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Who's Hanging in Cooper Square?
Pablo Picasso's 1953 portrait of Joseph Stalin installed on the exterior of Cooper Union's historic Foundation Building as part of the School of Art's series Art and Politics as Usual

1,872 s.f. banner serves as the centerpiece of Stalin by Picasso or Portrait of Woman with Moustache, an exhibition that explores the influence of political portraiture

New York, NY (October 26, 2008) — The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art School of Art today installed a series of banners, including a three-story high banner featuring Pablo Picasso's 1953 portrait of Joseph Stalin, on the southern façade of its historic Foundation Building at Third Avenue and East 7th Street in the East Village. The banner, Stalin by Picasso or Portrait of Woman with Moustache, is the centerpiece of a new solo exhibition by Norwegian artist Lene Berg that explores the relationship between art and politics. The free exhibition, also called Stalin by Picasso or Portrait of Woman with Moustache, begins with a reception open to the public on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. The show runs from October 29 - December 6, open Tuesday -Saturday from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

"Ms. Berg's compelling use of Cold War-era figures in Stalin by Picasso or Portrait of Woman with Moustache poses timely questions about political portraiture, how contemporary art relates to real world politics and the power of representation. We hope that the exhibit sparks dialogue about the relationship between art and politics, made especially relevant during the election season," said Sara Reisman, associate dean of the School of Art at The Cooper Union and curator of the exhibition.

The portrait referenced in the banner was originally commissioned by Louis Aragon for publication in the Parisian newspaper Les Lettres Francaises. Similar to Picasso, Aragon was a member of the French Communist Party and wished to memorialize Stalin's death on the front page of the newspaper. Picasso's drawing of Stalin was viewed as unflattering and led to his expulsion from the party.

The rest of the exhibition, in the Arthur A. Houghton, Jr. Gallery inside the Foundation Building, provides a detailed account of the personal, political, artistic and media implications of Picasso's simple drawing of Stalin in a video entitled Stalin by Picasso or Portrait of Woman with Moustache. A second video, The Man in the Background, features historic footage about art and propaganda during the Cold War, specifically the publication of the cultural journal Encounter that was founded in 1953 as one of the undertakings of the Congress of Cultural Freedom (1950-1967), an anti-Communist advocacy group initiated by the CIA.

A panel discussion is being organized for late November, when the artist will discuss her intentions in highlighting Picasso's historic portrait of Stalin, the role of the media in Picasso's expulsion from the Communist party, and the lasting power of Stalin's image today.

Public support for this exhibition has been generously provided by the Office for Contemporary Art Norway and Larsen + Pilgaard.

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a distinguished private college of art, architecture and engineering founded in 1859 by Peter Cooper, an inventor, industrialist and philanthropist. Since its founding, all admitted students have received full-tuition scholarships.

Lene Berg works with video and installations, photography and text. In her work, she mixes medias and fictions within the same project, and uses both people and events as points of departure in her projects Born in 1965 in Oslo, Norway, Ms. Berg lives and works in Oslo and Stockholm, Sweden.

Cooper Union Surpasses Challenge Set by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

New York, NY (October 23, 2008) — The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is pleased to announce today that the college has surpassed New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its building operations by 30 percent by 2017. As one of the Mayor's "PlaNYC Challenge Partners," The Cooper Union is already leading by example with the construction of its new academic building, New York City's first green academic laboratory building. Originally designed for LEED Silver certification, Cooper Union has incorporated environmentally sophisticated technologies that bolstered the new academic building's standards to LEED Gold, with the possibility of achieving LEED Platinum-the highest level rating in the U.S. Green Building Council system.

"As a member of the Mayor's 'PlaNYC Challenge Partners,' The Cooper Union will reduce its greenhouse gas emission by more than 40 percent by 2010," said Cooper Union's President George Campbell Jr. "In addition to our new academic building which will likely achieve LEED Platinum, we are in the process of retrofitting Cooper Union's historic Foundation Building to include many environmental upgrades, such as a cogeneration plant and advanced control systems. The two building together will enable us to go beyond the Mayor's goal much earlier than the target date of 2017."

The challenge, issued by city government as "30 in 10," sets into motion an ambitious goal for selected leading New York institutions to cut carbon dioxide emissions and incorporate energy-saving technologies. Cooper Union's new academic building, designed by 2005 Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne of Morphosis, will be a nine-story, technologically advanced academic facility. When completed in Spring 2009, the 175,000 square-foot, block-long academic building will be 40 percent more energy efficient than standard, similar-sized buildings and will include a cogeneration plant, radiant ceiling heating and cooling panels, a green roof, a full-height atrium, an operable building skin made of perforated stainless steel panels and other state-of-the-art sustainable technologies. Housing Cooper Union's Albert Nerken School of Engineering-ranked among the top three undergraduate engineering schools in the nation-as well as providing institutional space for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Art and the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, the new academic building will replace more than one-third of Cooper Union's academic space.

For additional information about the 41 Cooper Square construction schedule, a web page with information is available on Cooper Union's website at www.cooper.edu/community.

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
by Neurologist and Author Dr. Oliver Sacks

It has been said that "music has charms to soothe the savage breast," but its true power lies in its ability to affect the human brain. In a free lecture in the historic Great Hall at The Cooper Union on Wednesday, September 24th at 6:30 pm, neurologist and author Oliver Sacks discusses the mind's relationship to music. His latest book, Musicophilia, uses medical case studies to illustrate this extraordinary interaction, including a man struck by lightning who is suddenly inspired to become a pianist, a group of children who are hyper-musical from birth, and a man whose memory spans only seven seconds—for everything but music.

Dr. Sacks is a professor of clinical neurology and clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. He has written many best-selling books including Uncle Tungsten, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and Awakenings, which became an acclaimed film. His writings appear regularly in The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books. Musicophilia is a New York Times best seller and has been named one of the Best Books of 2007 by the Washington Post and the editors of Amazon.com.

This lecture is made possible by the Benjamin Menschel Distinguished Lectureship, established with a generous grant from The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.

WHAT: Dr. Oliver Sacks, neurologist and author, discusses the interaction between music and the human brain—how music has the power to move us, to heal and to haunt us. His latest book, Musicophilia, uses compelling stories of patients, musicians and ordinary people to delve into this fascinating relationship.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 6:30PM

WHERE: The Cooper Union
The Great Hall, 7 East 7th Street at Third Avenue, New York
Subways: Astor Place (6), 8th Street (N, R)

ADMISSION: Free and open to the public

INFORMATION: 212.353.4195 or www.cooper.edu

MEDIA CONTACT: Jolene Travis, 212.353.4158, Jolene@cooper.edu

Buckminster Fuller Symposium

In conjunction with the exhibition "Buckminster Fuller: Starting with the Universe" on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art June 26-September 21, 2008

Visionary designer, philosopher, poet, inventor, engineer, and advocate of sustainability, Buckminster Fuller was one of the great transdisciplinary thinkers of the last century with a legacy that extends to nearly every field of the arts and sciences. This symposium takes its cue from Fuller's dictum, "I always say to myself, what is the most important thing we can think about at this extraordinary moment," and explores the diverse ways in which contemporary scholars and practitioners are pushing Fuller's ideas and projects into the 21st century. The event is co-sponsored by The Architectural League of New York and The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union.

Friday, September 12, 7 PM
Keynote Roundtable
Sanford Kwinter, Rice University
Michael Sorkin, The City College of New York School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture
Moderated by Anthony Vidler, The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union
Introduction to the symposium by Allegra Fuller Synder

Saturday, September 13, 10 AM
On Architecture, Design, and Science
Peter Galison, Harvard University
Chuck Hoberman, Designer, Artist, Engineer, and Inventor
Felicity Scott, The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University
Anthony Vidler, The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union
Moderated by K. Michael Hays, Whitney Museum of American Art; Harvard University Graduate School of Design

The Cooper Union, The Great Hall, 7 East 7th Street b/w 3rd and 4th Aves.
Subways: Astor Place (6), 8th Street (N, R)

ADMISSION: Free for Whitney Museum of American Art Members, Architectural League members and Cooper Union students, faculty and staff
$6 for students of other institutions and senior citizens
$8 for general admission

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 212.353.4195 or www.cooper.edu

Cooper Union Awards $33 Million in Full-Tuition Scholarships

Prestigious College Experiences 20-Percent Increase in Applications as it Continues to Fulfill Peter Cooper's Legacy of Providing Merit-Based Education

May 14, 2008 (New York, NY)—The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, one of the nation's oldest and most distinguished institutions of higher education, announced that it has awarded $33 million in full-tuition scholarships to students entering the college in the 2008-2009 academic year.

"We are very proud to announce the awarding of scholarships to some of the world's most capable and promising students," said Dr. George Campbell Jr., president of The Cooper Union. "We look forward to welcoming this exceptional group of young people and helping to guide them in a one-of-a-kind academic experience that will undoubtedly lead to careers of remarkable achievement."

The Cooper Union has provided full-tuition scholarships for all accepted students since it was founded by industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859. With an enrollment of approximately 1,000 undergraduate students, all accepted on merit alone, the college is dedicated to exclusively preparing students for the professions of architecture, art and engineering.

The Cooper Union experienced a 20-percent increase in the number of applications it received for the 2008-2009 academic year. According to Mitchell Lipton, dean of admissions and records for the college, the increase in applications was a function not just of The Cooper Union's reputation and the competitive nature of admissions to elite institutions of higher education, but of the college's embrace of technology and sophisticated outreach to prospective students.

"In the past few years, we have changed the nature of how we correspond with students and applicants. This runs the gamut from popular social networking web sites to the use of advanced systems designed to deepen and enrich our interaction with students. The result has been an increase in interest from a more geographically diverse mix of the world's most creative and brightest minds than ever before," said Dean Lipton.

Since its founding, The Cooper Union has educated leaders who have significantly shaped the world, including developing the microchip prototype, cancer detection processes and signature buildings and art around the world. Just a few celebrated Cooper Union alumni include: Thomas Edison; architect Daniel Libeskind; Milton Glaser, founder of New York magazine and creator of the I Love New York logo; Russell Hulse, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the binary pulsar; Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, winners of the High Line Design Competition and selected to re-imagine the Lincoln Center expansion; Alex Katz, a legend in the contemporary art scene since the 1950s; and Kevin Burke, CEO and chairman of Consolidated Edison, Inc.

Cooper Union Accepts Challenge by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to Partner with the City to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 30 Percent over the Next Ten Years

New York, NY (June 6, 2007)—The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art today announced that the college accepts the challenge issued by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its buildings and operations by 30 percent by 2017. The challenge, issued by city government as "30 in 10," sets into motion an ambitious goal for selected leading New York institutions to cut carbon dioxide emissions and incorporate energy-saving technologies. The Cooper Union, one of the Mayor's "PlaNYC Challenge Partners," is already leading by example with the construction of its new academic building, New York City's first green academic laboratory building, designed to meet the Gold LEED standard.

"The Cooper Union proudly accepts the challenge of reducing our greenhouse gas footprint, meeting the City's goals," said Cooper Union's President George Campbell Jr. "We are pleased to be counted among the PlaNYC Challenge Partners, and to prepare and execute a specific plan to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of our portfolio of buildings by 2017. We have already taken a major step toward a green campus with the design of our new academic building."

Designed by 2005 Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne of Morphosis, Cooper Union's new nine-story academic building will be an environmentally sensitive and technologically sophisticated facility. When completed in 2009, the 175,000 square-foot, block-long academic building will be 40 percent more energy efficient than standard, similar-sized buildings and will include a cogeneration plant, radiant ceiling heating and cooling panels, photovoltaic panels, a green roof, a full-height atrium, an operable building skin made of perforated stainless steel panels and other state-of-the-art sustainable technologies. Housing Cooper Union's Albert Nerken School of Engineering—ranked among the top three undergraduate engineering schools in the nation—as well as providing institutional space for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Art and the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, the new academic building will replace more than one-third of Cooper Union's academic space.

For additional information about the 41 Cooper Square demolition and construction schedule, a web page with information is now on Cooper Union's website at www.cooper.edu/community.

Groundbreaking Ceremony at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art for New York City's First "Green" Academic Laboratory Building

New York, NY (May 9, 2007)—The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Ronald Drucker, and the college president, Dr. George Campbell Jr., today will be joined by elected officials, trustees, donors, students, faculty and alumni at a groundbreaking ceremony, signaling the start of construction of the college's new state-of-the-art academic building. An historic groundbreaking event, construction of 41 Cooper Square (Third Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets) marks the college's first academic building in 50 years and, designed to Gold LEED standards, New York City's first "green" academic laboratory building. On behalf of the City, a representative of the Economic Development Corporation will speak at the ceremony, along with the building's designer, 2005 Pritzker-Prize winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis, and special guests and friends of The Cooper Union community. The event will begin at 11 a.m. at the northeast corner of the construction site.

The new nine-story, 175,000-square-foot academic building will have environmentally sensitive and technologically sophisticated laboratories, studios and classrooms, in addition to student and public spaces. The $150 million facility will house Cooper Union's Albert Nerken School of Engineering—ranked among the top three undergraduate engineering schools in the nation—as well as provide institutional space for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Art and the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture.

"Today, The Cooper Union reaches an important milestone in the college's long and distinguished history," said President George Campbell Jr. "We believe we have an unequivocal responsibility to our students to provide an education that is second to none and to create an innovative learning environment that transcends disciplinary boundaries. This building will ensure that they and the future generations have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential."

Major funding of the college's new academic building includes many donors such as the City of New York, with a $3.5 million commitment in capital funds, and Cooper Union's trustees, alumni, and friends of the college. The Starr Foundation, chaired by Hank Greenberg, provided $10 million, the largest single gift from a foundation to the college in its 148-year history. The gift will fund facilities as well as faculty and scholarship endowments. The new C.V. Starr Research Foundation at Cooper Union will support scholarly activity, research and innovation across the institution. Entrepreneur Maurice Kanbar established the Maurice Kanbar Center for Biomedical Engineering and the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Graduate Studies at The Cooper Union with his $10 million gift-the largest donation from an individual since Peter Cooper conveyed the landmarked Foundation Building to the college in 1859. A $5 million gift by Cooper Union trustee Sandra Priest Rose will support the 200-seat Frederick P. Rose Auditorium in the new academic building.

In addition to Thom Mayne/Morphosis, the college's project team for the new academic building is composed of associate architect Gruzen Samton LLP, owner's representative Horne Rose and construction manager F.J. Sciame Construction Co., Inc.

To learn more about the 41 Cooper Square demolition and construction schedule, go to Cooper Union's web site, www.cooper.edu/community. Information about the college's new academic building can also be found at www.cooper.edu/cubuilds.

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Receives $10 Million from The Starr Foundation

Record foundation grant will create C.V. Starr Research Foundation, in new academic building, create and endow professorship and scholarships

New York, NY (February 15, 2007)—The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art today announced it is the recipient of a grant of $10 million from The Starr Foundation. The grant will be used to expand research and innovation at The Cooper Union, establishing the C.V. Starr Research Foundation to sustain the college's long tradition of educating future leaders in engineering. It is the largest single gift from a foundation to the college in its 147-year history.

"Technological innovation is proving to be the key to American competitiveness in our rapidly changing global economy," said Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, chairman of The Starr Foundation. "The Starr Foundation seeks to make a difference in tomorrow's world by supporting The Cooper Union and its pool of exceptionally talented students."

"We are grateful for the enormous generosity of The Starr Foundation," said Dr. George Campbell Jr., president of The Cooper Union. "Tomorrow's discoveries reside in the minds and hands of our gifted young people. The Cooper Union's alumni have always been at the forefront of innovation, from Thomas Edison, inventor of electric light bulb to Stanley Lapidus, inventor of the ThinPrep Pap Test, the most widely used cervical cancer detection method. This grant will enable us to continue along that path, turning out exceptional engineers with a strong liberal education, who will become the innovators of the future."

The Starr grant kicks off the public phase of The Campaign for Cooper Union, a critical institutional fundraising effort that seeks to raise $250 million to support student scholarships, faculty development and academic programs, together with a substantial capital investment in Cooper Union's new state-of-the-art academic building. To date, The Cooper Union has already raised $135 million, through the generosity of its alumni and valued benefactors.

The Starr grant will be divided among a number of projects at The Cooper Union:

  • $6 million toward constructing and equipping the college's new academic building, which will house the C.V. Starr Research Foundation, within the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. The engineering school is ranked among the top three undergraduate engineering schools in the nation. The gift will enable the creation of research facilities as well as provide necessary furnishings for state-of-the-art laboratories.

    This new building, to be New York City's first "green" academic laboratory facility, was designed by 2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Thom Mayne of Morphosis, and will be located at 41 Cooper Square (Third Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets), currently the site of the Hewitt Building. In addition to the Nerken School and the C.V. Starr Research Foundation, the new building will also provide institutional space for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Art and the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. Demolition of the Hewitt Building began in November, with groundbreaking scheduled for the new building in April 2007.

    The newly-created C.V. Starr Research Foundation will support interdisciplinary research at The Cooper Union, including four existing engineering research centers:

    • The Maurice Kanbar Center for Biomedical Engineering—Funded by and named for inventor-entrepreneur Maurice Kanbar, who donated $10 million to The Cooper Union in 2002, the largest contribution by an individual in the college's history. The Center provides a venue for research in biomedicine, including orthopedic biomechanics, medical imaging and minimally invasive surgery.

    • Center for Urban Infrastructure and Systems—Building upon The Cooper Union's historic role in urbanism and social responsibility, the center focuses on transportation, environmental engineering and renewable energy issues, along with an innovative program dedicated to Urban Security and Protective Design.

    • The Center for Signal Processing, Communications and Modeling—Augmenting the school's ongoing work in signal processing, computer engineering, wireless communication, encryption technologies and optical and electro-optical communications, the center is currently exploring advanced image processing, where work is being done in partnership with medical research institutions in New York City such as Cornell University's Weill Medical College in Manhattan.

    • Center for Materials Design and Manufacturing Technology—Engaging in the research of innovative product design and automation, the center will be active in areas of composite materials, fire-resistant and blast-resistant materials, robotics and nano-technology.

  • $2 million will be added to the existing C.V. Starr Scholarship Fund, an endowment established in 2001 by The Starr Foundation as a permanent scholarship fund, providing full-tuition scholarships for students working in the centers on related senior research projects.

  • $2 million will create and endow the C.V. Starr Distinguished Professor of Engineering.

About The Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is one of the nation's top ranked private colleges, offering degree programs in art, architecture and engineering. Founded by industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper, the college has provided a full-tuition scholarship, now valued at $30,000 per year, to every accepted student since 1859.

About the Starr Foundation
The Starr Foundation was established in 1955 by Cornelius Vander Starr, an insurance entrepreneur who founded C.V. Starr & Co. and other companies around the world. Mr. Starr, a pioneer of globalization, set up his first insurance venture in Shanghai in 1919. He died in 1968 at the age of 76, leaving his estate to the Foundation. The Starr Foundation, with assets today of approximately $3 billion, has donated more than $2 billion since its founding—more than $1 billion in New York City alone—making it one of the largest private foundations in the United States. The Foundation supports education, medicine and healthcare, culture, human needs, public policy and the environment.