A Welcome Message from Laila Maher
Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs
Now more than ever it is crucial for artists to be supported as they pursue their craft. The life of an artist as well as that of a student involves much more than the classroom and the work itself, and this is where the Office of Student Affairs comes in. In addition to guiding new students through the process of transitioning to the School of the Arts, we plan the School-wide orientation, School of the Arts Convocation, and support student groups, events, and activities.
We also play a critical role in connecting School of the Arts students to the larger university and necessary services, and help students navigate many of the central offices including Health Services (which houses the Office of Disability Services, Insurance, Immunization, and Counseling and Psychological Services), Columbia Residential, Public Safety, University Life, the International Students and Scholars Office, and the Registrar's Office. Our office also helps to uphold many of the School and University-wide policies and we manage the School’s disciplinary procedures.
The Artists’ Resource Center, also part of our Office, maintains information on funding opportunities and career resources for students and alumni at the Columbia University School of the Arts, and provides consultations to students and alumni to help them look for professional development opportunities and more.
After graduation, the Office of Alumni Affairs provides more than 7000 alumni artists, creators, and leaders with opportunities to stay connected with the School of the Arts, the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA), and one another through alumni programming, benefits, a monthly newsletter, and collaborations with CAA Arts Access.
Our ultimate goal is to support our students and alums while they pursue their education as valued members of our dynamic community and as they navigate their time after graduation.
Student & Alumni News
Three Columbia filmmakers have had their screenplays selected to participate in Cine Qua Non Lab’s esteemed script revision lab.
On Wednesday, the Student Academy Awards announced their finalists for the 2021 competition, naming Film alumna Victoria Rivera '20 among them. Three other students and alumni from the Columbia community were also named: Journalism student Zoe Ramushu, and alumni Sarah Collins (JRN '20) and David Peter Hansen (JRN '21) are all in the running for this prestigious film award.
Six feature films and one narrative series by faculty and alumni have been selected by The Gotham Film & Media Institute for its Gotham Week Project Market, which will be held virtually from September 19–24, 2021.
After winning the Camera D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival last month, Film alumna Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović ’17 has been signed by UTA and the Brillstein Entertainment Group.
The New York Foundation for the Arts recently announced the recipients of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Program, a coveted award that has been administered annually for 36 years with support from the New York State Council on the Arts.
Breathing Water to Air, Visual Arts alumni Khari Turner's '21 first New York solo exhibition, is available for viewing at Ross-Sutton Gallery until August 7, 2021.
Visual Arts alumni Khari Turner's '21 first New York solo exhibition, is available for viewing at Ross-Sutton Gallery until August 7, 2021.
River Flows in You, a debut solo exhibition of work by alumna Yuri Yuan '21, is available for viewing at Alexander Berggruen Gallery in New York City until August 31, 2021.
Sundance Institute has announced the recipients of their inaugural Uprise Grant Fund, which seeks to support BIPOC artists whose work has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The work of Visual Arts alumnus Kiyan Williams ’19 is featured in two exhibitions opening this July.
For his thesis production, Keenan Tyler Oliphant ‘21 brings a new perspective to South African playwright Philip Rademeyer’s play The View.
The New York Community Trust recently announced that Playwriting alumna Daaimah Mubashshir '15 is a 2021 recipient of the prestigious Helen Merrill Award for playwriting.