Author Archives: Jered Gold

Art … or Terrorism?

Work from Schaefer's Website

A fascinating story in the L.A. Times focuses on Art Center alumnus and faculty member Alex Schaefer, questioned by L.A. police after painting a bank branch on fire.

From the article:

“They said they had to find out my intention. They asked if I was a terrorist and was I going to follow through and do what I was painting.”

No, Schaefer said. He explained that the artwork was intended to be a visual metaphor for the havoc that banking practices have caused to the economy.

A terrorist certainly would not spend hours on a public sidewalk creating an oil painting of his intended target, he told the officers.

The police took down his name, address and telephone number on a form — Schaefer declined to provide his Social Security number — and departed.

“They were friendly. They weren’t intimidating,” he said. “I figured that when they left, they probably decided the episode was stupid and they’d just wad up the form and throw it away.”

Wrong. On Tuesday, two more officers showed up at Schaefer’s home. This time they were plainclothes detectives.

Read more: An artist’s incendiary painting is his bank statement

One Month Until Forward Motion

Forward Motion: Advancing Mobility in California & Québec is just under a month away!

This half-day symposium, organized by Art Center College of Design and the Québec Delegation in Los Angeles in partnership with the Université de Montréal, will examine the impact on vehicle and infrastructure design in light of the roadmaps laid out by each particular region. Expert panelists will compare and contrast Québec and California’s initiatives for the promotion of electric vehicles and public transit, highlighting the new technologies and advanced materials rapidly driving North America forward.

Just announced: Jean J. Labbé, world-renowned transportation designer, will present the keynote presentation, How Design Is Shaping Public Transportation.

With a solid track record of over 40 projects in the public transportation sector including the U.S.’s first high-speed train, the ACELA Express; New York’s high-tech subway cars; Vancouver’s Skytrain; China’s CRH1 high-speed train and Montreal‘s new generation subway cars, Labbé is globally recognized as a leading authority in public transportation design

Registration is now open for this one-of-a-kind event. Space for the keynote luncheon is limited, so secure your spot today!

Art Center and SHE: Changing Women’s Lives

Art Center’s Illustration Department, along with Designmatters, hosted a studio this spring in collaboration with SHE (Sustainable Health Enterprises), to raise awareness and motivate action addressing the lack of access to affordable, eco-friendly sanitary products for women in developing countries such as Rwanda.

Bathroom poster designed by student Amy Cook

“Menstruation is one of those things that people don’t really want to have anything to do with,” says Elizabeth Scharpf, founder of SHE. “Most of the population is left hanging after donation supplies run out.”

Each year in developing countries, girls and women miss about 50 days of work and school because they lack access to affordable and hygienic sanitary pads. The sanitary pads sold in Rwanda are imported, expensive and subject to a prohibitive 18 percent tax.

According to a United Nations study, females are the economic and social engines of their communities, with one dollar invested in a female offering a much higher return on investment than in a male. As a result, the high rate of women and girls dropping out of school and work just reinforces the poverty and loss of opportunities for entire villages.

SHE challenged a group of Art Center students to create an advertising campaign using traditional and non-traditional media aimed at educating young women in the United States and the rest of the developed world on the critical lack of access to basic sanitary health supplies.

The project presented significant challenges for the students, most notably: How does one tackle a “taboo” issue that no one wants to talk about, even in the U.S.? How can we solve a problem that negatively affects millions of females every year?

Learn more about SHE (Sustainable Health Enterprises): Awareness Campaign Directions

A Student Perspective on Formula E

Here’s a fun video for a Monday afternoon: a documentary on Art Center’s annual Formula E races made by Grad ID student Hugo Giralt.

Department Chair Andy Ogden writes about the event on the Grad ID blog:

“At the end of every summer term for the last 6 years, teams of Grad ID students have been running on the sidewalks of Art Center’s campus chasing Radio Controlled cars propelled by 16 feet of rubber band. That scene is the culmination of a term long project in which the students go on a journey through the phases of conceiving of and then developing unique race vehicles that go far beyond the typical theory, visualization, model making and presentation activities that make up most of a design education experience —to developing, producing, testing, integrating technical systems and deploying an invention that actually has to work—in a high visibility forum,”

Read more.

Graduation and Grad Show Tomorrow!

Photo by Lara Warren

Tomorrow is Summer Term 2011 graduation!

Join us as we welcome the newest graduates into the Art Center family, and check out the work of graduating students afterward at Graduation Show. Can’t join us at Hillside Campus tomorrow? Watch our live online webcast starting at 5 p.m. PST (note that the time has changed this year).

 After graduation, check out the work of the newest Art Center graduates at Graduation Show from 7 to 9 p.m. at Hillside Campus.

Congrats, graduates!

Summer 2011 Graduation
Saturday, Aug. 20, 5 p.m. PST
Hillside Campus

Saturday High Fashion Show Sunday

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.

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

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

The much-loved annual Saturday High Fashion Show will be Sunday, August 21 at Art Center’s South Campus, featuring over 40 outfits worn by dozens of models and designed by 40 high school students involved in the program. Tickets are $10.

This year’s show brings the work and talented young fashion designers to the forefront of an exciting show. Focusing on a “white” theme for their designs, the Saturday High students will present an eclectic mix of outfits and garments that range from the traditional to the avant-garde. The show is a unique event that brings together young talent, families and educators in a setting that is lively yet professional.

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

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.

Beyond the innovative fashion elements, the fashion show exemplifies the tremendous impact of Art Center’s Saturday High program, which enables young artists to cultivate their creative talents and produce work in an educational, professional and community-based context. Saturday High students not only have access to the institution’s exceptional instruction and facilities, they also gain exposure to Southern California’s vibrant arts community.

“We are especially proud of our sixth annual Fashion Show,” noted Paula Goodman, Director of K-12 Programs at Art Center College of Design.  “Our talented, ambitious Saturday High students have leveraged hard work, innovation, and adventurous creativity to design and create wonderful, cutting-edge clothing,” says Paula Goodman, director of K-12 Programs at Art Center. “This gala event draws attention to these amazing students and also brings our community together in the name of beautiful fashion and the arts.”

Sixth Annual Saturday High Fashion Show
Sunday, August 21, 8:30 p.m.
South Campus
Tickets are $10

Teen Art Park Unveiling Today!


Art Center, Armory Center for the Arts, Flintridge Center, Learning Works Charter School and more than two dozen other community-based organizations have collaborated to develop the installation and creative programming of a “Teen Art Park” that fosters safe, artistic expression for at-risk youth in Pasadena.

Large scale, interactive installations designed under the guidance of Art Center’s Designmatters and Environmental Design Departments will be unveiled at a fun, open house-style community event today at 4 p.m. Educators, youth advocates, artists, community members and teens are encouraged to attend the event, which in addition to the unveiling of the Teen Art Park structures, will have graffiti battles, a live DJ, pizza, art projects and more.

Beyond a safe haven for at-risk youth to practice their craft, creative programming developed as part of the Teen Art Park seeks to provide workshops in a variety of visual, applied and performing arts; develop skills that easily transfer into the classroom and the workplace; deepen connections with community resources; and serve as a public space for performances and exhibits. Detailed information about the Teen Art Park collaboration, installation concepts and creative programming can be found on the Designmatters website.

“Teen Art Park has been a deeply transformative project for all of us at Art Center—an opportunity to engage with our partners, Flintridge Center, the Armory and Learning Works in a bold vision that sets forth new creative spaces for learning and community,” says Designmatters Vice President Mariana Amatullo.

“I cannot thank Art Center enough for envisioning what teens might want when searching for safe places to hang out, be with friends and express themselves as individuals,” says Mikala Rahn, executive director of Learning Works Charter School. “With community involvement and support, Teen Art Park would transform Pasadena into a better, youth-friendly city.”

The Teen Art Park unveiling will take place at Art Center’s Hillside Campus today.

Making It Happen: A Conversation with Art Center at Night’s Dana L. Walker

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.

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