Artist Hired to Spruce Up Yard

Starting this February, Harvard Yard may look and feel very different to those who walk through it every day.

Harvard is sponsoring British artist David Ward to design and execute a large-scale project in "public art" through a massive collaboration with various Harvard groups and the Graduate School of Design.

"I don't know what's in store, but I'm convinced that it will be something I've never seen before," said Director of the Harvard Office of the Arts Myra A. Mayman.

Mayman, who said she proposed the idea of bringing Ward to Harvard, said she is convinced that the project will bring a fresh, interesting perspective to the Yard. "The Yard is a perfect spot for such a project because it belongs to everyone," she said.

While at Harvard, Ward will also be teaching a course through the department of visual and environmental studies, exhibiting his work at the Sackler Museum and lecturing at the Design School. He will live in Adams House for the duration of his residency.

Ward has not stated specifically what he will display, but one feature of the Yard--the pathways--seem to have caught his eye.

In preparation for the project, FAS Director of Planning Phillip J. Parsons led Ward on a rooftop tour.

The two scaled the roofs of every building in the Yard, allowing Ward to get a more encompassing feel for the future site of his project, and to view the layout of the Yard pathways from above.

One of the main goals of this project will be to directly involve students in an ongoing art project. Ward will solicit ideas, changes and feedback from a host of undergraduates as the project evolves, Mayman said.