The dream to rent a Warhol in your dorm is now available to students at Harvard University. The Student Print Rental Program allows students living in university housing to rent valuable masterpieces through the Harvard Art Museums.
Since 2008, the program has been on hiatus due to museum renovations. The University was pleasantly surprised by the large turnout and array of students eager to get their hands on the museum’s pieces at the program’s reopening this past year. Jessica Diedalis, the facilitator of the Student Print Rental Program, interviewed with the Boston Globe on the rented artworks by students whose academic level ranges from freshman, grad students, and a variety of majors.
The rental program began in 1972 when Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum received a very generous contribution from an anonymous donor. The donor requested that the money should be used to acquire works of art from contemporary American artists to lease to students and add to Harvard’s permanent museum collection.
Students who wish to participate pay $50 to rent an original piece from the likes of Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and many others for the entire academic year. The rental fee is deposited into a fund specified for keeping this beautiful tradition alive and growing. There are currently 275 prints available to rent including Warhol’s Eric Andersen (Chelsea Girls) (1982) and Fifth New York Film Festival – Lincoln Center (1967) as well as Picasso’s Goat’s Skull on the Table (1953) and a lithograph print by Henri Matisse. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Williams College have adopted similar programs with the hope of inspiring students and creating life long interest in the arts.
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