Office of the President, Lee C. Bollinger
Announcement Regarding Gregory Mosher of the Arts Initiative
September 30, 2010
Dear members of the Columbia community:
After more than six years leading the Arts Initiative at Columbia University as
its founding director, Gregory Mosher will turn his creative energies to his
celebrated work in the theater and his continuing role as a Professor of
Professional Practice at our School of the Arts this fall. This
transition marks a moment to recognize the success he has had in translating an
ambitious vision for the Arts Initiative into a multi-layered program serving
thousands in the Columbia community and many others beyond our campus.
At the time I announced the Arts Initiative in 2004, it was a novel venture to
integrate the arts into the intellectual and social life of the University and
to contribute to the artistic creativity in the broader world. Today, for
many Columbians, the Arts Initiative has become an indispensable part of
university life, one we could scarcely imagine making do without, and one that
has been emulated by several of our peer institutions.
For many in the Columbia community, the Arts Initiative is best known as the
bridge between the University and New York City’s vast world of arts and
culture. From the Passport Program which makes it possible for students
to visit over 30 different New York City museums free of charge, to the Arts
Initiative’s Ticket and Information Center offering discounted tickets, to the
Columbia Alumni Arts League, the Arts Initiative enhances and sustains our
creative community, both artistically and intellectually.
The Arts Initiative’s boldest achievement may well be the integration of the
arts into campus life as part of Columbia’s interdisciplinary approach to
making sense of complex global problems. The value of this approach was
confirmed in striking fashion in 2005, when 24 performances of Peter Brook’s
Tierno Bokar staged in the gymnasium of Barnard College were combined with 43
events on issues of religious tolerance. The following year, the Arts
Initiative was instrumental in establishing the Columbia residency for former
president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, which resulted in dozens of
symposia and performances on the themes of art, freedom, and democratic
citizenship.
Gregory’s extraordinary efforts to imagine and establish the Arts Initiative at
Columbia leave us well positioned to ensure that the entire spectrum of
university life continues to be enriched by the arts. We are
delighted that Columbia students and faculty will continue to benefit from
Gregory teaching at the School of the Arts. I will be working with Carol
Becker, Dean of the School of the Arts, to find the new head of the Initiative
that will ensure our commitment to maintaining the university-wide role of the
Initiative. For now, join me in thanking Gregory for his service to
Columbia.
Sincerely,
Lee C. Bollinger
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