Student Lending Art Program

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

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.