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
Visual Arts alum Meaghan Elyse ’23 has a new show at The Boiler, ELM Foundation titled Lighthouse of Moth. Reflecting upon waste, violence against the earth and other bodies, this work asks: can the frequency of a body be felt across a room? Across the earth?
Calvin Atkinson presents Sally for the School of the Arts's first Directing Thesis production this year. Sally is a reworking and reimagining of Jerome Kern’s forgotten 1921 gem that queries the iconic “rags to riches” story and examines the early American musical itself. Featuring a new book by playwriting student Meg Ledford and new orchestrations by New School MM composer Calvin Hitchcock, the show interrogates the American Dream as it seemed to be in the 1920s, from today’s vantage point.
Writing alum Rachel Kushner ’01 was officially confirmed to the 2024 Booker Prize shortlist on Monday, for her novel Creation Lake.
Several Columbia Alumni and Students feature in this year’s NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship program, its 39th edition. 10 different Columbia alumni are represented across three disciplines, including five Fellows, three Finalists, and two Panelists.
The 76th Emmy Awards were held in Los Angeles on Sunday night, with numerous Columbia alums and their affiliated shows dominating the primetime ceremony. The Creative Arts Emmys, which focus primarily on behind-the-camera craft awards, were held a week earlier, and Columbia-affiliated shows also took home several wins.
Theater alum Beau Willimon ’03 (CC '99) and Film alum James Mangold ’99 have joined forces to tell a new chapter of a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi. Beau is set to co-write the Lucasfilm project alongside Mangold who will also direct the film
Visual Arts alumni and faculty showcased a selection of phenomenal work at this year’s 2024 Armory Show, which took place at the Javits Center in New York City between September 6-8.
Journalist and Nonfiction student Carlos Barragán has sold his debut book The Yahoo Boys to FSG in a pre-emptive deal. The book is a nonfiction portrait of the “Yahoo Boys,” tech-savvy young men in Nigeria who make a living conducting online romance scams, targeting lonely victims often from the United States.
April, the singular sophomore effort from director Dea Kulumbegashvili '18, produced by Ilan Amouyal '17, has won the Special Jury Prize at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
Apoorva Charan ’18 discusses her journey as an artist and creator.
Fresh from his success with FX’s breakout hit Shōgun, Film alum Jonathan van Tulleken '10 has been tapped to helm the series adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurley’s horror novel The Loney, for New Regency Television.
Prince Street Gallery is currently showcasing Bicoastal, a compelling new series of works by Visual Arts alumna Gina Werfel ‘79, whose exploration of light and space offers a fresh perspective.