Art on Campus

Syracuse University has a long history of placing important works of art on its campus for the enjoyment and education of visitors, students, faculty, and staff. In the mid 1870s Syracuse became the first institution in the nation to confer a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. A concerted effort to place works of art, such as portrait paintings and sculpture, in classroom buildings and the library began so that art would be introduced into the daily life of Syracuse students.

The idea of using the buildings and ground as settings for works of art developed in 1957 with the acquisition of Rico Lebrun’s mural Crucifixion (located in the Heroy Geology building). This large painting inspired the creation of a program to place original mural sized paintings in other appropriate sites around campus. The highpoint of this project was the installation of Ben Shahn’s monumental mosaic of The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti in 1967 on the facade of HBC.

The campus has grown significantly since then, many new buildings have been constructed and the University continues the effort to introduce art to our students. More than 30 works of art have been placed in campus settings. This application has been organized to offer a self guided walking tour of the campus. You can use the GoogleMap feature to locate works on campus relative to where you are.