Arts at MIT

The arts at MIT are rooted in experimentation, risk taking, and imaginative problem solving. The Institute offers highly regarded degree programs in architectural design; art, culture, and technology; comparative media studies; history, theory, and criticism of architecture and art; music; theater arts; and writing. Undergraduate minors are also offered in several of these fields. Many MIT faculty have received awards in recognition of their work in the arts, including the Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, and MacArthur Fellowship. MIT students are also strong contributors to the vibrant arts culture that permeates campus life.

The MIT Museum presents programs, exhibitions, and events inspired by the spirit and drive of innovation, welcoming all to participate in public dialogue and conversation. The Institute’s past achievements are celebrated through the museum’s extensive and unique collections, while MIT’s current research, innovation, and design provide a catalyst for exhibitions and ongoing programs. The museum also produces the annual Cambridge Science Festival, featuring multiple days of programs and activities. In October 2022, a reimagined museum opened in its new location at MIT’s Kendall Square gateway.

The MIT List Visual Arts Center is the Institute’s contemporary art museum. Its core mission is to exhibit, collect, and commission visual arts for MIT. The List presents six to eight exhibitions annually in conjunction with a broad range of education programs free to both the MIT community and the general public. It also maintains and adds to MIT’s permanent collection of more than 3,500 artworks that includes over 60 public sculptures and hundreds of paintings, prints, photographs, and drawings located throughout campus. The List Center commissions new works for the MIT Public Art Collection through the MIT Percent-for-Art Program, and oversees the Student Lending Art Program that allows MIT students to annually borrow original works of art from the collection to hang in their living spaces.

The MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology facilitates and creates opportunities for artists at MIT and beyond to exchange ideas and collaborate with engineers and scientists. The center fosters a culture where the arts, science, and technology thrive as interrelated, mutually informing modes of exploration, knowledge, and discovery.

The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT celebrates innovative talents in all arts disciplines and is one of the most generous cultural honors in the United States. Recent recipients of the award include multidisciplinary artist and composer Pamela Z (2022), designer Thomas Heatherwick (2020), and singer and actress Audra McDonald (2018).