About
Our Vision
Northeastern’s Public Art collection welcomes visitors and shows the university’s commitment to bold exploration and discovery. It also brings our community together to celebrate what connects us as humans. Through art, we’ve created public spaces across our urban campuses that express what is unique to each community and distinctively Northeastern. These works help define our collective experience and invite everyone to engage with art in their daily lives.
Team
Northeastern’s Public Art program is overseen by Marketing in the Office of External Affairs, working in close collaboration with Planning, Real Estate, and Facilities; the Office of the Provost; and Student Affairs. Our Public Art Team reviews and approves all public art proposals, collaborating with academic and arts groups across the university as needed.
All Northeastern public art installations—whether temporary or permanent—must be approved by the Public Art Team prior to installation and as early in the planning phase as possible. Depending on the scale and purpose, please allow a minimum of two weeks to review proposals. This ensures that every piece aligns with our campus vision and community values and that logistics run smoothly.
Contact Us
Our University Arts Community
Gallery 360, Boston
Located on the first floor of the Curry Student Center, Gallery 360 is Northeastern’s contemporary art project space and a resource for teaching, learning, and programming across colleges and disciplines. Curated by Juliana Barton, director of the university’s Center for the Arts in the College of Arts, Media and Design, Gallery 360 partners with the Public Art Program on projects that span interior and exterior campus spaces.
Northeastern Crossing, Boston
Located on Tremont Street, Northeastern Crossing serves as a community gateway to the university and a primary liaison to residents, civic leaders, and neighborhood groups. Part of the university’s Office of City and Community Engagement, Northeastern Crossing partners with the Public Art Program to host a rotating exhibition of local artists’ work. The exhibits serve as the basis for broader artistic programming for our surrounding communities including, artist talks, workshops, and events. Northeastern Crossing has featured the work of artists such as Johnetta Tinker, Ekua Holmes, Cicely Carew, and Jamal Thorne and held workshops by visiting artists Favianna Rodriguez and Barrington Edwards.
Northeastern Center for the Arts, Boston
The Center for the Arts fosters interdisciplinary research, hosts exhibitions, and leads programming, all with the goal of infusing creative expression and cultural awareness into the Northeastern experience. The Public Art Program works in tandem with the center on projects and programming that support the integration of the arts with other disciplines. One collaboration was a decentralized public art project on social media that provided guidance on how people can create art at home with minimal materials.
Mills College Art Museum, Oakland
Founded in 1925, the Mills College Art Museum is an innovative center of art and creativity that enriches Northeastern’s campus network. With over 12,000 objects, the museum is a space for interdisciplinary learning, professional experience for students, and cutting-edge faculty collaborations. Exhibitions focus primarily on contemporary artistic practices, with an emphasis on commissioning artists to create and exhibit new work that engages visitors in critical and creative thinking about the world we live in.
Mills Performing Arts, Oakland
Mills Performing Arts encompasses boundary-breaking work by faculty, students, and visiting artists in dance, music, theater, and literature and languages. Our variety of events and exhibitions promote cultural appreciation by showcasing artists of various backgrounds and experiences while strengthening ties to the San Francisco Bay Area. Our community’s artistic offerings are held in different venues throughout campus.
Center for Contemporary Music, Oakland
The Center for Contemporary Music has long served as a West Coast hub for experimental music. It is recognized internationally for innovation in electroacoustic and computer music, interactive installations and performances, and sound and performance art. Its facilities include 24-track, electronic, dubbing and editing, and hybrid computer recording studios; a technical and project development lab; a private studio for audio mixing and editing; and a musicianship lab for writing and editing music.