Last Tuesday evening, the Harvard Art Museums welcomed an energetic group of incoming Harvard freshmen to the Sackler Museum galleries. The group of about 75 students were given the opportunity to explore the collections as part of the Freshman Arts Program (or FAP, as they proudly exclaim when rallying the troops), a week-long program of activities led by Director Dana Knox introducing incoming freshmen to the artistic community at Harvard.

Director of Academic Partnerships, Jessica Levin Martinez, and curators Susan Dackerman, Mika Natif, and Susanne Ebbinghaus kicked off the evening with interactive group discussions in the galleries. After a few engaging questions, students participated in a lively dialogue, exchanging ideas and observations on the role of art in society, how media shapes our perceptions of art, and how they relate to the objects as artists. Students, then, explored the museum in smaller groups for more intimate discussions about works with which they felt a connection.

With the galleries all to themselves, the students felt free to discover and take in all that our collections have to offer. It was their museum and will continue to be throughout their years at Harvard. If they found this experience exciting, wait until they see what’s in store for their Junior year.

See more photos from the FAP event on Flickr.