Tag Archives: Michelle Katz

MLK Day shines a light on the enduring and symbiotic relationship between civil rights and creativity

Freedom is as hard to quantify as it is easy to take for granted. But without freedom of expression, there is no creativity. And ArtCenter, as a community of artists and designers, owes its enduring culture of innovation, influence and impact to the strides made by the struggle for civil liberties, both in the distant and recent past.

MLK Day offers an opportunity to recognize our debt to the original civil rights pioneers as well as to the new generation of #blacklivesmatter student activists who have laid the groundwork for generations of iconoclasts, innovators and change makers of all persuasions to continue to create a more just, equal and artful world.

Look no further than Illustration alum, Emerson Terry, for the living embodiment of that first-wave pioneering spirit and integral relationship between freedom of expression and creative fulfillment. Terry, at age 90, is one of the College’s first African American graduates whose, um, illustrious career included award-winning work for the entertainment and aeronautics industries. The above video pays tribute to Terry’s creative and cultural legacy, fittingly produced by current ArtCenter Film student, Amadu Haruna, with assistance by fellow Film student Matthew Plaxco and Photography alum Edward Cushenberry.

In a more contemporary iteration of the spirit of protest that inspired this holiday, Illustration student, Kayla Salisbury, voiced her own questions about our collective responsibilities in this courageous essay exploring the ways in which ArtCenter community might better support its students of color and begin to foster an honest and meaningful dialogue around human rights.

Indeed, the conversation around social justice takes many shapes at ArtCenter. Humanities and Sciences faculty member and accomplished entertainment attorney, Michelle Katz teaches a course entitled The Evolution of Civil Rights, which examines the greatest civil rights threats and champions and the ways in which artists have been instrumental to the march toward a more egalitarian society.

 

Licensing Your Ideas: DOT Entrepreneurial Event

Join us on April 7 for an evening panel discussing licensing and Intellectual Property (IP). Learn more about IP, how it applies to designers and creatives, and how to engage with major manufacturers.

Speakers include:

  • Warren Tuttle: Inventor, LifeTime Brands product scout and UIA president
    Warren Tuttle was the person behind the scenes helping to orchestrate the overnight success of television direct response mega-hit Smart Spin. Teaming with a Boston-based inventor, Tuttle selected an explosive path to market. With almost 10 million units sold, Smart Spin continues to be prominently featured at major retailers throughout the country. Currently, Tuttle focuses on external product development for Lifetime Brands of Garden City, New York, the world’s largest manufacturer of kitchen utensils and a major supplier of food prep and tabletop products to America’s major retailers. Lifetime Brands manufactures and markets over 30,000 products under multiple brand names including Farberware, Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart, Pedrini, Mikasa, Towle and Pfaltzgra.
  • Dario Antonioni: Founder, Orange22 Design Lab LLC and Art Center alumnus
    Dario Antonioni has independently designed retail experiences, products and interior architecture for clients worldwide. He holds more than 12 design and utility patents and is creator of the successful GRID-IT! organization system. Antonioni’s work has been featured on TV and in books and periodicals around the world. Dario has won awards from LG Electronics, I.D. Magazine, and selected by Surface Magazine for their T.A.G. Team Event, held in Milan, Italy and NYC 2003, spotlighting emerging talent within the United States. His clients include Aveda, Ducati, DMC, Edward Norton, Flight 001, Fred Segal, Gensler, Light Group, Pepsi, Hard Rock, Haworth, Henry Bendel, Ralph Lauren, Starbucks and Sony.
  • Michelle Katz: IP attorney
    Michelle Katz is a seasoned attorney specializing in Intellectual Property, contracts, promotions and licensing matters. Her capabilities include developing, drafting, negotiating infrastructure, service and licensing contracts; identifying, structuring and negotiating strategic partnerships; structuring and implementing sweepstakes, contests and promotions in all media; developing and implementing IP Strategy: copyright, trademark, privacy and online policies. She is a faculty member at Art Center and California College of the Arts, and regularly lectures at colleges and organizations for creative professionals. She teaches law for artists and designers, as well as business law and negotiations.

The event is open to all Art Center students, faculty, staff and alumni.

LICENSING YOUR IDEAS:
DOT ENTREPRENEURIAL EVENT ON LICENSING & IP
April 7, 7-10 p.m.
Art Center Hillside Campus
Faculty Dining Room