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 alumna Tara Geer ‘97 is featured in a solo show, Strangely Blooming, at Planthouse in New York City. This show will be on view from April 21 until May 21, 2022.
Current nonfiction student Wally Suphap recently placed first in the Fish Short Memoir Prize for his story, "Thirteen Ways of Interrogating An Incident."
Page 73 has announced its 2022 Spring Benefit will honor Columbia Theatre alumna and School of the Arts Dean's Council member Barbara Whitman ’05.
A Poet's Life is a series where we talk with Columbia poets about everything from living as a poet to making a living as a poet.
Rebel Satori Press recently published Sleeptalking by Alumnus Antonio Addressi '20. The collection of poems is available for purchase from the publisher.
The Columbia University Film Festival (CUFF) will present its annual Andrew Sarris Award to Canadian director and screenwriter Deborah Chow ’03.
Undergraduate Film alumnus Asher Grodman '10 (CC) has landed a starring role on Ghosts, a new comedy from CBS.
Alumnus Vikram Divecha ‘19 is featured in a solo show at Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde in Dubai.
Flexible Press will publish the debut novel Ready, Set, Oh by Alumnus Diane Josefowicz '08 on May 3, 2022. The book is available for pre-order on the publisher's site.
The 2022 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, which ran from March 11-20, featured several projects from Columbia filmmakers.
The Columbia University Film Festival (CUFF) is a celebration of the Film Program’s students and alumni, screening shorts from exciting emerging talents, and bringing filmmakers together. For this series, we reached out to the filmmakers behind just a few of CUFF’s most unique films to talk about craft, process, and story. In this edition, we chatted with Daniel Byers and Fernando González Ortiz about ancient humans, the Mandalorian, and making up a paleolithic language for their film The Lion and the Firebird.
Alumnus Khari Turner ‘21 is featured in his first solo exhibition in his home state of Wisconsin. Mirroring Reflection at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) will be on view from April 30 to July 10, 2022.