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

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

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.

Leilei Meng, Administrative Coordinator for Mr. Mosher
lm2029@columbia.edu
Leilei Meng is a native of Beijing, China and a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy.  She came to the Film Division at the School of the Arts after working in the Chinese Film Industry for many years. Along with filmmaking, she took up painting while at Columbia, and she went to the Skowhegan School
of Painting and Sculpture as an artist in residency in 2004. The studio critique session with Jeff Koons was the highlight of her life.

STUDENT, FACULTY RELATIONS AND PROGRAMMING

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.

ALUMNI RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT

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.

ARTS INITIATIVE OFFICE

Anne Fenton, Office Manager
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.

STUDENT STAFF
Madeleine Boucher aspires to speak Chinese well, put together a solo painting show, live in New York forever, and make a perfect crème brulee.

Born and raised in New York, Diana Wong is currently a sophomore in Columbia College. She is also a photographer for the Spectator and a DJ at Barnard College Radio.

Mairelys Alberto, Student Staffer
Mairelys is an English major completing her senior year at Barnard College . She is a self-declared "museum addict," with a love for spoken word, indie films and contemporary fiction.

Mark DiBiase, Student Staffer
Mark is in his first year at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. Before returning to graduate school, Mark worked for five years as a Program Officer for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, overseeing public funding for a wide variety of cultural institutions. He plans to work for a foundation that provides funding for the arts and economic development after graduating in May 2009.

Rebecca Clark, Student Staffer
Rebecca Clark is a freshman at Columbia College. Hailing from the mountain climes of Denver, Colorado, she enjoys painting, reading, and eating and would love to have shared a meal with Rene Magritte.

Samantha Kuperberg, Student Staffer
Samantha is a Barnard sophomore planning to major in anthropology with a minor in Latin. She loves going to the theatre, walking around
Central Park, and listening to bad 80s music.

Olivia Gorvy, Student Staffer
Olivia hails from Richmond, VA (though is a New Yorker at heart) and is a senior at Columbia College. Her passions include dark chocolate, movies that move you, and the Varsity Show.

Rachel Weiss, Student Staffer
Rachel, a Barnard sophomore from New Jersey, is majoring in English and concentrating in Theatre.  She enjoys writing, musicals, and desserts.