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
The Visual Arts and Sound Art MFA Programs at Columbia University School of the Arts recently showcased the Class of 2021 in their postponed First Year MFA Exhibition.
The Columbia University Film Festival (CUFF) will present its annual Andrew Sarris Award to Palestian-American filmmaker and Film Program alumna Cherien Dabis ’04.
Uncovering the Heritage Silhouette is a bi-weekly series diving into how tradition influences the creation of art. We interview artists heavily influenced by their heritage.
Visual Arts student Kelsey Shwetz has work on display at two galleries: Casa Equis in Mexico City, Mexico and Hollis Taggart in Southport, Connecticut. Casa Equis houses Shwetz’s solo exhibition A Lamp is Not the Only Sign of Glass while Hollis Taggart includes Shwetz’s pieces in its group exhibition Unique Expressions.
Las Biuty Queens, a story collection by Iván Monalisa Ojeda, translated from the Spanish by alumna Hannah Kauders '20, will be released by Astra House on June 1, 2021.
Baruch College recently announced that alumna Daphne Palasi Andreades '19 will serve as its Spring 2021 Sidney Harman Writing Fellow.
Beauty Marks, a short film directed by alumna Gina Hackett '20, co-written by Hackett and alumnus Waleed Alqahtani '20, produced by alumna Christina Wood '20, and edited by alumnus Cameron Bruce Nelson '20, had its world premiere at the RapidLion - South African International Film Festival in Johannesburg on April 9. Beauty Marks ran in the Student Short program and will soon also screen at the Columbia University Film Festival.
The National Asian American Theatre Company, (NAATCO) has commissioned five Asian American playwrights, including alumna Samantha Chanse ’12 to collaborate on Out Of Time.
Visual arts students Joseph Liatela, Juan Hernández Díaz, and Lindsey Brittain Collins and alumni Farah Mohammad ’21, Yi Sa-Ra ’20, Cara Lynch ’20, Paula Lycan ’20, Yifan Jiang ’20, Baris Gokturk ’20, Aika Akhmetova ’20, and Kate Liebman ’19 will present new video, sound, and performance work during a live program with the Jewish Museum. The event takes place Sunday, April 18, 2021 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm ET via Zoom, and it will respond to the show, We Fight to Build a Free World:…
The Playwrights’ Center announced nine recipients for the 2021-2022 Jerome Fellowship, including Playwriting alumna Gethsemane Herron-Coward ’19.
We recognize the pain, anger, and grief that may be experienced in response to the senseless killing of Daunte Wright. This, following the killings of George Floyd and Philando Castile also in the Minneapolis area, demonstrates the continued violence against the Black community by the police, not just in Minnesota but across the nation.