Student Lending Art Program

Two people attend the MIT List Arts Center SLAP Reception 2019.

Student Lending Art Program Reception, 2019

The Student Lending Art Program is a unique and popular MIT tradition that allows MIT students to borrow original works of art from the MIT List Visual Arts Center.

The fully digitized collection includes more than 700 framed original works of art, primarily prints and photographs by leading contemporary artists, which are made available to students each September to live with for the school year. 

Students live with and care for a work from the collection. Participating students proudly hang artwork borrowed from the collection in their private rooms and communal spaces.  

Explore Collection

2022 Exhibition 

Support

The List Center actively collects new works each year with leadership support provided by the Alan M. May Fund and the John Taylor Endowment.

Support for the program is provided by the Office of Graduate Education, Vera G. List, MIT’s Campus Activities Complex, MIT List Friends of Boston Art, Stanhope Framers, and the Council for the Arts at MIT.

In 2018–2019 the List Center received gifts of art from Cynthia and Michael Weisfield, Olga and John Guttag, Carlos de la Torre, Audrey and James Foster, David C. Schmittlein, and Souren Ouzounian.

Additional funds for acquisitions were provided by Karen & Gregory Arenson, Rhea Cohen, Leila Kinney, Joan L. Lewis, Bethany & Robert Millard, Sara Ann & Robert Sanders, Idee German Schoenheimer, Pepi Weiss, and the Friends of Boston Art.

Student Stories

“During the pandemic, taking peace and pride in my home life was a big focus for me. Also, I spend so much time in this room, writing my thesis here, a few months ago I caught COVID and quarantined in here… so having this cheerful, but peaceful piece of art has been special.”

Caroline Jaffe

A woman sits in an office sitting area on one of two yellow chairs with three framed artworks behind her.

Watch: Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #869B

MIT List Center Student Lending Art Collection Highlight: Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing # 869B

Preview image for the video "MIT List Center Student Lending Art Collection Highlight: Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing # 869B".

New Acquisitions

Black and white low resolution photograph of two people sitting in a tree. The artist painted over their faces with small dots and added a pattern on the tree bark and border of the photograph.
Black and white low resolution photograph of a woman lying on a field with dots of paint above her from the left to right side of the canvas and a checkered border on the right.
Photograph of a man in uniform with dots of pink paint covering his face and a thick blue border with red stripes around the edge.
Photograph featuring bright lights, feathers, and pink neon light coming from the right side.
Abstract image of lines and rectangular shapes that resembles two building walls meeting in a corner.
Abstract image featuring circles, lines and triangular shapes with a distorted effect that looks like spilt liquid.
Photograph of a framed artwork featuring black and white squares with small dabs of paint lining the edges of each in yellow, pink, blue, green, and purple.
Image of a woman walking down an empty sidewalk at night looking back towards the camera.
Video still of a woman in a striped t-shirt and dark sunglasses putting stamps all over her face in front of some trees.
A person sits at an office desk watching television. The office has many empty desks, portraits of three men hanging on the back wall and a checkered floor.
Video still of a suitcase propped open with a photograph from a first communion inside taking up the width of the suitcase. Tealight candles light the room on the ground to the left and right of the case.
Video still of a person from behind sitting at a desk turned towards the camera with a cartoon looking face cropped onto her and a green screen background.
Print of a man sitting at a desk with a pencil in hand and some sketches hanging on the wall behind him. The top reads “Butch Heroes” and the bottom is the title of the work.
Print of a man smoking a pipe while he puts plaster on the side of a country house with a field and small cottage in the background. The top reads “Butch Heroes” and the bottom is the title of the work.
Full moon with a textured surface made of small dots and lines.
Photograph of a framed collage print that has small cut out circles, wavy lines, and brown edges.
Photograph of a framed artwork featuring a brown and black abstract paper collage on the right side of the page.