To Transform: fall 2023 public programs and engagement

The 2023–24 public programs and engagement series at Columbia University School of the Arts is organized around the concept of “To Transform.” Here we will present conversations, screenings, readings, and research about work that enacts transformation on physical, social, political, and psychic landscapes and the complexities that ensue. All events are free and most will take place in the Lenfest Center for the Arts on Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus.  

This month, Shane McCrae and Timothy Donnelly will discuss McCrae’s book, Pulling the Chariot of the Sun: A Memoir of a Kidnapping. More.

In October, the Arts Initiative and Miller Theatre will present the 12th Annual Morningside Lights: The Open Book. Concept and Direction by Processional Arts Workshop. More. 

Director and Writer Pratibha Parmar will screen her film, My Name Is Andrea, an experimental documentary about feminist icon Andrea Dworkin; followed by a conversation with Tom Kalin. More.

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory will host an Open House. Visitors can learn about tree rings, volcanoes, climate science, and more.

Adama Delphine Fawundu will discuss her solo exhibition spanning video, sculpture, photography, and printmaking with Kellie Jones. The exhibition—Adama Delphine Fawundu: In the Spirit of Àṣẹ—is now at the Newark Museum of Art. More. 

The Lenfest Center for the Arts, the Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, The Forum, Zuckerman Institute, and Columbia’s Wellness and Employment Centers will present free, fun programming on Columbia University’s Manhattanville Campus. More.

Dorothea Lasky and Victor Lavalle will explore Horror in their recent work—Lasky’s book of poetry, The Shining, and the Apple TV+ adaptation of LaValle’s novel, The Changeling. Interviewed by Jack Halberstam. More. 

In November, María Magdelena Campos-Pons will present work on the occasion of her multimedia survey at the Brooklyn Museum. Introduced by David Antonio Cruz. More. 

Lenfest Kids, a free monthly film screening series about transformation and change for children and families, includes The Greatest Showman, Belle, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The BFG, and The Princess Bride. More. 

Visit the School of the Arts website for the full season of events. 

Columbia University School of the Arts recognizes Manhattan as part of the ancestral and traditional homeland of the Lenni-Lenape and Wappinger people. We continue to address issues of exclusion, erasure, and systemic discrimination through ongoing education and a commitment to equitable representation.