Tag Archives: Alumni

Dressing for Access

Ever felt that your computer and iPhone don’t keep you as connected to Facebook as you’d like? You’re in luck.

Graduate Media Design alum Jennifer Darmour has created hot-wired garments that can “poke” a friend, “accept” a friend request and receive notification alerts—all from the comfort of your clothing.

From InventorSpot.com: “In the development genre of ‘gesture’ technology, Seattle designer Jennifer Darmour gives a whole new meaning to ‘good vibrations.’”

Read more: Wearable Social Networks and at Jennifer’s site, Electricfoxy


Frank Nuovo’s Luxury “Communication Devices”

The New York Times visits with Product Design alum and Art Center 2008 Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award recipient Frank Nuovo. Formerly the chief of design at Nokia, Nuovo now creates luxury phones for Vertu.

From the article: “‘The watch is disappearing. And everybody in the world is walking around with these,’ [Nuovo] says on a recent afternoon, spreading an assortment of cellphones—all of them Nokias or Vertus of his own making—on a table at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., where he was once a student.”

Read more: Crème de la Cell: Six-Figure Phones

A Visit With Pae White

The L.A. Times recently visited Graduate Art alum Pae White in her studio. Best known for large-scale commissions, such as a piece in the 2009 Venice Biennale, White says she’d now like to work on a much smaller scale.

“Though she makes self-deprecating jokes about the anxiety that often accompanies her creative endeavors – ‘I always say to myself, why do I get into this situation where I have no idea how to do this?’ — it is also clear that she thrives on the risk associated with testing unproven fabrication techniques on the large-scale, high-visibility, site-specific projects that have dominated her agenda of the last few years.”

Read more: Pae White, an artist ‘in the world’

Alum Sterling Ruby in Flash Art

Artist Sterling Ruby, who graduated from Art Center’s MFA program in 2005, is on one of the covers of the latest issue of Flash Art.

In an interview with João Ribas, the artist talks about how his work becomes a place where formalism and representation coexist, and how the hostile element of his work can at times overshadow its sincerity. Check out a PDF of the article courtesy of Foxy Production.

(Pictured: The Masturbators, Sterling Ruby, 9 channel video with sound)

In Case You Missed It…

As you know, there’s always something going on when it comes to Art Center alumni, students and faculty. Some of the latest:

  • Photography alum Lara Rossignol talks about her time at Art Center. Steve Huff Photo
  • Check out Product Design student Jaewoo Kim’s handmade case for the Samsung P3. Anything But Ipod
  • Will alum Henrik Fisker’s new automotive designs be a success? Delaware Online
  • Bronze sculptor and Advertising alum Malcolm Alexander talks about his life’s journey. Arizona Daily Star
  • Former faculty member Buzz Spector recently joined the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts as dean of the College and Graduate School of Art at Washington University in St. Louis. Washington University in St. Louis Newroom
  • Who would Advertising alum David Arnold invite to a dinner party? Del Mar Times
  • Illustration alumnus Mike Shinoda to be honored by Asian American group East West Players at their April gala. BroadwayWorld.com

(Photo by Lara Rossignol)

3×3*: Starting and Running a Graphic Design Business

Each term, Art Center’s Graphic Design Department brings together three LA-based design professionals to discuss a particular topic. This term’s panel will be alum designers Yolanda Santosa (FerroConcrete), Chris Dooley (National Television) and Tatiana Redin Wyden (Creable).

Find out their thoughts on running a design business, maintain a personal-work life balance, and what they look for when hiring designers at this free public event.

3×3*: Starting and Running a Graphic Design Business
Wednesday, March 10, 7:30-9 pm
LA Times Media Center, Hillside Campus

Alumnus Designs Hackable Solar Electric Car

Product Design alumnus Yves Béhar unveiled design plans for a “hackable” solar-powered electric car at last week’s Greener Gadgets conference in NYC. The affordable car will have a standard base frame, with user-customizable components. While Béhar and his design studio Fuse Project are not new to transportation design, this project covers new ground for the studio: it’s designed for the developing world. Read more about this interesting project at Inhabitat.

In Case You Missed It…

As you know, there’s always something going on when it comes to Art Center alumni, students and faculty. Some of the latest:

  • Did you know that the “Godfather of Paparazzi,” Ron Galella, is an alum? the {warehouse} magazine
  • Illustration alumnus Tavis Coburn created a series of incredibly cool posters for last week’s BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards. (Pictured) /Film
  • The New York Times takes at look at the 2010 Acura ZDX, created by Transportation Design alum Michelle Christensen four years ago, while she was still a student here.  Also integral to the project were several alums: project leader Damon Schell TRAN ’99, interior designer Michael Wiedeman TRAN ’97 and color and trim designer Kimberly Marte ENVL ’99. New York Times
  • More on the upcoming Williamson Gallery DreamWorlds exhibit. Pasadena Star-News
  • Illustration alum Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad recently unveiled the FireBreather, a custom 2010 Camaro created for the upcoming supernatural thriller Jinn, which Zaheer is directing. AutoBlog
  • Photographer, alumnus and faculty member David Sotelo braves downtown L.A.’s shuttered El Dorado Hotel. GOOD
  • Faculty member Annette Weisser’s latest exhibit, The End of the World, opens Friday at Reception Gallery in Berlin. reception-berlin.de

In Case You Missed It…

As you know, there’s always something going on when it comes to Art Center alumni, students and faculty.  Some of the latest:

  • Film Department Chair Ross LaManna talks to CNN about the rise of the graphic novel in Hollywood. CNN
  • Director for Advanced Mobility Research Geoff Wardle chats with The New York Times about the Tata Nano, which will be on display next week at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. The New York Times
  • Alumnus Tommy Lee Edwards explains his conceptual work for the film The Book of Eli. Livingston Daily
  • Indy Racing League discusses the development of its next-generation racing car, developed with the help of Art Center students. Edmunds Inside Line
  • Painter and Illustration alumnus Paul Rickert’s latest exchibit, Industrial Visions, is currently on display at Rider University in Lawrence, NJ. CentralJersey.com
  • Filmmaker and alumnus Tarsem Singh Dhandwar’s fantasy-action-drama epic about ancient Greece, Dawn of War, might be filmed in 3D. Little About

(Pictured: Out of Furnaces, Paul Rickert)