November at the Columbia Global Paris Center
In November, the Columbia Global Paris Center hosted a number of events, notably celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of Helen Rogers Reid's gift of Reid Hall to Columbia University.
In our podcast Atelier, we spoke with Frank Guridy and Tomas van Houtryve, and released the first episode of our “Women of Reid Hall” special series, which highlights the various women artists and scholars who have shaped what is now home to the Paris Global Center.
A month of celebrations
Our 60th anniversary event series kicked off on November 5, with Columbia Professor Frank Guridy presenting his latest book, in conversation with Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper. In The Stadium, Professor Frank Guridy uncovered how sports stadiums have shaped and reflected societal dynamics in America, serving as arenas for political activism, cultural transformation, economic exploitation, and public spectacle, and noted their growing corporatization. Following the lively exchange between our two guests, the floor was opened to the audience for a much-appreciated Q&A session, at a time when elections were in full swing across the Atlantic.
On November 13, an exceptional concert celebrating a new generation of Afrodiasporic composers from around the world was held at Reid Hall. In a unique collaboration between the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and L’Itinéraire, a variety of pieces were featured, in what was described by George Lewis, Artistic Director of ICE as “the only concert with only Afrodiasporic composers ever organized in France”.
A second concert was held on November 17, this time organized by our 2023 – 2024 Displaced Artists Initiative resident The 1991 Project. Various works by Nadia Boulanger, Debussy, Silvestrov and Viktor Kosenko were performed by a cello/piano duo featuring Askar Ishangaliyev and Anna Khmara.
November 19 saw the hosting of a visual conversation about Haitian culture and its influence on Louisiana's free people of color, a “forgotten people” of the 18th and 19th centuries. Initially imagined by art curator Patrick Banks and led by two acclaimed artists, Fabiola Jean-Louis and Andrew LaMar Hopkins, this discussion, moderated by Claire Tancons, explored the nuanced realities of a community that has navigated an “in-between” status within a racially obsessed society.
The series of public events culminated on November 26 with an evening dedicated to the rich history of Reid Hall. Brunhilde Biebuyck, Director of Reid Hall and the Columbia Global Paris Center, opened the event by focusing on the American Girls’ Art Club, one of Elisabeth Reid’s earliest philanthropic endeavors at 4 rue de Chevreuse, which laid the foundation for the property’s transformation into a vibrant French-American cultural and educational center.
The program also featured Mary Louise Taylor, the great-great-granddaughter of Elisabeth Mills Reid and great-granddaughter of Helen Rogers Reid, who offered thoughtful reflections on the remarkable lives and enduring legacies of these women. Their vision and contributions not only shaped Reid Hall but also inspired generations of their descendants.
The evening concluded with a surprise guest speaker who highlighted the often-overlooked role of Maud Murray Dale, a former associate of the Girls' Art Club, in introducing 19th-century French art to American audiences. Together with her husband, Chester Dale, she curated one of the most avant-garde private collections of their era, now housed in several prestigious American museums.
Encres de l’Atlantique: Autour de DJ Mehdi : Made in France
On November 23, the Grande Salle Ginsberg-LeClerc was the setting for Maboula Soumahoro’s newest edition of the Encres de l’Atlantique series. In an exceptional event bringing together several emblematic personalities of the French hip-hop scene, the audience enjoyed a conversation around the documentary DJ Mehdi: Made in France, after a screening of the first four episodes. Released on Arte in September, this Thibaut de Longeville production, awarded at Cannes Séries earlier this year, follows the rise of DJ Mehdi as an influential French producer whose undeniable impact has left its mark on the rap scene.
This event and documentary paid tribute to his enduring legacy. The panel featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including Thibaut de Longeville, director of the documentary, rappers Rocé and Mokobé, journalist Juliette Fievet, choreographer Max-Laure Bourjolly, and graphic designer Tcho. The evening concluded in a surprise appearance by rapper Kery James, whom Maboula jokingly hesitated to introduce, quipping, “Is it really necessary?”
Reflections on the future of museums, in collaboration with the Louvre
On November 27, an insightful conversation unfolded in the Grande Salle Ginsberg-LeClerc, where Laurence des Cars, President-Director of the Louvre, joined Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Columbia University professor and current Chaire du Louvre, for a thought-provoking discussion on Reimagining the Museum. Moderated by cultural strategist András Szántó, the event centered the museum's evolving role in today's world. On this occasion, we were also proud to celebrate the inauguration of the Judith Ginsberg Annual Program, a new series of free, public events focused on arts and culture, at Reid Hall. The Ginsberg Annual Program was established by Alicia Ginsberg, Clare Megathlin, Raphael Ginsberg, and Emily Coward in honor of their aunt Judith Ginsberg, a generous benefactor of Reid Hall.
Thanksgiving dinner
In honor of Thanksgiving, the Grande Salle Ginsberg-LeClerc was decked out for an exceptional dinner bringing together students from Columbia's Paris-based programs, staff and a few special guests. This beautiful evening, celebrating collective gratitude and the joy of being together, was enlivened by a variety of student-initiated performances. They played their part in the talent show with singing, stand-up comedy, poetry and, above all, lots of enthusiasm.
Special thanks to our MCs Hannah Carter & Ian Pumphrey, and to our performers:
- Hannah Carter (CUP): Alfie by Burt Bacharach
- Briana Anthony & Arden Ericson (HiLi): Make You Feel My Love by Adele, originally written by Bob Dylan
- Alastair Budd (CUP): Pocket square folding guide
- Charlotte Force (Paris Global Center Communications Coordinator): Autumn Leaves by Eva Cassidy
- Devon Wenzel & Arden Ericson (HiLi): Comedic song about Youki, the famous resident black cat of Reid Hall
- Rachel Shaw (CUP): Flash Poetry inspired by audience-submitted themes
- Cameron Jones (CUP): Imagine by John Lennon
- Jonathan Menzel (CUP): I'll Be Home For Christmas by Frank Sinatra
- Finale: Let It Snow with all students
New Episodes from Atelier
This month, the Paris Global Center’s Atelier podcast released two new interviews. In addition, the “Women of Reid Hall” Special Series has been launched, with its first episode released right before our Reid Hall History event on November 26.
Columbia Professor Frank Guridy presented his latest book, The Stadium, which traces the history of the American stadium as a battleground for social justice since its inception. In this episode, he discusses his origins as a sports fan growing up in the Bronx and the experience of combing through vast digital archives to assemble a narrative filled with anti-fascist rallies, Black Power demonstrations, feminist protests, and more. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
“The stadium was a place where I felt comfortable, and a sense of wonder and possibility. I was taken by the sight of athletes of color performing. As I became a sports fan and someone who played baseball myself, that became a model to emulate. When I was playing sports, I always said I found myself on the pitcher’s mound. Sports became an intellectual exercise for me.”
Tomas van Houtryve, 2024 – 2025 Fellow of the Institute for Ideas and Imagination talked about his work on Notre-Dame. After a fire devastated the cathedral in 2019, only three photographers were chosen to document its reconstruction. Among them was van Houtryve who, over four years, captured the cathedral’s revival using a range of techniques—from the historic collodion process to drone photography—highlighting the moment's historical depth and significance. In this episode, he reflects on how the present and the past intersected throughout the project, his collaborations with fellow photographers and craftspeople, and the journey that led to his book 36 Views of Notre-Dame. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
“He turned out the window, and looked at Notre-Dame,” and photographer Bernard Hermann told Tomas, “You’ll see, she makes for a great companion, Notre Dame.”
Launch of Atelier’s Special “Women of Reid Hall” Series
“Women of Reid Hall” is a special series of Atelier, a podcast produced by the Columbia Global Paris Center. Hosted by Brunhilde Biebuyck, director of Reid Hall and the Columbia Global Paris Center, and Marie Doezema, Senior Special Projects Manager at the Paris Global Center, the special series draws from the research undertaken by the Reid Hall History Project. To read even further into the history, check out the many chapters of the Reid Hall history website.
In the first episode, Brunhilde Biebuyck, Director of Reid Hall and the Columbia Global Paris Center, welcomes you to 4 rue de Chevreuse, an address that houses several Columbia University initiatives in the French capital today.
It now serves as a vibrant hub for intellectual exploration across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. But when, and how, did it become Reid Hall? In this podcast, we aim to revive the stories of the women, often overlooked by history, whose contributions profoundly shaped the Reid Hall we know today. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.