Art Hum Changed Kathleen Reckling ’07’s Trajectory

Kathleen Reckling ’07, GSAS’09 is the CEO of ArtsWestchester, the largest private not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Reckling joined ArtsWestchester in 2011 to lead its exhibition and public art program before advancing to chief operating officer in 2023 and her current role in July 2024. For her leadership in promoting arts and business partnerships, she was recognized as a “Wunderkind” by 914 INC. and as a Business Council of Westchester “40-Under-40.” At the College, Reckling captained the women’s fencing team to an Ivy League Championship title and top-three finish at the NCAA Championship. She continues to fence, but less competitively and with the assistance of more Aleve. She lives in Ardsley, N.Y., with her terriers, Julie and Kattie.

What were you like when you arrived at Columbia?

I arrived very excited to write a new story for myself, but was also shy and uncertain of who I was. I knew what I wanted out of my education, but I hadn’t really found my voice yet. I had gone from pre-K through high school with the same group of kids. It was an environment that made it hard to shift from the identity I felt was imposed on me. I was proud of my public school education, but I expected to be in classes with students who had read all the Core books in their original Latin or Greek. Would I be a step behind? I was also coming to Columbia to be a member of the fencing team. So I was nervous about balancing the demands of classwork with a collegiate and national tournament schedule. Lots of things to be uncertain about! Thankfully, it didn’t take me too long to learn what I was capable of and to lose my uncertainty.

What do you remember about your first-year living situation?

I had the best experience! I lived in a single, campus-facing room on John Jay 11 and split my time between my floor and the floor above, where one of my teammates and closest friends lived. It was a social group that also knew how to take a study break: late-night salsa dance sessions or a quiet rugby ball toss in the hall between calculus problem sets. More than 20 years from Orientation, my first-year floormates remain some of my best friends.

What Core class or experience do you most remember, and why?

Art Hum was the class that changed my whole professional trajectory. I came to the College wanting to be a journalist. I joined Spec and wrote about food and culture; a piece on the best peanut butter and a review of an exhibition at The Met stand out to me. I had grown up playing violin and always had something to draw with in my hand, so the arts were an important part of my life. But it was learning about art history as a discipline that changed the way I thought about how the arts fit into broader social, economic and political narratives of a given time or place. I wanted to do something with that. I wanted everyone to get it — to learn how to be a critical observer and listener to the images, spaces, music and objects around us.

Did you have a favorite spot on campus, and what did you like about it?

Low Steps. First, always a sucker for an art historical reference, I loved the plaza’s homage to Raphael’s The School of Athens. On the first warm day of the year, no matter the month, The Steps were covered with students enjoying the weather. It was a spot to socialize. Pause and regroup with a cup of coffee. Or set up with a book and catch up on some course reading. When I visit campus now, I always make sure to take a moment and chill on The Steps — from there I can take in the whole campus and imagine all that is still possible ahead of me.

What, if anything, about your College experience would you do over?

I don’t think I’d request a do-over on any part of my College experience! That’s not to say that I think I got it all right — I sometimes wonder what it would have looked like if I hadn’t tried to be equal parts student and athlete or what if I hadn’t gone for a Furnald double my second year. But I do believe I got everything I needed to get out of my Columbia experience. Especially from the moments when I really, really didn’t get it right (like that Furnald double).