Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden at Stanford

From formal tours to serendipitous sightings, there are plenty of ways to engage with the public artworks on Stanford’s grounds.

Stanford’s public art program includes more than 80 works of art created in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries that reflect the history, spirit, and dynamism of life on campus. From Ursula von Rydingsvard’s monumental bronze MOCNA (2018) at Denning House to whimsical bike racks styled by David Byrne (2016) along Lomita Drive to Sam Van Aken’s Tree of 40 Fruit (2019) growing next to the Rodin Sculpture Garden, all are accessible to the public 365 days a year.

A 15-minute walk due south of the Rodins, through the center of campus, puts you in the leafy center of the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden at the corner of Santa Teresa Street and Lomita Drive.

Thirty years ago, 10 artists-in-residence from the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea were invited to Stanford to reinterpret their artistic and design perspectives within the new context of a Western public art environment.

The artists produced 40 carved posts, freestanding individual figures, garamut slit drums, and other large-scale site-specific artworks.

Improved lighting and new smooth, flat walking paths easily accessed off the street sidewalk make this oasis easy to navigate year-round.

Read more here https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/07/A-12-campus-art-walks-to-take-this-summer