Monthly Archives: May 2010

Art Center Joins Designers Accord

We are pleased to announce that Art Center has joined the Designers Accord, a global coalition of designers, educators and business leaders working together to create positive environmental and social impact.

Sustainability is a subject of great concern at Art Center, and we recognize that design has a responsibility to address its many challenges and opportunities. The College believes that design, with its ability to see the big picture and integrate multiple interests, is uniquely capable of creating sustainable systems and solutions.

Over the past five years, Art Center has been introducing a comprehensive design approach recognizing environmental, social and economic interests. Through new courses, research in design process and lifecycle methodology, and active partnerships with other colleges, communities and organizations, this College-wide initiative is slowly transforming how design is taught.

At the same time, Art Center is in the often difficult stage of integrating teaching with doing. Progress with re-making the campus is slow, but steady. Support for sustainable practices comes from all parts of the college community, though students remain the strongest advocates.

Through participation in the designers accord, Art Center hopes to learn from others and share what we know. We want to keep improving in all aspects of what we do. We also hope to inspire and mobilize the ingenuity of our students and faculty towards creating solutions that support human and natural systems, over the long term.

Archibong Named Student Designer of the Year

Ini Archibong

Environmental Design student Ini Archibong has been named Student Designer of the Year by Stylus and Bernhardt Design. The Stylus + Bernhardt Design American Design Honors are a new annual awards program developed to support the future of American product design. The American Design Honors will provide young designers with both exposure and financial support. Archibong will be honored by Stylus and Bernhardt at the 2010 International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York next week.

“A few minutes after meeting Ini, you realize you are in the presence of someone destined to achieve great things,” says President of Bernhardt Design Jerry Helling. “His personal charisma complements his natural design talent—he has the drive, passion and commitment to sustain a long and successful career.”

Born and raised in Pasadena, Archibong began his studies at USC’s Marshall School of Business. He soon realized that he could not ignore his creative passion, opting to focus on fine art and architectural design. He worked for two years at George Architecture in South Pasadena, where he learned the essential skills of the trade and strengthened his application portfolio for Art Center. In 2007, he was accepted into the College’s Environmental Design program, and received both an Edwards Entrance Scholarship and an Art Center Outreach Grant.

Continue reading →

Albert and Trudy Kallis Foundation Endows Illustration Scholarship

Albert and Trudy Kallis

Advertising alumnus Albert Kallis, with his wife Trudy, recently established an endowed scholarship to support Illustration students with a gift from the Albert and Trudy Kallis Foundation. In addition to helping students receive an education at the College, they hope to inspire fellow alumni to participate in the tradition of helping the next generation.

Widely recognized as a founder of International House of Pancakes, Kallis is best known for his work as an illustrator and art director for American International Pictures. Many of his posters have become collector’s favorites. Prior to his association with AIP he illustrated album covers for Capitol Records, and worked with Saul Bass in film advertising.

In 1973, Kallis left motion picture advertising, and with his wife created the Albert and Trudy Kallis Foundation, which funds and produces documentaries to educate and inform audiences in unique and entertaining ways through a broad range of subjects including art, music, history, science and spirituality.

The Albert and Trudy Kallis Foundation Endowed Scholarship will be awarded for the first time this fall to a new or continuing Illustration student who demonstrates academic merit and financial need. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid at 626.396.2215.

Art Center Inaugurates Fifth President

President Buchman

“Come Art Center—meet your own demand,” Dr. Lorne Buchman urged the crowd assembled for his inauguration at Hillside Campus. “Let us bring to our future the very fortitude we exact from those we educate. Some of the same magic that for 80 years, brought to life those gods of design, art and human expression. It’s a mammoth but vital task. We know how to do this—it’s in our DNA. Conjure and imagine things that don’t yet exist. Designers, design your school.”

On Thursday, April 22, Art Center ushered in a new era as it inaugurated Buchman, its fifth president and chief executive officer. Named president last year after a nationwide 10-month search, Buchman is the former provost and president of Oakland’s California College of Arts and Crafts. Most recently, Buchman served as President of Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center. A trained theater director and scholar, he has held a number of faculty and administrative positions at the University of California, Berkeley.

Graduate Media Design Department Chair Anne Burdick, who served as Department Chair’s representative on the Presidential Search Committee, said that while many leaders in the art and design world were interviewed for the position, just one candidate was both a team builder and a change agent. “Only Lorne had that precise combination of empathy and chutzpah,” she told the audience.