Columbia Law School Establishes Artist-in-Residence Program

The program seeks to partner with a local artist to create a new work inspired by the Law School community that will become part of Columbia’s permanent collection.

Man in a cap painting outdoors

NEW YORK, May 4, 2021—Columbia Law School is launching an Artist-in-Residence Program to highlight the vibrancy and diversity of the Law School community and broaden representation among artists, media, and subject matter within its permanent art collection.

Columbia University maintains an extensive collection of more than 13,000 works of art—from antiquities and decorative pieces to traditional portraiture and modern and contemporary works. The collection supports educational programs, curricular integration, and research and study. Recognizing the power and symbolism of artistic representation on display, Columbia Law School seeks to partner with and support a local artist in creating a new work that will become part of Columbia’s permanent collection. 

“Art can bring beauty to our campus, but it also, importantly, can reflect and represent a range of human experience, perspectives, and cultural knowledge,” said Gillian Lester, Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law. “I’m excited at the prospect of highlighting new works, while at the same time honoring our history and looking to the future.”

The artist-in-residence will draw inspiration from the Law School, broadly defined, and/or from the neighborhoods that surround our Morningside Heights campus, to create at least one major work. The selected artist will receive a grant of $15,000, an allowance of up to $5,000 for the purchase of art materials and supplies related to work produced during the residency, and access to a workspace on Columbia’s campus. The artist-in-residence will have access to Columbia’s existing collection, as well as archives held by Columbia University Libraries. The artist-in-residence will also be invited to engage with the Law School community, by participating in lectures, panel discussions, performances, and other activities that comprise the intellectual life of the Law School.

The selection committee seeks proposals from artists with portfolios that demonstrate a mastery of one or more media, as well as a distinct, original style. Artists can work in any discipline; applications are welcome from all who are interested and are not limited to visual artists. Artists from underrepresented communities or with connections to Morningside Heights or the neighboring communities are encouraged to apply. 

The full proposal requirements, including residency details and selection criteria, are available here. Applications should be submitted through Google Forms by June 15, 2021, and the committee will announce its selection by the end of July 2021.