This is your brain on drugs. And by drugs we mean music.

New York City is packed with amazing culture and inspiring art, but sometimes it’s difficult to break the Morningside-bubble and experience it all first-hand. “Where Art Thou” is a weekly guide to interesting and notable lectures, events, and performances for the literary/musically/theatrically-inclined on campus.

On campus:

  • This Tuesday at the Miller Theatre, check out a conversation between the Wallach Art Gallery’s director and chief curator Deborah Cullen and celebrated Colombian-American artist Lina Puerta. Puerta will be discussing her new installation in the Miller Theatre lobby which is inspired by the constant battle between humans and nature. The event is free with registration and there will be refreshments served after.
  • Wednesday night up at the Lenfest Center for the Arts is an immersive reading of the poetry of Max Ritvo. Ritvo was a Columbia alum who graduated in 2016, and the reading will feature poems from his 2016 book Four Reincarnations. 
  • Thursday afternoon starting at 4:15, the Columbia Italian Academy is hosting a panel discussion titled Music and Meaning: Seminars in Society and Neuroscience. The panel will be discussing the powerful impact music has on both the brain and society. The event is free, but registration is required.

Off campus:

  • Currently at the New York Historical Society is an exhibit showcasing the work of Polish artist and activist Arthur Szyk. The name of the exhibit, Soldier in Art, evokes the aim of Szyk’s early-mid 20th century art: fighting the oppressive powers that be and protecting civil and human rights. Museum admission starts at $6.
  • On Wednesday from 4 to 8pm is an open house event for the Self Taught Genius Gallery at the American Folk Art Museum. The open house will feature a tour of the gallery lead by a museum curator. The gallery is meant to showcase American folk artists who have worked outside the realm of what may be considered “traditional.” The event is free with RSVP, and there will be refreshments (read: wine).

Image via Clipartsgram