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
Behind the D4 is an interview series about the D4 films made by Film MFA Program students.
Make Room Gallery presents the first solo exhibition by Yuri Yuan ’21, Moments of Being, in Los Angeles, CA. The show features paintings made during her first and second years of graduate school at Columbia.
Out of the Past, Into the Future is a bi-weekly series that aims to chronicle a limitless scope of work by Columbia filmmakers representative of the past, present, and future.
The Mucciaccia Gallery New York presents the new exhibition Intersections, featuring two solo projects by New York based artists including alumnus Stipan Tadić ’20.
I write in response to the brutal murder of eight people this past Tuesday in Atlanta, seven of whom were women, and six of whom were of Asian descent.
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 alumna Yi Sa-Ra ’20 has work on display in the AHL Foundation’s virtual exhibition Properties of... Sa-Ra was a recipient of the 2020 AHL Foundation Artist Fellowship, among three other recipients who are also featured in the exhibit.
Fieldglass a debut poetry collection by alumna Catherine Pond '13, will be released this Friday by Southern Illinois University Press. The book is available for pre-order here.
Meiselman: The Lean Years, a novel by alumnus Avner Landes '10, was released last week by Tortoise Books.
Three Columbia Films were selected to screen at the South By Southwest (SXSW) film festival this year.
Film and Media Studies alumnus William Plotnick ’20 and Gustavo Menezes co-programmed the Sessão Cinelimite Virtual Film Program, presented by Mostra de Cinema de Gostoso earlier this month.
The Playwright’s Room is a series featuring the newest cohort of Columbia Playwriting students. These playwrights study under the tutelage of David Henry Hwang and Lynn Nottage.