Arts & Culture

Explore Harvard’s vibrant arts scene—from campus exhibitions and theater to cultural analysis and literary reviews. Discover how creativity shapes the Harvard experience.

Conan O’Brien in a dark suit and light shirt, smiling and posing with hands clasped.

Conan O’Brien Named Harvard’s 2026 Commencement Speaker

The comedian, host, and 1985 graduate will deliver remarks at the May 28 ceremony. 

by Schuyler Velasco

Two women in traditional kimonos, one lighting a cigarette, in a scene from Apart from You.

Harvard Film Archive Spotlights Japanese Director Mikio Naruse

A retrospective of the filmmaker’s works, from Floating Clouds to Flowing

by Nell Porter-Brown

Room filled with furniture made from tightly rolled newspaper sheets.

A Paper House in Massachusetts

The 1920s Rockport cottage reflects resourceful ingenuity.

by Nell Porter-Brown

Two people moving large abstract painting with blue V-shaped design in museum courtyard.

A Harvard Art Museums Painting Gets a Bath

Water and sunlight help restore a modern American classic.

by Max J. Krupnick

Renaissance portrait of young man thought to be Christoper Marlowe with light beard, wearing ornate black coat with gold buttons and red patterns.

Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival

Without Christopher Marlowe, there might not have been a Bard.

by Nina Pasquini

a crowd of people dancing in a street

Salsa Squared

Latin dancing fills the streets in Harvard Square   

by Nell Porter-Brown

A woman and a horse jump off a large platform into water

The Woman Who Rode Horses Into the Water

Scrapbooking a woman who rode horses into the sea

by Max J. Krupnick

a couple sitting at a park overlooking the ocean

Your Guide to Summer 2025 Along Boston Harbor

Enjoying Boston Harbor’s Renaissance this summer

by Nell Porter-Brown

group of people with camera equipment above the fjords in Iceland

A Filmmaker Finds Stories on the Margins

How John Armstrong’s outdoor documentaries capture the human spirit 

by Lydialyle Gibson

David Leo Rice

David Leo Rice on 'The Berlin Wall'

David Leo Rice explores the strange, unseen forces shaping our world.

by Nina Pasquini

A six-foot-tall, five-panel folded screen stands in a field of grass next to the woods. It's painted different shades of green, with some squares cut out that represent digital pixels.

Julia Rooney’s Cyanotype Art At Harvard

Julia Rooney’s paintings cross the analog-digital divide.

by Claire Zulkey