Arts & Humanities

This page features Columbia faculty and research related to the arts and humanities, and highlights cultural events happening at Columbia's four campuses.

Off the Shelf

Columbia University professors Nikhar Gaikwad and Joerg Schaefer — Nikhar Gaikwad (left) and Joerg Schaefer (right).

A Book With an Interdisciplinary Approach to the Climate Crisis

Climate Justice Now transcends traditional scholarly divides across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Aimee Ng (photo by Joseph Coscia Jr.)

5 Alumni Museum Curators Shaping the Art World Today

Through visionary exhibitions and programming, Columbia graduates are steering the direction of some of New York City’s top museums.

Declaration of Independence authors Adams, Sherman, Livingston, Jefferson, and Franklin (National Portrait Gallery).

The Columbia-Educated Lawyer Who Helped Write the Declaration of Independence

Robert Livingston (1765,KC) may have missed the document’s official signing, but his anti-tyranny legal philosophy still resonates today.

Late-nineteenth-century dresses from the French couturiers Maison Lévilion (left) and House of Worth. (Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland / 2026 Shayla Oliver-Tuma)

Late-19th-century dresses from the French couturiers Maison Lévilion (left) and House of Worth. (Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland / 2026 Shayla Oliver-Tuma.)

The Fashionable Legacy of the Gilded Age

Elizabeth Block (GSAS'04), senior editor in the publications and editorial department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, recently published Gilded Age Fashion, a book showcasing over 50 dresses and accessories from the 1870s through 1900.

Exhibitions

Michael Sorkin, "East NY," 1995-1996. East NY, Brooklyn. Courtesy of Drawings and Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.

People Cross Against the Light: Michael Sorkin's New York

This exhibition at the Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery in Buell Hall brings together eight architectural projects that Michael Sorkin (1948–2020) conceived for New York City, the primary site of his architectural and urban speculation, over a pivotal decade of his career.

GSAPP end of year show, Columbia University

GSAPP end-of-year show, Avery Hall, Columbia University. Photo by Amy Suzuki.

End of Year Show 2026, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation

With over 1,000 student works, Columbia GSAPP's End of Year Show 2026 occupies all of Avery Hall during commencement week, as well as this online platform.

1776-1976 RBML exhibit, Columbia University

University President William McGill, who oversaw Columbia's American Bicentennial programming despite severe budget constraints, holds a large Bicentennial flag that has since made its way into the University Archives. Photo courtesy Columbia University Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Spirit of 1976 Celebrates Columbia Against the Backdrop of the U.S. Semiquincentennial

An exhibition at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library traces how Columbia marked the United States’ 200th birthday--on a shoestring budget, in a city in crisis, with institutional sincerity that characterizes the best of what archives preserve.