Open House 2010, Photo by Lara Warren
Are you looking for a new challenge? Do you need to add a valuable skill to your art and design practice? Or perhaps you’re interested in applying to Art Center College of Design’s full-time degree program and need to build a portfolio? Stop dreaming about the possibilities and make it happen with Art Center at Night (ACN).
Managing Director of Public Programs and Director of Art Center at Night Dana L. Walker took a break from preparing for tomorrow’s Open House to talk to us more about the program and its offerings for fall.
Dotted Line: What is the value of a continuing studies program like Art Center at Night?
Dana L. Walker: There are no single career paths in today’s world. Jobs are taking on more and more skills and responsibilities due to consolidated workforces, increased freelance opportunities versus staff positions, and a variety of other reasons. Art Center at Night (ACN) helps those trying to add to their design skill set, as well as those wanting to take their careers into a different direction. For instance, technology might have changed since you began your design career, and now you need to get up to speed quickly. There are ACN classes for that.
But I also find that there are a number of people who started out in digital careers coming to ACN get the full range of design foundation that they may have missed in their studies. They want to understand everything that came before digital—use of typography, color theory, visual communication and such. Sometimes they want a tactile experience where they’re not designing on a computer monitor. We’re seeing a growing desire for these sorts of experiences, making things by hand.
Dotted Line: How does a program like ACN adapt to the changing economic climate?
Walker: We’ve developed smaller, shorter‑term classes as well as some online and weekend intensives. A full term is 14 weeks, but we are offering many 7-week courses and one-day seminars. These can be easier for many students because it’s less of a commitment, in both time and money.
Dotted Line: What type of student attends ACN?
Walker: The program is for anyone age 18 or over—students looking to develop their portfolios for acceptance into Art Center’s degree programs, working professionals, retirees—and everyone in-between searching for a way to explore their creative side. We have classes tailored for all of these people.
Dotted Line: While some students have previous art or design experience, are there also classes for the novice as well?
Walker: Definitely, we love having such a mixture of skills and experiences in our classes. Our instructors are accustomed to working with students at a variety of levels and experiences—even an introductory-level course can include complete beginners as well as those with some work or professional experience in the subject. And everyone benefits from having these different voices and experiences in the classroom.
Dotted Line: What sorts of instructors teach at ACN?
Walker: We basically follow the College’s philosophy of having a faculty of working professionals, practicing artists and designers. Several of our faculty members concurrently teach in the College’s degree program. Many are Art Center alumni themselves, and are teaching as a way to give back. They are able to really help their students seeking to go on to the degree program with the skills and projects needed for portfolio preparation, and they provide a wealth of knowledge and experience for those exploring new creative directions.
Dotted Line: Tell us about tomorrow’s Open House.
Walker: Each summer, we open our doors to the public. It’s unique and special because it occurs during the term when classes are still in session. So you can actually visit South Campus, walk around and sit in on ACN classes and see our faculty in action. And we’ll have other faculty members there to talk to, and find out more about the courses they teach. Staff members will be there to talk to visitors as well.
We’ll also have a couple of live demonstrations: a letterpress demo in Archetype Press. Mary Yanish will be doing a mixed-media collage demonstration. Ali Kaplan will hold a live demo on Maya software, creating 3D portraits. Probably best of all, when you come to Open House, you can enter a drawing to win a free ACN class!
Dotted Line: What are some of your new offerings for fall?
Walker: Well, as we discussed a little earlier, we’re featuring some classes that focus on the tactile experience. One in particular is Fine Art Seminar: Hand-Made, which explores the world of the hand-made as it relates to fine art concepts.
Editorial Design for the iPad is another exciting new course, in which students design an editorial piece for the iPad. It’s not a digital class, but it’s a graphic design class where students explore how to take a sequential story, then combine it with the fundamentals of graphic design and elements of interactivity to create engaging content for tablet devices.
On the flipside, we’re offering a class called Tools, which is a primer on hand tools and small, hand-powered tools. We’ve discovered there are a lot of students who’ve grown up only using digital tools, and they’ve sometimes never made anything by hand. It’s a great introduction to the how and why to use tools, fasteners and glues.
Dotted Line: What’s your personal story, Dana? How did you become involved with Art Center and ACN?
Walker: Well, I’m actually an alumna of the College’s Photography and Imaging Department, so my first contact with Art Center was as a student. I was in my early 30’s when I came to Art Center to earn a degree in photography; I’d previously earned a degree from USC in public relations and journalism. So I had already been out in the working world.
But I found myself being drawn back to a more creative career path—I had taken photography classes since high school. And I’m also the daughter of an artist, and I think that was an influence for me, too.
But the funny part of the story is that early on I applied for an Art Center at Night scholarship, but didn’t get it. What I did get was a phone call from the College’s admissions director, who said, “I’ve seen your portfolio and wanted to let you know that unfortunately, you didn’t get an ACN scholarship—but it’s because your portfolio is already ready to apply to our degree program.”
I was worried about how I could afford the degree program, but they told me scholarships were available. I took a chance and applied, and was accepted. I decided this was the direction I needed to take my life’s path. So, I earned my degree and worked as a commercial photographer for 10 years doing architectural and residential photography, along with a little bit of graphic design.
It was by accident a few years later that I met David Walker (no relation), who was director of Art Center’s Public Programs at that time. He was looking for a part‑time counselor for Art Center at Night. The more we talked, the more it sounded like something I would really enjoy. I think what drew me in was that I would be working with prospective students, many of whom were adults looking to go back to school just as I had. And since I’ve been there myself, I understood these students and their concerns.
This is what I’ve enjoyed the most—working with students and helping them discover their own creative path. It’s why I’m here, and it’s what makes this job exciting.
