The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery is a contemporary art gallery at Columbia University in New York City. It frequently exhibits works by Columbia students and faculty.
The gallery is worth visiting for those interested in experimental academic art.
History
The gallery was founded in 1986 by Miriam and Ira D. Wallach. It was originally located in Schermerhorn Hall on the Morningside Heights campus. It later moved to a new building, the Lenfest Center for the Arts on the Manhattanville campus, designed by architect Renzo Piano.
Ira D. Wallach, an American businessman and philanthropist who founded a gallery at the university where he studied, is also known beyond the art world.
During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. In 1946, he joined Gottesman & Company, his wife’s family business. Under his leadership, the company grew into one of the world’s leading distributors of wood pulp, paper, and newspaper products.
In 1980, he also co-founded the EastWest Institute (Institute for East-West Security Studies).
Furthermore, his name was included in White House documents as one of the Nixon administration’s “political opponents” for his criticism of the Vietnam War.
Miriam Wallach, Ira Wallach’s wife, co-founded the gallery. Miriam served on the Council on Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University. After her husband’s death, she continued her philanthropic work.
Collection and exhibitions
The gallery does not have a permanent collection, but instead organizes regular temporary exhibitions, research-based and curated by students or faculty. Recent examples include the “Class of 2026 First Year MFA Exhibition,” which features works by emerging artists—installations, videos, paintings, and sculptures.
Gallery programs include lectures and meetings with artists. The gallery also publishes catalogs of student work.
Visitor’s Information
Website: wallach.columbia.edu
Adress: 615 W 129th St, New York, NY 10027
Admission: free
