Last week, more than 100 eager students received an email telling them they had been selected to receive an art loan from The Gund for their dorms. The Art Loan Program allows Kenyon students to borrow art from The Gund for their dorm rooms, giving students the opportunity to engage with and learn from the artwork outside of a gallery setting, while also introducing students to the maintenance and care of art pieces. This year, 188 students entered the Art Loan lottery and 103 were selected. 

 When entering the lottery, students were asked to rank five works in order of preference, with the first being the piece they’d most like to receive if selected. Students’ names were put into a randomized list and the first 103 students were matched with the pieces. “Some students are selected for art loan, but do not match with their top-five works because those works have already been paired with a different student. In that case, we offer the unmatched works to these students,” Tillie Wang ’23, a post baccalaureate fellow in Museum Practices and Arts Administration, wrote in an email to the Collegian.

This year, Kenyon students will keep the art in their dorm for the entire academic school year rather than just one semester, a first for the program since it launched in 2016. “Previously, the quick turnaround between semesters created challenges, given our small staff and the number of artworks loaned out. From a collection stewardship perspective, minimizing the movement of artworks is essential, as it reduces the risk of damage and ensures their long-term preservation,” Wang explained.

Elizabeth Teleisha ’27, who was selected by the lottery this year and in the fall of 2023, wrote in a message to the Collegian, “Last year I was so sad when my piece was removed after the semester. It felt like it had become a part of my room and my dorm felt empty without it. I’m really glad that I get to look at this piece for the whole year and it can become an integral part of my room!” This year, Teleisha received Fragile Wings by David True.

However, with the change from a semester to yearlong loan, the cost of the program has risen from $10 to $30. Since the Art Loan Program began, the $10 fee has gone toward the costs of framing the art, providing accompanying notebooks and supporting new pieces for the loan collection. The fee had remained unchanged since the program’s beginning. “However, rising costs for notebooks — which allow loanees to reflect on their experience with the art — along with expenses for Command hooks and other installation hardware, have led us to reconsider the loan fee,” Wang said. In addition to supplying replacements for materials that come along with each piece, the added cost allows The Gund to buy “Gallery Pouches” that can be reused over the coming years, reducing waste. 

“It’s important to note that the loan fee is minimal and doesn’t cover all the costs associated with caring for the Art Loan Collection,” Wang added. “However, it helps offset the expenses of framing and reframing, especially when artworks are damaged or the accompanying notebooks are not returned. It also allows us to diversify the collection by acquiring new pieces each year.”

Robin Snyder ’28, who was selected to receive Passing Fancy by Pat Adams, wrote in an email to the Collegian, that they were “pleasantly surprised” after finding out they had been selected for the art lottery. Each art piece is accompanied by a journal full of past entries from others who have lived with that piece. “From the journal entries that came with Passing Fancy… it seemed like a pretty popular one, some of the previous owners had entered for it several times before getting it. I see why, it’s a very compelling abstract piece,” Snyder added.

The Gund Art Loan program is an amazing way to add some beautiful decoration to the drab and plain walls of a dorm room. “Having an art piece in my dorm to always be able to look at was super exciting to me. I had been looking for something to elevate my room decoration and this was perfect!” Teleisha said.