Although Penn is not traditionally renowned for its involvement in the arts, a new Interdisciplinary Arts Fund hopes to boost engagement in the arts on campus.
The Office of the Provost announced Tuesday that it will sponsor the Interdisciplinary Arts Fund to finance arts and culture initiatives in academic and student life.
The program — which aims to bring students and faculty together through the arts — piloted last semester by funding several on-campus arts projects, said Leo Charney, a spokesman from the Provost’s Office.
The Fund does not specify a maximum or minimum amount per project, according to the Provost’s Office. Although it is designed to support new programs, it may also finance existing initiatives. Interested groups must submit a proposal on how their initiative will affect the Penn community.
Lynn Marsden-Atlass, the director of the Arthur Ross Gallery and curator of the University Art Collection, said that the pilot program allowed the Gallery to host several events to engage students in “Post-Mao Dreams,” a modern Chinese art exhibit that is currently on display.
The gallery attracted students through organizing a discussion by the exhibition’s curator, a Lunar New Year celebration and East Asian arts panel, Marsden-Atlass said.
The Chinese Music Society, PennYo, Hong Kong Students Association, the Center for East Asia Studies and students hosting bilingual tours in Chinese have all been involved with the project.
The Fund contributes to the Gallery’s goal of “relating our exhibitions to timely issues in [students’] classes,” Marsden-Atlass said. “We’re trying to reach students in as many ways as we can.”
For Xixi Chen, a College junior from China and member of the Chinese Music Society, the opportunity to attend and perform at the Gallery allowed her to create “personal connections” with the art on display.
Chen said that as a non-arts major, attending the exhibit gave her a “more complete” understanding of the artwork because it went beyond simply viewing the pieces and lessened the “gap” between faculty and students.
Claudia Gould, the director of the Institute for Contemporary Art, said that with the aid of the Fund, the ICA hosted events that would not have had adequate resources or money in the past.
By having students contribute to and organize events, the ICA hosted a zine-making workshop in collaboration with several on- and off- campus organizations, including the Kelly Writers House.
Gould was enthusiastic about the prospects of the future of art at Penn. The Fund “shows that the University is invested in the arts,” she said.
The Fund encourages arts centers and faculty to work together and challenges them to create new ways to reach out to students, Gould said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
