Frames of Creative Expression: Arts Fest 2026
Presented by The Office for the Arts at Harvard, Arts Fest is a four-day annual celebration that transforms Harvard’s campus into an arts makerspace that is free and open to all.
Arts Fest 2026 took place from April 30 to May 3, 2026. New dedicated programming tracks, Science and Arts and Religion, and Spirituality and Ethics, echoed ways that art is essential to bridging disciplines and deeping self and global understanding. Creative collaboration took center stage from indoor and outdoor performance arenas, make art stations, galleries, exhibitions, concerts, and more, concluding with the Harvard Arts Medal ceremony.
Installations and Creativity
The festival began on Thursday, April 30, with installations at the Cambridge Kiosk. On Friday, performances began on Science Center Plaza, featuring guest entertainers such as The Era Footwork Collective and Boston's Stiggity Stackz, and student groups such as The Asian American Dance Troupe (AADT).
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Art. Science. Policy. at Cambridge Kiosk. Photo credit: OFA/Kerrie Zhu ‘28.
The undergraduate student exhibition at Cambridge Kiosk, open through June 5. Photo credit: OFA/Kerrie Zhu ‘28.
Asian American Dance Troupe (AADT) on the Science Center Plaza. Photo credit: OFA/Adam Kissick.
Dancers at Steppin’ to it with Chicago's The Era Footwork Collective and Boston’s Stiggity Stackz on the Science Center Plaza. Photo credit: OFA/Adam Kissick.
A Showcase of Skills
Saturday's programming focused on the much-anticipated Performance Fair, highlighting dozens of various performers across disciplines. Donned in matching Arts Fest 2026 shirts, Danoff Dean of Harvard College David Deming and OFA Director Fiona Coffey gave remarks about the importance of celebrating the arts on campus.
Throughout the afternoon, students showcased their creativity and talents through teams such as the Harvard Steelpan Ensemble, the Harvard Dance and Cheer teams, and the Harvard Band, as well as individual spotlights, such as Christopher Shin '27 on piano.
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The Harvard College Steelpan Ensemble (left) and Harvard Cheer and Crimson Dance Teams (right). Photo credit: OFA/Adam Kissick.
Danoff Dean of Harvard College David Deming (left) and OFA Director Fiona Coffey (right) welcomed the audience to the Saturday Arts Fest Performance Fair. Photo credit: OFA/Adam Kissick.
Christopher Shin ‘27 at Paine Hall. Photo credit: OFA/Kerrie Zhu ‘28.
The Harvard University Band in Harvard Yard. Photo credit: OFA/Kerrie Zhu ‘28.
Awarding the Harvard Arts Medal
To close the festival, the Harvard Arts Medal was awarded to Tony Award-nominated Bill Rauch '84, who conversed with cherished friends from Harvard College about the integral role Harvard played in his career as an American theater innovator. For the rest of the ceremony, undergraduate student artists performed works that celebrated the scope of Rauch's career.
President Alan Garber ‘76 (left), 2026 Harvard Arts Medalist Bill Rauch ‘84 (center), and Office for the Arts Director Fiona Coffey (right). Photo credit: OFA/Adam Kissick.
Gabby Medina ‘26 (left), Blake Hullinger ‘29 (center), and Alicia Chu ‘27 (right) at Farkas Hall. Photo credit: Carlos Sanchez/Harvard FAS Staff Photographer.
Maranatha Paul ‘26 at Farkas Hall. Photo by Carlos Sanchez/Harvard FAS.
