If you’ve ever struggled to decorate your dorm room, fret no more: The Rose Art Museum’s Student Loan Program can help.
Since 1956, the Rose has been loaning pieces from its collection to Brandeis students living on campus. Students can select pieces from two donated collections that are solely meant for being loaned to students. This school year, the Rose set the price for renting a work from the collection at $5 for the entire academic year. Students were able to view and then rent art on a first come, first serve basis on Thursday, Nov. 2 at the Rose.
Rose Curatorial Interns LaShawn Simmons ’18 and Pavla Berghen-Wolf ’18 have been hard at work for weeks in preparation for this special event.
Trained in light art handling and completing condition reports, Simmons and Berghen-Wolf got to transport the pieces and assess the condition of each piece. Simmons and Berghen-Wolf learned about how art museums conserve their collections. Both interns promoted the program around campus, online and through social media. They typed up biographical blurbs about the artists whose works were featured in this year’s selection of 20 artworks.
How exactly does one go about renting a piece of art from the Rose? It’s easier than you may think. A student can pick the piece they would like to exhibit in their dorm room and then must complete a loan agreement form. The student pays $5 to the museum and then receives the wrapped artwork, equipment with which to hang the art and detailed care instructions. It is important to the Rose that each rental be returned in the spring in mint condition.
As for how Simmons and Berghen-Wolf decided on the 20 pieces displayed at the event this year, “LaShawn and I had multiple considerations when selecting these works. We were first driven by works that visually stood out to us, and that we thought other students would enjoy too. This often meant we chose artworks that were very colorful and vibrant, and sometimes funny,” Berghen-Wolf told The Brandeis Hoot.
“We also prioritized the safety of the works of art, such as whether students would be able to carry them easily, install them on the wall, and be secure on a dorm wall,” she added. Students could choose from an assortment of bold and lively pieces from a variety of different media: They could pick from paintings, drawings, prints and lithographs.
“The Student Loan Collection is important because it’s a way Brandeis students can feel ownership of their museum. Students can have the experience of choosing an artwork that speaks to them and by hanging it in their room, it’s like turning their room into a mini gallery,” said Berghen-Wolf. If you missed the Rose Student Loan Collection event, there is always next year.
Students can purchase tickets for the Rose’s “Home Within” event featuring artists Kevork Mourad and Kinan Azmeh. Mourad will paint live for event attendees, producing a work based on the Syrian revolution, while Azmeh will play his clarinet throughout the performance. This event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Slosberg Music Center.
