ABOUT THE ARTS INITIATIVE

Mission

The Arts Initiative at Columbia University is President Lee C. Bollinger's pioneering venture to make arts and culture a meaningful part of every Columbian's experience. Its diverse programs encourage students, faculty, and alumni in all fields to g enerate, study, and e ngage the creative life of the campus, the city, and the wider 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. To read more about the Arts Initiative's nascent history visit our online 5 Year Report.

In addition to our ongoing programming, special past projects have included:

President Václav Havel's residency
Peter Brook production of Tierno Bokar
The New Yorker Nights
CU Night @ Lincoln Center

ARTS INITIATIVE LEADERSHIP

Gregory Mosher
Director

gm2127@columbia.edu
212.851.1873

CUarts FOCUS: Working with Columbia colleagues, artists, and arts organizations in NYC and around the world to fulfill President Bollinger's challenge to make the arts a part of every Columbian's experience.

Gregory Mosher accepted President Lee C. Bollinger's offer to create the Arts Initiative from a career as a theatre director and producer. He led the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and Lincoln Center Theatre, and has worked on Broadway and in London's West End. His focus was primarily new work, with such artists as Spalding Gray, David Mamet, Richard Nelson, Wole Soyinka, and Julie Taymor, but he has also produced and directed major revivals such as Mike Nichols production of Waiting for Godot and the Tony award-winning Our Town. At the Arts Initiative, he has responded to student, faculty, and alumni interests by helping to create programs which are increasingly a part of University life.

WHAT'S THE FIRST CULTURAL EVENT YOU REMEMBER GOING TO?
The first play I remember was the Broadway version of My Fair Lady. I was seven, and I was so excited I couldn't stop talking. A stern lady in a uniform came down the aisle to say, "Ssshh" and for years afterwards I thought these ladies were called hushers.

WHY DID YOU JOIN THE CUarts TEAM?
I came to the Arts Initiative for a few connected reasons. First, because I admired Lee Bollinger - not just his commitment to the arts, but his remarkable thinking about the First Amendment; free speech is of course intimate ly connected with artistic expression. Second, because it was a chance to do something no university had ever tried, and I always like the unknown. Third, I think the future of the arts depends on finding new audiences. Directing a new play with great actors is an extraordinary thrill, but nothing beats the making possible a moment of discovery, and discovery is the business CUarts is in.

ARTS INITIATIVE STAFF

Lindsay Dorrance
Alumni Relations and Development Coordinator

ld2282@columbia.edu
212.851.1879

CUarts FOCUS: alumni and member relations; Columbia Alumni Arts League; Commencement Carnival

Lindsay focuses on building an engaged community of members around the Columbia Alumni Arts League (CAAL). She strategizes about improving the membership experience, handles all membership-related inquiries and issues, and tracks and analyzes data relating to CAAL's constituents. Lindsay also plans and executes CAAL Nights, which are exclusive arts events that occur 3-5 times a month, providing alumni with the chance to connect over their shared interest in the arts. Before coming to the CUarts, she worked in the Education Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for several years. Lindsay received her MA in Modern Art and Curatorial Studies from Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and she is currently pursuing her MS in Fundraising Management and Nonprofit Administration, also from Columbia. She received her BA in Art History and English from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

WHAT'S THE FIRST CULTURAL EVENT YOU REMEMBER GOING TO?
If you don't count the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes, the first cultural event I remember is The Will Rogers Follies on Broadway, which I saw with my grandparents.

WHY DID YOU JOIN THE CUarts TEAM?
I joined the CUarts team to combine my interests in the arts, higher education, and alumni relations and development. I also wanted to work with a small group of people who are committed to the arts.

Malwina Łyś-Dobradin
Associate Director for Alumni Relations and Development

mel2001@columbia.edu
212.851.1877

CUarts FOCUS: alumni, donor, and member relations; Columbia Alumni Arts League; Commencement Carnival; Arts Global

Malwina  Łyś-Dobradin (pronounced Malveena Wish-Dohbrahdean) joined the Arts Initiative in 2006 where she designed and built the Columbia Alumni Arts League (CAAL) and created the corresponding Commencement Carnival. In addition to CAAL, Malwina oversees all alumni relations and development activities. Prior to joining the Arts Initiative in 2006, she worked for the American Enterprise Institute's New Atlantic Initiative on the “Solidarity 25 Years On” conference in Gdańsk, and as a Federal Law Clerk intern in the United States District Court. Malwina has two degrees from Columbia University, a MS in Fundraising Management and Nonprofit Administration and a BA in Political Science and Creative Writing, and has guest lectured at Columbia University's Annual Campaigns course about building successful membership programs. Currently she is developing a Social Entrepreneurship seminar to be offered in 2010 to MS Columbia University students.

WHAT'S THE FIRST CULTURAL EVENT YOU REMEMBER GOING TO?
Cats. I was already an athlete by then (former member of Columbia's Varsity tennis team) and loved the physicality of the actors; I was amazed at their transformation. And then Andrew Lloyd Webber's Memory moved me to tears even though I was too young to fully comprehend the storyline.

WHY DID YOU JOIN THE CUarts TEAM?
Initially, I was drawn to the idea of working on President Václav Havel's residency (hard not to be as a poli sci/creative writing major from Poland!) and then I learned of CUarts' mission to make the arts a part of every Columbians' experience. I was hooked. I chose Columbia College specifically because it was in the cultural capital of the world but found the lack of resources for students who wanted to explore the City, well, tragic. Now I have a chance to change the Columbia experience for the better.

Eleanor Milburn
External Relations Coordinator

ejm2026@columbia.edu
212.851.1874

CUarts FOCUS: external relations with cultural organizations, Broadway shows, and restaurants; Passport to NY; Commencement Carnival; Columbia Alumni Arts League

As External Relations Coordinator Eleanor Milburn communicates with over 80 cultural organizations throughout NYC that participate in the Arts Initiative's programs including Passport to New York, Columbia Alumni Arts League, the Ticket and Information Center, and ArtsLink. She maintains and expands offerings such as student, faculty, staff, and alumni discounts, free ticket offers, and events. 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.

WHAT'S THE FIRST CULTURAL EVENT YOU REMEMBER GOING TO?
My parents took me to see New York City Ballet's The Nutcracker when I was 2. They were worried I would be a noisy child, but I sat mesmerized the whole time and then, once it was over, I asked them if I could see that movie again.

WHY DID YOU JOIN THE CUarts TEAM?
The arts were very important to me growing up, both in ballet and music, and I was lucky enough to attend several ballet schools and the High School of Performing Arts, so it pains me to hear that schools across the country are cutting their arts programs. I like being a part of the CUarts team so that I can help bring the arts into education and University life.

Chad Miller
Events and Outreach Coordinator

cam2015@columbia.edu
212.851.1875
Twitter: @cuarts, @ChadMedia101
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuarts
Blog: www.cuarts.wordpress.com

CUarts FOCUS: student, faculty, and staff relations; social media; admissions and orientation events; ArtsLink; Gatsby Student Arts Support Fund

Chad's main focus is supporting the arts communities on campus and raising awareness of CUarts' programs across the University, while also promoting collaborative efforts among various organizations, groups and departments. Additionally, Chad is the lead for CUarts' social media network and has created an online community of Columbia administrators utilizing social media in higher education. For the past year, he has been working with students to create non-academic, non-curricular artwork that incorporates sustainable development practices. He earned his BA degree in Religion from Columbia University, where his academic work earned departmental honors.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CUarts EXPERIENCE?
My favorite CUarts experience is my interactions with fellow Columbians. To be a part of their creative playground is extremely rewarding, and every day I look forward to seeing what we will build collectively in the sandbox.

HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER CUarts?
Caralyn Spector, then Program Manager for CUarts, visited my undergraduate student council meeting. She was incredibly laid-back while presenting this new program, CUarts, which was launching. Her passion for the arts on campus was contagious, and I wanted to bring my talents (reformed actor, you know) and my connections to NYC arts to their outreach. Three years later and I'm now attending the student council meetings. Best part is that I'm engaging with students that I hope to be working for some day.

Abigail Santner
Office Coordinator

ats2130@columbia.edu
212.851.1872

CUarts FOCUS: office administration; Gatsby Student Arts Support Fund

Abigail oversees office administration and helps organize the Gatsby Student Arts Support Fund. Through her work with Gatsby grants and the weekly newsletter, she likes to boast she has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of campus art events. Abigail arrived in New York City from Pittsburgh where she obtained her MA in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

WHY DID YOU JOIN THE CUarts TEAM?
I've always felt the most challenged by the arts – be that when I'm creating it, viewing it, or thinking about it and it's role in society. That prompted me to focus on fine arts in college and continue with Arts Management during college. I had interned in too many arts organization during my undergraduate studies that lacked a well-supported structure and that motivated me to learn the skills that would to help support arts organizations.

Rudy Scala
Ticket and Information Center Manager

ras2187@columbia.edu
212.851.0776

CUarts FOCUS: Ticket and Information Center; student and faculty event ticketing; group sales

Rudy's role as Ticket and Information Center Manager connects him with students, faculty, staff, and advisors across the entire campus of Columbia University. He is mainly focused on the selling, promotion, and managing of undergraduate and graduate student events. He also manages off campus event group sale requests for both faculty members participating in CUarts' ArtsLink program as well as for student and departmental groups on campus. For six years he was the Box Office Manager for Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, under the management of George Lindsay Jr., before joining the Arts Initiative in January 2008. Rudy is an alumnus of New York University (Steinhardt '02) where he studied Vocal Performance and Musical Theatre under the direction of Jack Allison, Michael Ricciardone, and Greg Ganakas.

WHERE DO FIND YOUR INSPIRATON?
Having lived in the city for almost twelve years now I must admit that I don't have one sole location I go to for inspiration. My favorite part of New York is that there are always new areas to discover just by wandering down a street you've never walked before. Simply finding a cool looking building I've never seen before fills me with a child like sense of adventure.

WHY DID YOU JOIN THE CUarts TEAM?
During my tenure as Box Office Manager for Tilles Center, I worked to increase student attendance at many of the hall 's classical offerings. It my belief that by working with CUarts I am increasing student activity in the arts on campus and working to increase student attendance in arts institutions in the wider Metro area.

Hilary Baboukis
Ticket and Information Center Assistant Manager

Hilary is a music major in Columbia College, class of 2011. When she's not at the TIC, she's usually singing in a practice room or trying to get some sleep (which is generally a losing proposition). She drinks far more coffee than she should and loves New York City deeply and desperately.

Mary Baird
Events and Outreach Associate

Mary (CC '10) has been part of the CUarts family for over a year and a half now. As a native New Yorker, it's really a treat to help connect students to the Arts and Culture of the city she loves so much. She is a professional Flamenco dancer who performs regularly around the tri-state area, and hopes to pursue her dancing career upon graduation this May.

Elena Blekhter
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Elena is a senior at Barnard College, majoring in Film Studies and Economics. She has been selflessly sacrificing her free time to serve Columbia's art demands since Fall '08. Feel free to ask her any questions about art discounts in New York, just don't ask what her plans are after graduation.

Frances Bodomo
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Frances Bodomo grew up on four continents and is currently comfortably settled into New York City. She directs short films about imaginary friends, doppelgängers, ventriloquist dummies, and is looking to make filmmaking her day job.

Irina Cuadra
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Irina Cuadra, a Film Studies major in Columbia College, loves working at the TIC and knowing about all the snazzy arts events that are going on around town and on campus. She enjoys serenading TIC patrons whenever appropriate (if you're buying a ticket for Wicked, definitely expect her to sing the line "No one mourns the wicked!") and helping them purchase tickets for the amazing shows and events the TIC has to offer.

Holly Druckman
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Holly is an undergraduate in the Columbia College class of 2012. She is a music major (specifically a classical conductor and flutist), whose other intellectual interests include English and German Literature, Greek and Hellenistic Philosophy and Literature, Art History, and LitHum. Other interests are coffee, sleep, and good conversation.

Rosie duPont
ArtsLink Associate

Rosie duPont, BC '10, is an English major, bluegrass fiddle player, film and theater critic, and actress. As ArtsLink Associate, she helps make performances and events in New York part of the classroom experience. Upon graduation, she wants contribute to the creative vitality of New York and make art happen!

Caroline Englander
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Caroline Englander is a senior at Barnard College majoring in Theater. She has spent most of her time at Columbia working on various theater productions, as a stage manager, designer, and producer.

Heather Englander
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Heather Englander, BC '10 - Heather is involved in many performing arts organizations on and off campus, and after graduation hopes to stay in NYC and stay connected to the arts. At Columbia/Barnard she's stage-managed and designed for The Varsity Show, LateNite Theatre, Columbia Musical Theatre Society, and the Barnard Theatre Dept.

Hannah Hessel
Ticket and Information Center Assistant Manager

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Emily Kaplan
Ticket and Information Center Associate

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Janet Lee
Ticket and Information Center Associate

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Jason Martin
Ticket and Information Center Assistant Manager

Jason is currently a 3rd year MFA candidate at Columbia in Acting. Jason is originally from Portland, Oregon and attended undergrad in Los Angeles. He has lived in New York for 6 years.

Emily Mousseau-Douglas
CAAL Associate

Originally from Toronto, Emily is now in her last semester at GS, majoring in African-American Studies. Emily began working for the Arts Initiative in January 2010, and helps to create the event calendar and the weekly alumni newsletter. After graduation, she hopes to work in a museum, helping to create educational programming for kids.

Tani Olhanoski
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Tani Olhanoski is a senior in SEAS, majoring in Chemical Engineering. Though studying science, she has always had a passion for film and the arts. She began working at the TIC in the Fall semester of 2008, and upon graduation hopes to pursue a career in film production. She wishes to thank Rudy and the rest of the staff for making the TIC such a fun place to work!

Opeyemi Omojola
CAAL Associate

Ope Omojola is a sophomore in CC, majoring in Anthropology with a concentration in Visual Arts. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, drawing, compiling playlists for her show on WBAR and experiencing as many of New York's arts/music offerings as possible. Ope began working for CAAL and CUArts in February of 2010, and is proud to be part of an organization that bridges the gap between Columbia students and alumni and the New York City arts community.

Anjili Pal
Ticket and Information Center Assistant Manager

Anjili is a third year MFA acting candidate in the School of the Arts. She loves photography, almonds, bubbles, free tickets(!), and being Rudy's assistant.

Peter Sabino
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Peter is a junior in SEAS studying Operations Research. Peter is originally from Detroit, and one of the major reasons for coming to Columbia was the artistic opportunities available in New York City. He wanted to work for the TIC so he would be the first to know about events in the city

Berkley Todd
Ticket and Information Center Associate

Kley Todd (CC '10) has been on staff at the TIC for a little over a year now, and looks forward to many more happy semesters here. He is a music major, studying composition in hopes of writing for musical theatre. He currently serves as the vice president for the Columbia Musical Theatre Society and also interns for the New York Musical Theatre Festival and NewMusicalTheatre.com.

Darcy Zacharias
Events and Outreach Associate

Darcy has been happily working at CUarts for the last year and a half. She is actively involved in theatre on campus and has served in many positions including President of Columbia Musical Theatre Society (CMTS), Board Member of Columbia University Performing Arts League (CUPAL), and Producer of the 115th Annual Varsity Show. She has stage managed, directed, and/or produced about a dozen shows on campus.