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
Porno, a feature film directed by Keola Racela '15, co-written and co-produced by Matt Black '15 and Laurence Vannicelli '15, and co-produced by adjunct assistant professor Sarah Seulki Oh '15, is set to open theatrically on April 10, 2020.
Alumnus Cyrèe Jarelle Johnson ’19 was nominated for a Lambda for their book of poetry Slingshot. The book, published by Nightboat Books, came out in September 2019 to rave reviews.
New York, NY March 13, 2020—Celebrating its seventh year of connecting talented alumni with the film industry, the Columbia Blue List represents the finest unproduced screenplays and television pilots written by recent graduates of the Columbia University School of the Arts graduate Film Program.
Stars Behind The Stars is a bi-weekly series featuring theatre makers behind the scenes.
Alumna Melissa Clark ’94 recently published a cookbook titled Dinner in French. This book contains classic French recipes as well as innovations and variations of classics based on Clark’s experience growing up in Brooklyn and summering in France with her family.
Playwriting alumna Elisabeth Frankel ’19 is assistant directing the musical Assassins at Classic Stage Company alongside Director John Doyle. Doyle has served as Artistic Director for Classic Stage Company since 2016, following former Artistic Director and Professor Brian Kulick.
The Truffle Hunters, co-directed and produced by alumnus Gregory Kershaw '11, received a warm reception at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Following its success, the documentary was then acquired by Sony Pictures Classic to receive a theatrical release with the exact release date still to be set. According to Deadline, “the documentary went for $1.5 million in a worldwide rights deal, with several distributors bidding.”
Current student Orla Tinsley, who studies writing at Columbia University, is the subject of an Irish-production documentary titled Orla Tinsley: Warrior. This documentary, which followed Tinsley as she goes through the process of a double lung transplant in New York in 2018, is a finalist for the New York Film Award 2020.
Conversations with Artists in Art Getting Art is a bi-weekly series and a play on Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. We interview artists about their art and 'getting art'.
Hogar, a feature directed by David Pastor '04 and his brother Alex Pastor, has begun production, and will premiere on Netflix in 2020.
Directing Alumnus Marc Atkinson '16 associate directed Hamlet at St. Ann’s Warehouse alongside Director Yaël Farber. The production transferred to St. Ann’s and screened earlier this month, following a critically acclaimed run at The Gate Theatre in Dublin, in the fall of 2018.
The National Endowment for the Arts recently granted $15,000 to Transit Books, a publishing press of work in fiction, nonfiction, and translation started by alumni Ashley Nelson Levy ’12 and Adam Z. Levy ’12.