Author Archives: Jered Gold

Art Center Honors Doyald Young

This is turning out to be quite a week for Doyald Young.

Tomorrow night he’ll be honored at a special Art Center reception (RSVPs required) with a screening of Doyald Young, Logotype Designer, a new documentary about Young by lynda.com.

Photo by Louise Sandhaus

At Saturday’s commencement ceremony, he will receive Art Center’s Alumnus of the Year Award for his dedicated work as an educator and lifetime of legendary work in typography, logotypes and alphabets. At Saturday’s commencement, he’ll receive an honorary degree from Art Center, where he studied Advertising in the ’50s, and where he has taught lettering and logotype design in the Graphic Design Department for decades.

We caught up with Young this week to talk to him about Art Center, his thoughts on teaching and those things computers can’t do.

Dotted Line: Congratulations on the alumni award and honorary degree.
Doyald Young: Thank you! I’m honored and thankful for such honors. I am an amalgam of the people I’ve known whose ideas have permeated my being. I’m blessed—so many people have kindly befriended me. I often wonder, “How do I repay them?”

I believe that teaching and writing books about what I do is a form of payback. Both of which I continue to do, and will, as long as I am able. A priori, how could I not be deeply touched with the awards I’ve received? I’m humbled that Art Center has allowed me to teach these many years, and blessed that I receive support from my fellow teachers and staff.

Dotted Line: What has Art Center meant to you?
Young: Art Center has been one of the great forces of my life. I learned, most importantly, that our first efforts are just that. They need refinement. A good job is done over and over, and oftentimes is changed again and again when marketing forces or creative directors change their minds. Final art does not emerge full-blown. I make my living making changes.

At Art Center, I learned professionalism, punctuality, and above all, how to continue my skills and burnish my talent. And a mentor of mine, Henry Dreyfuss, taught me the value of a thank-you note.

Dotted Line: You’ve said that you are an educator first, and a designer second.
Young: It’s true. When I was a student in Mort Leach’s class, he noticed fellow students coming to me for help on their projects. They came to me voluntarily, and I found that I enjoyed helping them. Mort later asked me to become his teaching assistant.

Teaching requires patience. I firmly believe that if you have the gift of teaching, you must pass it on. As Woodrow Wilson said, “You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”

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A Festive Look Back at Our Past

Guest post by Art Center Archivist Robert Dirig

As we put the finishing touches on our 2010 holiday greeting—a beautiful motion design piece designed by Art Center students—we turn to our College archives to remember holiday cards from yesteryear.

Not surprisingly, Art Center’s holiday cards have always been quite unique and creative. The designs range from posters to origami to traditional cards to others that fold out in unusual dimensions.

The earliest Art Center card we have found was sent out in 1955. Some were made by students, others by alumni, and still others by faculty members. Product Design alumnus and former faculty member Kohei Eguchi designed many of cards from the 1980s that pop out like origami when opened.

Grab some eggnog and take a little trip through time with us, won’t you?

See the entire collection by appointment at the College Archives. Contact College Archivist Robert Dirig at robert.dirig@artcenter.edu or 626.396.2208 for more information.

The 2011-2012 Viewbook is Here!

We’re excited to share with you the 2011-2012 Art Center Viewbook, created by Art Center’s in-house Design Office in collaboration with faculty member Simon Johnston. Flip through this beautiful publication online. You can also request a catalog from Admissions.

A ton of work by many went into this newest book, and we’re quite proud of it. Check out the video above (made by alumna and one of the Viewbook designers Eliana Dominguez) and slide show below to see more.

Faculty member Simon Johnston visits the bindery where the Viewbook is being printed:

Photos of the Viewbook installation at Hillside Campus:

Awards Honor Exceptional Alumni

Each December, the College and Office of Alumni Relations present the Art Center Alumni Awards to three outstanding alumni.

The winners, chosen by the Art Center community, are recognized during the Fall Term graduation ceremony.

Photo by Lara Warren

We are honored to announce the following Art Center Alumni Award winners at Saturday’s commencement:

  • Doyald Young ADVT ’55, awarded the Lifetime Achievement Alumnus Award in recognition of his dedicated work as an educator and lifetime of legendary work in typography, logotypes and alphabets.
  • Stephanie Sigg GRAD ID ’98, awarded the Outstanding Service Alumni Award in honor of her humanitarian design impact through her work with various NGOs, nonprofits and cause-related campaigns.
  • Geetika Agrawal GRAD ID ’05, awarded the Young Alumni Innovator Award in recognition of her passion and accomplishments in social media, digital culture, physical interactive art and new technologies.

Congratulations to our alumni for these well-deserved marks of distinction!

To Draw Is to See: Norm Schureman’s Sketches

To Draw is to See: The Sketchbook of Norman J. Schureman is now available for purchase at blurb.com. Edited by faculty member and alumnus Fridolin Beisert, the sketchbook features more than 100 of Schureman’s master drawings.

This stunning collection showcases his talents as a designer and teacher. From birds to dinosaurs and from tanks to insects, every page is an inspiring example of his legacy.

All proceeds of this book go to his two sons, Milo and Kian. Preview the book online.

Art Center Students Help Launch Watts Art?


Watts Art? is a collaborative art project created by Art Center students, Watts House Project and St. John’s United Methodist Church in the historic Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts. The goal is to encourage community derived creative projects and to facilitate new artistic commissions at St. John’s. Watts Art? was born from the Designmatters studio Case Studies for Social Change, led by Edgar Arceneaux, Dave Bailey and Alexandra Grant this term.

On Sunday, Dec. 19, the inaugural exhibit of the collaborative project, 34,830 Watts, will be presented at St. John’s near the historic Watts Towers from 3 to 6 p.m. More than 20 local and community artists will show work, a site-specific light work will be unveiled, a dance performance and more are planned for the day. 34,830 Watts aims to highlight the uniqueness and rich cultural legacy of the Watts neighborhood.

Saturday High Fashion Show Tomorrow

Photo © Steven A. Heller / Art Center College of Design

Flashbulbs pop and the audience applauds wildly as models gracefully sashay down the catwalk.

The featured fashions push the boundaries of creativity, ranging from elegant, traditional ensembles to futuristic cocktail gowns.

Are we on the runways of Milan? Actually, we’re at Art Center’s South Campus, and the designers are … high school kids.

The much-loved annual Saturday High Fashion Show will be tomorrow, December 11, at Art Center’s South Campus, featuring the work of Saturday High students. Two shows will be held, at 6 and 8 p.m.

This annual show features more than 40 pieces, designed by more than 25 Saturday High students and worn by dozens of models. A “behind the scenes/making of the show” video montage and celebratory post-party with live music will follow.

“We are thrilled to present the fifth installment of this remarkable fashion show,” says Director of K-12 Programs Paula Goodman.

Photo © Steven A. Heller / Art Center College of Design

“Our fashion show is a wonderful way to showcase our students’ hard work and recently acquired skills.”

All fashions are created in Saturday High classes and along with the show are a sort of “final project” for students.

Saturday High participants, teens in grades 9 through 12, spend their Saturdays learning how to design, conceptualize and ultimately create their final piece, learning theory and some sewing skills along the way.

Many of the students envision a future for themselves in the fashion industry.

Tickets to the fashion show are $10.  For more information, email saturdayhigh@artcenter.edu.

Fifth Annual Saturday High Fashion Show
Saturday, December 11, 6 and 8 p.m.
South Campus
Tickets are $10

Special Campus Visitors: Adorable Deer

Anyone who has spent time at Art Center’s Hillside Campus knows that we aren’t up in these hills alone. We share it with countless birds, coyotes, rabbits, deer and even snakes. It’s one of the things that make it a unique and special place. But how’s this for cute: Five little deer pay us a visit—and take their time crossing the road while they’re at it. Guess they aren’t in a rush to finish up any final projects.

Distinguished Filmmakers Series: David Gale

Film Department instructor Lee Rosenbaum will host a discussion with MTV Films founder David Gale about current trends in new media today at 12:30.

Under Gale’s visionary leadership, MTV Networks became a leader in the creation and distribution of new media content. He is currently executive vice president of MTV New Media.

Gale’s producing credits include Beavis and Butthead Do America, Varsity Blues, Election, The Original Kings of Comedy, Orange County, Jackass: The Movie, Couch Carter, The Longest Yard, Aeon Flux and many more. The event is open to all Art Center students, faculty and staff.

Distinguished Filmmakers Series: David Gale
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 12:30 p.m.
L.A. Times Media Center