Watercolor by Illustration alumnus, Frank Lanza

Frank L. Lanza (BFA ’57 Illustration) has had his finger on the pulse of advertising illustration for nearly 60 years. Working almost exclusively as a freelancer, he survived the new dominance of photography in print in the 1960s, experienced the pungent impact of the Magic Marker on storyboarding, and witnessed the revolutionary impact of computers on layout and design. His wide-ranging career has included packaging design for Crown Zellerbach and book illustration for Sunset Magazine and the first Del Monte Kitchens Cook Book. He also storyboarded for commercials and TV shows.

Frank Lanza

Lanza credits the solid fundamental toolkit he acquired at Art Center with laying the groundwork for his creative versatility and professional durability. “I was able to last as a freelancer thanks to the strong foundation of drawing skills I received at Art Center,” he says. He now hopes to return the favor to future artists with a gift of $1 million to the College to establish the Frank L. Lanza Scholarship Endowment, providing them the same lifelong artistic foundation. The endowment supports students of exceptional talent in the Illustration and Fine Art departments.

The San Francisco native and former Air Force technical sergeant understands better than most the importance of financial assistance in launching fulfilling careers. After serving during the Korean War, Lanza was able to attend Art Center thanks in part to support he received through the GI Bill. And as a member of Art Center’s San Francisco alumni chapter during the 1960s, he helped generate scholarship funds to support students. “We went from junior college to junior college to call for portfolios of students,” he recalls. “We had a dinner dance to raise money for scholarships for these students, many of whom might otherwise have not been able to afford to attend the school. At the dances we put the portfolios on display to vote the winner.”

Lanza illustrated this classic Del Monte cookbook

Lanza, who today teaches at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, tries to impart to his own students many of the same foundational skills he received at Art Center—skills that even the most sophisticated computer program can’t replicate. “An artist who doesn’t have strong drawing experience is more likely to create images where the proportions are way off,” he explains.

One Art Center class in particular added invaluably to his skill set—a class he’d had no intention of taking until one of his mentors, Virginia Legakes, urged him to enroll in it. “She looked me in the eye and said, ‘Frank, you need to loosen up and take a watercolor class,’” Lanza recalls. “I couldn’t argue with her. The class was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I excelled at it and had the best time.”

Lanza predicts that technology will continue to accelerate new changes in how illustrations are made. “But with a strong Art Center education,” he says, “the students who are helped by my scholarship will be able to handle any new medium that comes their way.”