Tag Archives: Legacy Circle

Just call him Stan: Art Center at Night’s Stan Kong

Instructor Stan Kong reviews his students' work. Photo: Four Eyes Photography

“I hate being called ‘Mr. Kong’ because that puts a barrier between you and me,” says Art Center at Night (ACN) instructor Stan Kong, who’s teaching Sketching for Designers, among other courses, for the upcoming Spring 2012 term. “And I don’t think there should be any barriers.”

For Stan, who graduated from Art Center in 1983 and created ACN’s very first Introduction to Product and Transportation Design course shortly thereafter, removing barriers isn’t about becoming best friends with his students; it’s about facilitating honest communication in order to meet their needs. “A lot of what I do in the classroom is getting the students to talk about themselves,” says Stan. “If somebody were to ask a student of mine what they learned from me, I’d be totally disappointed if they answered ‘how to design a product’ or ‘how to draw.’ The best answer would be, ‘I learned to care about myself and about the world. I learned that I could go out there and achieve and make this world a better place.’”

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Legacy Circle: Giving Back to Future Alumni

Legacy Circle is an alumni-led group of volunteers committed to supporting Art Center students through financial contributions. All money raised—100 percent—is distributed to students through Art Center scholarships.

Thom Meredith GRPH ’04 with incoming students at Legacy Circle breakfast

Established in 2006 to engage alumni and friends in making gifts to the College, Legacy Circle raises funds to ensure that the next generation of leading designers and artists can attend Art Center regardless of their financial need.

To date, members have contributed more than $400,000 and pledged $1,300,000 in planned gifts. Additionally, Legacy Circle members have created and supported special scholarship initiatives such as the Joe and Rosa Farrer Endowed Scholarship and the Ted Youngkin Memorial Scholarship.

At the heart of the College’s recently unveiled strategic plan, Create Change, is the increasing need for scholarship support to make Art Center available to students regardless of their financial resources. This has always been at the core of Legacy Circle’s mission of “alumni giving back to future alumni.”

The group is committed to engaging a broader constituency and growing the number of alumni participating in Legacy Circle.

Legacy Circle Co-Chairs Gail Howland PHOT ’04 and Dan Ashcraft PROD ‘73

They are reaching out to a wider range of alumni with events in major cities around the world with the intention of connecting with alumni who are dedicated to helping our cause and who want to stay personally involved with the College.

In addition to supporting talented students, Legacy Circle provides opportunities for alumni to come together and reconnect.

The group holds exclusive gatherings each year, including events in members’ homes and studios. Last summer, John Clark hosted the group in his beautiful office and art glass studio in El Segundo. This May, Legacy Circle will hold a special thank you event at the home of Katie Sprague GRPH ’91. For the past year, Legacy Circle has also hosted a breakfast for incoming students and their families at each new student orientation.

If you are interested in joining Legacy Circle, or would like more information, contact Amy Swain in the Office of Development at 626.396.2427 or amy.swain@artcenter.edu.