Columbia faculty, staff and students across several different disciplines celebrated the value of creative work at the Student Center on Thursday, Dec. 5 at a third annual fundraising event that raises money for students in danger of leaving before graduation due to financial difficulties.

This year, the title of the “Power of Persistence” gala was a direct nod to the Persistence Scholarship that is the main benefactor of Columbia’s largest fundraising event, which has raised more than $1.5 million for a scholarship that helps students who have exhausted all other sources of financial aid.

The dinner and reception concluded with a paddle raise for attendees to donate scholarship money. Greg Dellinger, a Chicago area business engagement leader who led the raise, called out different donation values for audience members to raise a bright green paddle for their names to be taken as the total amount went up on a screen in the front.

The race collected $117,000 in donations. The full amount the fundraiser raised was not available as of publication time. 

The gala began with an interactive reception at the Student Center at 6 p.m., followed by a program and dinner at 7:30 p.m.

Board of Trustees Chair and gala Co-Chair John Holmes led the reception after being introduced by senior film and television major Tyler Harding.

In his speech, Holmes, resident and chief executive of AAR Corp., a Chicago area aviation services provider, referenced a year ago when the gala was held in the midst of Columbia’s historic part-time faculty union strike, describing it as a “deep, difficult time for the college.” 

“We are in a much, much better place now than we were one year ago, and we all remain very, very confident that Columbia will be around for another 135 years,” Holmes said. (Columbia is celebrating its 135th anniversary in 2025.)

Harding described his time at Columbia and the opportunities such as jobs and internships that have come from it.

“I use Columbia’s general emphasis on creative collaboration to support the office in whatever needs they have,” Harding said. “This kind of hands-on experience sets Columbia students apart from any other institution.”

Activations and exhibits produced by students were showcased throughout the different floors like musical performances, fashion exhibitions, interactive games and live art. 

Students in the “events management practicum” course, taught by Associate Professors Mary Filice and Robert Blandford, worked with students from a variety of artistic disciplines to showcase their work. 

Holmes said that as gala co-chair he has looked forward to “seeing the event grow and develop each year.”

“For me, the main event of the show are the student activations. And, you know, I’d love to have a three-hour reception because there’s just so much going on,” Holmes said.

The event in 2022 raised over more than $750,000 in scholarship money and over $700,00 in 2023.

“What’s so important for an audience like this is to really see the value of a creative education and everything that it brings,” said Lambrini Lukidis, associate vice president of Strategic Communications and External Relations.

Harding also introduced interim President and CEO Jerry Tarrer, who said both his wife and son are graduates of Columbia. He is a “firsthand witness of the power of the creative education and what it can mean for creatives.”

“We have prepared artists and creatives to shape the cultural fabric of Chicago and beyond,” Tarrer said. “Our mission is not only to educate creatives, but to empower them, to empower them to make a lasting difference in their careers, in their creative practice and in their communities.”

Four scholarship recipients were awarded the Persistence Scholarship during the ceremony.

The Persistence scholarship winners, who won the scholarship in the spring, were awarded tonight during the dinner and ceremony.

One winner, senior arts management major Elisha Dennard, opened the ceremony with an acceptance speech. Three other winners, senior marketing major I’Ja Wright, senior fine arts major Carolina Reyes, and senior acting major Miranda Starke, held speeches via video in front of the college’s staff and faculty, along with the donors. 

The four scholarship recipients were eligible to apply for the scholarship last spring, being awarded with the money raised from the 2022 gala, according to Lukidis.

Wright attended the gala alongside the Student Government Association, and applied for the scholarship last spring. She originally applied to “lower my balance.”

Wright said receiving the Persistence Scholarship made her “feel like graduating Columbia isn’t just a dream.”

The money that is raised during this gala will be awarded to students next fall, with applications for the scholarship opening in the spring.

The first floor of the center hosted “Fashion in Motion,” which featured a vault collection of historic pieces donated to Columbia over the years as well as a fashion installation promoting Columbia fashion BFA students’ work. It also spotlighted the Visitor’s Experience, produced by the Student Ambassadors.

The third floor was home to several activations including “Dream Job Journey,” the Career Center’s experience is inspired by the Game of Life, the Chronicle’s “Go Behind The Headlines,” where staff were observed working on the stages of news production and the School of Film and Television’s “Improvable,” where attendees could try their hand at being an extra in a scene. Music business had an interactive setting during which patrons worked alongside South By Southwest to learn about music label production. 

Stephen Cwian, who was invited by his boss John Holmes, was invigorated by the night’s creative atmosphere as he was not able to have the same experience in school. 

“I did not necessarily do a lot of the creative side of education. I’ve got an engineering degree from NIU, so this is a little bit more of a behind the scenes look on the artistic side that I never got,” Cwian said.

As soon as patrons walked in, they were met with an immersive fashion experience as well as pieces from Columbia’s Day of the Dead exhibits. Aileen O’Malley, who attended the gala, was entranced with the exhibit from late October, saying it and the fashion pieces truly touched her artistic senses. Her first stop was the Day of the Dead Exhibit, “and I’m obsessed with this.”

Anne Sabloff, wife of Columbia trustee Barry Sabloff, was excited to return for the third year and said what keeps her coming back is the students.

“I do think that, in general, the most exciting thing about this event is always just the creative energy of all the students,” Sabloff said.

The artists being showcased were animated and grateful to have their work presented to the audience. 

“I feel very happy and I’m confident in my work and I’m really excited for everyone to see it,” said Milly Nelson, Senior fashion BFA student who created a labor-intensive piece worn by junior fashion major Eliza Prom.

Nelson did have a great experience during production due to her overall love for the operation as well as some help from Prom’s high spirits. 

“Obviously, working with Eliza [was great]. I worked with her for my past runway shows. I just love her energy so much and, of course, the making process and design process [was my favorite part]. At first, it was a little hard to think of my concepts, but I really like to design things that I like as well, that I see myself wearing too and just the confidence overall is key to me,” Nelson said. 

Andrew Whatley, Columbia’s senior director of enrollment marketing communications, underscored the importance of the gala. 

“We need to be unapologetic about the fact that we rely on donors to a large extent, and that they help us fulfill our mission. So the fact that there are people here tonight who wrote big checks to be here, I think that’s awesome, and that they’re doing that for our students,” said Whatley, who works in the enrollment management office.  

Senior ASL English interpretation major Anya Tapley, who created pieces inspired by “The Curious Bunny” mural on the side of the Student Center and Alice in Wonderland, explained how the creative process really turned the cogs in her mind.

“I felt like it was pretty exciting for us, we were able to take a look at the art work and look at it in a different lens to try and find garments that were inspired by and look like the mural itself. It was kind of a challenge, but it was really fun for us to find pieces that connect with the mural,” Tapley said. 

Other activations included an Andy Warhol style photo booth titled “Instant portraits.” The fourth floor also included “The art of digital innovation” and a photography exhibition as well as “Exquisite Corpse,” which was an interactive poetry experience.

Students lined the wall of the fifth floor next to the event space filling in the gaps of “Running on Creativity,” the mural that has been a work in progress throughout the semester.

The Fifth floor also featured “the “Wabash Arts Corridor,” which was a showcase of several student art pieces created throughout the semester.

Gus Kelsey, a senior illustration major and member of the course’s events management team who supervised the process of the mural throughout the semester, said that they feel “a lot of pride” for the event coming together.

“it’s just really nice to be able to, like, see everything you’ve worked so hard to put together over the course of the semester come into fruition,” Kelsey said. “I feel really proud of myself and my peers and everyone who had a hand in putting this production on.”

Editor’s Note: The Chronicle’s reporting and coverage of the gala is separate from its participation as one of the student groups invited to provide a simulation for donors.

Copy edited by Manuel Nocera

Resumen en Español:

La gala de Columbia College Chicago del 5 de diciembre ayuda a recaudar fondos para la Beca de Persistencia, que apoya a estudiantes con necesidades económicas. El evento incluyó exhibiciones interactivas, presentaciones y trabajos estudiantiles, destacando el valor de la educación creativa. El presidente interino Jerry Tarrer y el copresidente de la gala John Holmes elogiaron el enfoque en el talento estudiantil y la misión de la universidad.

Los asistentes celebraron las diversas exhibiciones de moda, arte en vivo y un mural colaborativo. Los estudiantes expresaron orgullo al compartir su trabajo, mientras que donantes y profesores destacaron la importancia de apoyar a la comunidad creativa de Columbia.

Resumen en Español por Manuel Nocera

Resumen en Español editado por Doreen Abril Albuerne Rodriguez