Wallach-Art-Gallery

As the spring term begins, thousands of Columbia students have returned to campus. Despite facing economic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, many local galleries and art-related businesses continue to offer a diverse array of artistic experiences for Columbia students, ranging from exhibitions confronting the pressing issues of race and gender inequalities to craft and pottery workshops that provide an opportunity to step away from the screen and into the studio.

A massive installation created from brown butcher paper weaves throughout the lobby of Barnard’s Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning. It encases three television screens featuring videos of six women of color sharing experiences of their “stuff” being taken away. Alongside the installation, archival materials, including photos and manuscripts, are displayed.

With the art market forced to exist in a virtual world, art curators, galleries, and museums have had to reimagine themselves within the confines of a screen. The Columbia Art Market Society aims to navigate these challenges through community-led conversations that discuss the future of art.

Being rejected by student clubs can be hard, as they are an important part of the college experience. While it’s OK to mourn that, there are also other ways to participate in the community. It’s important to realize that club rejection isn’t personal, and that there are many factors that go into a decision beyond an applicant’s control. With that being said, if you’re in a situation where you are faced with rejection, you might find these tips helpful.

In a time of social distancing and widespread museum closures, the Wallach Art Gallery, located at 129th Street in the heart of Columbia’s Manhattanville campus, has taken advantage of digital mediums to preserve aspects of an in-person gallery setting by embracing the challenges of creating an engaging online experience.

“Sometimes in social gatherings I forget myself and become another person, a comic; forcefully awkward, strange. Some people laugh and find their inner awkwardness. Some people stop and never come back. Watching comic face makes us forget we are watching comic face.”

At 12 years old, Dahee Kwon, CC ’20, received a birthday gift that would kick-start her career as an artist: a sewing machine. She started sewing together pieces of her mother’s fabric into cushions, and today, she weaves together the contrasting fields of her majors: visual arts and computer science. At Columbia, Kwon is an aspiring visual artist who primarily works with oil paint.

Art X Social Justice’s inaugural event, “Stories in Paper,” featured paper-based artwork made by incarcerated people. Through workshops led by art therapist Laura Betancur, the artists constructed pieces in a variety styles, which reflected a range of experiences.

As students pass between classes in Schermerhorn Hall, its eighth and ninth floors provide an artistic respite from endless bulletin boards overfilled with flyers. Students have the chance to see a number of art pieces created by incarcerated individuals, bringing their rarely-heard voices to Columbia’s campus.