About Us
“After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in esthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are artists as well.”
– Albert Einstein
Where Art, Science, and Medicine Meet
The Annual CUIMC Fine Art Exhibition is one of the largest and longest-standing fine art exhibitions at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Established in 1951, this cherished tradition has brought art into the heart of the medical campus for more than seven decades, celebrating the creativity and artistic talents of the Columbia community.
Our mission is to bring together individuals from diverse professional, academic, and cultural backgrounds through a shared appreciation of the fine arts. The exhibition provides an inclusive and welcoming environment where creativity transcends professional titles and disciplinary boundaries, offering members of our community an opportunity to connect beyond their everyday roles.
At the heart of this initiative is the belief that science, medicine, and the humanities are not separate worlds, but complementary ways of understanding the human experience. The purpose of the Annual CUIMC Fine Art Exhibition is to serve as a bridge between these disciplines, fostering empathy, tolerance, wisdom, and emotional intelligence through artistic expression. We believe these qualities are especially valuable in medicine, where scientific knowledge and technical expertise must coexist with compassion and a deeper understanding of the people we care for.
After all, science teaches us to understand the human body, but art reminds us to see the human being within it.
Our History & Legacy
Since its founding in 1951, the Annual CUIMC Fine Art Exhibition has been supported by generations of distinguished Columbia deans, faculty members, students, and artists who have served on its art committee and contributed their artwork. Their dedication has helped establish the exhibition as an enduring cultural tradition on the medical campus.
The exhibition is particularly honored to have the support of Dr. Eric Kandel, recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, whose distinguished contributions to neuroscience and exploration of the relationship between art and science embody the interdisciplinary spirit at the heart of our exhibition.
Among the notable figures in the exhibition’s history was Dr. Donald F. Tapley (1927–1999), who served as Dean of Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons from 1973 to 1984 and was involved in leading the exhibition during its earlier years.
His contributions are fondly remembered by the late Dr. Dickson D. Despommier (1940–2025), Professor Emeritus of Public Health and Microbiology at Columbia University and internationally recognized as the Father of Vertical Farming. A longtime participant and contributor to the exhibition since the 1980s, Dr. Despommier represented the remarkable intersection of scientific curiosity and artistic expression that continues to define its spirit.
In 2010, the exhibition was revived in its current form through the efforts of Dr. Robert V. Sideli, former Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Chief Information Officer at CUIMC, together with his then-medical student, Dr. Nicholas Colacchio, VP&S ’12, who is now an orthopedic surgeon.
Dr. Sideli subsequently served as the exhibition’s curator and organizer until 2018. During his years as curator, he also shared his musical talents, performing piano at the exhibition’s receptions and adding another dimension of artistic expression to these gatherings. Although now retired, Dr. Sideli remains one of the exhibition’s principal supporters and a dedicated art contributor, continuing to enrich this cherished tradition through his creativity and longstanding commitment.
Since March 2018, the Annual CUIMC Fine Art Exhibition has been curated and organized by graduate student Irina Kulichenkova, GSAS ’18, SPS ’21, in partnership with Dr. Robert E. Pollack, CC ’61, Professor of Biological Sciences and former Dean of Columbia College (1982–1989); Dr. David V. Forrest, P&S ’64, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at CUIMC; and Mirela N. Trofin, BC ’79, TC ’90, Director and Controller of the Department of Medicine at CUIMC.
Over the years, the exhibition has also benefited from the valued support of Mr. Amador Centeno, who previously served in senior leadership roles at CUIMC, including Senior Vice President of Facilities Management, Operations, and Planning, and Vice Dean for Student Services.
Our art team is honored to continue the work of those who came before us while nurturing new opportunities for artistic expression, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement.
Celebrating Our Community Through Art
Throughout its history, the exhibition has welcomed a remarkable diversity of participants, including Nobel laureates, university deans, distinguished faculty, physicians, researchers, program directors, students, staff, and their family members.
Although our participants come from different disciplines and professional backgrounds, they share something in common: a desire to create, express, and communicate through art.
Each year, the Annual CUIMC Fine Art Exhibition receives approximately 250 artwork submissions, transforming both levels of the Hammer Health Sciences Library into a vibrant gallery of artistic expression. Paintings, drawings, photography, and other forms of visual art bring color and inspiration into an otherwise academically demanding environment, creating a more welcoming and humanized space for students, faculty, and visitors to study, interact, and reflect.
The exhibition also offers an opportunity for members of the Columbia community to discover one another beyond their professional identities. A physician may also be a painter, a scientist a photographer, and a student an accomplished artist. Through their work, participants share perspectives and experiences that might otherwise remain unseen.
Our Young Artists
One of the most meaningful aspects of our annual exhibition is the participation of more than 50 children and their physicians from the Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation.
Their artwork holds a special place in our exhibition and reflects the importance of artistic expression within the healing environment. We hope that participating in this tradition brings our young artists moments of happiness, encouragement, and creative freedom as they navigate challenging periods in their lives.
Their contributions also offer our broader community a valuable reminder of the human dimension of medicine: beyond every diagnosis is an individual with a unique imagination, perspective, and story.
Beyond the Exhibition
The Annual CUIMC Fine Art Exhibition is more than an annual display of artwork. It is an opportunity to build connections, encourage interdisciplinary dialogue, and strengthen a sense of belonging within our academic and medical community.
The exhibition welcomes all members of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University, and their families, regardless of their artistic background or level of experience.
Over the years, the thoughtful and heartfelt feedback we have received from participants and visitors has been one of our greatest sources of encouragement. Witnessing the continued growth of Columbia’s artistic community, the friendships formed, and the genuine joy that this tradition brings reinforces our commitment to its preservation and future development.
As we carry forward a legacy that began in 1951, we hope the Annual CUIMC Fine Art Exhibition will continue to inspire generations of artists, scientists, physicians, and students, providing a space where creativity and scientific inquiry enrich one another.
For behind every scientist, physician, researcher, and student, there is also a human being with an imagination, a story, and a capacity to create.
