Category Archives: Events

Innovative design in India topic at Live Talks

President Lorne Buchman, left, and Trustee and Idealab CEO Bill Gross at Live Talks

Art Center College of Design President Lorne Buchman and Idealab CEO and Art Center Trustee Bill Gross bonded over socially conscious design in India Thursday morning at Live Talks Business Forums, a one-hour conversation focused on innovation and design held in downtown Los Angeles.

Through WorldHaus, longtime entrepreneur Gross has ventured into creating eco-friendly, modular housing in more rural parts of India starting at $2,000. Buchman highlighted furniture created by a Designmatters student that features creative seating with storage for low-income city-dwellers in Bangalore.

“We have to go make a deal with that student and start that right away!” said Gross.

WorldHaus has the goal of adding 200 homes in India this year and increasing that number to 1 million houses by decade’s end. The for-profit company manufactures the structures for $1,800 and owners pay $200 down and $10 a month.

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Art Center President Lorne Buchman talks social change

Idealab CEO Bill Gross, left, and Art Center president Lorne Buchman

Two leading innovators take center stage at Live Talks Business Forums’ first event of the season. Art Center College of Design President Lorne Buchman will interview Idealab CEO Bill Gross about entrepreneurs’ role in social change on Thursday at 8:15 a.m. at architectural firm Gensler’s offices in downtown Los Angeles.

The one-hour talk includes a behind-the-scenes-look at Gross’ latest venture WorldHaus, which manufactures and builds customized homes for families in the developing world for less than $2,000.

A longtime entrepreneur, Gross has launched more than 100 companies in the last 42 years, 40 of which have gone public or been acquired, including the first online business directory (CitySearch), the first paid search engine (Goto.com/Overture) and the first online car retailer (CarsDirect).

Prior to his tenure at Art Center Buchman ran a private consulting firm that focused on identifying philanthropic and private investment sources for nonprofits. Art Center is also home to Designmatters, an innovative program that fuses design and social change.

Live Talks Business Forums are a breakfast-hour series featuring leading executives and thought leaders to give the Los Angeles business community a chance to connect, network and hear new insights.

Tickets are $20 and include a continental breakfast served at 7:45 a.m. Gensler is located at 500 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles.

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Valedictorian Roy Tatum Shares with Graduation Crowd Lessons He Learned at Art Center

Valedictorian Roy Tatum addresses the Summer 2012 graduation crowd.

At last Saturday’s Summer 2012 graduation, Graphic Design graduate and Art Center valedictorian Roy Tatum shared with the assembled crowd some lessons about life, learning and the design process that he picked up while at the College.

Here are a few highlights.

On his high school aspirations:

While everyone I went to high school was making plans for college, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to attend [college]. I hadn’t found something I was passionate enough about to devote a significant amount of time.

On something a fellow musician told him:

I had just finished playing a show and I was talking to the drummer of the band that had played after us. He had gone to an art and design school in Los Angeles and he told me about his experience and I thought, That doesn’t even sound like school. That just sounds awesome.

On Art Center’s Public Programs:

Like many of you, I started by attending Art Center at Night. I remember being so excited and eager to learn from the teacher during the first night of class. I came home and thought to myself, This is what I love, this is what I’m passionate about. I was so excited I couldn’t wait to apply to the day program.

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Meet Product Design Graduate Jenn Kuca, Winner of the Summer 2012 Student Leadership Award

Summer 2012 Student Leadership Award winner Jenn Kuca. Photo: Chuck Spangler

Each term, Art Center presents the Student Leadership Award to a deserving student from the College. The award is a distinguished honor granted to a graduating student who exemplifies leadership qualities and accomplishments that stand out above their peers.

“This person has been nothing short of outstanding,” said Dean of Students Jeffrey Hoffman when presenting the award to Product Design graduate Jenn Kuca at Saturday’s Summer 2012 Graduation. “From her very first term, she chose to be involved and to lead us all to a better place.”

During her first year at Art Center, Kuca became an officer of the student chapter of Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) (and later, its president), where she organized the first annual IDSA Clash, a mixer event that brought together design professionals and students from multiple Southern California colleges.

As president of EcoCouncil, she convinced the administration to formalize the College’s long-term commitment to an eco-friendly future by participating in the STARS/PALS sustainability programs. And as a student representative for the College’s Facility and Technology Committee, she helped strategize improvements to support Art Center’s long-term strategic plan and educational mission.

“And those are only the highlights,” said Hoffman, as he listed an impressive string of Kuca’s accomplishments as a student.

When Kuca took the stage, she shared with her peers some of the insight she gained about Art Center, design and life in general.

On the implicit challenge of Art Center:

“From my very first visit to Art Center, I’ve felt that the implicit challenge to do better and to rise above is what sets this school apart. When I became a student, I discovered the best part, which is that my fellow students had the same expectations of themselves and of me.”

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Three Boys From Pasadena: A Tribute to Helmut Newton Opens at the Williamson Gallery

UPDATE:  You’re invited to the closing party Thursday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.
Last chance to see exhibition honoring Helmut Newton

Join the photographers, models and friends for a celebration of this critically praised exhibition featuring the photography of three Art Center alumni who were mentored by Helmut Newton.  Please RSVP to suzanne.valles@artcenter.edu or call 626.396.2368 for more information.

Art Center’s Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery is proud to present Three Boys from Pasadena: A Tribute to Helmut Newton curated by June Newton. The show features the photographs of Helmut Newton’s proteges Mark Arbeit, George Holz, and Just Loomis, exploring both their individual talents and their longstanding friendship with Newton and each other. In June 2010, Three Boys from Pasadena premiered at the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin. An expanded version of the original show will be on exhibit in the Williamson Gallery, opening June 14, 2012 and continues through August 26, 2012.  The opening reception and panel discussion at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 14 is free and open to the public. A companion book originally published in France with a foreword by June Newton, will be available for purchase. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to events@artcenter.edu.

Photographers Mark Arbeit, George Holz and Just Loomis first met Helmut Newton in 1979 while students at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. All three became Helmut’s assistants during one of the most exciting and prolific times in his career. For almost thirty years, as each went on to his own professional lives as photographers, they kept in touch and shared their personal work with both Helmut and June Newton. After Helmut’s death, his widow and longtime artistic collaborator June conceived of a tribute exhibition for Helmut by showcasing his influence on their “three boys.” In her words: “They were the only three assistants who worked with him and became photographers in their own right. Each had a unique relationship with Helmut. They’ve become his offspring – each with his own voice. It was a special time in their lives, and I was the witness.”

This show is a homecoming, arriving back at the site of the first meeting between the Boys and Helmut. The exhibit consists of each photographer’s individual work, as well as several vitrines of memorabilia, consisting of snapshots, handwritten notes, journal pages, contact sheets, and other souvenirs. In the sensual, striking fashion editorial and portraiture by Arbeit, Loomis and Holz, the viewer is able to trace a direct line of influence from Newton to his apprentices. Three Boys from Pasadena: A Tribute to Helmut Newton is an unusual memorial to one of the 20th century’s most iconic photographers, and an exceptionally revealing look at personal and professional relationships among artists and proteges.

Mark Arbeit trained under Irving Penn as well as Newton and is the author of Mark Arbeit Work (2009), featuring an introduction by June Newton. Many of the pieces in the show come from his exquisite ‘Artist Atelier’ series, in which Arbeit shot female nudes in Parisian artists’ studios, posed next to sculptures or draped on canvases. His work, much of it composed in natural light, is concerned with the abstract interplay of light and shadow, of empty and filled space. He has shot for InStyle, Marie Claire, Vogue Paris, People, Forbes, and many other publications.

George Holz’ work betrays a sensuous, nuanced vision, especially in the black and white nudes that he has been perfecting since 1974. In the mid-90′s, Holz began a unique project of photographing nudes with animal bones and antlers, contrasting living flesh with ancient relics. Like Newton, George Holz has moved smoothly between personal projects and commercial work. Having published his imagery in Vanity Fair, Vogue Italia, Madame Figaro, Harper’s Bazaar, Interview, and The New York Times Magazine, his forthcoming book of celebrity portraiture, Holz Hollywood, will be published by Damiani.

Just Loomis worked as a fashion photographer for Harper’s Bazaar and The New York Times Magazine before turning to documentary work. His uncompromising portraits of people in the American West – from diner waitresses and cowboys to strippers and skate punks—are at once stark and compassionate, and were recently collected in his monograph As We Are, published by Hatje Catz.

All three artists are represented by Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles.

Founded in 1930, Art Center College of Design is recognized as a global leader in art and design education. The Photography and Imaging department dates back to the College’s earliest days, with such notable instructors as Will Connell, Charlie Potts, Fred Archer and legendary photographer Ansel Adams.  The 4,600 square-foot Williamson Gallery draws inspiration from all the fertile domains of Art Center’s educational programs, producing three major exhibitions per year. Previous exhibitions in the Williamson Gallery have focused on the work of photographers Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Andre Kertesz and alumnus Hiroshi Sugimoto, but Three Boys from Pasadena is the first group showcase of its kind.

Summer 2012 Graduation Events

The creative energy around campus is kicking into high gear as the College prepares for its series of Summer graduation events.

Thursday, August 16
If you’re lucky enough to be on the invite list for Graduation Show Preview, you’ll get a sneak peak at the work of the next generation of artists and designers. Held from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. at Hillside Campus, the preview gives potential employers, alumni, donors and industry professionals an opportunity to preview the Graduation Show and meet our graduating students.

Immediately following the preview, all guests are invited to a reception hosted by Alumni Relations to welcome our graduating students into the alumni family.

Saturday, August 18
Join us at Hillside Campus from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. as we celebrate the accomplishments of our newest graduating class and present the Art Center Student Leadership Award to Product Design student Jenn Kuca.

We will also be presenting the Great Teacher Award to: Product Design instructor Pascual Wawoe (New Teacher); Environmental Design and Humanities and Design Sciences instructors Penny Herscovitch and Dan Gottlieb (Part-Time Faculty); and Illustration and Entertainment Design instructor Will Weston (Full-Time Faculty), who will also deliver the graduating class commencement address.

Can’t join us for the graduation ceremony? Watch our live online webcast.

After the ceremony, Graduation Show opens to the public from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. so everyone can enjoy the work of our newest Art Center graduates.

Let the celebration of our creative community begin!

Phas running shoes, designed by graduating Product Design student Jenn Kuca.

Visionary director Zack Snyder stops by Art Center

Zack Snyder at Art Center. Photo by Chuck Spangler.

"Man of Steel" director, Zack Snyder.

Director and Art Center alumnus Zack Snyder FILM ’89 visited an overflowing Los Angeles Times Auditorium yesterday afternoon for a discussion and Q&A with Film instructor Dan Perri. Snyder, who came directly from an editing suite where he and a crew are preparing a trailer of his next film, the Superman reboot Man of Steel, for this weekend’s Comic-Con, shared with Art Center students his experiences both as a student and as a director of Dawn of the Dead, 300 and Watchmen, among others.

Here are a few highlights from the event:

Snyder on his initial “path:” When I first got to Art Center, I was pretty sure I’d make a short film and Steven Spielberg would see it and hire me to direct a feature film. That was the path I envisioned for myself. About half way through my Art Center career, I became super scared that I wasn’t going to get a job, so I put my head down and started making commercials.

On being loyal to his key collaborators: When I went in to commercials, a lot of the guys I worked with were my friends from Art Center. There’s a very pervasive culture in Hollywood of Okay, get rid of that guy and get another guy. Because maybe it’ll change, or if you don’t know what you’re doing, that’s a good thing to do. But I felt that the guys that I came up with were all super talented and I didn’t see any reason [to do that.]

On camaraderie at Art Center and beyond: When I was here in school, everyone banded together to make each other’s movies. That just seemed like the best way to do it. And that has certainly stayed with me into my career. In a more personal way, I just like having people that are close to me being involved in production. The partnership when you make a movie is so intense and Hollywood is full of people that you don’t know exactly what their agenda is. So the closer people can be to you, the more trust you have in them. Continue reading →

Environmental Design and Product Design Students Showcase at New York Design Week

A short nap in Melissa Lee's "Lulla" provides an experience akin to being rocked in your parents arms.

Art Center was in full force at New York City’s 24th annual New York Design Week.

Students and alumni from the College were featured at both the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and the WantedDesignNYC Design Challenge.

Seven Environmental Design students—Sue Chung, Steve Oh, Melissa Lee, Minh Nguyen, Evan Liao, Brandon Kim and Me Young Kim—had their furniture and lighting projects on exhibition at this year’s ICFF.

Brandon Kim's "Harbor" outdoor poolside chaise is fabricated from polyepoxide powder-coated 5052 aluminum.

The exhibit of student work illustrated the “total spatial experience” philosophy of environmental design at Art Center—a philosophy in which the designer takes into consideration every detail from the first moment of encounter to the last moment of interaction. Each piece was designed based on the power of the story content and context that it defines, the interaction it creates and the emotional interface that it accomplishes.

Sunlight filtering through Me Young Kim's "Aureole" creates shadows of endless patterns and shapes.

Making a seamless transition from the classroom into the marketplace, these pieces immediately translate into the type of professional, marketable furniture that Art Center students are well-known for creating. By studying with working professionals, Art Center designers learn to create dynamic pieces as well as how to showcase their designs.

Art Center was also represented at ICFF by six alumni who were selected for ICFF Studio.

Both pieces of Sue Chung's "Ease" are made of wood. The top piece is spray painted; the bottom is left as raw finish.

Also, as part of New York Design Week, four students representing both Environmental Design—Jonathan Kim and Ji A You and Product Design—Ryan Oenning and Jacques Perrault—participated in the WantedDesignNYC Design Challenge.

Students were asked to use one material, one conceptual tool (e.g. computer software) and one fabrication tool (e.g. a laser cutting machine) to design and construct a lighting design of their own invention.

The Dotted Line tweetted live from ICFF using Art Center’s @art_center Twitter account and the #ICFF hashtag.

Additional information on Art Center students and alumni participating in New York Design Week events can be found here.

And if you know of any other New York Design Week events that the Art Center community should know about, please leave us a note in the comments below.

Celebration of Cultures: March 19-23

Every year, the Art Center community highlights the wonderful cultural diversity and international presence on campus with the Celebration of Cultures Week.

Next week, March 19-23, there will be international and multicultural entertainment, activities and foods in collaboration with ACSG, Student Clubs and Organizations, the Library, the Cafeteria, and other areas of the College. These events are free and open to all staff, faculty, and students. Please join us next week to celebrate everyone’s heritage as a community.

Monday, March 19
10:00-11:00 AM: Swedish Waffle Day | Bridge
1:00-2:00 PM: Desserts-Around-the-World | Bridge

Tuesday, March 20
All Day: National Dress Day*
12:45 PM: National Dress Day Group Photo* | Bridge
11:00 AM-3:00 PM: Travel Slide Show | Student Dining Room
12:30-1:30 PM: Mariachi Band | Student Dining Room

Wednesday, March 21
All Day: Persian New Year Celebration | Student Dining Room
12:00-2:00 PM: Persian Calligraphy | Student Dining Room
12:00-2:00 PM: Art & Craft Bazaar | Cafe Entrance

Thursday, March 22
All Day: Experience Asia
12:00-2:00 PM: Chinese Sugar Art | Bridge
12:30-1:30 PM: “Gayageum” Performance | Student Dining Room
12:30-2:00 PM: Korean Calligraphy Session | Student Dining Room
1:00-2:00 PM: Japanese Sweet Treats | Bridge
7:00-9:00 PM: Memoirs of a Geisha Film Screening | Faculty Dining Room

Friday, March 23
All Day: Australian “Walkabout” Treasure Quest | Sculpture Garden
1:00-1:30 PM: Polynesian Dancers | Student Dining Room

All Week
Check out Library Staff Picks of Cultural Readings and Movies!
Enjoy International Cuisines Served in the Cafeteria!

Some events may be cancelled or changed without prior notice.

*This year, we want to encourage everyone (students, faculty and staff) to share their heritage by wearing the national dress of the country your family is from or have an affinity for. We want to give you plenty of notice to retrieve that special outfit out of storage.  National Dress Day will be on Tuesday, March 20.  Everyone who wears his or her cultural dress will get prizes, and we will have a group photo on the Bridge.

If You Don’t Root for Art Center, The Bad Guys Win

Tomorrow night, Friday, March 16 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., student teams from Art Center, Caltech, Le Cordon Bleu, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pacific Oaks College and Pasadena City College will vie for top honors in the third annual Pasadena Collegiate Field Tournament at PCC’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Admission is free and open to the public and everyone is invited to attend and root for their favorite teams. (But you better root for Art Center.)

Art Center Collegiate Field Tourny Team 2010

For the inaugural Pasadena Collegiate Field Tournament in 2010, the Art Center team based their uniforms on the College's first president, Tink Adams.

The field tournament is a somewhat wacky event comprised of challenges derived from the participating schools’ areas of expertise. Challenges in this year’s tourney include the Amazing Russet Race, Monster Croquet, Frisbee Touchdown Toss, Lego Car Design Challenge, Minute to Win It Marathon, Pandora’s Box and the School Spirit Competition.

  • The Amazing Russet Race – This is inspired by the fact that Le Cordon Bleu students hone their craft by learning how to slice and dice many foods, including potatoes. In this challenge, teams will be divided into “stuffers” and “pickers” who must fill uniforms with potatoes. The first team to amass 500 pounds of spuds will win the challenge.
  • Frisbee Touchdown Toss – This is a tribute to the fact that Frisbee golf was invented in Pasadena and the first Frisbee disc course was constructed and is still in operation here. (who knew?) Each team will have three opportunities to throw Frisbees into the end zones of the stadium while team members attempt to catch them. The team with the most points will win the challenge.
  • Lego Car Design Challenge – This pays homage to Art Center’s legendary Transportation Design Program. Using creativity and innovative design solutions, each team will race to assemble a Lego car where function meets style. Cars will be judged on design and speed.
  • Minute to Win It Marathon – A nod to the popular TV show, Fuller Seminary will lead competitors through obstacles such as Bobble-head, Hut-Hut-Hike, and Going the Distance.
  • Monster Croquet – Each team will select members to hit a giant beach ball with a mallet through balloon arches that serve as wickets. The team that succeeds in getting their beach ball through all the wickets the fastest wins.
  • Pandora’s Box – This challenge plays homage to each school’s area of expertise.  Multiple relays will test strengths of feat, faith, design, taste buds and more as competitors play the expanse of the football field–end zone to end zone.
  • School Spirit Competition – There’s absolutely nothing uniform about Pasadena’s superior institutions of higher learning, but uniforms for each team will be designed expressly for this competition by the schools they represent. The best team uniform based on attractiveness, originality and thematic connection to the school’s learning focus will win this challenge.

Free parking is available in Lot 5 at the corner of Del Mar Boulevard and Bonnie Street. Jackie Robinson Stadium is located on the south side of the PCC campus near Del Mar Boulevard between Hill and Bonnie avenues. [map]

The Pasadena Collegiate Field Tournament is sponsored by the City of Pasadena. For more information call 626.744.7216.