Big Picture Lecture Series: Jonathan Gold

Don’t miss today’s Big Picture Lecture Series featuring Jonathan Gold.

Gold is the LA Weekly’s renowned restaurant critic and the author of Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles. In 2007, he became the first food writer to win the Pulitzer Prize in criticism. Please note: the location has been moved to the Ahmanson Auditorium.

Big Picture Lecture Series:
Jonathan Gold
Authenticity, Culture and the Kimchi Taco
Monday, July 5, 1 pm
Ahmanson Auditorium, Hillside Campus

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Foundation Awards $50,000 for Transportation Design Scholarships

Exciting news: The Pasadena Star-News brings us a great story today about the Collectors Foundation, a nonprofit created by car enthusiasts who has awarded $50,000 for Art Center Transportation Design scholarships over the next five years.

“We’re interested in historic vehicles and classics, and the board is funding education and training for students to create and build the next generation for collection enthusiasts,” says Bob Knechel, the foundation’s executive director.

Read more: Pasadena Art Center taps support from Classic-car collectors

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Summertime Is Showtime

A number of our students and alumni are exhibiting work this summer in galleries around the country. A few current exhibits:

  • Photography and Imaging student Chase Koopersmith has work in the group show Inspired, opening at the Steven Kasher Gallery in New York on July 14.
  • Advertising alum Ed Mell’s solo exhibit, Ed Mell: Paintings of the New West, is currently on display at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.

We’re sure there are some we’ve missed. If you know of any student or alumni shows, let us know.

(Pictured: Outside AB Tool Crib: Matt, Mike, Carey, Steven, John, Mel and Karl by Sharon Lockhart.)

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Alum Sebastian Leda Wins Prestigious Gold Lion Award

Film alum Sebastian Leda won a Gold Lion award at the 57th Annual Cannes International Advertising Festival over the weekend for a television spot he directed for the agency Conill Saatchi & Saatchi. Created for the Consulate General of Argentina in Los Angeles, the gold-winning 30-second commercial focuses on Argentina’s football team, which at the time, had not been performing well (the World Cup has certainly changed that!)

“Crying” was among the most acclaimed of the festival, receiving thunderous applause during its screening. Check it out for yourself:

A warm congrats for this prestigious award, Sebastian!

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Catching up with Wendy MacNaughton

Excited about the new iPhone? Check out this clever illustration by Fine Art alum Wendy MacNaughton.

MacNaughton stays busy—she illustrated the July cover for San Fran’s 7×7, and sits down for an interesting Q&A with the publication as well. She’s also currently featured on Jen Bekman’s 20×200.

You can buy MacNaughton’s 7×7′s cover art as a poster, or purchase other work by her at 20×200. Also, check out our online profile on her. Good work, Wendy!

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Traffic Lights and Patent Drawings

Did you know that the traffic signal was invented in 1912 as a two-color, red-and-green light designed by a Detroit policeman? Yeah, neither did we.

Check out this fun and informative article at Design Observer on the history of the device, and check out the signal patent drawing as well—something we’re sure Williamson Gallery Director Stephen Nowlin will appreciate in conjunction with the gallery’s current shows, The Future of Objects and The Curious World of Patent Models.

Read more: Red Light, Green Light : The Invention of the Traffic Signal, and check out photos of the Williamson exhibit on the gallery’s Facebook page.

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Art Center Tops IDEA Awards List of College Wins

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) has unveiled the winners of the 2010 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) competition—and Art Center topped this year’s list of college wins with five awards!

A celebration of the year’s most inventive and creative product and product concept designs, this year’s competition received the most entries since its beginnings 30 years ago.

The 2010 IDEA jury, made up of 18 world-renowned designers and design thinkers, spent weeks previewing entries online and two-and-a-half days of face-to-face evaluation and debate. Judging criteria focused on eight areas of industrial design excellence: innovation; benefit to the user; benefit to society and natural ecology; benefit to the client; visual appeal and appropriate aesthetics; usability testing, rigor and reliability for the design research category; and internal factors, methods and implementation for the design strategy category.

Our winners:

Silver IDEA:
1881 “American Red Cross Fashion” Branding Strategy
Koo Ho Shin, GradID
Faculty: Andy Ogden, Steve Montgomery, Katherine Bennett

Bronze IDEA:
Spirit: New-Generation Sustainable Automotive Seat
Magdalena Paluch, GradID
Faculty: Heidrun Mumper-Drumm, Fridolin Beisert

Remax Snowboard Boot
James Yoo, Product Design
Faculty: Fridolin Beisert

Luxy Vespa Helmet
Daniel Shih-Tung Chang, Product Design
Faculty: Fridolin Beisert

Latrine Design
Juan-David Quiñones, Product Design

Continue reading →

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ART from the Ashes Inspired by Station Fire


Public Programs managing director and Art Center Photography and Imaging alum Dana L. Walker’s work is currently shown in ART from the Ashes, a group exhibition themed around last year’s Station Fire. Pieces are inspired by, and created out of debris from, Glendale’s Deukmejian Wilderness Park after the fire.

ART from the Ashes is a nonprofit organization of artists and volunteers who create art crafted from materials collected from fire site locations. Debris that would otherwise be cleared and dumped into landfills is gathered and transformed into one-of-a-kind works of art. The organization hosts charity exhibitions showcasing the work created from the reclaimed fire site materials. A portion of the proceeds from each exhibition is donated to a local or national charity chosen by the business or individuals impacted by the fire.

The exhibit runs through July 24 and will feature a host of events in addition to the installation of works of art from a fantastic collective of artists.

ART from the Ashes Gallery
216 S. Brand Boulevard (across from the Americana at Brand)
Glendale, CA 91205
Gallery hours: Tues-Sun, Noon to 6 pm

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Student-Made PSA Airing on CNN International

CNN International has donated air time to the student-made United Nations Population Fund television spot, When Mother Died, the Family Fell Apart, running it throughout the month of June. The PSA was created in a Designmatters studio that developed an integrated multimedia awareness campaign in support of UNFPA’s Safe Motherhood Initiative. Art Center Advertising, Graphic Design and Graduate Media Design students participated in the project.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is an international development agency that promotes the right of all humankind to a life of health and equal opportunity.

If you missed the spot on CNN, watch it below:

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Design legend Alan Aldridge to Visit Campus – CANCELED

** 6/24/10: Unfortunately, Aldridge’s visit to campus has been canceled. We’ll let you know when it is rescheduled.

Design legend Alan Aldridge will be on campus next week, fresh from his retrospective at London’s Design Museum.

Best-known for his intoxicating and color-rich illustrations and designs for The Who, The Beatles, Elton John and the notorious poster for Andy Warhol’s Chelsea Girls, Aldridge’s images have defined the psychedelic era for a generation. Don’t miss his talk, followed by a book signing.

Alan Aldridge
Tuesday, June 29, 7:30-9 pm
Ahmanson Auditorium

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