ArtsWest Events

ArtsWest is an innovative program that aims to place a spotlight on Western arts through speakers, symposiums, film screenings, and exhibitions. The West boasts a rich tradition of distinctive and celebrated works of literature, photography, and visual and cinematic art. The West is a place of globally influential creativity and artistic vision as the epicenter for America’s motion picture industry, a mecca for seekers of the counterculture, and a home for daring artists and trends. ArtsWest aims to explore the contribution of the arts and humanities in the American West through programs for public and scholarly audiences and to extend the reach of the University into continuing education for adults in the arts and humanities.

Although many associate Stanford University with the science and technology of Silicon Valley, the strong influence of the arts and humanities on campus dates back to the university's founding. More recently, the opening of the Anderson Collection, McMurtry Building, and designation of the new Arts District surrounding the world class Cantor Center for Visual Arts have combined to place Stanford in the top tier of American universities emphasizing the visual arts.

ArtsWest seeks to leverage the excellence found on campus with a special emphasis on the contributions of Western-based artists, writers, and cultural leaders who are inspired by the lifestyle and landscape found in the West. Through a series of lectures, seminars, symposia and teaching, ArtsWest highlights historical contributions and forward-looking trends in the arts benefitting the campus and public at large.