first","tag-arts-medal","tag-cici-yu","tag-dance","tag-fas","tag-jack-megan","tag-jill-radsken","tag-john-lithgow","tag-music","tag-myra-mayman","tag-neil-rudenstine","tag-office-for-the-arts","tag-sam-wu","tag-theater","tag-visual-arts"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.0 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Harvard&#039;s Arts First celebrates 25 years &#8212; Harvard Gazette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Since 1992, Arts First has had a profound effect on more than just the students who go on to become professional artists.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/harvards-arts-first-celebrates-25-years\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Harvard&#039;s Arts First celebrates 25 years\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Since 1992, Arts First has had a profound effect on more than just the students who go on to become professional artists.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/harvards-arts-first-celebrates-25-years\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Harvard Gazette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-04-26T18:19:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-09T02:02:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/parade_605.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"605\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"403\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"gazettejohnbaglione\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Harvard&#039;s Arts First celebrates 25 years\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/harvards-arts-first-celebrates-25-years\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/harvards-arts-first-celebrates-25-years\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"gazettejohnbaglione\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/#\/schema\/person\/99782494e562769a740295b11ce6dafe\"},\"headline\":\"Arts First at 25\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-04-26T18:19:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-09T02:02:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/harvards-arts-first-celebrates-25-years\/\"},\"wordCount\":1388,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/harvards-arts-first-celebrates-25-years\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/parade_605.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"arts festival\",\"Arts First\",\"Arts Medal\",\"Cici Yu\",\"Dance\",\"FAS\",\"Jack Megan\",\"Jill Radsken\",\"John Lithgow\",\"Music\",\"Myra Mayman\",\"Neil Rudenstine\",\"Office for the Arts\",\"Sam Wu\",\"Theater\",\"Visual Arts\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Arts &amp; 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Culture\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading has-large-text\">\n\t\tArts First at 25\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tJill Radsken\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Staff Writer\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2017-04-26\">\n\t\t\tApril 26, 2017\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t7 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tOrganizers and participants reflect on festival\u2019s evolution and impact\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t<p>It isn\u2019t an overstatement to say that Arts First has had a profound effect on the tens of thousands of students who have participated in the annual spring festival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am always struck at each year\u2019s festival that while some of the students will become gifted professional artists, many others will be future leaders in medicine and public health, education, and law,\u201d said Jack Megan, director of the Office For the Arts (OFA). \u201cYet for each of them, participating in Arts First is important. Making art is meaningful. Their undergraduate years are our last best shot at engaging them in arts practice before they head out into the world. If we can do that, the world they enter will be the better for it.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n\t\t<p>It isn\u2019t an overstatement to say that Arts First has had a profound effect on the tens of thousands of students who have participated in the annual spring festival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am always struck at each year\u2019s festival that while some of the students will become gifted professional artists, many others will be future leaders in medicine and public health, education, and law,\u201d said Jack Megan, director of the Office For the Arts (OFA). \u201cYet for each of them, participating in Arts First is important. Making art is meaningful. Their undergraduate years are our last best shot at engaging them in arts practice before they head out into the world. If we can do that, the world they enter will be the better for it.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n\t\t<p>It isn\u2019t an overstatement to say that Arts First has had a profound effect on the tens of thousands of students who have participated in the annual spring festival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am always struck at each year\u2019s festival that while some of the students will become gifted professional artists, many others will be future leaders in medicine and public health, education, and law,\u201d said Jack Megan, director of the Office For the Arts (OFA). \u201cYet for each of them, participating in Arts First is important. Making art is meaningful. Their undergraduate years are our last best shot at engaging them in arts practice before they head out into the world. If we can do that, the world they enter will be the better for it.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"harvard-gazette\/supporting-content","attrs":{"id":"69176574-2885-4900-8b72-1d7ae30f1d63","align":"left","allowedBlocks":[],"style":[],"lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"harvard-gazette\/featured-articles","attrs":{"autoGenerate":false,"className":"is-style-grid-list","inPostContent":true,"numberOfPosts":1,"postIds":[224292],"showExcerpt":false,"title":"More like this","category":"","carouselOnDesktop":false,"isEditor":false,"linkText":"See all book reviews","passPostIds":false,"postOverrides":[],"postTypeOverride":"post","receivePostIds":false,"series":"","showCategory":true,"showDate":true,"gridColumns":2,"showDropShadow":false,"showFormat":true,"showImage":true,"showImageZoom":false,"showSeries":true,"showReadMore":true,"showReadTime":true,"tags":[],"useCurrentTerm":false,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","style":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[],"rendered":"\n\t<div class=\"featured-articles is-post-type-post is-style-grid-list\"  style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"featured-articles__title wp-block-heading\">More like this<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"featured-articles__list \">\n\t\t\n\t\t<li class=\"featured-article \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"featured-article__image\">\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/lithgow-still-605.jpg?resize=1200%2C750\" class=\"attachment-large-landscape-desktop size-large-landscape-desktop\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"featured-article__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/\">\n\t\t\tCampus &amp; Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"featured-article__title wp-block-heading \"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/lithgow-recalls-life-on-stage-screen-and-at-harvard\/\">John Lithgow: An actor\u2019s journey<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"featured-article__date\" datetime=\"2017-04-24\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApril 24, 2017\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"featured-article__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 min read\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t"}],"innerHTML":"<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-69176574-2885-4900-8b72-1d7ae30f1d63\"><\/div>","innerContent":["<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-69176574-2885-4900-8b72-1d7ae30f1d63\">","<\/div>"],"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-69176574-2885-4900-8b72-1d7ae30f1d63\">\n\t<div class=\"featured-articles is-post-type-post is-style-grid-list\"  style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"featured-articles__title wp-block-heading\">More like this<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"featured-articles__list \">\n\t\t\n\t\t<li class=\"featured-article \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"featured-article__image\">\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/lithgow-still-605.jpg?resize=1200%2C750\" class=\"attachment-large-landscape-desktop size-large-landscape-desktop\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"featured-article__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/\">\n\t\t\tCampus &amp; Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"featured-article__title wp-block-heading \"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/lithgow-recalls-life-on-stage-screen-and-at-harvard\/\">John Lithgow: An actor\u2019s journey<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"featured-article__date\" datetime=\"2017-04-24\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApril 24, 2017\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"featured-article__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 min read\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Megan has been at the helm of 16 Arts First festivals, including the upcoming 25th, which kicks off Thursday with the event\u2019s founder, actor John Lithgow \u201967, Art.D. '05, receiving this year\u2019s Harvard Arts Medal.<\/p>\n<p>Unmistakable in Arts First is a \u201cjoyousness and sense of possibility,\u201d said Megan. The festival, he added, has created transformative experiences for students while also serving to connect disparate parts of the Harvard community \u2014 the Harvard Art Museums with the American Repertory Theater, classes across the arts and humanities, and countless other collaborators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt its core, Arts First celebrates student art-making,\u201d Megan said. \u201cThe energy of this has been generative. Over the years, it has drawn our attention again and again to the importance of the arts to our students and in the world generally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have 3,000 students who participate in the arts \u2014 nearly half of the undergraduate student body. This commitment has been magnetic, pulling us toward opportunities to grow, to create curriculum, to explore new forms of learning through different modalities and creative endeavors. And, of course, it\u2019s been incredible to have a president who recognizes the inherent importance of the arts and who responds so genuinely to the students\u2019 passion for art-making. That has been a game-changer.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Megan has been at the helm of 16 Arts First festivals, including the upcoming 25th, which kicks off Thursday with the event\u2019s founder, actor John Lithgow \u201967, Art.D. '05, receiving this year\u2019s Harvard Arts Medal.<\/p>\n<p>Unmistakable in Arts First is a \u201cjoyousness and sense of possibility,\u201d said Megan. The festival, he added, has created transformative experiences for students while also serving to connect disparate parts of the Harvard community \u2014 the Harvard Art Museums with the American Repertory Theater, classes across the arts and humanities, and countless other collaborators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt its core, Arts First celebrates student art-making,\u201d Megan said. \u201cThe energy of this has been generative. Over the years, it has drawn our attention again and again to the importance of the arts to our students and in the world generally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have 3,000 students who participate in the arts \u2014 nearly half of the undergraduate student body. This commitment has been magnetic, pulling us toward opportunities to grow, to create curriculum, to explore new forms of learning through different modalities and creative endeavors. And, of course, it\u2019s been incredible to have a president who recognizes the inherent importance of the arts and who responds so genuinely to the students\u2019 passion for art-making. That has been a game-changer.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Megan has been at the helm of 16 Arts First festivals, including the upcoming 25th, which kicks off Thursday with the event\u2019s founder, actor John Lithgow \u201967, Art.D. '05, receiving this year\u2019s Harvard Arts Medal.<\/p>\n<p>Unmistakable in Arts First is a \u201cjoyousness and sense of possibility,\u201d said Megan. The festival, he added, has created transformative experiences for students while also serving to connect disparate parts of the Harvard community \u2014 the Harvard Art Museums with the American Repertory Theater, classes across the arts and humanities, and countless other collaborators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt its core, Arts First celebrates student art-making,\u201d Megan said. \u201cThe energy of this has been generative. Over the years, it has drawn our attention again and again to the importance of the arts to our students and in the world generally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have 3,000 students who participate in the arts \u2014 nearly half of the undergraduate student body. This commitment has been magnetic, pulling us toward opportunities to grow, to create curriculum, to explore new forms of learning through different modalities and creative endeavors. And, of course, it\u2019s been incredible to have a president who recognizes the inherent importance of the arts and who responds so genuinely to the students\u2019 passion for art-making. That has been a game-changer.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/image","attrs":{"sizeSlug":"full","align":"none","id":224051,"caption":"Hasty Pudding actors roast Jack Megan (right), director of the Office For the Arts, at the\u00a020th Arts First Festival in 2012. Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer","blob":"","url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg","alt":"","lightbox":[],"title":"","href":"","rel":"","linkClass":"","width":"","height":"","aspectRatio":"","scale":"","linkDestination":"","linkTarget":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224051\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hasty Pudding actors roast Jack Megan (right), director of the Office For the Arts, at the\u00a020th Arts First Festival in 2012. Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t","innerContent":["\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224051\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hasty Pudding actors roast Jack Megan (right), director of the Office For the Arts, at the\u00a020th Arts First Festival in 2012. Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t"],"rendered":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224051\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hasty Pudding actors roast Jack Megan (right), director of the Office For the Arts, at the\u00a020th Arts First Festival in 2012. Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Among the artistic alums returning to campus for the festival is composer Nicholas Britell \u201903, whose score for \u201cMoonlight\u201d was nominated for an Academy Award.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe environment Harvard creates is so important,\u201d said Britell, who will perform at Friday\u2019s \u201cCelebration of Harvard Artists\u201d at Sanders Theatre. \u201cIt recognizes that the arts can have a dual purpose: first and foremost, as a profound communication of human experience. Yet additionally, as we are learning more and more, the arts offer real practical benefits as well. Musical and arts education can have powerful cognitive benefits, especially early in life. The arts are such a critical part of experiencing the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Organizers began work on this year\u2019s celebration last summer. More than 120 student groups across the University have planned more than 150 performances, including dance, comedy, and concerts. There will be 30 visual art exhibitions. OFA has ordered more than 2,000 T-shirts for volunteers and participants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe challenge is to always make it new and fresh,\u201d said Megan. \u201cFor example, we have more practicing artists on the faculty, and we want to celebrate that. Vijay Iyer, a transformative force himself in our arts community, performed with his band on the Science Center Plaza in 2014. Yosvany Terry will play this year. We have also had the great joy of showcasing the masterful work of two vital resident ensembles: the musicians of the Silk Road, and the Parker Quartet. This level of involvement signals an exciting change at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A Bach Society Orchestra performance of \u201cAppalachian Spring\u201d gave Myra Mayman one of her most unforgettable Arts First memories. The founding director of the OFA recalled the Aaron Copland suite, performed in Sanders Theatre years ago with a pit orchestra, as \u201can extraordinary moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was sitting across from Ivan Tcherepnin [the late music professor] and it was so much the sound of tendrils coming up through the earth and this delicate transitory moment of spring arriving,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was hair-raising and we exchanged smiles because it was so apt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, Mayman couldn\u2019t settle on a single favorite Arts First experience. She recalled a group of visual arts students who re-created Manet\u2019s \u201cLe D\u00e9jeuner sur l\u2019herbe\u201d in a <em>tableau vivant<\/em> featuring two women, one naked and looking out at the viewer, the other a scantily clad bather picnicking with dressed men.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Among the artistic alums returning to campus for the festival is composer Nicholas Britell \u201903, whose score for \u201cMoonlight\u201d was nominated for an Academy Award.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe environment Harvard creates is so important,\u201d said Britell, who will perform at Friday\u2019s \u201cCelebration of Harvard Artists\u201d at Sanders Theatre. \u201cIt recognizes that the arts can have a dual purpose: first and foremost, as a profound communication of human experience. Yet additionally, as we are learning more and more, the arts offer real practical benefits as well. Musical and arts education can have powerful cognitive benefits, especially early in life. The arts are such a critical part of experiencing the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Organizers began work on this year\u2019s celebration last summer. More than 120 student groups across the University have planned more than 150 performances, including dance, comedy, and concerts. There will be 30 visual art exhibitions. OFA has ordered more than 2,000 T-shirts for volunteers and participants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe challenge is to always make it new and fresh,\u201d said Megan. \u201cFor example, we have more practicing artists on the faculty, and we want to celebrate that. Vijay Iyer, a transformative force himself in our arts community, performed with his band on the Science Center Plaza in 2014. Yosvany Terry will play this year. We have also had the great joy of showcasing the masterful work of two vital resident ensembles: the musicians of the Silk Road, and the Parker Quartet. This level of involvement signals an exciting change at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A Bach Society Orchestra performance of \u201cAppalachian Spring\u201d gave Myra Mayman one of her most unforgettable Arts First memories. The founding director of the OFA recalled the Aaron Copland suite, performed in Sanders Theatre years ago with a pit orchestra, as \u201can extraordinary moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was sitting across from Ivan Tcherepnin [the late music professor] and it was so much the sound of tendrils coming up through the earth and this delicate transitory moment of spring arriving,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was hair-raising and we exchanged smiles because it was so apt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, Mayman couldn\u2019t settle on a single favorite Arts First experience. She recalled a group of visual arts students who re-created Manet\u2019s \u201cLe D\u00e9jeuner sur l\u2019herbe\u201d in a <em>tableau vivant<\/em> featuring two women, one naked and looking out at the viewer, the other a scantily clad bather picnicking with dressed men.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Among the artistic alums returning to campus for the festival is composer Nicholas Britell \u201903, whose score for \u201cMoonlight\u201d was nominated for an Academy Award.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe environment Harvard creates is so important,\u201d said Britell, who will perform at Friday\u2019s \u201cCelebration of Harvard Artists\u201d at Sanders Theatre. \u201cIt recognizes that the arts can have a dual purpose: first and foremost, as a profound communication of human experience. Yet additionally, as we are learning more and more, the arts offer real practical benefits as well. Musical and arts education can have powerful cognitive benefits, especially early in life. The arts are such a critical part of experiencing the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Organizers began work on this year\u2019s celebration last summer. More than 120 student groups across the University have planned more than 150 performances, including dance, comedy, and concerts. There will be 30 visual art exhibitions. OFA has ordered more than 2,000 T-shirts for volunteers and participants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe challenge is to always make it new and fresh,\u201d said Megan. \u201cFor example, we have more practicing artists on the faculty, and we want to celebrate that. Vijay Iyer, a transformative force himself in our arts community, performed with his band on the Science Center Plaza in 2014. Yosvany Terry will play this year. We have also had the great joy of showcasing the masterful work of two vital resident ensembles: the musicians of the Silk Road, and the Parker Quartet. This level of involvement signals an exciting change at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A Bach Society Orchestra performance of \u201cAppalachian Spring\u201d gave Myra Mayman one of her most unforgettable Arts First memories. The founding director of the OFA recalled the Aaron Copland suite, performed in Sanders Theatre years ago with a pit orchestra, as \u201can extraordinary moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was sitting across from Ivan Tcherepnin [the late music professor] and it was so much the sound of tendrils coming up through the earth and this delicate transitory moment of spring arriving,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was hair-raising and we exchanged smiles because it was so apt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, Mayman couldn\u2019t settle on a single favorite Arts First experience. She recalled a group of visual arts students who re-created Manet\u2019s \u201cLe D\u00e9jeuner sur l\u2019herbe\u201d in a <em>tableau vivant<\/em> featuring two women, one naked and looking out at the viewer, the other a scantily clad bather picnicking with dressed men.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/image","attrs":{"sizeSlug":"full","align":"none","id":224050,"caption":"Myra Mayman plays the cymbals in the \"1812 Overture\" during a surprise tribute to her at Loeb House by the Arts First Planning Committee and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in 2001. File\u00a0photo by Rose Lincoln\/Harvard\u00a0Staff Photographer","blob":"","url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg","alt":"","lightbox":[],"title":"","href":"","rel":"","linkClass":"","width":"","height":"","aspectRatio":"","scale":"","linkDestination":"","linkTarget":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224050\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Myra Mayman plays the cymbals in the &quot;1812 Overture&quot; during a surprise tribute to her at Loeb House by the Arts First Planning Committee and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in 2001. File\u00a0photo by Rose Lincoln\/Harvard\u00a0Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t","innerContent":["\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224050\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Myra Mayman plays the cymbals in the &quot;1812 Overture&quot; during a surprise tribute to her at Loeb House by the Arts First Planning Committee and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in 2001. File\u00a0photo by Rose Lincoln\/Harvard\u00a0Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t"],"rendered":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224050\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Myra Mayman plays the cymbals in the &quot;1812 Overture&quot; during a surprise tribute to her at Loeb House by the Arts First Planning Committee and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in 2001. File\u00a0photo by Rose Lincoln\/Harvard\u00a0Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cI got a call from one of the women, who wanted to know if it was OK to be naked,\u201d said Mayman. \u201cShe ended up using discreet camouflage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Credit for the inclusive and joyful celebration belongs in part to former Harvard President Neil Rudenstine, a staunch supporter of the arts who knew the idea had \u201creal purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew this would be a major event, but also hoped \u2014 and I think it proved to be the case \u2014 that it would be a moment when all the arts groups felt they needed to perform in the best possible way,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worked incredibly hard, turned in superb performances, and people came.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As recalled by Mayman, Rudenstine\u2019s own inaugural, in 1991 \u2014 a weekend of performances with writers and musicians \u2014 served as a framework for Arts First, with Lithgow, an overseer at the time, the playmaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJohn asked, \u2018Can you run an arts festival?,\u2019 and I said, \u2018Yes, as long as I can hire a producer,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt was because of John that it happened. No one could say no to John Lithgow. No one on the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sam Wu \u201917 has been involved in Arts First since freshman year. The joint East Asian studies and music concentrator called the festival \u201ca big part of my art-making experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Wu staged a musical and visual art experience in the Calderwood Courtyard with his original work \u201cPassacaglia, en pointe\u201d for cello and harp accompanied by ballet dancers. In addition, a friend from Yale performed \u201cTree of Life,\u201d a Wu composition for piano, while another artist friend painted on a canvas dropped from a tree.<\/p>\n<p>For this year\u2019s festival, Wu is collaborating with the same friends on a neurotechnology-based interactive installation called \u201cstill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe in thinking beyond my own art form to really see how I can express things beyond music,\u201d said the 21-year-old Adams House resident. \u201cI believe in the physical aspect of music and feeling it in a visceral matter. Most times I can only imagine that, but I could see how the musical manifestation came to life with those performances, and Arts First allowed me to try something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cI got a call from one of the women, who wanted to know if it was OK to be naked,\u201d said Mayman. \u201cShe ended up using discreet camouflage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Credit for the inclusive and joyful celebration belongs in part to former Harvard President Neil Rudenstine, a staunch supporter of the arts who knew the idea had \u201creal purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew this would be a major event, but also hoped \u2014 and I think it proved to be the case \u2014 that it would be a moment when all the arts groups felt they needed to perform in the best possible way,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worked incredibly hard, turned in superb performances, and people came.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As recalled by Mayman, Rudenstine\u2019s own inaugural, in 1991 \u2014 a weekend of performances with writers and musicians \u2014 served as a framework for Arts First, with Lithgow, an overseer at the time, the playmaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJohn asked, \u2018Can you run an arts festival?,\u2019 and I said, \u2018Yes, as long as I can hire a producer,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt was because of John that it happened. No one could say no to John Lithgow. No one on the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sam Wu \u201917 has been involved in Arts First since freshman year. The joint East Asian studies and music concentrator called the festival \u201ca big part of my art-making experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Wu staged a musical and visual art experience in the Calderwood Courtyard with his original work \u201cPassacaglia, en pointe\u201d for cello and harp accompanied by ballet dancers. In addition, a friend from Yale performed \u201cTree of Life,\u201d a Wu composition for piano, while another artist friend painted on a canvas dropped from a tree.<\/p>\n<p>For this year\u2019s festival, Wu is collaborating with the same friends on a neurotechnology-based interactive installation called \u201cstill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe in thinking beyond my own art form to really see how I can express things beyond music,\u201d said the 21-year-old Adams House resident. \u201cI believe in the physical aspect of music and feeling it in a visceral matter. Most times I can only imagine that, but I could see how the musical manifestation came to life with those performances, and Arts First allowed me to try something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cI got a call from one of the women, who wanted to know if it was OK to be naked,\u201d said Mayman. \u201cShe ended up using discreet camouflage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Credit for the inclusive and joyful celebration belongs in part to former Harvard President Neil Rudenstine, a staunch supporter of the arts who knew the idea had \u201creal purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew this would be a major event, but also hoped \u2014 and I think it proved to be the case \u2014 that it would be a moment when all the arts groups felt they needed to perform in the best possible way,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worked incredibly hard, turned in superb performances, and people came.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As recalled by Mayman, Rudenstine\u2019s own inaugural, in 1991 \u2014 a weekend of performances with writers and musicians \u2014 served as a framework for Arts First, with Lithgow, an overseer at the time, the playmaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJohn asked, \u2018Can you run an arts festival?,\u2019 and I said, \u2018Yes, as long as I can hire a producer,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt was because of John that it happened. No one could say no to John Lithgow. No one on the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sam Wu \u201917 has been involved in Arts First since freshman year. The joint East Asian studies and music concentrator called the festival \u201ca big part of my art-making experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Wu staged a musical and visual art experience in the Calderwood Courtyard with his original work \u201cPassacaglia, en pointe\u201d for cello and harp accompanied by ballet dancers. In addition, a friend from Yale performed \u201cTree of Life,\u201d a Wu composition for piano, while another artist friend painted on a canvas dropped from a tree.<\/p>\n<p>For this year\u2019s festival, Wu is collaborating with the same friends on a neurotechnology-based interactive installation called \u201cstill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe in thinking beyond my own art form to really see how I can express things beyond music,\u201d said the 21-year-old Adams House resident. \u201cI believe in the physical aspect of music and feeling it in a visceral matter. Most times I can only imagine that, but I could see how the musical manifestation came to life with those performances, and Arts First allowed me to try something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/image","attrs":{"sizeSlug":"full","align":"none","id":224049,"caption":"Harvard Arts Medal recipient John Updike \u201954 (right) talks with John Lithgow at Lowell House in 1998. Photo by Paula Lerner","blob":"","url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg","alt":"","lightbox":[],"title":"","href":"","rel":"","linkClass":"","width":"","height":"","aspectRatio":"","scale":"","linkDestination":"","linkTarget":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224049\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harvard Arts Medal recipient John Updike \u201954 (right) talks with John Lithgow at Lowell House in 1998. Photo by Paula Lerner\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t","innerContent":["\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224049\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harvard Arts Medal recipient John Updike \u201954 (right) talks with John Lithgow at Lowell House in 1998. Photo by Paula Lerner\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t"],"rendered":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224049\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harvard Arts Medal recipient John Updike \u201954 (right) talks with John Lithgow at Lowell House in 1998. Photo by Paula Lerner\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>The 25th festival will also include group and individual performances from the Graduate School of Design, the Ed School, the Divinity School, the Law School, the Medical School, and the School of Public Health. Wu, who grew up in China, said watching different disciplines collaborate is as much fun as being on stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes you see something you haven\u2019t seen before, and that is as exciting as sharing my work,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best times to be part of Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These experiences have staying power. Cici Yu \u201913, worked on Arts First all four years on campus, sometimes performing, always working behind the scenes, most notably as layout designer for the festival guide from sophomore through senior year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s exciting for me is the production, the months of planning \u2014 organizing rehearsals, grant writing, going back and forth on ideas, arguing,\u201d said the 26-year-old, who now teaches high school math in Chelsea. \u201cThat\u2019s the fun part of the art-making.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since graduating, Yu has returned to campus for every Arts First \u2014 and not just for the free T-shirt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like seeing what\u2019s going on under the tent, the public art on display, and watching a cappella performances,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s free and outside, and students create really thoughtful work \u2014 things that make you stop and wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>The 25th festival will also include group and individual performances from the Graduate School of Design, the Ed School, the Divinity School, the Law School, the Medical School, and the School of Public Health. Wu, who grew up in China, said watching different disciplines collaborate is as much fun as being on stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes you see something you haven\u2019t seen before, and that is as exciting as sharing my work,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best times to be part of Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These experiences have staying power. Cici Yu \u201913, worked on Arts First all four years on campus, sometimes performing, always working behind the scenes, most notably as layout designer for the festival guide from sophomore through senior year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s exciting for me is the production, the months of planning \u2014 organizing rehearsals, grant writing, going back and forth on ideas, arguing,\u201d said the 26-year-old, who now teaches high school math in Chelsea. \u201cThat\u2019s the fun part of the art-making.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since graduating, Yu has returned to campus for every Arts First \u2014 and not just for the free T-shirt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like seeing what\u2019s going on under the tent, the public art on display, and watching a cappella performances,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s free and outside, and students create really thoughtful work \u2014 things that make you stop and wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>The 25th festival will also include group and individual performances from the Graduate School of Design, the Ed School, the Divinity School, the Law School, the Medical School, and the School of Public Health. Wu, who grew up in China, said watching different disciplines collaborate is as much fun as being on stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes you see something you haven\u2019t seen before, and that is as exciting as sharing my work,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best times to be part of Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These experiences have staying power. Cici Yu \u201913, worked on Arts First all four years on campus, sometimes performing, always working behind the scenes, most notably as layout designer for the festival guide from sophomore through senior year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s exciting for me is the production, the months of planning \u2014 organizing rehearsals, grant writing, going back and forth on ideas, arguing,\u201d said the 26-year-old, who now teaches high school math in Chelsea. \u201cThat\u2019s the fun part of the art-making.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since graduating, Yu has returned to campus for every Arts First \u2014 and not just for the free T-shirt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like seeing what\u2019s going on under the tent, the public art on display, and watching a cappella performances,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s free and outside, and students create really thoughtful work \u2014 things that make you stop and wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\n\t\r\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n","\r\n","\r\n","\r\n\t","\n\t\r\n","\r\n\t","\n\t\r\n","\r\n\t","\n\t\r\n","\n\n<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>It isn\u2019t an overstatement to say that Arts First has had a profound effect on the tens of thousands of students who have participated in the annual spring festival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am always struck at each year\u2019s festival that while some of the students will become gifted professional artists, many others will be future leaders in medicine and public health, education, and law,\u201d said Jack Megan, director of the Office For the Arts (OFA). \u201cYet for each of them, participating in Arts First is important. Making art is meaningful. Their undergraduate years are our last best shot at engaging them in arts practice before they head out into the world. If we can do that, the world they enter will be the better for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-69176574-2885-4900-8b72-1d7ae30f1d63\">\n\t<div class=\"featured-articles is-post-type-post is-style-grid-list\"  style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"featured-articles__title wp-block-heading\">More like this<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"featured-articles__list \">\n\t\t\n\t\t<li class=\"featured-article \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"featured-article__image\">\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/lithgow-still-605.jpg?resize=1200%2C750\" class=\"attachment-large-landscape-desktop size-large-landscape-desktop\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"featured-article__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/\">\n\t\t\tCampus &amp; Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"featured-article__title wp-block-heading \"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/04\/lithgow-recalls-life-on-stage-screen-and-at-harvard\/\">John Lithgow: An actor\u2019s journey<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"featured-article__date\" datetime=\"2017-04-24\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApril 24, 2017\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"featured-article__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 min read\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\r\n\n<p>Megan has been at the helm of 16 Arts First festivals, including the upcoming 25th, which kicks off Thursday with the event\u2019s founder, actor John Lithgow \u201967, Art.D. '05, receiving this year\u2019s Harvard Arts Medal.<\/p>\n<p>Unmistakable in Arts First is a \u201cjoyousness and sense of possibility,\u201d said Megan. The festival, he added, has created transformative experiences for students while also serving to connect disparate parts of the Harvard community \u2014 the Harvard Art Museums with the American Repertory Theater, classes across the arts and humanities, and countless other collaborators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt its core, Arts First celebrates student art-making,\u201d Megan said. \u201cThe energy of this has been generative. Over the years, it has drawn our attention again and again to the importance of the arts to our students and in the world generally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have 3,000 students who participate in the arts \u2014 nearly half of the undergraduate student body. This commitment has been magnetic, pulling us toward opportunities to grow, to create curriculum, to explore new forms of learning through different modalities and creative endeavors. And, of course, it\u2019s been incredible to have a president who recognizes the inherent importance of the arts and who responds so genuinely to the students\u2019 passion for art-making. That has been a game-changer.\u201d<\/p>\n\r\n\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/042812_artsfirst_216_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224051\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hasty Pudding actors roast Jack Megan (right), director of the Office For the Arts, at the\u00a020th Arts First Festival in 2012. Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\n<p>Among the artistic alums returning to campus for the festival is composer Nicholas Britell \u201903, whose score for \u201cMoonlight\u201d was nominated for an Academy Award.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe environment Harvard creates is so important,\u201d said Britell, who will perform at Friday\u2019s \u201cCelebration of Harvard Artists\u201d at Sanders Theatre. \u201cIt recognizes that the arts can have a dual purpose: first and foremost, as a profound communication of human experience. Yet additionally, as we are learning more and more, the arts offer real practical benefits as well. Musical and arts education can have powerful cognitive benefits, especially early in life. The arts are such a critical part of experiencing the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Organizers began work on this year\u2019s celebration last summer. More than 120 student groups across the University have planned more than 150 performances, including dance, comedy, and concerts. There will be 30 visual art exhibitions. OFA has ordered more than 2,000 T-shirts for volunteers and participants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe challenge is to always make it new and fresh,\u201d said Megan. \u201cFor example, we have more practicing artists on the faculty, and we want to celebrate that. Vijay Iyer, a transformative force himself in our arts community, performed with his band on the Science Center Plaza in 2014. Yosvany Terry will play this year. We have also had the great joy of showcasing the masterful work of two vital resident ensembles: the musicians of the Silk Road, and the Parker Quartet. This level of involvement signals an exciting change at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A Bach Society Orchestra performance of \u201cAppalachian Spring\u201d gave Myra Mayman one of her most unforgettable Arts First memories. The founding director of the OFA recalled the Aaron Copland suite, performed in Sanders Theatre years ago with a pit orchestra, as \u201can extraordinary moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was sitting across from Ivan Tcherepnin [the late music professor] and it was so much the sound of tendrils coming up through the earth and this delicate transitory moment of spring arriving,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was hair-raising and we exchanged smiles because it was so apt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, Mayman couldn\u2019t settle on a single favorite Arts First experience. She recalled a group of visual arts students who re-created Manet\u2019s \u201cLe D\u00e9jeuner sur l\u2019herbe\u201d in a <em>tableau vivant<\/em> featuring two women, one naked and looking out at the viewer, the other a scantily clad bather picnicking with dressed men.<\/p>\n\r\n\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/050801_mayman_myra_cymbals_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224050\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Myra Mayman plays the cymbals in the &quot;1812 Overture&quot; during a surprise tribute to her at Loeb House by the Arts First Planning Committee and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in 2001. File\u00a0photo by Rose Lincoln\/Harvard\u00a0Staff Photographer\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\n<p>\u201cI got a call from one of the women, who wanted to know if it was OK to be naked,\u201d said Mayman. \u201cShe ended up using discreet camouflage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Credit for the inclusive and joyful celebration belongs in part to former Harvard President Neil Rudenstine, a staunch supporter of the arts who knew the idea had \u201creal purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew this would be a major event, but also hoped \u2014 and I think it proved to be the case \u2014 that it would be a moment when all the arts groups felt they needed to perform in the best possible way,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worked incredibly hard, turned in superb performances, and people came.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As recalled by Mayman, Rudenstine\u2019s own inaugural, in 1991 \u2014 a weekend of performances with writers and musicians \u2014 served as a framework for Arts First, with Lithgow, an overseer at the time, the playmaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJohn asked, \u2018Can you run an arts festival?,\u2019 and I said, \u2018Yes, as long as I can hire a producer,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cIt was because of John that it happened. No one could say no to John Lithgow. No one on the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sam Wu \u201917 has been involved in Arts First since freshman year. The joint East Asian studies and music concentrator called the festival \u201ca big part of my art-making experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Wu staged a musical and visual art experience in the Calderwood Courtyard with his original work \u201cPassacaglia, en pointe\u201d for cello and harp accompanied by ballet dancers. In addition, a friend from Yale performed \u201cTree of Life,\u201d a Wu composition for piano, while another artist friend painted on a canvas dropped from a tree.<\/p>\n<p>For this year\u2019s festival, Wu is collaborating with the same friends on a neurotechnology-based interactive installation called \u201cstill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe in thinking beyond my own art form to really see how I can express things beyond music,\u201d said the 21-year-old Adams House resident. \u201cI believe in the physical aspect of music and feeling it in a visceral matter. Most times I can only imagine that, but I could see how the musical manifestation came to life with those performances, and Arts First allowed me to try something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\r\n\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone  size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/john-updike_605.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-224049\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harvard Arts Medal recipient John Updike \u201954 (right) talks with John Lithgow at Lowell House in 1998. Photo by Paula Lerner\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\n<p>The 25th festival will also include group and individual performances from the Graduate School of Design, the Ed School, the Divinity School, the Law School, the Medical School, and the School of Public Health. Wu, who grew up in China, said watching different disciplines collaborate is as much fun as being on stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes you see something you haven\u2019t seen before, and that is as exciting as sharing my work,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best times to be part of Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These experiences have staying power. Cici Yu \u201913, worked on Arts First all four years on campus, sometimes performing, always working behind the scenes, most notably as layout designer for the festival guide from sophomore through senior year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s exciting for me is the production, the months of planning \u2014 organizing rehearsals, grant writing, going back and forth on ideas, arguing,\u201d said the 26-year-old, who now teaches high school math in Chelsea. \u201cThat\u2019s the fun part of the art-making.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since graduating, Yu has returned to campus for every Arts First \u2014 and not just for the free T-shirt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like seeing what\u2019s going on under the tent, the public art on display, and watching a cappella performances,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s free and outside, and students create really thoughtful work \u2014 things that make you stop and wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":383371,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2024\/04\/arts-first-to-kick-off-biggest-festival-yet\/","url_meta":{"origin":224046,"position":0},"title":"Arts First to kick off biggest festival yet","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Departing longtime leader reflects on two decades of growth","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Arts &amp; Culture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Arts &amp; Culture","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/arts-humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Jack Megan,","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/042224_Megan_090w-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/042224_Megan_090w-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/042224_Megan_090w-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/042224_Megan_090w-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":109077,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2012\/05\/embracing-the-arts\/","url_meta":{"origin":224046,"position":1},"title":"Embracing the arts","author":"harvardgazette","date":"May 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The 20th anniversary of Harvard\u2019s Arts First festival, presented by the Office for the Arts at Harvard and the Office of Governing Boards, featured 100 music, dance, theater, and multimedia events in a dozen venues.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus &amp; Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus &amp; Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/042812_artsfirst_197_500.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":183019,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/05\/creative-cultured-and-diverse\/","url_meta":{"origin":224046,"position":2},"title":"Creative, cultured, and diverse","author":"harvardgazette","date":"May 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The annual Arts First festival showcased many forms of imaginative expression and creativity across Harvard.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Arts &amp; Culture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Arts &amp; Culture","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/arts-humanities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/043016_arts_first_0201.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/043016_arts_first_0201.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/043016_arts_first_0201.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":107744,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2012\/04\/tripping-the-arts-fantastic\/","url_meta":{"origin":224046,"position":3},"title":"Tripping the arts fantastic","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 19, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Harvard\u2019s Arts First festival is celebrating its 20th year with poetry, performance, and a stunning public art display.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Arts &amp; 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