The Arts Initiative at Columbia University was created in 2004 by President Bollinger to re-invent the role of the arts in the university, and the university’s role in the arts. This effort now spans the campus, unconstrained by venue, department, field, or program, and reaches out into a diverse international culture. Among its aims are to make the arts part of the experience of every Columbia student's education and to promote a life-long involvement in the arts.

This enterprise rests on three pillars. The Initiative nurtures the vast artistic energy – nearly 150 groups, departments, and programs - on Columbia’s campus. It creates and strengthens links between Columbia and the wider culture. It connects the arts with other ways of understanding–and acting in-the world.

History

The Initiative, directed by Gregory Mosher, was launched by Columbia's President Lee C. Bollinger in 2004. From its inception, the Arts Initiative has nurtured a strong and creative relationship with Columbia's students, faculty and staff. In addition to our ongoing programming, special past projects have included:

Václav Havel residency
Aga Khan Music Initiative
The New Yorker Nights
Rolex Mentor/Protégé Initiative
Peter Brook production of Tierno Bokar
Cinema from China 4.12 - 4.15
CU Night @ Lincoln Center

The Staff

Gregory Mosher, Director gm2127@columbia.edu Before coming to Columbia in 2004, Gregory Mosher served as Director of Lincoln Center Theatre (1985-91) and Artistic Director of the Goodman Theatre (1977-84), and was a producer and director on Broadway, the West End, and in film and television. Many of his nearly 200 stage productions were premieres of work by emerging and established writers, among them Samuel Beckett, Leonard Bernstein, Spalding Gray, David Mamet, Arthur Miller, Richard Nelson, Wole Soyinka, Julie Taymor and Tennessee Williams. He is the director of the films The Prime Gig (Ed Harris, Vince Vaughn), A Life in the Theatre (Jack Lemmon, Matthew Broderick), and produced the film of American Buffalo (Dustin Hoffman). He has received every major American theatre award, including two Tony’s for his work on Broadway.

Caralyn Spector, Program Manager Chs2104@columbia.edu Ms. Spector (BC ’94), in addition to her 2 years at the Arts Initiative, has been working in producing, managing and marketing Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre including: Chicago,  Riverdance, The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway, The Donkey Show andThe Karaoke Show.  She is a Philly native and has lived in New York  (with a few stints in LA) for 17 years.

Chad Miller, Events and Outreach Manager chadleychadverb@gmail.com Chad (GS '07) is no stranger to the arts world. A Texan transplant, Chad has been performing in and writing for theatre for the past thirteen years. He has appeared Off-Broadway, in national tours, and national commercials. He stepped off the stage most recently to pursue a degree in Religion - a discipline he is using to support his own science fiction/graphic novel writings and research.

Malwina Lys-Dobradin, Manager of Alumni Relations and Development mel2001@columbia.edu Malwina Lys-Dobradin is an alumna of Columbia College where she majored in Political Science and took part in the Creative Writing Program.  She joined the Arts Initiative in the summer of 2006 after working for the New Atlantic Initiative on transatlantic relations research and event planning and as a Federal Law Clerk Intern in the United States District Court.  Malwina is also a master's degree candidate in Columbia's Fundraising Management for Nonprofit Administration program.

Eleanor Milburn, Alumni Relations and Development Assistant ejm2026@columbia.edu Eleanor Milburn is an alumna of Columbia College where she majored in Music and Mathematics.   Before college, she studied instrumental music at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts and attended the School of American Ballet.  In her free time, she plays the flute in the 92nd Street Y’s chamber music program.

David Harrington, Researcher dwh2103@columbia.edu David is an MFA candidate in the Writing Division at Columbia University's School of the Arts. His masters thesis, a novel set in his hometown of Hartford, CT, will be finished one of these days.  In addition to working at the Arts Initiative, David teaches a section of University Writing, a freshman writing course. He attended college in Grinnell, IA, and lived in Chicago before moving back to the East Coast.

Anne Fenton, Office Coordinator apf2115@columbia.edu Anne is an alumna of Wesleyan University, where she studied literature and music.  Before moving to New York, she worked as a teacher in Massachusetts, New Mexico and France.  She is currently pursuing an M.A. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia, and singing with the early music ensemble Collegium Musicum.

Jason Ano, Webmaster ja2418@columbia.edu Aside from managing the Arts Initiative's website, Jason also does web and graphic design for The City University of New York. In his free time, you can find him taking photographs in his artist studio in Long Island City.

Allison Bumke, Intern ab2786@barnard.edu Alison Bumke, BC '10, is majoring in English with a film concentration. This past semester, she was the Arts and Entertainment Managing Editor of the Spectator's Eye magazine. She plays the flute in the Columbia University Orchestra and is a member of Columbia's Music Performance Program, through which she recently formed a woodwind quintet. She looks forward to reading English at Oxford next year.

Faith Chang, Intern fkc2102@columbia.edu Faith is a junior at Columbia College majoring in French & Francophone studies and concentrating in Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures. As a violinist, pianist, and dancer, she has performed in many venues, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and DiCapo Opera Theatre. She aspires to bellydance her way through graduate school whilst exploring every nook in New York.