There is no doubt that Stanford students are talented. We excel in a variety of fields, from academics to athletics to public service. One area where students display their ability is in the arts. Stanford has its share of students who major in the arts, whether it is Music or Drama or Studio Art, and these students produce tremendous work. In addition to those formally studying art, however, there are countless Stanford students who produce art as a passion on the side. Another unique aspect of this university that the Editorial Board has touched upon before is the guaranteed availability of on-campus housing for all four years. Nevertheless, there is very little student artwork presented in common areas in dorms or houses across campus. Given this combination, the Editorial Board wonders why we do not see more student artwork in Stanford’s housing.

Artwork goes a long way toward transforming a residence into a home: Witness dorm theme decorations, particularly for freshmen who are making the transition to their new living environments, or even students’ choices of which posters or photos to put up in their rooms. More artwork in common living spaces would give students more ownership over the space that they call home and showcase the plentiful talent that we have on campus. In fact, knowing that they could contribute to their living space might even encourage more students to pick up the paintbrush or camera that they have not touched since high school.

This is not to say that Stanford does nothing in this arena. Dorms are often well decorated by committed student staff members, and pianos and open mic nights in dorms across campus bring art in the form of music to the community. The Student Art Spots in many dorms and public spaces are a good first step toward better showcasing students’ efforts in other types of art. But these spaces are underutilized, and it would seem that many students don’t realize they can display their art or don’t know how to go about doing so. Furthermore, the way that these spaces are set up tends to limit displays to smaller pieces of sculpture, ceramics, painting, or photography.

Stanford could do more. Events similar to Art After Dark, which is Stanford’s largest student arts festival, could be held in dorms or houses across campus to showcase more types of art – interactive or performance art, design work, larger sculptures in addition to the smaller pieces already present – in residential spaces. Murals are another way to showcase student talent and build community. The murals in Casa Zapata are more than just artwork; they remind diners everyday of that community’s pride and its struggles. Currently, permission is only sparingly granted for murals, limiting students’ ability to express themselves and make the space their own. Coordinating with the Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts (SiCa), which does a lot of work in promoting art of all types on campus, would be a good place to start.

There is no doubt that Stanford is committed to the arts, what with the world-class Cantor Center and new Bing Concert Hall. There is also no doubt that students themselves are committed to the arts. What is needed is for Stanford to show its students that it values their contributions in this arena by committing to more student art and more varied student art showcased in living spaces across campus. Administrators like Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Harry Elam have spoken of making the arts “inescapable” on campus. What better way to make them inescapable than to have student art throughout the residences?