Columbia and New York City are packed with amazing culture and inspiring art, and there’s never been a better time to experience it first-hand. “Where Art Thou” is a weekly guide to interesting and notable lectures, events, and performances for the literary/musically/theatrically-inclined.

Your event wasn’t included in Where Art Thou? Send us an email at arts@bwog.com and we’ll be sure to include you! Throughout the year, we do our best to promote arts at Columbia and Barnard to the entire student community, and the best way to make sure your event gets promoted and covered is by reaching out to us.

Creative Writing Lecture: Elif Batuman

  • February 22, 7:30 pm, Dodge 501
  • The final creative writing lecture of the four-part series at the School of the Arts features Elif Batuman, author of The Idiot and Either / Or, and Barnard guest professor. She will present an original talk on craft.

Education Through Music: A Legacy of Edward Said

  • February 23, 6:30 pm, Lenfest Center 
  • To mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Edward Said, there will be a panel discussion centered around Said’s belief in the power of music to bring people together. Said was a co-founder of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which brought young Israelis, Palestinians, and Arabs together for music-making. The discussion will cover this collaboration and ensuing projects. 

Directing Thesis: Medea

  • February 23 – February 26, Lenfest Center
  • The latest directing thesis from the School of the Arts MFA program will culminate in a performance of Ben Power’s adaptation of the classic play Medea by Euripides, directed by Tiffani Swalley. 

MeMoSa: Preview Performance of “Village” by LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs

  • February 23, 5:30 pm, Movement Lab
  • From the Movement Lab Artist-in-Residence LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs comes a new book “Village,” an exploration of how trauma reshapes lineage and language. Diggs will offer a performance of excerpts from this book, followed by an artist discussion. RSVP required; food and drinks will be served.

The Poetry of Exile and Return: A Reading by Anna Frajlich

  • February 23, 6:30 pm, International Affairs Building
  • Poet and Lecturer Emerita Anna Frajlich will celebrate the publication of the first two volumes of her collected verse, in a reading of Polish originals accompanied by English translations read by Ronald Meyer. 

Lovely view of campus via Bwarchives