“Unwoven Light,” by Soo Sunny Park; photo by Nash Baker © nashbaker.com

Fine Arts alumna Soo Sunny Park (CCAD 1998) has an installation, Unwoven Light, on view at the Rice University Art Gallery in Houston through Aug. 30.

The piece, which is created from 37 individually sculpted units of glass, is an abstract form suspended from the walls and ceiling.

“We don’t notice light when looking so much as we notice the things light allows us to see,” Park notes on the gallery’s website. “Unwoven Light captures light and causes it to reveal itself, through colorful reflections and refractions on the installation’s surfaces and on the gallery floor and walls.”

Park is a recipient of a Joan Mitchell MFA Grant, the 19th Annual Michigan Fine Arts Competition Grand Prize, the Helen Foster Barnett Prize from the National Academy Museum, and the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Fellowship. Her work has been included in exhibitions across the U.S. and has been featured in numerous art publications.

Park is originally from Seoul, South Korea. She moved moved to the United States at a young age, growing up in Orlando, FL, and Marietta, GA, and attending Lake Howell High School.

Check out images from the exhibit on the art blog Colossal.

The front cover of Hiroshi Hayakawa’s book

Associate Professor and Photography alumnus Hiroshi Hayakawa recently published Paper Pups: 35 Dogs to Copy, Cut & Fold.

The 1985 graduate’s book contains 35 paper dogs ranging from golden retrievers to French bulldogs. Using kirigami, an art similar to origami, the reader can copy a template and follow the steps to create a three-dimensional animal.

“It is truly gratifying to actually see the project I worked on for about a year become a physical reality,” Hayakawa said on his blog. “I do love the weight and touch of the book as well as the design itself, things you couldn’t experience with a digital book.”

Paper Pups is available in bookstores and online.

Hayakawa teaches photography, material studies, and drawing at CCAD. He was born and raised in Japan and works in alternative photography, kinetic sculpture, and paper craft.

Rob Robbins’ work in Art Access Gallery

Drawing & Printmaking Chair and Fine Arts alumnus Robert Robbins (CCAD 1990) will show his work in a group exhibition at Art Access Gallery in Bexley, OH, through May 11. The exhibition also includes work by Marty Kalb and Mark Yale Harris.

Robbins’ paintings depict small, imagined places that draw the viewer into the environment on the canvas.

Robbins’ work has been shown nationally and internationally, including at the Butler Institute of American Art; the Chateau in Rochefort-en-Terre, France; the Springfield Museum of Art; and the Florida State University Museum of Contemporary Art. His work is also in private and public collections including the Ohio State University, the Nord Family Foundation, and the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

Joseph Gargasz’s “Taliman #2″ sculpture

Fine arts alumnus Joseph Gargasz (CCAD 1995) exhibited his works Talisman #1 and Talisman #2 at the annual Sculpture in the Garden 2012 show at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

His 400-pound cast concrete sculptures were among 45 pieces selected by a committee for display last fall at the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

“The Talisman series is my experiment to examine the negative spaces found in everyday discarded consumer materials,” Gargasz said in his artist statement. “Appliance packaging, cardboard boxes, plastic containers, and shopping bags provide interesting negative spaces that I then cast concrete into.”

Gargasz is currently the director of exhibition design at the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta.

Kraft’s paper was “Research and Inquiry: Pedagogical Tools to Engender Responsibility;” Yates presented his paper “Research as Catalyst” in the same session.

The two also participated in the Integrative Teaching International ThinkTank along with Vice President for Academic Affairs Kevin Conlon, Assistant Professor Lori Faist, Assistant Professor and Fine Arts alumna Julie Abijanac (CCAD 1992), and Associate Professor and Fine Arts alumna Tam Peterson (CCAD 1983).

FATE is a national association dedicated to the promotion of excellence in development and teaching of college-level foundation courses. The ThinkTank is part of the FATE conference and includes a facilitated discussion and intensive workshop designed to improve teaching at the college level.

Kraft also presented her paper “Rurality Then and Now: Re-visioning the Landscape in Contemporary Irish Art Practice” at the International Meeting of the American Conference for Irish Studies in Chicago, April 10-13.

Marquee at 134th spring commencement

Nearly 250 Columbus College of Art & Design students graced the stage of the historic Ohio Theatre to receive their diplomas on Saturday, May 11, 2013.

The 134^th annual commencement in downtown Columbus included an address by nationally renowned artist Mel Chin, who was also awarded an honorary degree by the college.

James E. Kunk, vice chair of CCAD’s board of trustees; Dennison W. Griffith, CCAD president; Kevin J. Conlon, vice president for academic affairs; and director of graduate studies and professor Ric Petry conferred the nine master of fine arts degrees and the bachelor of fine arts.

Student government president and Advertising & Graphic Design major Cailyn Driscoll addressed the audience of peers and family, followed by recognition of the nine outstanding seniors:

• Lillie Templeton, Advertising & Graphic Design
• Tyler Crowley, Animation
• Patrick Kain, Cinematic Arts
• Katharine Hire, Fashion Design
• Stefanie Cook, Fine Arts
• Wesley Talbott, Illustration
• Justin Brown, Industrial Design
• Katelyn Venia, Interior Design
• Kayla Holdgreve, Photography

President Griffith introduced the 2013 class valedictorian, Advertising & Graphic Design major Lillie Templeton.

Following the valedictorian’s address, Griffith spoke to the graduating class. He offered them a heartfelt farewell and encouraged them to spread their talent and the message of love across the world.

Screenshot from the Justin Timberlake countdown video

Coming off his recent music video work with the band One Direction, Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus John Urbano (CCAD 1996) has just finished a project with singer and actor Justin Timberlake.

Urbano directed the countdown video to the the highly anticipated release of Timberlake’s newest album, The 20/20 Experience.

The short clip shows Timberlake walking through a recording studio talking about his artistic process for the new album.

Urbano is a native of Rensselaer, IN, and attended Rensselaer Central High School

Work by Chun Arthur Wang

Assistant Professor and Fine Arts alumnus Chun Arthur Wang (CCAD 1994) has a solo exhibition at the Muscatine Art Center in Muscatine, IA, through April 21.

The Other Side of the World by Chun Arthur Wang looks at Wang’s recent work, which is often a hybrid of East and West styles. Having lived in China and the U.S., Wang references the Western oil painting tradition in some of his work, while finding inspiration for others in Buddhist and Chinese folk art.

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Ave., Muscatine, IA.

Denise Romecki’s “Ecosystem”

Fine Arts alumna Denise Romecki (CCAD 1976) will exhibit her work in Seeking Harmony with Nature: Ceramic Sculpture at the Zanesville Museum of Art through June 8.

Romecki’s clay sculptures focus on the raw elements of nature, including plants, trees, animals, and bodies of water.

The Zanesville Museum of Art is located at 620 Military Rd., Zanesville, OH.

Craig Carlisle’s “Big Head in the Peaceful Valley”

Fine Arts alumnus Craig Carlisle (CCAD 1988) has a solo exhibition Petite Heads & the Peaceful Valley Paintings at Sharon Weiss Gallery through April 28 in Columbus, OH.

Carlisle has lived and maintained studios in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and is represented by George Billis Gallery NYC/LA. He has exhibited throughout the United States and has work in numerous private and public collections around the world.

Image of Graham Erwin’s illustrations, courtesy of his Instagram

Illustration alumnus Graham Erwin (CCAD 2011) created illustrations for the April issue of Wired magazine.

His illustrations depict well-known television characters including Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation, Richard Harrow from Boardwalk Empire, Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, and Schmidt from New Girl.

The illustrations accompany an article discussing breakout television characters currently on air. Wired magazine discuses the impact of new and developing technology on culture, the economy, and politics.

Erwin is a native of Columbus, OH, and attended Whetstone High School.

Ohio Governor John Kasich with winning design Aaron Roberts

CCAD-Designed Licenses and Plates Hit the Road

It was a pretty big deal when Gov. John Kasich asked CCAD to help design new driver’s licenses and license plates for the Ohio BMV. And ever since the selected designs were unveiled in November 2011, we’ve been itching to see them out in the real world.

Well, that time has come. The new driver’s license went into circulation in January, and the new plates are due to come into use as this magazine hits the mail. So watch the wallets, purses, and bumpers near you for clean, elegant new designs by CCAD’s very own Aaron Roberts (Advertising & Graphic Design 2012)!

Informal Critique Blooms on Campus

Want to get unvarnished opinions about your art? Ask your peers.

That’s the approach Fine Arts alum Erin McKenna (CCAD 2012) adopted for a student-driven critique program she started at CCAD.

During her junior year, she participated in the semester-long New York Studio Residency Program. “There were kids from all over the United States,” McKenna says. “Nobody knows anybody when you get there. We decided that on Wednesday nights we’d make dinner together and walk around the studios, giving critiques. It was at night, much more relaxing; there were no professors there. We listened to each other. I learned a lot; it was nice to have the perspective of a peer.”

McKenna liked the idea so much she brought it back to campus, organizing evening critique sessions for students during her senior year. Up to 30 participants, mainly Fine Arts majors with some from Illustration and Advertising & Graphic Design, visited studios. “I had a lot of people come up to me after they had their critique and say it was very helpful.”

“It’s still going on Wednesday nights and has even more people,” she says.

Animation students during Skype conversation

Animation Students Skype for Advice

For members of the Animation Student Collective at CCAD, professional advice is only a Skype away.

Skype, an Internet voice and video service, links the student animators to professionals, including CCAD alumni. Animation senior Rico Jackson, president and founder of the Animation Student Collective, explains: “Most of the professionals are in California because that’s where the animation industry is, the bulk of it. We can’t bring them to Ohio because that would cost entirely too much money.

“Instead, we Skype them.”

The group meets in Kinney Hall. Using a computer linked to a video projector, Jackson asks the guest animator questions; other students also can come up to the computer’s camera and pose questions as well.

Chris Oatley (CCAD 2001), a former Disney character designer who now runs an online art academy, held a session with students last semester. “Chris is a phenomenal speaker,” Jackson says.

Jackson hopes to have Skype sessions with three guests during spring semester. He says the sessions have an impact. “With Chris, a lot of people sent us messages or talked with us afterward. They said it was really inspirational. Students made some artwork right away because they were inspired.”

Students work in the MindMarket

Students Embark on Two-Year Project with Electronics Company

The CCAD MindMarket’s DesignLab is giving students the chance to dig into an extended design project with the advanced electronics company InPower.

“InPower reached out to CCAD after learning about some of the offerings CCAD has for Industrial Design,” says Cynthia Gravino, CCAD MindMarket director.  “We determined that a DesignLab partnership would best serve their needs and would provide a great hands-on opportunity for our students in a client-based project setting.”

Tom Gattis, dean of the School of Design Arts and chair of Industrial Design, stepped in to lead the project.

For the first semester (fall 2012) students conducted a comprehensive market, product, and competitive landscape analysis.

This spring, they’ll incorporate that research into a redesign of InPower’s product packaging.

InPower will continue to tap into CCAD talent throughout 2013­–2014, focusing on work to find new avenues for their products.

“As an engineering-based organization, InPower provided an opportunity to expand the types of companies we serve,” Gravino says.

“The only difference [from the real world] is we are doing it within the safe confines of the college,” Gattis says. “Students have expert guidance from faculty and can try a lot of things and really explore concepts that in a corporate setting would be a bit too risky.”

Science Chair’s Research Presented

CCAD Chair of Science Julie Posey has worked with Ohio State University’s Division of Infectious Diseases since 2010 to create a tracking profile for a specific strain of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Posey’s research studied nearly 500 positive cases of MRSA.

The resulting paper, Development of Bio-informatics Research Network for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Blood Stream Infections (BSI): A Multicenter Regional MRSA Surveillance Collaborative for Genotyping, Geocoding, and Data Collection for Outbreak Investigation, was presented by OSU researchers at the Infectious Disease Society of America conference last fall.

Alexa Carson’s holiday card design

’Twas the Season — for a Holiday Card Contest Winner

CCAD teamed up with the Columbus Partnership last year to create a new tradition — a holiday card design contest.

The Columbus Partnership is a nonprofit, membership-based organization of 49 CEOs from Columbus’ leading businesses and institutions. Its primary mission is to improve the economic vitality of the Columbus region.

“Partnering with CCAD was a great opportunity to support an incredible educational asset in our community and work with the creative student innovators of Columbus who help drive our economic growth,” said Stephen Lyons, vice president of member services and community engagement at the Partnership.

A jury reviewed 38 entries and selected Illustration senior Alexa Carson’s design.

Carson received a $1,000 cash prize, and the card, which included her name and contact info, was distributed to more than 3,000 Columbus Partnership clients and friends.

Fine Arts Faculty Member Keeps Active Practice

Danielle Julian Norton’s approach to artmaking? Two words: keep moving.

Norton, a 1999 Fine Arts alum and now an assistant professor of fine arts and graduate studies, is keeping up an almost dizzying itinerary of residencies and exhibitions in the United States and Europe.

This includes stints last fall at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, CO, and last summer at I-Park in East Haddam, CT.

A year earlier, she did residencies at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, NE, and in Dresden, Germany, under the sponsorship of the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

Her exhibition schedule last year ranged from the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster to the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO, to the Cynthia-Reeves Gallery at Art Miami. A show at Ohio Dominican University will have just closed as this magazine mails.

“To grow as an artist I feel it’s important to meet other artists and go outside my comfort zone.” Norton says. “Each time I go and meet a new art community and group of artists, it’s like a mini-graduate school; you learn new approaches to art-making.”

“I think it works well in the classroom,” she says. “I can give [students] real-world examples. A teacher should also be an active artist.”

Norton calls her work interdisciplinary, “a cross between sculpture, photography, and performance.”

Next on tap is I Forgot to Forget, a June 15 – July 20 exhibition she is curating at the Urban Arts Space of Ohio State University.

Jennifer Porreca Faux at her desk, photo by Luke Kramer

By Kristin Mack Deuber

Fashion Design alumna Jennifer Porreca Faux (CCAD 2002) was always the person her friends turned to for fashion advice. Whether flipping through magazines or weekend shopping at thrift stores to embrace the ’90s grunge trend, she’s been interested in style and spotting the hottest trends since she was a little girl.

“Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money to spend on fashion,” says Faux. “I would do my best to save my money and beg my parents to buy me trendy clothes and accessories.”

In addition to fashion, Faux also had an interest in the fine arts—with artistic parents, art was a big part of her youth. She took Saturday Morning Art Classes at CCAD as a child, where she began to develop her creative skills. When the time came for her to choose a college, it was a lucky coincidence that CCAD was so close to home and had a great fashion program.

“I loved that CCAD’s curriculum focused not only on fashion, but also on fine art skills, including color concept, 2D and 3D figure drawing, and art history,” says Faux. “It made me a more creative fashion designer by providing me with the foundational skills that I could use to easily design any type of fashion including apparel, accessories, footwear, and lifestyles.”

Tween products, photo by Luke Kramer

An Upward Trend

Upon graduating from CCAD in 2002, Faux landed a job as assistant designer of sweaters, active, and graphic tees for Justice, a label of the industry leader Tween Brands, Inc. Over the next four years, she was quickly promoted to associate designer of sweaters and accessories, and then to designer of accessories, footwear, and lifestyles. She rejoined Tween in 2009 as a senior designer of accessories and footwear.

Today, Faux is Tween’s director of specialty design, overseeing a team of six designers and two interns.

The position calls for extensive travel to keep abreast of trends worldwide. But when Faux is in Ohio, business meetings are a big part of her day. She works with senior design and merchandising staff to align Tween’s design and sales strategies. She also meets with cross-functional partners, including the tech department, to check the fit of products she is creating and make sure the sampling and production of all products are flowing smoothly.

Faux usually ends her day researching trends, visiting stores, and doing last minute trouble-shooting.

Being a fashion designer and traveling around the world may sound glamorous, but it can be taxing work. Faux often gets up at 4 a.m. to catch flights, works 12- to 14-hour days, hauls bags in and out of cabs (and trains and planes), battles jet lag, and eats on the run — all while staying in constant contact with her home office.

Over the past 10 years, Faux has seen many changes in the speed of fashion trend cycles and the way goods are sourced. “With social media and blogging, our customers have become extremely fashion savvy, wanting the hottest trends NOW,” she says. “Also, with all of the [political] changes happening around the world, sourcing new factories and obtaining competitive prices for goods have become increasingly challenging. “

Tween products, photo by Luke Kramer

Advice: Get It and Give It

During her time at Tween, Faux has cultivated relationships with several mentors, which she says has been the best part of working for the company. Her favorite mentor advice is “know your business.” In other words, good designers can design absolutely anything, as long as they study their target market, understand the business side of the industry, and build a design strategy based around that knowledge.

She also values “speak with facts, not emotions,” because the facts make a stronger case that is less likely to be misinterpreted.

Her biggest piece of advice to today’s students? Network, network, network. “To get a great job in the fashion industry it definitely helps to know the right people who can recommend you and help you get your foot in the door,” says Faux. “It’s important for students to put themselves out there early and take advantage of any opportunities that come their way. No job is too small or insignificant. If you do everything with passion, others will see that and want you on their team.”

The CCAD Angle

Faux enjoys supporting CCAD. She always looks to hire CCAD graduates because she knows they have strong design skills. She also financially supports the annual senior fashion show, reviews student portfolios, and speaks to classes as often as her schedule permits.

Maintaining relationships with fellow CCAD alumni has benefited Faux’s own career. Many of her fellow fashion design alums have found successful careers in Columbus, New York, and beyond — and their paths constantly cross.

“I truly value the education I received at CCAD,” says Faux. “I love staying part of the CCAD community and continuing to build relationships with new CCAD students as well as alumni.”

Tim Bowers’ cover image for “Dinosaur Pet”

By Bill Mayr

To keep up with illustrators from CCAD, just peruse the bestseller lists.

A good place to start is the Children’s and Young Adult categories, where three illustrators with CCAD ties — graduates Tim Bowers and John Jude Palencar, along with faculty member C.F. Payne — have helped propel books to the top of the market since 2011.

To be sure, they aren’t the first CCAD-related illustrators to make the lists, and it’s a safe bet they won’t be the last. But the varied experiences of this trio reflect the opportunities, challenges, and joys of illustration, especially with works created for a younger crowd.

Tim Bowers

Tim Bowers (CCAD 1979) made the New York Times and Publishers Weekly lists in the middle of last year with Dinosaur Pet, a picture book by Marc Sedaka with a CD recorded by his Grammy Award-winning father, Neil Sedaka. That project came on the heels of Bowers’ 2011 success with Dream Big, Little Pig, written by figure-skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi.

Bowers devotes his entire practice to children’s books, a focus that started forming years ago. “The things you need to develop a picture book are things I’ve been interested in for a long time — storytelling, humor. Basically I’m a very narrative artist. Character expressions — I’ve been fascinated with that since I was a little boy,” he says.

Bowers has illustrated more than 30 children’s books. Usually, publishers who have accepted book manuscripts will seek out the illustrators. When he is offered a project, Bowers says, “I read through the manuscript and let them know if I think I’m a good fit.” Then he starts creating characters with pencil sketches, later transferring them to canvas or illustration board to paint with acrylics or oils.

John Jude Palencar’s cover image for “Eragon”

John Jude Palencar

Bowers’ experience contrasts with that of his friend John Jude Palencar (CCAD 1980), a leading book-cover illustrator who spends only part of his time on young-adult books. Every cover in Christopher Paolini’s bestselling four-book Inheritance Cycle series — about a teenage boy, Eragon, and his dragon — has carried an elegantly rendered Palencar painting of Saphira the dragon.

Palencar says he has declined offers to illustrate entire children’s books. “You have to live with it for a while, trying to develop a character. I’m mostly a cover illustrator. I enjoy the variety of each new manuscript. I like doing symbol and allegory.”

Palencar has some 300 book covers to his credit and has worked with big-name authors like Stephen King. He knows the ways of the world, but his illustrations for young adults have a special resonance. “You don’t realize how some people hang on to your image for the cover. Everything is kind of mulled over by these young kids. Being a freelance illustrator, we work somewhat isolated in our personal studios… [but] you never know, you may be influencing the illustrators of tomorrow.”

His paintings have a suave, 21st-century sensibility to them, but, the illustrator says, “I’m still an old dinosaur; I paint traditionally. I still think there is something noble and almost monastic when you work with your hands. I feel like an old Jedi knight: Don’t forget the old ways.”

C.F. Payne

C.F. (Chris) Payne, CCAD’s illustration chair for a decade-plus and now distinguished professor of illustration, assuredly hasn’t forgotten the old ways. Payne created animal and outer-space scenes for Mousetronaut, a number-one bestseller written by retired astronaut Mark Kelly.

A widely published editorial illustrator, Payne holds a can-do attitude and works in varied media: oils, acrylics, watercolor, colored pencils. “It is getting the drawing and color down right and making the picture look as good as you can possibly make it look,” he says. Payne says he and the other Illustration faculty teach that approach.

“I’m really proud of the department we’ve got. We have solid people who care about what they do. We want to be honest. Being an artist of any kind is a challenge, but it’s worth it,” he says.

C.F. Payne’s cover image for “Mousetronaut”

Challenges — and Rewards

So don’t make the mistake of thinking that illustrating books for younger readers is a piece of cake.

“A children’s book comes along and you have six months, three months, a year, and now you are in a crazy marathon and have to manage that time along with the other projects you’ve got,” Payne says.

“For most of them you’ll do 16 to 18 images. For an ABC book, there are 26 letters plus the cover and the title page, so it ends up being 28 images. It’s a grind, a ton of work. You make a dozen pictures and go cripes, I’m not halfway there yet.”

Such a big investment of time and effort has its rewards, though.

A magazine illustration might have a shelf life of a week and poof, it’s gone from the newsstand. “Whereas a children’s book can be around for a long time,” Payne says. He adds, “I’ve not walked out of too many children’s books saying I’ll never do that again.”

Being on the children’s book bestseller lists is a “wow” experience, Bowers says, but the real payoff is deeper. “The best confirmation I receive is when I visit a school and the kids are really excited, familiar with the characters, and love the book. The bestseller list is great for my career, but the real joy is seeing the kids enjoying the book and enjoying the characters.”

Still from the animated film “Lumin”

An advanced animation class at CCAD has just completed a project that is now being entered in national festivals. The Advanced Time-Based Projects class, taught by Associate Professor Tom Richner, created an animated short named Lumin.

Lumin tells the story of a young boy and his escape from dozens of monsters who pursue him for one thing, his light.

The 17 students in the class spent four months creating the film from start to finish, working on all aspects from script writing and sound development to animation and final editing.

“We [the Animation faculty] have been talking about working on complete films during the course of a class,” Richner said. “When we saw the talent that was in this past fall’s class we knew we had to make a film with this group.”

The class included Animation seniors Christopher Campbell, Tyler Crowley, David King, Arianni Kurniawati, Laura Maue, Bekah Nunn, Jonathan Pezzatta, and David T. Reed; Animation junior Kelly Cumpson; Cinematic Arts seniors Alan Becker, Patrick Kain, Lauren Thornberry, and Mariah Ward; Cinematic Arts juniors Grace Kim and Aaron Zawisa; and recent Animation graduate Victor Dearing (CCAD 2012) and Cinematic Arts graduate Alex Trimpe (CCAD 2012).

“I was really impressed about how all the students handled the whole semester,” Richner said. “There was never a point where we got behind schedule. They all bought into the project and took ownership and worked very hard.”

“A lot of these students have aspirations to go work in studios, big and small, and the nature of animated films is that you need a lot of bodies to get these projects done. Working in a studio environment means that they are going to be collaborating with people, so I think giving them that chance to do it here gives them the opportunity to fine tune those skills they’ll need in the real world.”

The class had to make some decisions in order to finish the project on time, such as creating it in black and white instead of color and keeping the length of the video managable.

“Even though we did do some things on the design end to make it easier, we didn’t cut any corners in terms of the story we wanted to tell; we did what we set out to do,” Richner said.

Character line-up from the animated film “Lumin”

To complete the project, the class used Toon Boom, animation software package.

“It is a great thing for students to be exposed to this software in school since a lot of studios are currently using it,” Richner said. “We’ve had it in our classrooms here CCAD for more than 10 years now, and we were some of the early adopters of it.”

Alumni have said that their experience with Toon Boom in CCAD classrooms was beneficial as they began their careers.

“We have heard from animation alumni who have been able to stand above their peers when they can express to directors that they know how to use the software,” Richner said.

The class’ work isn’t done yet. They have submitted the film to more than 30 festivals internationally and nationally and have already been accepted into festivals including  Chile Monos, Leeds Young Film Festival, Ohio Shorts, taafi Official Selection, and Sff International Film Festival.

The spring Advanced Time-Based Projects class has a new group of students; they’re developing an animated film called Aria, which they plan on entering into festivals and contests as well.

Lumin will be shown during CCAD’s animation screenings at the opening reception of the 134th Annual Student Exhibition on May 10.

Becker is from Dublin, OH, and graduated from Dublin Scioto High School; Campbell is from Worthington, OH; Crowley is from Milford, NH, and attended Milford High School; Cumpson is from Chesterland, OH, and attended West Geauga High School; Dearing is from Westerville, OH, and attended Saint Francis De Sales High School; Kain is from Kettering, OH, and attended Kettering Fairmont High School; Kim is from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and attended North Surrey Senior Secondary School; King is from Hamilton, OH, and graduated from Ross Senior High School; Kurniawati is from Salatiga, Indonesia, and graduated from Loyola Catholic Secondary School; Maue is from Bellbrook, OH, and attended Bellbrook High School; Nunn is from Wilmington, OH, and graduated from Wilmington High School; Pezzatta is from Columbus, OH, and graduated from Fort Hayes Metro Education Center; Reed is from Ashland, OH, and attended Ashland High School; Trimpe is from Cincinnati, and attended Elder High School; Thornberry is from Cambridge, OH, and attended Cambridge High School; Ward is from Cincinnati, and attended the School for Creative & Performing Arts; and Zawisa is from Columbus, OH, and attended Grandview Heights High School.

Update on April 25:  Lumin won a Telly Award in the “use of animation” category.

Peter Wachtel’s Grill Wrangler

Industrial Design alumnus Peter Wachtel (CCAD 1990) had his invention the Grill Wrangler (formerly known as the Stake) featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Leno had Quirky.com founder Ben Kaufman as a guest on March 20. Kaufman brought several inventions, one of them being Wachtel’s Grill Wrangler, which is available on the site. While looking at the Grill Wrangler, Leno remarked, “That is really cool; I would buy that.”

Quirky.com is a website that helps inventors finance and produce their products.

The Grill Wrangler unites three common grilling tools (spatula, tongs, and a fork), so all necessary tools can easily be taken anywhere.

Peter Wachtel’s Grill Wrangler

Wachtel originally submitted his idea to Quirky in 2010. The product is now being sold through venues such as Target, Fab, and ThinkGeek and will soon be available at Williams-Sonoma stores nationwide.

Wachtel is the owner and president of Kid Toyology, which designs and develops items for the toy and entertainment industries. He is a native of Amherst, NY, and attended Sweet Home Senior High.

Inka Essenhigh’s painting “Moon and Tide”

Fine Arts alumna Inka Essenhigh (CCAD 1991) had two paintings reproduced in Artist Daily, an online forum for the art community.

Essenhigh’s paintings Moon and Tide and Minor Sea Gods of Maine accompanied a March 12 blog post that discussed the need for artists to be brave and fight to show their work to people and galleries. The article was written by the editor of Artist Daily, Courtney Jordan.

Essenhigh lives and works in New York City. She is from Columbus and attended Upper Arlington High School.

The exhibition features varied contemporary interpretations of traditional Scandinavian weaving techniques.

The Textile Center is a national center for fiber art that hosts exhibitions, educations programs, and textile art resources.

Meadows is a native of Rosemount, MN, and attended Rosemount High School.

Boryana Rusenova Ina’s “Standardized Living”

Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Boryana Rusenova Ina (CCAD 2006) will be featured in a spring volume of Studio Visit, which is a publication that introduces artists and their work to a national audience of art world professionals.

Studio Visit features approximately 150 artists per issue and each artist is selected by a professional curator. Ina will receive a full-color page that includes an image, contact information, and a brief artist’s statement. She was selected by Dina Deitsch, curator of contemporary art at DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Boston.

The magazine is distributed to about 2,000 curators and galleries throughout the country, as well as a growing base of collectors and enthusiasts.

Ina is a native of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and attended Lathrop R-li High School.

Photo by Duncan Snyder

For Duncan Snyder, CCAD alumnus and chair of Photography, a sabbatical wasn’t just a time to work on his personal craft, it was a time to force him out of his comfort zone—and his recent residency in Italy did just that.

The 1988 alumnus attended a new four-week, single-artist residency at San Giovanni Valdarno in Tuscany, Italy, in conjunction with SACI in Florence.

“Attending this residency was one of the most challenging things I have done,” Snyder said. “But with being the first person to do this residency and the location being remote—I had a lot of flexibility in my schedule. I spent a majority of my time taking photographs. I shot about 6,000 photographs during my time there.”

When Snyder first found about the opportunity to work in Italy he started doing language tutorials. However, upon arrival he quickly learned that there was a big difference between learning brief phrases and trying to talk to a native Italian speaker.

Photo by Duncan Snyder

“The language barrier was particularly challenging at the beginning,” Snyder said. “Being in a small town, I would go for days without speaking to anyone, and that was very apparent the first couple days when I had no access to the Internet or a phone.”

Snyder would break up his days by shooting in the mornings and then grabbing a cappuccino at a local shop. After going back to his studio to upload photos he would do some more shooting in the evening hours.

Snyder’s studio, located in the same building where painter Giovanni Mannozzi was born, was a half-hour train ride from Florence. The studio building was also home to the the town’s contemporary art collection.

Snyder spent a lot of time adjusting to the living abroad experience: fixing the water heater, figuring out which is laundry soap at the market, and realizing stores close during the afternoons and are also closed on Mondays.

“It made you really plan out your day,” Snyder said. “There was one grocery store, and it was closed on Sundays and Mondays, so you had to think okay it is getting to be the weekend, so I need to get groceries before the week, and I need to plan out my meals.”

Stair compilation by Duncan Snyder

Snyder finds that when teaching, being an administrator, and trying to balance a family life it becomes very difficult to set aside time for his own artwork. Residencies for him have become a luxurious time to do that.

“One thing that is powerful about residencies is it takes an artist out of their comfort zone and routine,” Snyder said, “When you are able to walk away from everything and focus directly on the work you are producing it is extremely helpful.”

Photo by Duncan Snyder

Snyder also brings his residency experiences back to the classroom, sharing with students that there is a wealth of opportunities for them if they take that step out of their comfort zone—a decision he says every student will have to and should make at one point in their career.

This is Snyder’s second residency; his first was in Ireland. He hopes to return to Italy, although he notes his daughters will most likely insist he take them along next time.

Snyder plans on traveling to Paris for his next residency with a goal to capture the culture and landscape.

“One important take-away from each and every residency or travel abroad experience is the people,” Snyder said.

He hopes to exhibit his work regionally, and he has been invited by SACI to have a show there in the future.

Duncan is from Columbus, and attended Upper Arlington High School.

Examples of the work Jessica Porter has done

In any design field, artists have to balance their own brand or their company’s brand with the trends that come and go. We had a chance to chat with three alumnae working at Victoria’s Secret about their own efforts to find this balance in their work.

The alumnae work on marketing projects from new gift card designs to environmental graphics that appear in stores nationwide.

Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Jessica Porter (CCAD 2011) is a contracted photo retoucher for the company. She does image correction on  models and products for the in-store displays, working on elements such as skin cleanup, product swap, and background extensions.

“Each new floor set is exciting to me,” Porter said. “As the seasons change, so do the stores. One month I’m retouching beautiful girls in swimsuits and the next I am working on girls in adorable Pink Valentine’s Day products.

“The retouching industry is definitely on the rise. As for Victoria’s Secret, we tend to keep the models looking as naturalistic as possible—and good retouching means you can’t tell it has been retouched.”

Porter, along with other photo retouchers, has often had to deal with the criticism that digitally manipulating a woman’s image can lead to unrealistic photos and perceptions about beauty.

“I am here to sell a product, not a woman or a body” Porter said. “We [photo retouchers] don’t remove flaws—and let’s face it, some of these supermodels don’t have any—but we do remove all the distractions from a photo. If something draws your eye away from the product, I am not doing my job properly.”

Fine Arts alumna Anna Porreca (CCAD 2006) works as a graphic designer for Victoria’s Secret Pink, a segmented brand aimed at a younger demographic.

Example of Anna Porreca’s graphic work

“I’ve been given the opportunity to work on so many fun projects in the past year that I’ve been with Pink,” Porreca said. “It is really rewarding to see how the graphic concept and design work that my team does affects and gets implemented into so many of the other areas of the Pink brand.”

An example of this is the script typography that Porreca developed for hoodies, which was then used to create LED signage that will be displayed in stores nationwide.

“The most fun is when our ideas lead us to an opportunity to work on projects that are less common for my job description, like thinking three-dimensionally and designing new and humorous shapes for iPhone cases,” Porreca said.

This type of work requires daily research. The designers’ days are spent not only working on products and store models, but also sifting through competitor websites, social media platforms, and anything that yields clues to what fads and trends customers are currently into.

Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Krysti Kalkman (CCAD 2010) is a graphic designer for Victoria’s Secret who works closely with the strategic marketing team from conceptualizing design to executing it.

“Social media is definitely affecting every single big brand,” Kalkman said. “I am always asking myself when designing in-store marketing signage or pieces for PR events if there is an opportunity to bring that into the design. Our customers eat that up, and it helps to get our message out.”

Glyphs of supermodel signatures that Krysti Kalkman developed

Trends in typography or pop culture verbiage may be big, and the designers need to gather all those trends into one place and figure out what can and should be worked into the design and brand.

“Basically we take note of all the inspiring stuff we see and hear and create concept boards that will drive our graphic approach that season,” Porreca said. “Sometimes ideas are saved for the next season, and other times they are completely dropped from development. We take what we know about our customer and anything fresh that we see in the world and blend the two.”

Although these alumnae soak up pop culture daily and have busy schedules, they all have similar CCAD experiences and lessons that helped them develop their fine-tuned skills.

“My foundation year classes and professors, especially Tam Peterson and Stuart McKissick, were tough, smart, and pushed my understanding of color and two-dimensional design, as well as re-enforced a strong work ethic,” Porreca said. “I have so much respect for them.”

For Kalkman, a memory from her senior year sticks with her, and it came in the form of a note from her professor Heather Miller.

“It said ‘remember to always keep inspired,’ and that really stuck with me,” she said. “When I’m not with it on a project it’s because I’m not inspired anymore. I think that’s something that is really important. For a designer to conceive vision, you must collect inspiration from others to help drive you.”

For Porter her most important lesson was time management.

“Time management is one of the most important skills you can have as a professional,” Porter said. “When I know I am going to have a lot of work for a very quick deadline I factor in my hours. Staying at work past midnight does happen, programs crash, files go corrupt. You always have to have a backup plan and work diligently.”

Kalkman is from Canton, OH, and attended Jackson High School; Porreca is from Grove City, OH, and attended Grove City High School; Porter is from Heath, OH, and attended Newark High School.

Classnotes, March 2013

We do our best to get most of the news you submit to us onto the CCAD News Blog, but because there are more than 10,000 of you making news all over the world, not everything can make it into the blog. We’re glad to have another venue where we can share everything with you—this newsletter’s classnotes.

You can submit classnotes via the easy-to-use form on the alumni landing page. We only post career-related successes, awards, exhibitions, and publications, but we’d also love to know when you move, get married, or have children—just use that same form.

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from December, January, and February!

Tim Rietenbach ’77, Joel Gundlach ’86, David Burghy ’89, and Danielle Julian Norton ’99 showed their work in a CCAD faculty exhibition at Columbus’ Cultural Arts Center. Read more here.

Jamie Berger ’78 curated PUSH Print, a book on contemporary printmaking published by Lark Crafts. Read more here.

Paul Emory ’78, Ellen O’Connell Bazzoli ’83, Alex Conrad MFA ’12, Nicole Crock MFA ’12, and Virginia Kistler MFA ’12 showed their work in the Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition, presented at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery. Read more here.

Richard Cowdrey ’81 illustrated the re-released children’s book The Legend of the Candy Cane. Read more here.

Joel Gundlach ’86 designed new starting blocks for New Albany High School’s natatorium. Read more here.

Ed Valentine ’91 and Michael Stillion ’02 had exhibitions at Linda Warren Projects in Chicago. Read more here.

Julie Abijanac ’92 had her piece Disease Mapping selected for the Fiberart International 2013 exhibition. Read more here.

Anthony Weiler ’94, Annie Weihrauch ’03, Hazel Tarr ’07, and Maggy O’Reilly VanOrder ’09 are participants in CCAD’s MindMarket Incubator. Read more here.

Benjamin Lane ’96 is now a story artist at Disney Feature Animation Studio in Burbank, CA.

Daniel King ’00 was featured in Temporary Art Review discussing his artistic career and inspiration. Read more here.

Anne Holman ’02 had a busy winter full of exhibitions and art sales. Read more here.

Mariana Smith ’02 showed work in exhibitions from the East Coast to the West Coast. Read more here.  She also had her piece Untitled (After Tarkousky Stalker) in the 34th Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition, hosted by Bradley University, Peoria, IL. Read more here.

Brian Williams ’03 had an illustration featured in ARTnews. Read more here.

Lea Gray ’04 and Eric Jefferson ’04 were featured in Alive!, a weekly magazine that covers events and culture in Columbus, OH. Read more on Gray here and Jefferson here.

Sean Conner ’05, Nate Reese ’05, Chris Meister ’06, Andrew Mark ’07, Scott Ulliman ’10, and Chavilah Bennett ’12 took home Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA) Creative Best Awards for their work with S77, a motion graphics company in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Joaquin Baldwin ’06 was a juror for the 40^th Annual Annie Awards. Read more here.

Andrew Ina ’06 received a Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) Individual Art Fellowship in Media Arts this year. Read more here.

Boryana Rusenova Ina ’06 was in two group exhibitions in Michigan. Read more here.

Brent Payne ’06 was included in two juried exhibitions in Ohio. Read more here. He was also had work in an exhibition hosted by Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, TX. Read more here.

Michelle Dick ’08 is now working as an interior designer with Organized Home Remodeling, in Columbus, OH.

Brian Uhl ’08 had a solo exhibition at Static Age Gallery in Cincinnati. Read more here.

Steve Hubbard ’10 worked on animations for the movie Life of Pi. Read more here.

John Malta ’10 had his third illustration published in The New York Times. Read more here.

Kerry Kunze ’11 showed work in a group exhibition at Mount Vernon University. Read more here.

Alex Conrad MFA ’12, Nicole Crock MFA ’12, Leah Fisher ’12, and Crystal Tursich MFA ’12 had work included in the 13^th annual ImageOhio exhibition organized by Roy G Biv Gallery. Read more here.

Amanda Rouse MFA ’12 had a busy exhibition schedule including three juried and two group exhibitions. Read more here.

Image from Danielle Julian Norton’s work on “Suite42Projects: Heart Abortion Series”

Fine Arts alumna and Assistant Professor Danielle Julian Norton had work featured in Art13 London, a fair in West London dedicated to international contemporary art.

The fair showcased 129 galleries from 30 countries during the weekend event taking place Feb. 28–March 3.

Norton is represented by CYNTHIA-REEVES, a New York-based gallery. The gallery brought work to the fair from Suite42Projects: Heart Abortion Series, a collaboration between Norton and artist Tarrah Krajnak, as well as work from 10 other artists represented by the gallery.

The collaboration between Norton and Krajnak produced performance-based works that explored invented characters mined from the history of performance art and popular films.

Norton is a native of Columbus, OH, and attended Bishop Ready High School.

Photo of Manjari Sharma’s feature in Yoga Jounal

Media Studies alumna Manjari Sharma’s project Darshan was recently featured in the Yoga Journal.

The national journal featured the 2004 grad’s photograph Lakshmi with a write-up that will also be included in the journal’s iPad app.

The image is part of Darshan, an ongoing series that Sharma has been working on since 2011. Her goal is to photographically recreate nine gods and goddesses of Hindu mythology. Each photograph in the Darshan series requires the help of nearly three dozen people to create the set, costumes, jewelry, props, makeup, and more. The Lakshmi image alone took more than three weeks to put together and cost nearly $5,000.

Sharma’s work on this project was also recently featured on the cover of Forbes India. Read more here.

Sharma is a native of Mumbai, India, and attended Gyan Kendra High School.

The 2013 Art of Illustration poster, created by Illustration senior Taylor Hicks

The Art of Illustration show is a student-run and -organized exhibition that is now in its 16th year. The juried show features illustrations from all majors and alumni who participated when they were students are now coming back to act as jurors.

This year the five Illustration student organizers included sophomore Haleigh Richards and seniors Lexie Holliday, Josh Parkinson, Wes Talbott, and chair Andrew Thompson. The students chose five judges to look over 291 submissions for the show that runs March 16–30. The judges included four CCAD alumni: Scott Hull (Advertising & Graphic Design 1977), Steve Prescott (Illustration 1995), Jason Jourdan (Illustration 1998), and Graham Erwin (Illustration 2011). The fifth judge was artist representative Frank Sturges.

The judges gathered on campus and spent the day going through submissions, offering thorough critiques and advice on every piece, whether accepted or not. Ultimately 40 submissions were accepted into the show.

“The show is and has always been entirely organized and run by the students,” said Stewart McKissick, Illustration professor and alumnus. “They selected and contacted the judges, organized where and when the judging would take place, and researched and collected donations for the opening reception at the gallery, as well as prizes for entry winners.”

This is the third year for the show to be held at Rivet Gallery, a gallery located in Columbus’ art district, the Short North.

“Rivet has been very generous to us, allowing students to sell their work from the show with no commission fee to the gallery,” McKissick said.

Having the exhibition at an off-campus external location for the last three years has allowed it to function as a professional, juried show.

Erwin, who does preproduction work and design for a custom screen printing shop and freelance illustration for a wide range of clients, has witnessed the show expand as a student and now as an alumnus.

“I first submitted work for AOI as a sophomore,” Erwin said. “Although my piece wasn’t chosen that year, it definitely lit a fire for the years to come, and I began approaching every piece as if it could be a submission for one competition or another. I continued to submit work my junior and senior years, where I had pieces accepted and awarded.

“The Art of Illustration show was an important part of my illustration training,” Erwin said. “It was my first experience where my work was looked at by professionals with a critical eye. I think it is important for the show to now be held at Rivet, where students can see their work in a real-world gallery setting.”

The show allows students the ability to access professionals to evaluate their work and have critiques by people other than their peers and professors.

“This process shows students the importance of submitting and getting their art into the real world,” Hull said. “And also accepting the rejection that may come along with this.”

Hull, founder of Scott Hull Associates and illustration representative, has worked as a juror twice now for the show and views helping out students at CCAD as highly rewarding.

“Helping young talent navigate their creative dream is a passion of mine,” Hull said. “I think it is a good practice to have alumni come back as jurors for this particular show, since they are able to understand the CCAD culture a little better and they want to offer any and all help to the students.”

Originally, the show was solely coordinated by Illustration students, and they were the ones submitting work, but as the show has grown so has participation from throughout the college.

“What’s exciting to see is the ever-increasing interest and participation now by the majority of our majors,” McKissick said. “It is an excellent leadership opportunity for the students who work on the committee, and it is a chance to have students learn about aspects of the art world beyond just the making of it.”

The show’s award ceremony was held during its opening reception March 16, 7–10 p.m. Selected work will be honored with first, second, and third place, and each judge selected a work to be awarded Judge’s Choice. The show will be up through March 30.

“I can honestly say that every year is another great memory for us,” McKissick said. “And we’re always very proud of what the students accomplish.”

Erwin is from Columbus and attended Whetstone High School; Hull is from Danville, OH, and attended Danville High School; Jourdan is from Mansfield, OH, and attended Mansfield Senior High School; McKissick is from Franklin, PA, and attended Franklin High School; Prescott is from Gates Mills, OH, and attended Mayfield High School.

“Forth Wall, Starring Barbara Bloemink” by Danielle Julian Norton

CCAD faculty and alumni will exhibit their work at Wehrle Gallery at Ohio Dominican University, March 17–April 12.

This is: on the subject of art was curated by Fine Arts alumna and Assistant Professor Julie Abijanac (CCAD 1992) and features work from 11 CCAD-affiliated artists including Assistant Professor Shannon Benine; visiting faculty Matthew Flegle; adjunct faculty Nicole Gibbs; Director of Exhibitions Michael Goodson; Fine Arts alumna and Assistant Professor Danielle Julian Norton (CCAD 1999); Assistant Professor Kelly Malec-Kosak; adjunct faculty Andrea Myers; Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Susan Li O’Connor (CCAD 1996); Fine Arts alumnus and Associate Professor Tim Rietenbach (CCAD 1977); Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Mariana Smith (CCAD 2002); and adjunct faculty Melissa Vogley-Woods.

“Janette Knowles, the gallery director, asked if I would be interested in curating a show, and I nervously said sure, but I instantly knew I wanted to put a show together focused on the subject of art,” Abijanac said. “My goal was to bring together a strong group of artists who have very strong ideas about their subject matter as well as their approach in visually communicating that information. Along with this, I wanted to have an art historian to align and connect this idea historically, which is done in the foreword for the show.”

The foreword was written by Assistant Professor Carla Cesare, who describes the relationship between the artists, their message and medium, and reality.

There is an opening reception March 17, 1–3 p.m.

Juliette Montague and Greg Stange’s “Scuba Diver”

Fine Arts alumna Juliette Montague (CCAD 1985) and her husband Greg Stange will exhibit work at Hayley Gallery in New Albany, OH.

The show All Mixed Up, which will run through the month of March, features work by Montague and her husband along with pieces that they collaborated on. The couple are the owners of StagMont Design, for which they use common household objects (think cans, kitchen utensils, scrap fabric, etc.) to create mixed-media sculptures—all with a humorous undertone.

The exhibition has an artists’ reception March 16, 5–9 p.m.

Read an article on the exhibition in This Week News, the New Albany, OH, community newspaper.

Montague is a native of Worthington, OH, and attended Grove City High School.

Andy Hayes’ poster for CSCA

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Andy Hayes (CCAD 2001) created an event poster for the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA.)

The poster was for their guest speaker Erik Johnson, who came in early January of this year.

Hayes is the owner of Hucklebuck Design Studio and has worked with clients including American Eagle Outfitters, Express, GSW Worldwide, Herman Miller, and Longaberger. He is also an associate creative director at Ologie, a Columbus agency.

Hayes is represented by Scott Hull Associates, a company that represents illustrators, founded by Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Scott Hull (CCAD 1977).

He is a native of Springfield, OH, and attended Northwestern High School.

Celebrate Local’s gallery wall

Celebrate Local, a shop in Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH, has recently installed a gallery wall that features artwork from local artists, so it’s no surprise that some CCAD alumni lent a hand to get it started.

Fine Arts alumnus Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002) helped organize the gallery in the store, which is currently displaying the work of 24 artists.

“Celebrate Local requested work that deals with artists’ representations of ‘being local’ or ‘localism,’” Brouillette said. “Each artist’s take varies in subject and style.”

Illustration by Thom Glick for the Celebrate Local gallery

The work is available for purchase and will continually rotate as pieces sell. Current CCAD artists with work up include Illustration alumnus and Assistant Director of Admissions Thom Glick (CCAD 2004), Fine Arts alumnus and adjunct faculty Andrew Ina (CCAD 2006), Fine Arts alumnus Christopher Tennant (CCAD 2006), Fine Arts alumna Jamie Sommer (CCAD 2007), and Illustration alumna Jen Wrubles (CCAD 2010).

“Artists are part of the economy,” Brouillette said. “They buy supplies to produce and produce things that are desired commodities. Not only that, but the desire for unique objects in a world driven by individualism has made artist-made objects very desirable. The willingness of a space like Easton to not only support local commerce, but local creativity is commendable.”

Celebrate Local showcases Ohio-produced handmade and artisanal goods from more than 200 small businesses.

Brouillette is from Avon Lake, OH, and attended Avon Lake High School; Glick is from West Milton, OH, and attended Milton Union High School; Ina is from Strongsville, OH, and attended Strongsville Senior High School; Sommer is from Martins Ferry, OH, and attended Martins Ferry High School; Tennant is from Mount Vernon, OH, and attended Fort Hayes Metro Education Center; Wrubles is from Williamstown, WV, and attended Williamstown High School.

Clinton Reno’s “Long Live Rock”

CCAD alumni are a big part of a group exhibition at Rivet Gallery in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district, through March 10.

Ohio, You RAWK! features the work of 18 artists and six are CCAD Illustration alumni: Graham Erwin (CCAD 2011), Jason Goad (CCAD 1996), Mike Martin (CCAD 1985), Ryan Mowry (CCAD 2004), Clinton Reno (CCAD 1995), and Miles Tsang (CCAD 2012).

The show features gig posters and rock inspired poster art.

Erwin is a native of Columbus and attended Whetstone High School; Goad is from Dayton, and attended Centerville High School; Mowry is from Columbus, and attended Worthington Christian High School; Reno is from Xenia, and attended Dayton Christian High School; and Tsang is originally from Ajax, Ontario, Canada and moved back following graduation from CCAD.

Group at ADDY awards, from left to right: Vice President for Academic Affairs Kevin Conlon, James Lutz, Lillie Templeton, and Alex Laniosz.

The ADDYs, organized by the American Advertising Federation, are the advertising industry’s largest, most competitive competition, and during the recent 2012 ADDY award ceremony in Columbus, OH, CCAD talent was well represented.

Seven Advertising & Graphic Design seniors won awards. Lillie Templeton received a Best of Show and a Gold award for her integrated campaign Ball Jars—Off the Shelf; Ali Prater received two Gold for her Epson Ink Cartridge packaging and her Teavana catalog; Zayne Parmiter won a Silver for his Flour Child packaging; Robert Trautman won a Silver for his Lark & Key Branding stationary; Taylor Vogel won a Silver for his Ikea app; Alex Laniosz won a Silver for the Balls’ jars ad, and Jessica Alley won a Silver for her integrated campaign for the United States Postal Service.

Ologie, founded by alumna Bev Bethge, won a total of 24 awards: one Judge’s Choice, seven Gold, and 16 Silver. A number of these awards were for community work, including work completed with CCAD on admissions collateral and the Senior Fashion Show lookbook.

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Greg Beck (CCAD 2009) was part of the team at Longstride, a local motion graphics company that grabbed a Gold award in the category of Public Service, Audio/Visual for its Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio campaign.

The ADDYs receive more than 50,000 entries nationwide through local ADDY competitions. Leading work is rewarded with Gold and Silver awards, and top honors are Judge’s Choice and Best of Show. Gold winners qualify for the AAF Fifth District ADDY competition, where entries from Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia compete.

The Columbus chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AFF) represents more than 100 member companies. AAF works to enhance the professional development of its members, while increasing recognition for the advertising industry and giving back to the local community.

Alley is from Baltimore, OH, and attended Bloom-Carroll High School; Laniosz is from Willowbrook, IL, and attended Hinsdale South High School; Parmiter is from Marietta, OH, and attended Marietta Senior High School; Prater is from Hilliard, OH, and attended Hilliard Darby High School; Templeton is from of Wadesboro, NC; Trautman is from Niles, OH; and Vogel is from Mason, OH, and attended William Mason High School.

“Lettuces and Lambquarters” by alumna Sarah Fairchild

A group exhibition at Lindsay Gallery, opening March 1, features artwork from CCAD alumni and staff.

Four Ways of Looking, curated by Columbus artist Linda Gall, features Gall’s work alongside CCAD Editorial Director Laura Bidwa and Fine Arts alumnae Sarah Fairchild (CCAD 1994) and Laura Sanders (CCAD 1988).

The exhibition considers the threads that bind the paintings of four seemingly disparate artists who explore environmental concerns through their work in highly individual ways.

The exhibition will run through March 31 with an opening reception March 1, 6–9 p.m.

Still from “Life of Pi,” courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

The Visual Effects Society announced winners the 11th Annual VES Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, earlier this month, and Media Studies alumnus Steve Hubbard (CCAD 2010) was among those who received recognition.

Hubbard worked as an animator for the movie Life of Pi. The movie won in four categories, with Hubbard taking a visual effects credit for the win in the category of Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture.

The VES Awards recognizes outstanding visual effects in 24 categories of film, animation, television, commercials, and video games.

Brickner is an art teacher and organic community garden coordinator at Saint Martin de Porres High School in Cleveland.

“E4S champions carry the special distinction of being nominated by their peers for the work they do as implementers as well as for the inspiration they provide for others,” said E4S Interim Executive Director Michael Dungan at the event recognizing the nominees. “We welcome this year’s group to our growing roster of individuals who are embedding sustainability principles in their organization’s operations, product design, company culture, and client services.”

Founded in 2000, E4S is a business network focused on sustainability and entrepreneurship. Brickner was among seven individuals nominated and recognized.

Ed Valentine’s “Untitled Portrait with Blue Drip and Painted Hat”

Associate professor and Fine Arts alumnus Ed Valentine (CCAD 1991) and adjunct faculty and Fine Arts alumnus Michael Stillion (CCAD 2002) have exhibitions at Linda Warren Projects through April 5 in Chicago.

Valentine’s exhibition Somebody’s Beauty will be up in Gallery Y, with Stillion’s exhibition B.Z.&C.: Bent, Zigzag and Crooked in Gallery X.

Both artists focus on portraiture—although their styles are drastically different.

Michael Stillion’s “Feather In a Cap”

Valentine’s portraits combine realistic painting with dripping lines, flat shapes, and patches that serve to spark the imagination and lead to a more complex manner of interpretation.

Stillion’s exhibition title references the historical Bellaire, Zanesville, and Cincinnati Railroad. In his portraits, Stillion embraces the meaning of items like scarves, gloves, socks, and jackets, which he uses to form his subjects.

The exhibition Griffith, Kunze, Polansky will feature paintings of Conneaut Lake Park, work portraying 2 Corinthians 5:4, and photographs that piece together relationships.

There will be a reception Friday, March 1, 6–9 p.m.

Students work on project for InPower through the CCAD MindMarket

It has only been about four months since the CCAD MindMarket officially launched and it is already flying strong.

The MindMarket opened in fall with ThoughtLab speaker Roger Martin and this spring will host internationally renowned retail design and branding expert Marc Gobé and his daughter, Gwenaelle Gobé.

Businesses have already tapped into CCAD talent through the MindMarket’s DesignLab. Companies range from a local electronics company InPower, Inc. to a charrette that just concluded with the Arnold Classic.

The MindMarket’s Incubator program currently has four participants taking advantage of the mentorship, business coaching, and professional services. While the Incubator tenants share a connection to CCAD, as they are alumni, their reasons for coming back vary.

Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Annie Weihrauch (CCAD 2003) started her first business in 2007, Modern Material. She eventually transitioned that graphic design-oriented company to include her love of fashion and accessories and renamed the company Rock & Royalty.

Students working in the CCAD MindMarket, photo courtesy Danielle Ford (2013)

Over the past several years, Weihrauch has been making and selling her jewelry and embellished apparel through her website and through local Columbus events. She is learning more about garment construction and buisness so she can create her own clothing line.

“I absolutely loved my time at CCAD,” Weihrauch said. “When I learned about CCAD’s MindMarket I realized it was exactly what I needed to move forward. There are a lot of other business programs out there, but they aren’t geared toward the creative mind. I am looking forward to the connections and programs provided by CCAD, while working with people who understand the importance of creative integrity.”

Weihrauch’s process at the MindMarket is just beginning. She plans on accessing mentoring, legal advice, business guidance, and using the fresh talent of CCAD students and facilities.

The legal counsel will assist her with tradmark issues she has encountered, and business mentors will help strengthen her business plan.

Illustration alumnus Anthony Weiler (CCAD 1994) started a freelance design career a few years ago, and by the end of his time in the incubator he hopes to launch a firm with a full-time design team.

Weiler’s company is IncredABLE Design. One of his current clients is Ohio State University’s IT Department

Weiler was introduced to CCAD’s MindMarket through an existing business mentor who highly recommended the incubator.

“Upon meeting with [CCAD MindMarket director] Cynthia Gravino I knew that this was going to be perfect for me and my company,” Weiler said. “I wanted a place where I can try new things out, not be afraid to make mistakes, and have access to the coaching that I needed and the facilities CCAD has to offer.”

“I am excited to see all the changes at the college since I graduated. CCAD and Columbus have a lot of energy, and are headed in the right directions with strong business focuses,” Weiler said.

Media Studies alumna Hazel Tarr (CCAD 2007) is the only current resident member of the Incubator. Her current company, Tarrka Studios, is an animation/motion picture/documentary studio.

Students working in the CCAD MindMarket, photo courtesy Danielle Ford (2013)

Tarrka Studios is dedicated to creating and producing original movies and programming that speak to the community and social consciousness as it relates to the well-being of children and pets.

“I wanted to transition my solo documentary studio to include animation,” Tarr said. “This program afforded me the opportunity to realize my dream. Having major costs such as building, equipment, and supplies and people like the interns through CCAD covered, makes the CCAD MindMarket Incubator program invaluable to anyone with a start-up or transitioning business.”

Tarr will use the business mentors available to help strengthen her business plan, and she will take advantage of the legal counsel available.

“Physically being located in my tenant space has also allowed Tarrka Studios to be introduced to various individuals within the Columbus community, thus garnering exposure for the studio and the various projects in production,” Tarr said.

Illustration alumna Maggy O’Reilly VanOrder (CCAD 2009) started O’Reilly Ink in 2007 by selling prints and drawings through Etsy, an online artisan shop.

VanOrder originally heard of the MindMarket Incubator when it was in its beta phase, through the CCAD Alumni Newsletter.

“I was going on one year of being unemployed and it seemed like a direct sign and too good to be true,” VanOrder said.

VanOrder didn’t participate in the beta program, but she kept informed as the year went on and is just now beginning to use and learn more about the services provided.

“This past December I realized I had really let go of my art and nearly lost the passion for it that I once had,” VanOrder said. “I didn’t work on selling with Etsy or seeking out freelance work, though I was now working full time again. I remembered the MindMarket and contacted Cynthia, and wouldn’t you know, they were looking for new interested people. It was perfect timing.

“I still feel like it’s a program that is just too perfect to pass up,” VanOrder said. “I definitely need a boost and someone to really push me. I also need access to someone with business sense and the resources that I wouldn’t have otherwise. I’m hoping to take my business to the level it needs to be at and eventually turn it into a full-time endeavor. I want it to be my passion and my life. By the end of my time with the CCAD MindMarket, I hope to be well my way to that self-made status, one of many founded here in Columbus, Ohio.”

Mariana Smith’s “Untitled (After Tarkousky Stalker)”

Adjunct faculty and Fine Arts alumna Mariana Smith (CCAD 2002) has her piece Untitled (After Tarkousky Stalker) in the 34th Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition, hosted by Bradley University, Peoria, IL, March 9–April 20.

The exhibition features work from 108 artists from across the globe. This year’s juror was Stephen Goddard, senior curator and curator of prints and drawings at the Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas.

Gallery spaces involved in the show include Heuser Art Center, Prairie Center of the Arts, the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, and the Peoria Art Guild.

Leah Fisher’s “Parsons Avenue, 04/01/12″

Four CCAD alumni have their work included in the 13^th annual ImageOhio exhibition organized by Roy G Biv Gallery and on view at The Shot Tower Gallery at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Educational Center, Jan. 18–Feb. 15.

The exhibition is juried by Bill Horrigan, curator at large for the Wexner Center for the Arts. Work includes photographs, projections, and video.

Although there is no official theme, much of the work focuses on observations of the changing world.

There are 27 artists in the exhibition; CCAD alumni include 2012 MFA alumni Alex Conrad, Nicole Crock, and Crystal Tursich, as well as Photography alumna and library archivist Leah Fisher (CCAD 2012).

Brent Payne’s “Pepper, Tuesday Morning, 8:33″

Adjunct faculty and Fine Arts alumnus Brent Payne (CCAD 2006) will have a drawing in the 47^th Annual National Drawing & Small Sculpture Show hosted by Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, TX, Feb. 22–May 3.

His drawing Pepper, Tuesday Morning, 8:33 will be in the juried exhibition that features work from contemporary artists across the country. The exhibition will include drawings and other works on paper, such as prints in traditional media or watercolors, along with sculptures of any media.

Payne is also showing his work in two other juried exhibitions in Oxford and Dayton, Ohio.

Cover of “PUSH Print”

Alumnus Jamie Berger (CCAD 1978) curated PUSH Print, a book on contemporary printmaking published by Lark Crafts.

The book showcases more than 30 contemporary printmaker with techniques ranging from screen printing to woodcuts.

“It was a great opportunity to explore printmaking outside my everyday little world of letterpress graphics,” Berger said. “I hope the book will pique curiosity and spark inspiration by illustrating the scope and power of printmaking today.”

Berger is the co-founder of Cranky Pressman, a commercial letterpress printer located in Salem, OH.

Ellen O’Connell Bazzoli’s “Spring 1104″

CCAD alumni and faculty will show their work in the Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition, presented by the Ohio Arts Council at the Riffe Gallery, Jan. 31–April 14.

The Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition contains work from 18 artists chosen by curator Dennis Harrington, director of the Weston Art Gallery in Cincinnati, OH. The work in the exhibition features seasoned and emerging artists, and explores a dialogue of visual connections created by assembling a group of eclectic and inspired works in one place.

CCAD artists include associate alumna Ellen O’Connell Bazzoli (CCAD 1983), MFA alumni Alex Conrad and Nicole Crock (CCAD 2012), Assistant Professor Steven Elbert, associate alumnus Paul Emory (CCAD 1978), adjunct faculty and MFA alumna Virginia Kistler (CCAD 2012), and coordinator of printmaking Kathy McGhee.

There will be an opening reception Jan. 31, 5–7 p.m., and a tour with the curator Feb. 1, noon–1 p.m.

The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

Shoppers at CCAD Winter Art Sale

Twice a year, CCAD invites the community to check out and purchase work from CCAD talent (students, alumni, faculty, and staff). For the April 13 event, the sale will move from a first-come, first-served sign-up process to a juried, art fair format.

“Having our art fair be juried allows us to model after fairs that students will see in their professional careers,” said Dwayne Todd, vice president for student affairs.

In prior years sign-ups were first-come, first-served with spots for the December sale filled in less than three minutes (yeah, it was THAT fast). The winter sale drew more than 1,000 shoppers and raised more than $6,000 toward CCAD’s general scholarship fund

“Changing to this format will allow more students, alumni, faculty, and staff an opportunity to apply,” said Janie Robinson, career services associate. “It also ensures we don’t miss out on showcasing a fantastic artist because they missed the very small sign-up window.”

Submissions from possible vendors will be accepted online through ZAPP (the same service used by GCAC’s popular Columbus Arts Festival). All submissions will then be judged by three jurors, Ken Emerick, Anne Holman, and Laura Kuenzil.

Emerick is the director for individual artist grants and percent for art program at the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). He manages the OAC Individual Excellence Awards, administering the Ohio Percent for Art Public Art program, and coordinating a number of national and international artist residency programs.

Shoppers at CCAD Winter Art Sale

He has been a juror for numerous awards and exhibitions for various Ohio arts organizations, colleges, and universities.

“Work selected should have a combination of some of the following qualities,” Emerick said. “Technical proficiency or craftsmanship, creative and inventive use of the medium, innovation in style and concept, and a reflection of the artist’s unique personal approach and vision as evidenced in the artwork submitted.”

Holman is an adjunct faculty member at CCAD and a Fine Arts alumna (CCAD 2002). She is the owner and creator of Anne Holman Jewelry. She has been featured in fashion columns and magazines nationally and internationally and exhibits her work throughout the U.S.

Kuenzil is the owner of Rivet Gallery located in the short North, Columbus’ arts district. Rivet is a designer toy and art gallery, presenting original work from underground artists, with a new show opening the first Saturday of every month.

Submissions will be accepted for the fair Jan. 25–Feb. 25 with final decisions on who will be participating in the sale by March 15.

The first CCAD juried art fair is Saturday, April 13—enter at 9 a.m. for first-choice admission ($50) and 10 a.m. for general admission ($5).

“The Legend of the Candy Cane” cover, illustrated by Richard Cowdrey

Alumnus Richard Cowdrey (CCAD 1981) illustrated the re-released children’s book The Legend of the Candy Cane.

Written by Lori Walburg, the book was originally released 15 years ago and talks about the Christian symbolism behind the popular candy cane. Its publisher, Zonderkidz, decided to re-release it with updated illustrations by Cowdrey.

“The setting is more turn of the century, and the colors are bright and engaging,” said Walburg in an online article. “In addition, most of the illustrations feature a cat, a dog, and a mouse; so many small children will enjoy finding their furry friends in each spread.”

Cowdrey is known for his children’s book illustrations, including the New York Times #1 bestseller Bad Dog, Marley! He has worked with top publishers including Scholastic, Harper Collins, McGraw Hill, Penguin, and more.

“Untitled” from Daniel King’s GROUNDED series

Media Studies alumnus Daniel King (CCAD 2000) was featured in Temporary Art Review discussing his artistic career and inspiration.

In the article, King talks about balancing his schedule among graduate school (Ohio University), family life, and his engagement in the art community.

“As an undergraduate I realized the possibilities of working with a community of artists,” King said. “The shared energies and skills of a group make for a rich experience.

King stayed in touch with the art community by working with the Columbus International Film and Video Festival and the Journal of Short Film.

To read the full article, click here.

Front of Brian Uhl’s exhibition postcard

Illustration alumnus Brian Uhl (CCAD 2008) has a solo exhibition The Tower at Static Age Gallery in Cincinnati, Jan. 25–March 29.

The exhibition will feature 18 of Uhl’s most recent illustrations along with a few multimedia prints and T-shirt designs.

Uhl works with pen, ink, and markers, illustrating primarily in black and white. He has been influenced by punk, metal, and other subcultures.

“The work will be from commission work I’ve done for bands and businesses over the past year, as well as some large-scale personal pieces,” Uhl said. “The personal works will be displayed both in their original format and as multimedia prints that I will make in collaboration with Southpaw Prints, the screen printing shop in Static Age Gallery.”

Uhl is also working on a quarterly comic for a new magazine, Decompression, based in the United Kingdom. The magazine will report on current industrial, punk, and metal music.

“I’m really excited about this since he’s letting me just do whatever I want, which means I can get as weird as I want to,” Uhl said.

Static Age Gallery is located at 1334 Main Street in Cincinnati. The exhibition will open on Jan. 25 during Cincinnati’s monthly Last Friday event, which features open galleries and shops in the Over-the-Rhine historic neighborhood.

The 2013 Oscar nominations have been announced. Photo courtesy of oscar.go.com

The awards season is upon us, and the Oscar nominees have been announced. With so many of our alumni working in the film and animation industry, it’s no surprise that some of the nominated films include CCAD talent in their credits.

Media Studies alumnus Steve Hubbard (CCAD 2010) worked on the animation for Life of Pi, which was nominated in eight categories, including Best Picture and Visual Effects.

“I worked on about 20 shots throughout the film,” Hubbard said. “I worked on fur and muscle simulations for Richard Parker [the tiger], the hyena, and the zebra. I also worked on the tarp interactions with the animals and Pi, the ropes on the boat, and some movements on fish as well.”

Illustration alumnus Alex Alvarado (CCAD 2011), Media Studies alumnus Joaquin Baldwin (CCAD 2006), and Media Studies alumnus Darren Simpson (CCAD 2011) worked on Walt Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, which was nominated in the Animated Feature Film category.

Baldwin was also selected as a juror for the 40^th Annual Annie Awards, which will take place Feb. 2 at UCLA’s Royal Hall in Los Angeles.

And finally, Illustration alumnus Ben Lane (CCAD 1996) worked on The Longest Daycare, which is nominated for Short Film (Animated).

Update: On Sunday, Feb. 24 Life of Pi, which alumnus Steve Hubbard worked on, took home four Oscars, including Best Visual Effects.

Close-up shot of Tim Rietenbach’s work that will be in “FUNCTION.” Photograph by Luke Kramer.

Seven CCAD faculty members will come together and show their work at Columbus’ Cultural Arts Center in a group exhibition, FUNCTION, Jan. 9–Feb. 8, with an opening reception Friday, Jan. 11, 6–8 p.m.

“The exhibition looks at the idea of function,” said Michael Goodson, CCAD’s exhibitions director. “We have faculty that have a design background and faculty that have a fine arts background in this show, and they are coming together to look at functionality and dis-functionality for items designed to function and those based on the idea of function.”

Goodson helped organize the exhibition and will show his work along with Associate Professor and Industrial Design alumnus Davis Burghy (CCAD 1989), Foundation Studies and Fine Arts instructor Matthew Flegle, Dean of the School of Design Arts and Industrial Design chair Tom Gattis, Professor and Industrial Design alumnus Joel Gundlach (CCAD 1986), Assistant Professor and Fine Arts alumna Danielle Julian Norton (CCAD 1999), and Associate Professor and Fine Arts alumnus Tim Rietenbach (CCAD 1977).

Work will range from Burghy’s deconstructed stair banisters to Flegle’s illustrations of colliding objects. For more information and gallery hours, visit the Cultural Arts Center’s website.

Detail of Boryana Rusenova Ina’s “Privatization 1″

Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Boryana Rusenova Ina (CCAD 2006) will have work in two upcoming group exhibitions in Michigan.

The first, Interspecies at the Gallery Project in Ann Arbor, MI, focuses on the complex and changing relationships between humans and animals and is open Jan. 3–Feb. 11.

The second, M.A.P.: Movement and Position, showcases different types of physical and social geography. The show is at Whitdel Art Center in Detroit, MI, Jan. 18–Feb. 9 and will feature work by regional and international artists working in a variety of mediums.

Ina’s current work explores the notions of home from cultural, geographic, and emotional standpoints.

Still from Joaquin Baldwin’s animated film “Sebastian’s Voodoo”

Media Studies alumnus Joaquin Baldwin (CCAD 2006) had the privilege of being selected as a juror for the 40^th Annual Annie Awards, taking place Feb. 2 at UCLA’s Royal Hall in Los Angeles, CA.

The Annie Awards have been honoring excellence in the field of animation for 40 years. There are 30 categories of awards, including best animated feature, television production(s), television commercial, video game, and student film, as well as the achievement and honorary awards.

“They picked me to judge for the Best Student Short category because I had won the Emile Cohl Award at the ASIFA-Hollywood Student Animation Festival in 2008, which was sort of the precursor to this new category at the Annie Awards,” Baldwin said.

Every category has a set of jurors to select nominees because there are so many applicants per category. After the jurors select the top nominees, all ASIFA members vote for the winner.

Baldwin works as a CG layout artist for Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles, CA. His projects there included Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled Ever After, and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice.

“The most fun part of the award ceremony will be that this time I know a lot of the nominees, since they also work at Disney,” Baldwin said. “So I’ll be biased and rooting for them of course.”

After completing work for Wreck-It Ralph, Baldwin jumped right into work for Frozen, a Disney animated adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale The Snow Queen. The movie is set to be released in November 2013 and will feature the voices of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel.

Baldwin is represented by the Creative Artists Agency and has received more than 120 international awards for his independent animated shorts Sebastian’s Voodoo and Papiroflexia.

The award was presented at the 60^th Columbus International Film + Video Festival in November. At the festival, they also showed Ina’s film Pastime, a story about two brothers facing the challenges of growing up in a post-oil society.

The fellowship, established in 1986, is designed to recognize outstanding local artists and awarded Ina $5,000. There were more than 40 entries for the fellowship. Jurors included Janine Cirincione, director of Sean Kelly Gallery, New York; David Hartz, associate professor of electronic media communications, University of Cincinnati and Blue Ash College; and Karen Kunc, Cather professor of art, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The article discussed artists’ portrayals of birds, from the chronicling of bird species in the early 1800s to more recent pop culture illustrations like Williams’.

Great Auk is part of Williams’ series Extinct Birds, which depicts bird species wearing clothing typical of the year they became extinct.

ARTnews was founded in 1902 and has a readership of 180,000 in 123 countries. It’s published 11 times a year and reports on art, issues, trends, and events that are shaping the international art world.

To view the ARTnews article, click here.

New Albany High School’s starting blocks, designed by Joel Gundlach

Industrial Design alumnus and professor Joel Gundlach (CCAD 1986) just completed a unique design project for New Albany High School’s natatorium—he redesigned the pool starting blocks.

The project was especially close to home for Gundlach, who is a New Albany swim team parent. A generous contribution from the Berend family allowed the school to ask Gundlach to look at recreating the starting blocks.

“My approach to designing anything is that this is your one opportunity to do everything you dreamed about and put all those features you dreamed of into one object,” Gundlach said.

Left to right: Joel Gundlach, Keith Berend, Cindy Berend, and Jay Gundlach

Gundlach, with help from his brother Jay, talked to swimmers, volunteers, judges, and parents about their needs. He also reviewed the research of a colleague who designed blocks for a Worthington pool. The Gundlachs spent more than 300 hours designing, sketching, and then meeting with Columbus Machine Works, Inc., who manufactured the blocks.

One of the special features Gundlach included in the starting blocks were speakers. After talking with the swim team, he realized that swimmers in the last lane often cannot hear the judge start the race putting them at a disadvantage. Speakers help every swimmer hear the starting horn. The blocks also have a strobe light built in that goes off when the race starts. Gundlach also incorporated steps, since the blocks are used by young adults and children; fins to add traction, similar to those on a runner’s sprinting block; and a compartment to hold volunteers’ timers so they are no longer placed on the ground in between heats.

The blocks also had to coordinate with strict regulations such as the edge being no more than 30 inches from the water and the platform being tilted at no more than a 10-degree angle.

“The donation to create the blocks was a great benefit,” Gundlach said. “We were able to include all the features we wanted and also use stainless steel as a material. Stainless steel is perfect in that it is resistant to the harsh chemicals in the pool and the humidity in the natatorium.”

The blocks were installed just in time for the team’s first home meet on Dec. 4, and so far reviews have been great. Gundlach has created custom furniture since 1985 and has worked on projects for CCAD including drawing horses for the Fine Arts studios and tables for the ceramic classrooms.

Alumna Megan Mathie working glass aboard the Solstice cruise ship

Fine Arts alumna Megan Mathie (CCAD 2006) spent her summer traveling the globe upon the Celebrity Cruise ship Solstice as a glassblower—cool gig right? We wrote part of her story in the fall IMAGE magazine, but there was just so much more to share that we decided to take a more in-depth look here.

The Solstice cruise ship has 1,250 crew members coming from 70 countries. The sheer number of employees may seem daunting to some, but aboard this ship Mathie was able to find a new family and the support she needed at a critical time.

Her decision to work aboard the ship as a member of the hot glass show team was a difficult one. She had worked on a cruise ship before, but this time she would be leaving her mother and sister who were both battling breast cancer.

One of the pieces Mathie created for the Pink Glass Show

“I don’t know a better way to say this, but cancer has made me feel my feelings really hard,” Mathie said. “I can go from feeling deep worry to intense artistic stimulation to loneliness to pure peace and joy. I am so fortunate to have managed to find myself surrounded by kindness and love where I never expected it. Being able to take this job, this opportunity, has turned into so much more of a gift than I thought it would be, and a big part of that is the people I’ve gotten to know.”

Although it was difficult for Mathie to leave her family behind, the Celebrity Cruise line provided her a productive way to help with the cause and funnel her artistic energy. The line has a partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Each voyage holds special events to help raise awareness and support for the cause, including special cocktail offers, auctions, and dances. Mathie and the other members of the hot glass show put on a “Pink Show” once per cruise.

For this special show, the glassblowers make all their glass creations pink. They then auction the pieces, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Foundation Research Foundation.

Mathie was also recently granted a special recognition of her work aboard the ship and her passion for the breast cancer cause. She was named the godmother of a ship—one of the highest honors in maritime tradition.

Mathie and three other women affected by breast cancer were honored in a ceremony on Dec. 1 during which they christened a ship, Celebrity Reflection.

“These impressive women personify the qualities we admire among our Solstice Class Godmothers: remarkable strength and courage, along with optimism, warmth and genuine care for others,” said Michael Bayley, Celebrity’s president and CEO. “They beautifully represent countless other women within our company and around the world who have battled the disease or support the cause in honor of friends or family who have done so.”

To read Mathie’s blog, click here.

CCAD alumni at S77 (right to left: Chavilah Bennett, Scott Ulliman, Nate Reese (back), Andrew Mark, Chris Meister). Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Walking through the Short North, Columbus’ arts district, you will be sure to spot galleries, restaurants, and tattoo parlors. Look a little closer and you’ll see S77, a design studio that focuses on motion graphics.

Its work can be seen around the world and ranges from a Lil Wayne music video to EXPRESS online branding.

Out of the nine full-time employees, five are CCAD alumni: Chris Meister (Media Studies, 2006), Andrew Mark (Media Studies, 2007), Scott Ulliman (Media Studies, 2010), and Chavilah Bennett (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2012). We got a chance recently to sit down and chat with some of them about what it’s like to work in a creative environment alongside fellow alumni.

Q) What is it like to work with other CCAD alumni?

Andrew Mark (AM): Working with fellow alumni allows you to immediately have an idea of their background. You know that they come from the same foundation studies, and it gives you a good read on what they can do and how you can work with them.

Chavilah Bennett (CB): What Andrew said is absolutely right. I am a new graduate and have only been away from CCAD for six months, and coming here and knowing that everyone had a similar background was nice and made my transition easy and comfortable. We all had an initial commonality and can relate on some CCAD experiences, like all-nighters.

Scott Ulliman (SU): Honestly, I don’t really think about it (laughing). It does give us a common topic to talk about though—and there are plenty of times we sit here and chat about past professors and projects.

Chris Meister (CM): Yeah, I am with Scott in that I don’t think about this too much. I did know a lot of my current co-workers before starting at S77. For instance, I went to school and had class with Andrew, so we just had to transition our student teamwork to a professional setting.

CCAD alumni at S77 (from right to left: Scott Ulliman, Nate Reese, Chris Meister, Andrew Mark, Chavilah Bennett). Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Q) Why do you think S77 has employed a lot of CCAD alumni?

AM: The fairly obvious answer is that S77 is local, just a hop-and-skip away. I know a lot of people love the city of Columbus, and after they graduate they want to stay local. There is not only an attraction for alumni to come work here, but also for us to go search out graduating CCAD students to come work here. At S77 we are able to take comfort in the fact that when we are looking to expand we have people ready to join the team with similar training and background right around the corner. It has just developed into a natural relationship.

CM: When a lot of us have a similar education background we are able to know right off the bat when they start where their skills are going to lie, what they have a strong background in, and how we can mold that skill. Chavilah is a perfect example of this. She came to us with not a lot of experience in motion design, but we knew she would be able to pick up on this because she has a basic understanding in design and fundamentals, so we could easily teach her anything as projects roll in.

SU: To add on to what Andrew just mentioned about the natural relationship with CCAD—I have been working here for two years and it is primarily CCAD alumni, but I think it is natural and not intentional. Rainer [Ziehm] started this company and also taught briefly at CCAD, so when he is looking for new talent he is going to able to identify those people in town and where they are coming from—which is CCAD.

CB: Although there are a lot of CCAD alumni here, I think it is also important to note we work with a lot of freelancers based around the world. But when we are looking for a permanent fixture on our team, we pull from the local pool and a lot are affiliated with CCAD.

CCAD alumni at S77 (from right to left: Scott Ulliman, Andrew Mark, Chavilah Bennett). Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Q) What would your advice be to students and fellow alumni who want to work with S77 or a similar company?

AM: Develop your portfolio, definitely. Create a massive portfolio, and then you can trim it down to your best work. There are a lot of times that if you are a particularly good student you will have a big-fish-little-pond mentality. I think the best thing students can do is envision their pond as being the industry. They need to remember that they are not just competing against students, but they are up against professionals, too. That’s not to scare young designers away, since most employers will hire on potential, too, not just current work, but it is important to keep things in perspective and keep practicing and learning—because you will do that your whole career.

CM: Presentation is key. And for me personally, I love looking through students’ and peers’ sketchbooks. You can see specific projects in their final portfolio, but sketchbooks kind of give you a peek into how they are as a personal artist and what their passion is.

SU: Like Chris said, I like looking at sketchbooks and more personal work. A big thing when you are looking to get hired at a place like S77 is fitting in with the company and having something unique to bring to the company and the team. Always do work outside your professional or educational projects; that way you can show the company something else and little bit more of who you are.

CB:  I think a big part of being hired someplace and having people trust you enough to become a part of their company is being able to think creatively. It is not always about the skill level you are at; you have to be good, but you have to show that there is thought behind your work and that you will continue to grow. It is a continual process, and for me, I have learned an astronomical amount since I have gotten here and I have a lot more to learn.

CCAD alumnus Andrew Mark (right) watches a co-worker play skee-ball in the S77 office. Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Q) What past experiences do you share and remember from being a student at CCAD? How has this influenced your professional career?

SU: We do talk a lot about difficult and easy professors—and of course the all-nighters. We have also brought the competitive nature you have as a student here into the workplace. I studied a lot of 3D work in school, and it was a small group of students, and we got competitive with our work. I think it is the same way here and probably in any office. But with friendly competition you are constantly able to learn the strengths of others and able to develop your own style.

AM: All-nighters is one thing we all remember, and it is something that doesn’t disappear once you go into the professional world. There are a lot of things that are similar, though, between this line of work and your time as a student. In school you try and get a good grade on a project, and now you want to get a good grade with the client. So that mentality has stuck with me.

CB: Critiques have definitely continued into my professional life. Now you will get critiqued by not only the client when you present the work, but also your peers and co-workers. It is productive criticism, though, and really valuable in becoming a better designer.

CM: My favorite classes at CCAD were the ones with brutal critiques. I know sometimes they would make students break down and cry, but it was always so helpful because it was so truthful—like when they say, “This looks awful, why would you even turn it in?” In the professional world you need to kind of have that tough skin. Clients have an idea in their head, and they are coming for you for help, but if it is not what they want they will always be honest about it.

An S77 hallway, hung with part of their collection of albums released in the year 1977. Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Q) Why are you in the creative field—why do you love your job?

SU: What makes it great here is how comfortable I feel. I mean of course we can all wear what we want, but the people make you feel comfortable. I don’t ever want to have a job that is not as fun as this. You get difficult clients or boring projects occasionally, but then you remind yourself that you worked on a rapper’s music video that is seen now worldwide.

CM: I like the fact that we all do a little bit of everything, so there is never a boredom factor of having to do the same thing day-in and day-out. And there is also a level of freedom—if you want to start learning a new technique or something you can explore it and learn new skills.

AM: I really like the people here a lot. We can joke around with each other and small talk. Here at S77 we have a small, intimate team, where you know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. I trust everyone I work with, and I have genuine friendships with everyone.

CB: The best thing about working here? There are just so many great things. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door here is the environment. We are surrounded by toys; we are all big kids and everyone can take a break once in awhile. It is exciting to work on projects and then see them released on TV. Recently I worked on Highball [Short North’s Halloween celebration], and when I went there I got to see my work on the big screen—it’s a new, exciting experience.

Editor’s note: Their offices are brag-worthy. They have a bowling arcade game, a wall covered in record albums released in 1977 (based on the company’s name), a skee-ball machine, and a fully functional kitchen (word is that Andrew makes pancakes every Monday morning). We are a bit jealous.

CM: To jump off that idea—it is exactly like the music video we worked on for TI and Lil Wayne. It premiered on VH1 in October, and I got to watch the whole show and kept getting excited when they would say, “Coming up, the world premiere…” I know that if I ever get a project that is boring or slower than the rest it is immediately erased by the fact that I got to work on a Lil Wayne music video.

Classnotes, December 2012 Issue

We do our best to get most of the news you submit to us onto the CCAD News Blog, but because there are more than 10,000 of you making news all over the world, not everything can make it into the blog. We’re glad to have another venue where we can share everything with you—this newsletter’s classnotes.

You can submit classnotes via the easy-to-use form on the alumni landing page. We only post career-related successes, awards, exhibitions, and publications, but we’d also love to know when you move, get married, or have children—just use that same form.

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from September, October, and November 2012.

Aminah Robinson ’60 was inducted into the city of Columbus’ Hall of Fame. Read more here.

Aminah Robinson ’60 and Linda Fowler ’74 participated in the Ohio Craft Museum’s exhibition Columbus Collects Fine Crafts. Read more here.

Joan Hall ’74 had a solo exhibition at Bruno David Gallery in St. Louis, MO. Read more here.

CV Mansoor ’77 exhibited work at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. Read more here.

Dean Mitchell ’80 had an exhibition with Cutter & Cutter Fine Art in St. Augustine, FL. The exhibition also featured an article written by Walter King ’81. Read more here.

Salli Swindell ’81, co-creater of They Draw & Cook, had her illustrated cookbook reviewed in Gastronomic magazine. Read more here.

Jenny Vogt ’81 exhibited her series The Nature of Birds at the Village Hall Gallery of Arts in Bartlett, IL. Read more here.

Helen Hoffelt ’82, Rachel Girard Reisert ’02, Lian Dziura ’12, Cosby Lindquist ’12, and Crystal Tursich ’12 participated in a monthlong photography event in Cincinnati, OH. Read more here.

Kurt Fondriest ’85 was part of a group exhibition at the Life Force Arts Center in Chicago, IL. Read more here.

Hiroshi Hayakawa ’85 was featured in the fifth annual edition of the magazine Diffusion: Unconventional Photography. Read more here.

Lisa Horkin ’85, Susan Li  O’Connor ’96, Anne Holman ’02, Jennifer Deafenbough ’04, Joseph Lombardo ’06, Chris Harman ’12, and Jack Ramunni ’12 received Supply Grants from the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Read more here.

Christopher Madden ’87 works as a journeyman banknote engraver at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Read more here.

Kirsten Bowen ’89, Clint Davidson ’00, Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski ’02, Daric Gill ’04, Lea Gray ’04, Adam Crum ’06, Christopher Tennant ’06, Joel Atkinson ’09, and Julia McCann ’11 participated in Urban Scrawl, an annual festival in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus. Read more here.

Christopher Cole ’89 became the Senior VP/Creative Director for the Sprint wireless at Leo Burnett-Chicago.

Richard Mills ’89 participated in the Ashes to Art Project, an art auction benefiting volunteer fire departments in Colorado that were affected by wildfires in 2012. Read more here.

Kaname Takada ’89 and Julie Abijanac ’92 received awards for their work exhibited in the Zanesville Museum of Art’s 68^th Annual Ohio Show. Read more here.

Kurt Lightner  ’93 participated in the group exhibition Assembly 2012 at Edward Thorp Gallery in New York City. Read more here.

David Breaux ’94 had a busy year, working on productions including Terra Nova, Hunger Games, Tron: Legacy, and Iron Man 2. Read more here.

Phil Hastings ’94 is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Fellowship in Film and Video. Read more here.

Jason Goad ’96 created a pair of limited edition sunglasses for Anarchy Eyewear. Read more here.

Susan Li O’Connor ’96 is part of a group exhibition at Steinhilber Art Gallery in Madison, WI. Read more here.

Susan Li O’Connor ’96 and Mariana Smith ’02 were selected for GCAC’s Dresden Residency Program. Read more here.

John Urbano ’96 received two VMAs for the music video he directed for the band One Direction. Read more here.

Kate Labmeier ’02 and Michael Stillion ’02 exhibited their work at Marshall University’s Birke Art Gallery. Read more here.

Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski ’02 and Corey Aumiller ’06 placed in the Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project (CAP-UP). Read more here.

Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski ’02 created and installed a volcano wall at a tiki bar in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Mariana Smith ’02 exhibited her work at Swing Space Gallery at Ohio State University; read more here. She also had an exhibition at Hammond Harkins Galleries in Columbus, OH; read more here.

Brian Williams ’03 was featured in Map Magazine, an arts and culture magazine based in Australia. Read more here.

Shannon Bonatakis ’04 had a solo exhibition, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, at Rivet, a designer toy and fine art gallery in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district. Read more here.

Manjari Sharma ’04 showed her work in a group exhibition, Social Order: Photographs from Iran, India, and Afghanistan in Seattle, WA. Read more here.

Holly Koskinen ’05 won an American Graphic Design Award. Read more here.

Joseph Lombardo ’06 has a solo exhibition at Art Access Gallery in Bexley, OH through Jan. 9. Read more here.

Michelle Dick ’08 is now working as an art teacher with After-School All-Stars, an after-school program for students in Columbus City Schools.

Evens Joseph ’09 was a featured artist in Juxtapoz magazine. Read more here.

Krista Peterson ’09 received a full-tuition scholarship to DePaul University for graduate study in the field of Human Computer Interaction. Read more here.

Kartika Mediani ’10 had work in the graphic novel One Drop. Read more here.

Amanda C. VanDenberg ’10 showed work in a group exhibition at the Little Art Gallery in North Canton, OH. Read more here.

Elena Harvey Collins ’12 had her video When They’re Gone, They’re Gone in an exhibition at Roy G Biv gallery in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Nathan Gorgen ’12 and Elena Harvey Collins ’12 participated in Shifting Margins, a group exhibition put on by OFF Space in San Francisco. Read more here.

Jessica Miera ’12 is a concept artist for Animation Hero, an independent animation studio located in Columbus, OH. She is also working part time as an assistant film editor at HotBed Media LLC in Bexley, OH.

Mariana Smith’s work will be shown at Gallery 263 in Cambridge, MA

Adjunct faculty and Fine Arts alumna Mariana Smith (CCAD 2002) has a busy exhibition schedule over the next couple of months.

Her work will be shown in the juried show META through Jan. 5 at Gallery 263 in Cambridge, MA.

Smith was also invited to exhibit her work in Modern Impulses and Surreal Dreams at the Dishman Art Museum at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX, Dec. 17–Feb. 23.

And lastly, she has several works in the 2013 Collectors Choice Show at Sylvia White Gallery in Ventura, CA, Jan. 4–Feb. 11.

Ring designed by alumna Anne Holman

Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Anne Holman (CCAD 2002) has a busy winter schedule full of exhibitions and art sales.

Holman’s jewelry is included in the Columbus Museum of Art’s Trade-O-Mat exhibition through Jan. 6.

The exhibition features a constantly changing showcase of local artists’ work. Museum visitors can fill out a card listing what they would trade for an item in the show (think other artwork, recipes, lawn mowing services, etc.). When the artist’s work is switched out of the show, the artist collects the requests and gets in touch with a selected trader.

Holman will also be participating in the Buyers Market of American Craft, Feb. 16–18 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. This is a wholesale show exclusively for merchandise made in America. It is designed to help artists expand and establish their studio businesses, build their brands, and grow as entrepreneurs.

Holman recently participated in the 12th annual One of a Kind Show and Sale Chicago®, Dec. 6–9 at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. This was her third time participating in the Chicago event that showcases the work of more than 600 U.S. artists.

Photo of S77′s awards, photo courtesy of Rainer Ziehm

Several alumni earned well-deserved accolades at the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA) Creative Best Awards for their work with S77, a motion graphics company in Columbus, OH.

The CCAD alumni team at S77 includes Media Studies alumni Sean Conner (CCAD 2005), Nate Reese (CCAD 2005), Chris Meister (CCAD 2006), Andrew Mark (CCAD 2007), and Scott Ulliman (CCAD 2010), and Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Chavilah Bennett (CCAD 2012).

The company received a Judges Choice and a Best of Category award for the work they did on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ music video Monarchy of Roses. They also received a Merit Award for the creative video ToyCar the company worked on.

Bennett took home additional Creative Best Awards for work she completed while a CCAD senior last spring. Her mock ad for A.L.C., a clothing and jewelry line, was awarded a Best of Category in the student work section, as well as a Judges Choice. To view the project, click here.

Alumna Amanda Rouse in front of some of her artwork

MFA alumna Amanda Rouse (CCAD 2012) has had a busy exhibition schedule including three juried and two group exhibitions.

Rouse currently has work in the group exhibition Taking Home with You, which originated in New Orleans, LA, and is now traveling to cities in Ireland including Belfast, Bangor, and Limerick. She also had two prints exhibited at the Artist’s Alley in San Francisco, CA.

She has successfully entered three juried exhibitions, including Boundless: New Work in Contemporary Printmaking in New Haven, CT; Hand-Pulled: Ohio Printmakers at Art Space in Lima, OH; and Movements an exhibition at the Tuska Museum in Lexington, KY.

Alumna Lea Gray’s painting

Fine Arts alumna Lea Gray (CCAD 2004) was featured in Alive!, a weekly magazine that covers events and culture in Columbus, OH.

Gray’s work includes paintings, purses, origami lamps, T-shirts, and murals. The article discussed her artistic diversity and her decision to become a full-time fine artist.

“It took a while to acquire the idea that I might make it as a full-time artist,” Gray said in the article. “But once I took a step forward in the direction of my talent, I realized that it is all a matter of the belief in yourself and perseverance to obtain a dream, regardless of the challenges and difficulties lying ahead.”

To read the full article, click here.

CCAD student Alexa Carson’s winning design for the card contest with Columbus Partnership

Columbus College of Art & Design teamed up with the Columbus Partnership  to create a new tradition—a holiday card design contest.

The Columbus Partnership is a nonprofit, membership-based organization of 49 CEOs from Columbus’ leading businesses and institutions. Its primary mission is to improve the economic vitality of the Columbus region.

“When thinking about this year’s holiday card we paused a moment to think about how we could best illustrate the flavor of Columbus and all the great things our community has accomplished,” said Stephen Lyons, vice president of member services & community engagement at the Columbus Partnership. “Partnering with CCAD was a great opportunity to support an incredible educational asset in our community and work with the creative student innovators of Columbus who help drive our economic growth.”

Lyons along with Kevin Conlon, CCAD’s vice president for Academic Affairs  served as the jurors and deliberated over the 38 entries from CCAD students and alumni and selected Illustration senior Alexa Carson’s design as the cover for the Partnership’s 2012 card..

“I have lived in Columbus for my entire life,” Carson said. “One of my favorite things about the city is how it is a vibrant community made up of many different kinds of people working together. This concept is what I chose to illustrate.”

Carson’s design shows three snowmen underneath arches located in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district. The three snowmen represent Columbus’ vibrant community of artists and designers, students and educators, and businessmen and women of small and large corporations.

Carson was ecstatic to win the design contest (even doing a happy dance when she found out). Carson will receive a $1000 cash prize and the card, that has the artist’s name and information printed on it, will be distributed to more than 3,000 clients and friends of the Columbus Partnership.

“As a senior getting ready to venture out into the professional world, it is huge to have my name printed on the card sent out,” Carson said. “If there is one thing I have learned from my professors this semester, it is that getting your name out there is half the battle of being a successful artist.”

Second place went to Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Jessica Lipps (CCAD 2012), third place to Fine Arts alumnus Michael Aldag (CCAD 2009), and honorable mention to Illustration senior Katie Langford.

Alumnus John Malta’s illustration was published in The New York Times

Illustration alumnus John Malta (CCAD 2010) has now had three illustrations published in The New York Times.

His most recent work appeared alongside an editorial piece by Stephen R. Kelly entitled “Good Neighbors, Bad Border” on Nov. 27, 2012. The article discusses boundary disputes between countries, including the one between the U.S. and Canada over Machias Seal Island.

Malta’s illustration features bald eagles decked out in stars-and-stripes garb playing tug-of-war with a group of sweater-wearing Canadian moose.

Malta’s first illustration for the newspaper ran alongside Robert Klitzman’s op-ed article “My Sister, My Grief” on May 3, 2011. On Aug. 19, 2011, his second illustration accompanied the op-ed article “Engineering Food for All” by Nina V. Fedoroff.

Image from Robert Robbins’ exhibition at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center

Drawing and Printmaking Chair and Fine Arts alumnus Robert Robbins (CCAD 1990) has an exhibition at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, KY, running through Dec. 21.

The exhibition, NINE, features nine artists in six of the center’s galleries. Robbins is in the Duveneck Gallery and has 21 paintings on display.

Robbins’ paintings explore the distance between perception of the world and the actuality of it by pointing out the degrees to which people are separated from direct experience.

His work has been shown in galleries and museums nationally and internationally including the Butler Institute of American Art, the Chateau in Rochefort-en-Terre, France, the Springfield Museum of Art, and the Florida State University Museum of Contemporary Art. His work is also in private and public collections including the Ohio State University, the Nord Family Foundation, and the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center showcases local and regional artists. It has six galleries with more than 6,000 square feet of exhibition space.

His drawing will be included in the juried exhibition Drawing From Perception VII, at Wright State University in Dayton, OH, running Jan. 13–Feb. 24. The exhibition features the work from 34 artists, highlighting contemporary examples of drawing using traditional media.

Payne will also show his work in the juried exhibition 2013 Department of Art Faculty & Alumni Exhibition at the Miami Art Museum in Oxford, OH, running Jan. 15–May 11, 2013.

Still from “Life of Pi,” courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

The movie Life of Pi, which opened last week, has received rave reviews, including “it is quite possibly the greatest CGI ever rendered for film” by Slant Magazine, and we have animators such as Media Studies alumnus Steve Hubbard (CCAD 2010) to thank for that.

The movie is based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, which follows Pi Patel, the son of a zoo keeper, who lives in India. His family decides to move to Canada by hitching a ride on an ocean freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, all fighting for survival.

“I worked on about 20 shots throughout the film,” Hubbard said. “I worked on fur and muscle simulations for Richard Parker [the tiger], the hyena, and the zebra. I also worked on the tarp interactions with the animals and Pi, the ropes on the boat, and I did some movements on fish as well.”

“It’s very exciting to finally see your work on the big screen,” Hubbard said. “It’s always a great feeling of accomplishment on every film I work on, especially when the film is something as special as Life Of Pi. It’s great to see how all of the efforts of all the artists on the film come together to make a whole.”

Still from “Life of Pi,” courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Hubbard worked on the film for about seven months, then wasted no time jumping into his next project, R.I.P.D., starring Ryan Reynolds, which will be released in July 2013. He’s also working on the movie Black Sky, set for release in 2013.

Hubbard has worked for Rhythm & Hues Studio since 2010. The studio worked on the animation for Life of Pi, as well as other productions including 300, The Bourne Legacy, and The Hunger Games.

Hubbard shared details on some specific scenes and effects that he worked on:

• When the hyena first emerges from the boat there is a long tracking shot that cranes around the whole vessel. On that shot, Hubbard worked on the zebra, hyena, tarp, and ropes.
• In one scene, Pi throws a rat at Richard Parker. Hubbard worked on Richard Parker’s muscle and fur and the rat’s secondary motion. He also assisted with the tarp interaction with the tiger.
• Hubbard worked on the shot were Pi throws a sunfish to Richard Parker to feed him for the first time. He worked on the fish’s motion, the tarp’s interaction with the tiger, and the hair and muscle of the tiger.

Manjari Sharma’s “Lakshmi,” part of the series “Darshan”

Alumna Manjari Sharma’s project Darshan continues to garner much-deserved attention. Most recently, her photograph of the Hindu goddess Maa Lazmi(or Lakshmi) appeared on the cover of the Nov. 2 issue of Forbes India.

The magazine covered the 100 richest Indians, so it is no surprise that Sharma’s hyper-elaborately staged photograph of Lakshmi, who is a symbol of wealth and prosperity, was chosen as a visual representation of the topic.

The image is part of Darshan, an ongoing series that Sharma has been working on since 2011. She hopes to photographically recreate nine gods and goddesses of Hindu mythology. Her vision is to have print reproductions measuring six feet tall displayed in an installation that resembles a Hindu temple, complete with incense, lamps, and invocations.

Anjan Das, design director at Forbes India, chose the image after recollecting Sharma’s project.

“The term ‘rich’ in the Indian context implies wealth and power—elements that you see in the striking image of goddess Lakshmi, ” Das said. “All those who have made it to the Forbes Rich List are blessed by goddess Lakshmi. She’s steered them through times of economic uncertainty. She is their fortune, wealth, and prosperity.”

Sharma’s project started with the recreation of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. Creating each photograph in Darshan requires the help of nearly three dozen people to create the set, costumes, jewelry, props, makeup, and more. The Lakshmi image alone took more than three weeks to put together and cost nearly $5,000. For additional support, Sharma turned to Kickstarter, where she raised nearly $26,000.

Sharma has completed five out of the nine images in the series. You can learn more about her project, how to get involved, and view a video showing the entire production process by clicking here.

To read more about Anjan Das’ decision to place Sharma’s image on the cover, click here.

Shot from Rise of the Guardians, photo courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Media Studies alumna Sucheta Bhatawadekar (CCAD 2005) worked as a lead lighter on Rise of the Guardians, a DreamWorks Animation movie released Nov. 21 of this year.

“As a lead lighter I am responsible for creating the initial lighting set-up for a particular sequence to simulate the lighting conditions,” Bhatawadekar said. “I capture the mood for that sequence as envisioned by the art director, visual effects supervisor, and the production designer.”

Rise of the Guardians follows an evil spirit named Pitch who launches an assault on Earth. A team of immortal guardians responds to protect the innocence of children all around the world. Characters are voiced by stars including Alec Bladwin, Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine, Jude Law, and Isla Fisher.

Shot from Rise of the Guardians, photo courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Bhatawadekar worked on Rise of the Guardians for five months and then jumped into working on another upcoming DreamWorks movie, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, to be released November 2013.

“It definitely gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment when I see a movie I worked with on the big screen,” Bhatawadekar said. “Of course, when you work on a project for so long, you cannot help but see all the minuscule imperfections that you wish you had time to fix. And then you remember all the long hours you put into every shot as it zips across the screen. It’s all worth the effort, though, when you see the audience reacting well to it.”

Bhatawadekar has worked with DreamWorks Animation in California for nearly five years, on projects including Kung Fu Panda 2, Megamind, and Monsters vs. Aliens.

Eric Jefferson’s “Overjoyed”

Illustration alumnus Eric Jefferson (CCAD 2004) was featured in Alive!, a weekly magazine that covers events and culture in Columbus, OH.

Jefferson is known for his portraits of African-American artists and musicians. The magazine did a Q&A interview discussing his inspiration and current work.

“There’s no better feeling then putting everything on a canvas,” Jefferson says in the article. “It’s also a great way to tell a story or even capture a moment in time, just like a time capsule. All my paintings have some sort of story behind them.”

To read the full article, click here.

Detail of Julie Abijanac’s “Disease Mapping”

Assistant professor and Fine Arts alumna Julie Abijanac (CCAD 1992) had her piece Disease Mapping selected for the Fiberart International 2013 exhibition.

Jurors evaluated 1,200 works submitted by 525 artists from 36 countries for the show. Eighty-one pieces from 64 artists will be in the final exhibition presented by the Fiberarts Guild Of Pittsburgh, Inc. at the the Society for Contemporary Craft and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. The exhibition will run April 19–Aug. 18, 2013.

Fiberart International includes innovative work rooted in traditional fiber materials, structure, processes, and history. The exhibition explores the unexpected relationships between fiber and other creative disciplines.

Abijanac creates two-dimensional paper pieces that visually describe her personal experience with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Her work questions mortality by approaching it from both a microscopic and psychological point of view.

SMAC student contemplates her piece

By Kristen M. Foley

It’s a common holiday phenomenon: first there are the long lines, then the hastily ripped open packages, and finally the gadget/toy overload and burnout. Some savvy shoppers have opted out of such exhausting holiday trends and are instead buying experiential gifts, such as art classes.

At CCAD the Saturday Morning Art Classes (SMAC) program explores every genre of art a kid could possibly fathom. Imagine giving kids the opportunity to participate in classes that include animation, drawing, digital art, ceramics, comic book drawing, printmaking, photography, and more. The classes are also broken down by grades; therefore, students learn with others in the same age group.

SMAC student looks over her work

“This is a gift that could effectively change the path of or broaden a child’s horizons,” said Cat Sheridan, director of continuing & professional studies. “To give education is more than a simple, one shot-deal; it’s something that will stay with the student for life. It’s a great thing to give.”

Children as young as first grade can experiment with pencils, crayons, pens, paint, clay, and a variety of other materials. They have the opportunity to be part of something outside their normal learning community and are able to express themselves in creative ways.

“We have many families who have been part of the program for years and years. This is their child’s artistic outlet,” adds Sheridan. “They may get to do art in their grade schools or high schools and come to CCAD to have the unique opportunity to be around other kids who are there because they love art. They want to grow their passion and their abilities.”

Sheridan is no stranger to this concept. She is not only a graduate and now employee of CCAD, but she also participated in Saturday Morning Art Classes—starting when she was in the first grade. There are many other students who, just like her, started out in these classes and decided not only to pursue a fine arts degree, but to continue on at CCAD.

SMAC students work on their drawing skills

“As a non-degree student in these programs you still get to be part of the CCAD family,” said Sheridan. “Sometimes it ushers them into the degree program and sometimes softly into a life of art in other ways.”

Adults aren’t left out of the educational gift opportunities either. Adult programs are offered at a variety of times and days of the week and include ceramics, fashion design, Photoshop, jewelry, website design, painting, welding, and more.

CCAD’s Continuing & Professional Studies office offers gift certificates, which can be purchased by contacting the office at 614.222.3248. But with the college’s winter break fast approaching, Dec. 20 is the last chance to order a gift certificate before the new year.

To view a complete list of workshops offered to children and adults, click here. To learn more about CCAD’s Continuing & Professional Studies programs, click here.

Cover of the illustrated cookbook “They Draw & Cook,” co-created by alumna Salli Swindell

The illustrated cookbook They Draw & Cook, co-created by Fashion Design alumna Salli Swindell (CCAD 1981) and her brother Nate Padavick, was reviewed in Gastronomic, a magazine that discusses food and culture.

The idea for They Draw & Cook originated from Swindell and Padavick’s website, which is a platform for artists to submit their illustrated recipes ranging from simple family traditions to more complex and elaborate dishes. They then decided to publish a cookbook featuring 107 of the website’s illustrated recipes.

The review of the cookbook appeared in the fall 2012 issue of Gastronomic.

“Here is a cookbook that Andy Warhol would have enjoyed,” the reviewer Stefanie S. Jandl said. “The presentation of the recipes is as diverse as the dishes; they are witty and whimsical, serious and sophisticated, and sometimes deeply personal.”

Read the full review here.

The cookbook is available through retailers such as amazon and Barnes & Noble for purchase.

Jerrica Fields at the Spring 2012 CCAD Art Sale

The CCAD Art Sale has become a staple in the Columbus community as a great place to buy local art. More than 100 vendors, consisting of CCAD alumni, faculty, staff, and students, will be set up on Saturday, Dec. 1 to display and sell their work in the Loann Crane Center for Design.

Fine Arts alumna Jerrica Fields (2011) will be participating in her fifth sale this winter. She’ll be selling handcrafted and crocheted jewelry designs in copper and sterling silver, along with her paper goods that include hand-bound notebooks, journals, planners, cards, and magnets.

“There are people at CCAD who are proud of me, and I want to show them how much I have grown because of their help and continued support,” Fields said about why she returns to CCAD to sell her work. “Every year I have repeat customers who tell me they can’t wait to see what new design I’ll come up with—that alone makes what I do worth it.”

CCAD’s doors open at 9 a.m. for first-choice admission, and general admission is 10 a.m.–2 p.m. The spring sale welcomed more than 1,400 customers and raised more than $5,000 through admission fees, which goes straight into the scholarship fund.

Michael Bonardi at the Spring 2012 CCAD Art Sale

“People who attend the sale, especially in the first-choice time period, know how important this sale is to us [the vendors],” Fields said. “We get to show them what we’ve learned and how we are incorporating it into our daily lives as artists and what their money is helping facilitate. People who come to an art college to buy art are here to see what CCAD artists are all about, including craftsmanship, sweat, ambition, pride, and good old-fashioned hard work.”

Fields spends weeks preparing for the sale. After taking inventory of her pieces and hand-crafting her business cards she does a mock-up of her display.

“I have grown so much as an artist, so I love to see the students at the sale and offer them some advice and encouragement,” Fields said.

One of those students is Illustration senior Wes Talbott. He will be selling his prints at what will be his third CCAD Art Sale.

“The Hunter” by Wes Talbott

“Having a table at the sale helps me understand how the general public reacts to my work,” Talbott said. “The response you get from the trained eye of a teacher can be a lot different than the response you get from a customer; both are very helpful to hear.”

Fine Arts alumnus and CCAD admissions counselor Michael Bonardi (2004) is a seasoned professional when it comes to the sale, with this December sale marking his 24^th: eight as a student and 16 as an alumnus.

Bonardi will be selling his blown glass, porcelain, digital photography, and other experimental photographic works.

“For the sale I try to keep a steady inventory of work,” Bonardi said. “Every year I try to add something new into what I present, whether it is a new body of work or different display structures.”

Bonardi’s home entryway doubles as a storage space and gallery for his current work.

“The customer that comes to the CCAD Art Sale knows that all the vendors have a common bond of being a part of the CCAD family,” Bonardi said. “And by coming to the sale they are not only supporting our work, but they are supporting future CCAD artists and students.”

The CCAD Winter Art Sale is Saturday, Dec. 1. Enter at 9 a.m. for first-choice admission ($50) and 10 a.m. for general admission ($5). Come celebrate art, the Columbus community, and above all our CCAD vendors. Click here for more information on the sale.

Redesigned logo by alumna Holly Koskinen

Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Holly Koskinen’s studio, Koskinen Creative, won an American Graphic Design Award for a re-branding and logo design for the Blue Horizon Resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

This is the second American Graphic Design Award for the 2005 graduate. In 2011, she won an award for re-branding.

The American Graphic Design Awards are open to everyone in the graphic arts community. They honor outstanding new work in 23 categories from print and packaging to internet and interactive design.

Shannon Bonatakis’ exhibition opening Nov. 3

Illustration alumna Shannon Bonatakis (CCAD 2004) has a solo exhibition, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, at Rivet, a designer toy and fine art gallery in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district, Nov. 3–Nov. 28.

According to her website, “Bonatakis engages her viewers using highly stylized and emotionally charged portraiture….Often autobiographical in some capacity, her paintings give us a candid window into the deep dark caverns of the artist’s psyche.”

Dennison W. Griffith

With students and faculty returning to campus refreshed from summer and ready for new challenges, fall is always an exciting time to be at CCAD. This year, our curriculum and facilities are reenergized, too, as the two-school administrative structure and the new CCAD MindMarket take their first steps.

CCAD’s role as the critical link between raw creative talent and the ever-growing, ever-changing creative economy is clearer and more vital than ever. We continue to focus on artistic and design excellence, but with an increased emphasis on the kinds of skills that can only be developed with a healthy dose of business education. We know this will be a key differentiator for CCAD graduates in the years ahead, and we’re on it!

Just look at the stories in this issue:

• Project-based education, where students work with clients to formulate real-life creative solutions outside the classroom, is a big part of a CCAD education—and getting bigger. Read more here.
• Photography alumna Anna Dickson (CCAD 2004) demonstrates how today’s economy is offering more and more avenues to creative professionals who keep their eyes open and their skills current. Read more here.
• Well-loved (and well-respected) faculty member emeritus Curtis Benzle is using his retirement to find new outlets for his teaching and new directions for his art. Read more here.

One last thing. Each fall, the worldwide CCAD community comes together to support students with our annual fund drive. Every single dollar you invest in our mission has real impact—for today’s CCAD students and tomorrow’s creative world. I hope you’ll join us. Please use the online donation form to make your investment today.

Warm regards,

Dennison W. Griffith

President

To check out the online print version of IMAGE, click here.

Zipline during Family Weekend & Homecoming, photo courtesy of Katlin McNally

Six New Faculty Named

CCAD’s realignment into two schools—Design Arts and Studio Arts—has brought six new faculty to campus this fall. Their hiring reflects the college’s commitment to providing students the real-world skills to lead in the growing creative economy, says Char Norman, dean of faculty.

“We seek out professionals who have proven teaching experience combined with significant current work in the field,” Norman says.

We welcome:

Kelly DeVore (Interior Design and Advertising & Graphic Design), a LEED-accredited architect who has also done research in socially responsive design education.

Steve Elbert (Interior Design), a licensed architect with international teaching experience and significant 2-D and 3-D modeling software skills.

Phil Garrett (Cinematic Arts), who has worked as a special effects artist on films such as Madagascar and Shrek and as a writer, producer, and animator for a large variety of indie films as well as animated features for DisneyToon Studios.

Mathew Mitchem (English and Philosophy), a philosopher, author, and web designer who has worked with topics ranging from advertising ideology in the world of political campaigns, to the cultural implications of participatory video, to online videos during the political uprisings of 2011.

Adam Osgood (Illustration), a creator of web designs, animation, and motion graphics for major brands including Exxon and Barnes & Noble.

Rebecca Robinson (Fashion Design), who has created her own fashion designs as well as contributing to books on the history of men’s fashion, American football uniforms, and hip-hop gear.

2012 Family Weekend & Homecoming

Campus was packed with hundreds of students, parents, alumni, staff, and friends for Family Weekend & Homecoming on Oct. 12 and 13.

Things kicked off Friday evening with dinner and a comedy show on campus.

Saturday began with free breakfast and ended with an alumni reception. In between were a CCAD MindMarket open house, a carnival on the quad, a zipline down East Gay Street, a lecture from recently retired Dean Richard Aschenbrand, and much more.

The energy was contagious and all-ages: View photos on our Columbus College of Art & Design facebook page and our CCAD Alumni facebook page.

Comic book artist Chris Ware’s keynote conversation, photo couresy Danielle Ford (2013)

Mix 2012

In early October, more than 200 people came to campus for Mix 2012: CCAD’s Celebration of Comics.

A highlight of the event was the participation of Chris Ware, an Eisner-Award-winning American comic book artist who is perhaps best known for his graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth. Ware delivered the keynote presentation, exhibited original artwork from Jimmy Corrigan, and participated in a symposium panel called The Epic Ordinary.

In all there were three exhibitions and two-and-a-half days of panels and workshops—all kicked off by a student comic-making marathon. Eleven teams were challenged with producing a 24-page comic in 24 hours. The results were then displayed for the rest of the symposium.

The plan is to make this symposium an annual event.

Mix 2012 was sponsored by State Auto Insurance Companies, with media sponsorship provided by WCBE 90.5.

Teaching Award Winner Connects Art to Literature

Associate Professor Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis with CCAD President Denny Griffith, photo courtesy Lian Dziura (2012)

Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis, a poet who has become a writing mentor to many of her CCAD students, was selected as the winner of CCAD’s 2012 Teaching Excellence Award. The award celebrates the exemplary contributions faculty members make to the college as a whole.

“She encourages critical thinking and nurtures an artist’s curiosities, helping us all to see the correlation between the art realm and the realm of literature,” said a student nominator, “and empowers her students to want to develop their skills and techniques as writers not just for class, but for themselves.”

Kartsonis, who is an associate professor in Liberal Arts and Graduate Studies, teaches fiction and poetry writing, contemporary literature, and special topics in literature. With dozens of published poems, as well as fiction and nonfiction works, she also has served as editor of a number of literary outlets, including wordsonwalls.net, scene360, and Shades Literary/Art Review.

Her most recent work is EmuSeum, a collaborative chapbook with Caleb Adler, MD, published by Dancing Girl Press.

Ten to Watch

Doesn’t everyone love a “where are they now” story? Well, we do, too—so we’re starting a feature called Ten to Watch.

Ten to Watch will follow a group of students from CCAD’s Class of 2012 as they take their first steps into the professional world after graduation. You’ll read about where they are, what they’re up to, and how they feel about their paths so far.

Annual feature stories will start in spring, but we couldn’t wait until then to introduce them:

Kattie Baker (Advertising & Graphic Design), Chavilah Bennett (Advertising & Graphic Design), Rachel Cass (Fashion Design), Sara K. Diesel (Illustration), Lian Dziura (Photography), Ryan Christopher Evans (Media Studies), Leah Fisher (Photography), Jake LaBombarbe (Industrial Design), Sarah McCance (Interior Design), and Erin McKenna (Fine Arts)

A few teasers to think about in the meantime:

1. Who’s working on a project in Abu Dhabi?
2. Who’s already moved to New York?
3. Who did a residency that comes with a show in Chicago?

Yu Qiduo (left) and Leah Wong (right) on Yu’s television show in Shanghai.

CCAD Discussed on Shanghai TV

Leah Wong, who has taught at CCAD and is assisting the college with a teaching exchange with the China Academy of Art, recently appeared on an education-focused show in Shanghai.

The show’s host, Yu Qiduo (Duoduo), brought CCAD into the conversation as they discussed Wong’s personal opinions on art and art education and talked about her teaching experiences in both China and the United States.

The half-hour program focuses on education programs and is aimed toward middle and high school students and their parents.

Glass Alumna Helps Cruise Line Fight Cancer

Fine Arts alumna Megan Mathie (CCAD 2006) has just returned from working on the Celebrity cruise ship Solstice as a glassblower for the Corning Museum of Glass.

Over a three-month tour of back-to-back 12-day cruises around the Mediterranean, the hot glass team stayed busy.

“On sea days we do two shows. On port days we usually do an evening show,” Mathie says. “I like the 12-day cruises because as people come back again and again, they ask smarter and smarter questions. Instead of having to explain ‘what is glass’ over and over, we can talk about some of the more sophisticated techniques and tell stories.”

Megan Mathie (CCAD 2006) doing a glass show at the Corning Museum of Glass

Although she loves the work, leaving home this summer was difficult for Mathie because both her sister and her mother are fighting breast cancer. She was thrilled to find out about a new project in Celebrity Cruises’ longstanding support of the breast cancer research.

The glass team refers to it as “the Pink Show.” During one show per cruise, they make everything pink, and one of the resulting pieces of glass is auctioned—with all of the profits going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Mathie also found strong support among her fellow crew members. Just one example: On her sister’s birthday, the Ringmasters, a world-champion barbershop quartet, sang happy birthday into the phone for her.

“I was so fortunate to have found myself surrounded by kindness and love where I never expected it and when I needed it the most. Being able to take this job, this opportunity, turned into so much more of a gift than I thought it would be, and a big part of that is because of the people I’ve gotten to know. I know they care about Jen and Mom, and I know they care about me,” Mathie says.

For more photos and lots of Mathie’s engaging writing, visit her blog.

To check out the online print version of IMAGE, click here.

Anna Dickson at work, photo courtesy of Brian Friedman

By Kendra Hovey

Anna Dickson was a photography student at CCAD when Google first introduced its image search in 2001. She graduated in 2004—the same year Flickr was born. She was at Rolling Stone, both photo assisting and photo editing, when Apple opened its app store in 2008, and by the time the first iPad sold in 2010, she had moved up to photo editor at Clear Channel. Then, in March of 2012, almost eight years out of CCAD, she joined the Huffington Post as photo editor of their weekly iPad magazine, Huffington. That same month, app downloads hit the 25-billion mark.

And why this bit of Internet history? To show that as Anna Dickson climbed the career ladder, her industry was forming beneath her feet.

For the now 31-year-old Dickson, on-the-job training was at times more like on-the-job creating. Hunting for images of, say, an obscure bass player for magazines like Rolling Stone or Guitar One, she developed her own Flickr-based system. “I’d post callouts,” she explains, “and people would send me their photos.”

Tracking down just the right images or the photographers who took them, a process she calls “the hunt,” was a particularly fun part of the job. “The photo is what pulls you into the article,” she says. “It can be heart wrenching, uplifting, joyful, or painful to look at. We support a story visually and can change people’s perceptions, all through a photo.”

As her career and the industry grew, she decided it was time to hone her copyright skills, and in 2010 she took a class on copyright law at New York University. She continues to keep close tabs on congressional talk related to copyright, intellectual property law, and the Internet in general.

Her expertise in rights and licensing, combined with her interest in technology, was key to her recent transition from photo editor to photo director at Huffington Post mere months after being hired. Her work is still found throughout the pages of the digital magazine—chances are she’s had a hand in the cover shoot, as well as the features and Q&A sections—but as director, her responsibilities now extend to the website, where she works with designers and the tech team to keep things running smoothly.

Cover of Huffington

Catch Dickson at work and she can be doing anything from setting up shoots, choosing photographers, and scouting locations to finalizing captions, handling copyright, or doing “selects” from a recent shoot. “No day is the same,” she says. A perfect day, though, would be a day on set. In fact, whether it’s finding the perfect photographer, bouncing around ideas, or directing, she loves the entire shoot process.

She’s proud of the stories, too. “Many of the shoots we’re doing are not celebrities, not politicians, not business people, but regular, everyday people who are giving something back to society,” she says, mentioning in particular a Tampa police officer dedicated to helping the homeless, and a veteran — “a wife, mother, student, volunteer…and inspiration”—who has post-traumatic stress disorder, yet helps other returning vets get their bearings and move past their struggles.

So, with all the changes in her industry, does Dickson still rely on her CCAD education? “Absolutely,” she says. Her expertise with lighting started with Duncan Snyder’s class, and she credits him and Helen Hoffelt with deepening her engagement with imagery.

A seminal moment—which actually spanned an entire semester—was taking a fashion photography class with Scott Cunningham at the same time as a class with Elizabeth Fergus Jean on self. “On one hand I was finding that I had a passion for editorial photography and photographing people, and on the other I was pushed very hard to find my voice,” she says. “Those two classes together put me into a new mindset.”

When asked for advice about her still-evolving industry, Dickson has plenty of wisdom to share. Keep up with the legal landscape, she says, “especially in an environment that changes so frequently.” Research skills are also key: “There are several ways to go about digging for images. You have to be resourceful and think outside the box to get the job done.”

Article in Huffington

Network, she says, especially with other photo editors, and know who photographers are, where they are shooting, and how their work is progressing. But, most important, stay positive and be friendly: “It’s a tough industry and a small circle, so you don’t want to burn bridges.”

She urges current students to do internships. “You learn what you like and what you don’t and can learn a lot from a professional,” she says. They are harder to come by when you are out of school, so “do it now,” she says. “And if a paper or magazine doesn’t have an intern or a photo department, offer to be that for them.”

Lastly, keep an open mind. Along with persistence and hard work, Dickson says, open-mindedness is a quality the successful seem to share. There is never just one way. She says, “I’ve watched several friends take various paths to get where they are. Some have assisted and moved into solo careers; some have gone the path of commercial photographers and found that their fine art work had much more strength and voice. Some never thought they’d find exactly what they wanted, but persisted until they did. Some moved to big cities expecting their careers to blossom and found that a smaller town really gave them a place to bloom. Some are still working hard to accomplish their goals and growing closer to it every day.”

Many of these friends are ones she made back in school. She says she still has great relationships with people she met at CCAD. She often misses the energy and like-minded dedication and how late nights in the studio or the darkroom never felt like a chore. “We all miss that,” she says, “I think it’s a big reason I keep up with so many people from CCAD.”

To check out the online print version of IMAGE, click here.

Steven Bindernagel’s “The Inevitable Yield” (detail), 2010, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 60 inches.

By Kendra Hovey

Someone—a stranger to you—sees your work on a gallery wall and wants to take it home, enough to lay down some significant cash. This is a seminal moment for most fine artists. When it first happened for abstract painter Steven Bindernagel (CCAD 2002), he was honored. “That I made something that someone else fell in love with was amazing and humbling,” he says.

The cash was nice, too, but “the money thing” truly sank in as more paintings sold and he realized he could quit his day job. “That’s when I thought, ‘Ok, this is really awesome,’” he recalls now.

The Cleveland native moved to New York in 2004. After earning his Master of Fine Arts in 2006 from the School of Visual Arts, he spent the next four years in the city working 40–50 hours a week as an art handler—plus 40 hours a week in his studio. As he explains, “It was important to me that I spend as much time in my studio as possible. It was also important to me that I eat.”

Bindernagel’s hard work paid off when the CRG Gallery offered to represent him in 2010. He will have his first solo show there this fall. Rebecca Ibel, curator and director of the Pizzuti Collection, calls CRG “an international force in contemporary art.”

It’s also where her boss, Ron Pizzuti, caught sight of his first Bindernagel and bought it that same day. The painting is now one of a number of Bindernagel’s works in the internationally significant Pizzuti Collection—alongside those of such established and respected artists as Shirin Neshat.

A typical day for the 33-year-old artist starts around 8 a.m. in his Greenpoint, Brooklyn apartment. After taking his dog, Baxter, for a quick walk, he heads to his studio in Queens, where he’ll sketch, paint, and draw until sometime between 10 p.m. and midnight.

But on an atypical day, Bindernagel might be back in a gallery packing or hanging art. About this he wants to be clear: While he is happy and incredibly fortunate, there’s no need to romanticize the artistic life. If a month is looking thin, he’ll pick up a freelance art handling gig. Art sales tend to slow in the summer months, and this past summer his costs shot up as he burned through supplies preparing for his solo debut.

But this “ebb and flow,” as he calls it, is a far cry from the cliché of the starving artist. That’s one myth he’s quick to blast. “Say, ‘I am going to move to New York to be a professional artist,’ and people think you’re crazy — they tell you you’re crazy,” says Bindernagel, “but get here and you’ll realize art is a billion-dollar industry with a huge net of available jobs.” From hourly work in galleries, museums, and shipping companies to assisting artists, correcting digital files, and photographing artwork, he says, “there are really a lot of options” to get set up and connected.

Bindernagel’s “Untitled,” 2010, acrylic on canvas, 28 x 22 inches.

This is typical of Bindernagel’s realistic, yet positive, take on making it as an artist. It’s not easy, he says, but it is doable. What’s his Number One insight?

Make art. It may sound obvious, but staying focused on this key priority takes more dedication than you might think.

Here are six more:

• Plug into the art world. Bindernagel was making ends meet in retail, but to get the life he wanted he felt he needed a job in the art industry—so he became an art handler. This put him in galleries meeting artists, collectors, and curators and gave him an up-close view of how the system works.

• This was all very helpful with: Get a social support network. “If you are going to make a run of it in New York City you need a net of people who are there for you—who support you, recommend you for group shows or studio visits, and push you.” If Bindernagel took a day or two off of painting, a studiomate would call and say, “Hey, where you at? Get in the studio. You’ve got to put in some hours. And bring beer.”

• Support, of course, is both get and give, which brings us to: Go to your friends’ openings. “Sure, you’re tired, but go anyway,” he says. “You’ve got to support your friends.”

• Get a studio. Bindernagel pays more for his 400 square feet of studio space than for his apartment. “It’s really the most important place to me in the world,” he says, and it’s always been a top priority. It reminds him every day that art is a serious business. Plus, he makes a mess. “I need a certain amount of freedom when I paint,” he says. Also, it’s more professional: “People generally don’t want to come to an apartment for a studio visit.” It’s been great, too, for expanding his social circle and for networking. “It’s a given,” he says, that he and his studiomates will introduce each other to any visiting artists, curators, or collectors. “This sharing and community building has been invaluable to us all, leading to shows, sales, and contacts.”

• Keep your head up. For the first three years in New York, no one showed much interest in Bindernagel’s art. The reality, he says: “Tons of people are not going to be impressed by your work—be persistent and dedicated and resilient.”

• Finally, especially for those still in school: It’s never too early to think about a game plan. Work on writing skills—it’ll help when applying for residencies and grants. Find out exactly what a gallery registrar does, how to store and best maintain your artwork, and how to approach a gallery.

“So many people blindly send a stock note and an elaborate portfolio, but galleries don’t look at those books,” he explains. The key is to be recommended or to build a relationship. “Go to the gallery’s every single opening,” he suggests. “After a few months introduce yourself, tell them you like what they do, offer your card, follow up — it’s kind of like dating.”

Bindernagel found his path during a New York residency through CCAD. “The program was awesome,” he says, “but if you can’t do it, sublet. Spend the summer here. Test it out. See if it’s for you.”

Lastly, he urges, talk to people: “I’ve told you my story; there’s always another artist who’s done it differently. There are many ways to make a living, make art, and be happy.”

Update, 11/15/12: Bindernagel reports that he is “safe and sound” after hurricane Sandy, and his neighborhood escaped the worst. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of his studio building in Queens. His sixth-floor space is fine, but at street level the water was knee-deep, and the building is still without heat. Also flooded: the CRG Gallery in Chelsea where his show was to open on Nov. 15 (tentative new date: Jan. 17). Though he feels “very lucky” that his newest work was safe in his studio, some paintings at CRG were lost. “Yes, it’s disappointing,” he says, “but so many people lost so much more.” One bright spot: he has a second show to look forward to—at the Beta Pictoris gallery in Birmingham, Alabama, this summer.

Chad Hunt in a self-portrait taken at the Yakima Training Center in Washington State.

By Kristen M. Foley

Photography has changed considerably since Chad Hunt graduated from CCAD in 1994 with his BFA in photography. While technology has made the photographer’s job easier, it also has made it tougher in some ways. “The current iPhone has a higher screen resolution than the first digital camera I shot with that cost $5,000,” notes Hunt. “You can find photographers much easier now, too. Sometimes it’s hard to stand out in that world.”

But Hunt stands out, nonetheless, because his talent goes far beyond the ability to click a shutter button and press “send.” The artistic elements in his photos frame the observable world and give it meaning, something that he believes stems from his experiences at CCAD.

Since then he has captured thousands of images. His most recent endeavors have taken him to war-torn Afghanistan, where he was embedded with American troops. His photographs capture the soldiers as well as the dramatic, on-edge environment in which they must live every day.

“My first trip over there I paid my own way and completed it as a freelance project,” Hunt says. “I was bored with regular photography, and I had this idea that I wanted to be embedded, so I looked into it and just did it.”

Photo by Chad Hunt

That impulse led to a total of three trips to Afghanistan over two years, during which Hunt slept next to machine guns, witnessed firefights, and ultimately charted a new direction in his career.

His most intense memory is when he first stepped off a military helicopter onto the Afghanistan ground in September 2006.

“It was almost a ‘careful what you wish for’ sort of thing,” laughs Hunt now. “When I got off the helicopter, it was really dark, and I went into the tent and slept for like 15 minutes. All of a sudden the lieutenant came in and said, ‘A Humvee has been hit, and they’re taking fire. This is what you wanted right? You’re going into a firefight.’ I jumped up and I was like, crap I’m really here. Now I actually have to do this.”

Hunt quickly settled in. “It’s amazing to connect with these individuals on this level. It’s really a matter of asking them questions and telling them you are there to tell their story,” reflects Hunt. “Just spending time with them goes a long way in earning their trust.”

In 2008, his photograph of Sergeant Major David Combs at the Korengal Outpost in Afghanistan made the cover of Time magazine.

The success was welcome, but with each military trip, Hunt found that editors became less likely to assign him to anything but “guys, gears, and guns” stories.

So he’s switching it up again. At the time of this interview, he was preparing to embark on a trip to Haiti to capture new images for the World Wide Orphan Foundation. “I’m excited—it’s an opportunity to re-prove myself,” he says. Given Hunt’s track record, we expect the trip will broaden not only his worldview, but ours.

Jason Goad’s collectible sunglasses designed for Anarchy Eyewear

Illustration alumnus Jason Goad (CCAD 1996) worked on a pair of sunglasses with Anarchy Eyewear, a manufacturer of sunglasses and goggles for action sports.

The sunglasses are now available for sale on Zappos.com, an online shoe and apparel shop. The company released 300 limited-edition pairs that also include a protective bag designed by Goad.

We reported earlier this year that Goad had been working on custom sketch cards, which are placed in decks of trading cards distributed by Topps Company. His Star Wars Galactic Files sketch cards are now available for purchase at retailers such as Target, Meijer, and Walmart.

Mills was one of 70 artists who participated in the online auction. Participating artists were given charcoal from the wildfires to use and/or incorporate into their work.

The auction was held Oct. 7–14 and raised nearly $8,000.

Lian Dziura in front of her work at the Thunderdome awards reception at Clifton Cultural Arts Center.

FOTOFOCUS is a monthlong celebration in Cincinnati, OH that combines exhibitions, conferences, presentations, and other special events to honor the art of photography. Many CCAD alumni, students, faculty, and staff were involved with various exhibitions around the city in October.

Professor and Illustration alumna Helen Hoffelt (CCAD 1982) showed work in the Midwest Society for Photographic Education Members Exhibition at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, KY, Sept. 28–Oct. 31. Hoffelt also had work in Images of the Great Depression: A Documentary Portrait of Ohio 1935-2010 at the University of Cincinnati’s Sycamore Gallery, Oct. 1–Oct. 27.

Henry Scott with his work at the Thunderdome awards reception at Clifton Cultural Arts Center.

Media Studies alumna Rachel Girard Reisert (CCAD 2002) had a solo exhibition Tropism at 1305 Gallery, Sept. 28–Nov. 11. Reisert also presented during the Midwest Regional Society for Photographic Education Conference on Oct. 13.

A senior in Photography, Kayla Holdgreve, exhibited two of her pieces in Current: MW Society of Photographic Education Student Juried Exhibition at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Oct. 4–31.

Photography alumna Lian Dziura (CCAD 2012), Junior in Cinematic Arts Tom Hoying, MFA alumnus Cosby Lindquist (CCAD 2012), Photography alumnus Marcus Morris (CCAD 2012), junior in Photography Henry Scott, and MFA alumna Crystal Tursich (CCAD 2012) participated in the juried invitational exhibition Thunderdome, at Clifton Cultural Arts Center in Cincinnati, OH, Oct.13–14. Lindquist was one of three award winners and Dziura received an honorable mention.

“Rain Reflection” by Joseph Lombardo

Fine Arts alumnus and adjunct faculty Joseph Lombardo (CCAD 2006) has a solo exhibition, Twenty Twelve, at Art Access Gallery in Bexley, OH, Nov. 27–Jan. 9, with an artist’s reception Nov. 30, 5–8 p.m.

The exhibition focuses on patterns and repetition found in landscapes, primarily focusing on Columbus.

Lombardo also won an honorable mention in the 2012 Ohio Plein Air Society Plein Air Competition in September. The Ohio Plein Air Society is a nonprofit organization of artists and patrons who share a passion for art and nature. They organize various opportunities throughout the year for members to paint outdoors.

Rutkowski’s volcano wall featured in the background, photo courtesy of Columbus Alive!

CCAD has a new downtown neighbor, in the Grass Skirt Tiki Room, and Fine Arts alumnus Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski (CCAD 2002) brought about one of its more dynamic interior features.

Rutkowski was approached by Harold LaRue, one of the owners of the Grass Skirt, after he saw an installation Rutkowski did for the Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project. LaRue wanted Rutkowski to design a lava wall for the tiki-bar-themed restaurant.

“I was a little hesitant at first,” Rutkowski said. “I had been swamped at my day job where I make props for haunted houses and theme parks, but in the end I just couldn’t refuse the opportunity to work on such a cool project so close to my alma mater.”

Rutkowski’s design for the wall includes raised foam forms to imitate volcanic rock. He used black light paint on the recessed portion of the wall to give the illusion of liquid magma and illuminated the entire piece with LED black light features.

The installation of the wall took Rutkowski about 30 hours spread out over several weeks—even with occasional help from volunteers.

“It was awesome to see the restaurant all finished and up and running,” Rutkowski said. “And it was great to see my contribution fitting in so well. There are so many cool visual contributions from artists and craftspeople throughout the restaurant, and many people have come up to me to compliment my work.”

The Grass Skirt, which opened in mid-September, is owned by Columbus Food League Partners, a group that owns several popular restaurants in the Columbus area.

Hastings is a filmmaker and visual artist; he is a new media assistant professor at SUNY Fredonia. His work has screened across the U.S. and Canada, including the Black Maria Film Festival, the Winnipeg International Film Festival, the Athens International Film and Video Festival, and the Humboldt International Short Film Festival.

The New York Foundation for the Arts was launched in 1985 and has provided over $27 million in grants to more than 4,400 artists.

“Corn Crib” by alumna CV Mansoor

Fine Arts alumna CV Mansoor (CCAD 1977) is exhibiting work at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. The exhibition, Green Acres: Artists Farming Vacant Lots, Greenhouses and Fields runs though Jan. 20.

Mansoor submitted work through Homeadow Song, a center that actively promotes experiential learning through integration of practical work, artistic experience, and celebration of community.

The exhibition presents farming as art through a wide variety of approaches. The work was contributed from 23 artists and/or organizations.

Aminah Robinson, photo courtesy of Lian Dziura (CCAD 2012)

Alumna Aminah Robinson (CCAD 1960) was inducted recently into the city of Columbus’ Hall of Fame by Mayor Michael B. Coleman.

Robinson combines traditional art materials with found objects and everyday materials such as buttons, cloth, leather, twigs, shells, and music box workings to create two-and three-dimensional works of art.

She has exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States and has received numerous awards and grants from arts organizations. In 2002, the Columbus Museum of Art organized a retrospective exhibition of her work that traveled throughout the country. In 2004, Robinson was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, commonly referred to as genius grants.

Her work can be found in many private collections and in museums including the Columbus Museum of Art, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Tacoma Art Museum, and the Newark Museum.

Robinson is now one of 50 Columbus Hall of Fame inductees, to view the full list, click here.

The quarterly supply grants give artists in the community the opportunity to enhance their skills and create work that helps drive the vibrancy of the arts in Columbus and Franklin County. Applications are accepted monthly and are funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Alumna Lisa Horkin (1985), alumna and adjunct instructor Susan Li  O’Connor (1996), alumna and adjunct faculty Anne Holman (2002), alumna Jennifer Deafenbough (2004), alumnus and adjunct faculty Joseph Lombardo (2006), alumnus and adjunct faculty Chris Harman (2012), and alumnus Jack Ramunni (2012) all received funding.

Two CCAD artists were also selected for GCAC’s Dresden Residency Program; read more here.

Photograph from alumna Manjari Sharma’s project “Darshan”

Photography alumna Manjari Sharma (2004) will show her work in a group exhibition, Social Order: Photographs from Iran, India, and Afghanistan, at the Photo Center in Seattle, WA, Oct. 26–Dec. 15.

The exhibition features five contemporary women artists whose work explores the role of women in the contexts of cultural, religion, censorship, and the media. Each of these artists has left an important mark on the world of contemporary photography through their courageous and relevant work.

Sharma’s work will be from her photography project Darshan, in which she photographically recreates classic images of gods and goddesses pivotal to Hinduism.

One of Evens Joseph’s illustrations featured in Juxtapoz

Illustration alumnus Evens Joseph (CCAD 2009) was a featured artist in Juxtapoz magazine.

The magazine states that they “can’t get enough of these hand drawn fairy-esque illustrations of his.”

Joseph does character design, fashion design, and commercial illustration.

Juxtapoz is a monthly magazine that covers contemporary artists and is devoted to the most dynamic, unconventional, and innovative art.

To see Joseph’s feature, click here.

Screenshot from Corey Aumiller’s video “Time Tunnel”

The Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project (CAP-UP) announced the winners of their Juror’s Choice Awards, and two CCAD alumni made the list.

Media Studies alumnus Corey Aumiller (CCAD 2006) took second place for his project Time Tunnel and Fine Arts alumnus Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski (CCAD 2002) tied for third with his installation Wolf’s Ridge.

Aumiller worked with hisfriend Dan Gerdeman on the installation and video that featured puppets of the eight U.S. presidents who were Ohio natives. The video features the presidents walking around Columbus, exploring locations including the CCAD campus and visiting with CCAD President Denny Griffith. The installation is located at 65 E. State St. inside the Capitol Square Shoppes.

Photo of Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski’s “Wolf’s Ridge,” photo courtesy of Columbus Underground

Rutkowski’s installation, located at 20 E. Broad St., is a diorama similar to those seen in a natural history museum. The display recalls the Talking Tree, which was a popular feature of the Lazarus Christmas display for decades. Lazarus was a well-known department store in downtown Columbus.

CAP-UP is a series of 10 window installations in downtown Columbus in celebration of the city’s bicentennial.

Other CCAD artists who were involved in the project include Fine Arts alumnus Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002) and adjunct faculty Andrea Myers.

Read the full press release here.

Fellow Illustration alumnus and CCAD Professor Walter King (CCAD 1981) has written an essay that will be used in the exhibition materials—”Dean Mitchell: Easy in His Own Skin” explores Mitchell’s artistic career and the continued friendship between the two alumni. The essay first appeared on absolutearts.com, an online art community.

Mitchell is best known for his watercolor figurative works, landscapes, and still lifes. He has been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, American Artist, Artist Magazine, Fine Art International, and Art News. His art can be found in corporate and museum collections across the country.

Hiroshi Hayakawa’s feature in “Diffusion: Unconventional Photography”

Associate Professor and Photography alumnus Hiroshi Hayakawa (CCAD 1985) is featured in the fifth annual edition of the magazine Diffusion: Unconventional Photography.

The magazine discusses Hayakawa’s unique way of processing his photos: printing his images on oxidized sheet metal through the application of liquid photo emulsion (Liquid Light) onto the surface. This allows the rust on the metal to penetrate the picture and become part of the overall image.

The magazine is an independent, contributor- and reader-supported annual that highlights and celebrates unconventional photographic processes and photo-related artwork.

The exhibition includes the work of 17 artists, all exploring the meaning of heritage, lineage, and identity.

The mission of the Life Force Arts Foundation is to advance the field of spiritual art through exhibits, events, and publications that explore the connection between art and spirituality.

The exhibition includes the work of 22 artists and will be shown in two different locations. Part of the exhibit will be at the Aggregate Space in Oakland, CA, running through Oct. 20, and the other part will be at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco, running through Nov. 10.

OFF Space describes itself as a gallery without walls, a nomadic venture exploring real-world site-specificity. Their aim is to raise the level of public discourse around contemporary art by staging aesthetically engaging and thought-provoking exhibitions in traditional and nontraditional spaces.

Joan Hall’s “Dying Ocean” (detail)

Fine Arts alumna Joan Hall (CCAD 1974) has a solo exhibition, Marginal Waters, at Bruno David Gallery in St. Louis, MO, on view through Oct. 13.

Hall has been fascinated with the ocean for years and has traveled more than 25,000 miles as a skilled navigator and sailboat racer.

Through her use of Mylar and handmade paper, viewers will recognize marine debris and plastic pollution that infiltrate our oceans. Having previously explored the ocean and its relationship to the body, Hall’s work has expanded into consideration of the ocean’s relationship to the body of global society, of which we are all members.

This is Hall’s second solo exhibition with the Bruno David Gallery, which was founded in 2005 and specializes in contemporary art.

Artists create murals at the sixth annual Urban Scrawl in Franklinton, photo courtesy of Kyle Robertson

Urban Scrawl, an annual festival in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, was chalk full of CCAD talent this year.

Participating artists were chosen after they submitted proposals to the Franklinton Arts District. During the festival each artist was given a 4 by 8 foot vertical panel to paint. Following the festival, panels were either sold in a silent auction or displayed as public art in Franklinton.

Participating alumni included Lea Gray (Fine Arts 2004), Kirsten Bowen (Illustration 1989), Adam Crum (Fine Arts 2006), Joel Atkinson (Illustration 2009), Clint Davidson (Fine Arts 2000), Julia McCann (Illustration 2011), Christopher Tennant (Fine Arts 2006), Daric Gill (Fine Arts 2004), and Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski (Fine Arts 2002). Students who participated include Illustration sophomore Jacob Tanner (CCAD 2014) and freshman Franklin Cain-Borgers (CCAD 2016).

The Franklinton Urban Scrawl is an annual two-day festival (which took place Aug. 25–26). In addition to the on-site art creations, the festival had bands performing, a skateboard competition, pedicab rides, and break-dancing performances.

Alumnus Christopher Madden engraving

Ever look closely at the portrait of Andrew Jackson on a $20 bill or the buildings and portraits featured on special edition coins? Those were all done by artists—and alumnus Christopher Madden happens to be among them.

Madden is a journeyman banknote engraver at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). The position was well earned; Madden had completed a 10-year apprenticeship as a banknote picture engraver.

During his apprenticeship he served under a master engraver and developed a progressively more complex set of engraving and etching skills.

“At the end of 10 years I then became a member of a very small fraternity of highly skilled craftsmen whose methods and traditions can be traced back to many prominent early American artists such as Asher Durand, Walter Shirlaw, and Paul Revere,” Madden said.

BEP focuses on the development and production of United States currency and other security instruments and is currently the largest producer of government security documents. They completely redesign the Federal Reserve Notes every seven to 10 years—primarily to head off counterfeiters and keep up with special edition pieces.

“Day to day we are in the early stages of designing and engraving concepts for future banknotes,” Madden said. “For example, I recently engraved a new portrait of Andrew Jackson for future currency use and also had the honor of engraving the official portrait of President Barack Obama in 2009.”

Madden’s work requires a level of secrecy along with a great deal of practice and dedication. Madden also points out that, in his opinion, this type of engraving is the strictest and most difficult manner of creating a picture in the world.

Alumnus Christopher Madden working on a plein air painting

“As an engraver, my mandate is to exactly translate a tonal model into matrices of lines, dots, and dashes cut into varying depths and widths that will print faithful images for both aesthetic and security purposes,” Madden explained.

“When my engraving is finished, the plate is used as part of an overall project, numbered, and securely placed into a main vault,” Madden said.

Although his apprenticeship taught him details relevant to the engraving field, he thanks CCAD for prepping him for this professional path.

“The professors planted seeds in my mind that bore the fruit for me as an artist and engraver over the years,” Madden said. “They demanded a level of excellence and an ethic of thinking about design and methodology.”

“Engraving is a beautiful and largely lost art/craft, but in reality I also need to accept that I am ultimately creating a product and not my own art,” Madden said.

To counter that, Madden works on his own paintings. In the last few years he has taken up plein air painting and has a studio at the Griffin Art Center in Frederick, Maryland, where he also teaches classes.

“The biggest difference between my work as an engraver and my painting is I have total creative control over what I make and what I create [with painting],” Madden said. “Also, since engraving is such a demanding discipline, painting allows me to have that push-and-pull ability.”

Smith’s work brings together printmaking, drawing, and video installation in order to initiate dialogue about identity, locality, time, and memory. O’Connor’s work deals with the accumulation of everyday objects and the transformation of them into sculptural forms and installations.

GCAC, in conjunction with the Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Research, and the Fine Arts, has provided Columbus artists the opportunity to experience a residency in Dresden, Germany since 1994. O’Connor and Smith will travel to Dresden sometime between between March 1 and November 30 for a period of eight to 12 weeks, allowing them to concentrate on research and production of their art.

Read GCAC’s press release here.

Photo from last year’s Family Weekend & Homecoming

Classes are in full swing and the temperature is starting to drop, which can only mean one thing…. Family Weekend & Homecoming is almost here.

This will be the second year that the popular events are combined into one spectacular, action-packed weekend; this year on Oct. 12 and 13.

Last year during and after the event we shared hundreds of photos with our friends on Facebook via our Columbus College of Art & Design page and our CCAD Alumni page.

People tagged and liked the pictures, allowing everyone online to participate. So, what better way to get excited for this year’s event then look back at last year’s photos and comments?

A few that warmed our cold hearts:

“Totally enjoyed the Family Weekend & Homecoming thing—great job,” said alumnus James Walter Elston. “So good to be back at CCAD.”

Alumna Lisa Hetzer said, “we had a great time at the Homecoming/Family/Alumni weekend! Kudos to everyone involved with the planning, great job. What a wonderful surprise to see my favorite teacher, Billie Ingram, being honored at the alumni reception!”

Attendees were excited about the carnival on the quad, the comedy performance, and the homecoming reception, but some were also just as excited for the food.

“Joy Waking up starving and making overdone eggs isn’t fun, heading down to the market to get some good food,” current student Starla Hay said on a post announcing breakfast was beginning.

Sharing photos allowed the people who were there to reminisce (even while the event was still going on), but our hyperactive posting and tweeting meant that those who weren’t able to make the trip to campus got to enjoy it vicariously (at least that’s what we hope).

Alumna Amy Marie Book commented, “I wish I could have gone…miss my CCAD days bad…they were rough while there, but now looking back they were the best years for being myself.”

“I think if I visit now I will get lost,” alumna Sylvia Olmos stated on a picture of the campus. “Campus looks a lot different from 1986 when I started.”

Olmos is right; campus has changed a lot (just another reason to come back). But for those who are worried about getting lost, throughout the day there will be guided tours, so no need to worry.

Those who were watching our posts throughout the day were also a little perplexed by who we were exactly.

Student Alejandro Bellizzi commented that he thought our Faceboook page was alive—“I like this because I don’t understand who you are. It’s as if CCAD is alive and once you are an alumnus/a, you can talk to it like it’s a person. What are you? Are you some kind of art school ghost spirit?”

No, we are not an “art school spirit,” but wouldn’t that be cool? Walking through walls and just appearing places? …We digress. Like last year, Lacey Luce and I (Katlin McNally) will be wandering the streets tweeting and posting—and we think you should too! Seriously, do we have to do everything?

But, anyway, we like Bellizzi’s thinking. We are here to bring the “spirit” of CCAD to you (but not in a creepy poltergeist way)—whether you are among our alumni, a student, a family member, faculty, or staff—we are all CCAD family and on Oct. 12 and 13, everyone is coming together to celebrate. This is something you will not want to miss!

To check out a full listing of events planned for the weekend, please go to our event page. Also, look at photos from last year on our Facebook photo albums here and here.

Kurt Lightner’s “Untitled/Sinking House Series”

Fine Arts alumnus Kurt Lightner (CCAD 1993) is participating in the group exhibition Assembly 2012 at Edward Thorp Gallery in New York City through Oct. 20.

Edward Thorp Gallery promotes the work of emerging and established contemporary artists.

This is the first time the husband-and-wife duo has shown work together. The exhibit features oil paintings and drawings by Stillion and embroidered animal portraits by Labmeier.

“It will be interesting to see how our pieces work next to one another as we share many of the same experiences, yet our interpretations of similar subjects are very different,” Stillion said prior to the exhibition opening. “The overall theme of the show is portraiture, and we hope that the college community can see that there is more than one way to approach a portrait—in both subject matter and material.”

Molly Gilbride, alumni & parent relations officer

Columbus College of Art & Design has its first ever full-time Alumni & Parent Relations Officer, Molly Gilbride. We sat down for a chat to get to know her a little better and find out how she came to Columbus and CCAD.

Q) So, first off, where did you grow up?

Molly Gilbride (MG): I grew up outside of Akron, Ohio, in Stow. Most of my favorite childhood memories are tied up in countless hours of playing in the woods with my older brother and neighborhood friends and spending a great deal of time building the most epic forts and games.

Q) You grew up in Stow, went to school in Virginia and South Carolina, and then came back to Columbus—what brought you back?

MG: First and foremost, my family. I wanted to see my nieces and nephew grow up and be in my families’ lives on a more frequent basis. Being an aunt is my favorite role in the world. Secondly, I love this city. It’s a great-sized city for me—big enough to get lost in the crowd every once in a while and small enough to feel like you are in a community where people know your name or know your neighbor. When I moved to South Carolina I knew I would be back one day—this city has a way of bringing people back.

Q) Sounds like you really like Columbus. What is your favorite thing about the city?

MG: My favorite thing about Columbus is how invested the community is in making it an interesting place to live. There has been a lot of positive growth and excitement here over the past several years and it makes for great energy. I have been back for just over two years, and I love the variety of local events and places that bring people together. Some of my favorites that I highly recommend: Urban Scrawl, Pecha Kucha Columbus, Independents’ Day, and the Dinin’ Hall.

Q) So what do you think of CCAD?

MG: I really like it; I’m glad I’m working here and excited for what is to come. There’s a strong sense of community that comes with the CCAD family, and I really appreciate it. I’ve been spending my time getting to know the culture that surrounds our alumni, and once I get adjusted, I want to put my efforts into creating more opportunities and regional support networks for them, nationally and internationally.

Q) What’s something unique and different you like to do in your free time?

MG: I love to make cupcakes, but only cupcakes with unusual flavors that you would not typically associate with a cupcake. The craziest cupcake I’ve made so far was my Buffalo chicken cupcake with ranch-and-cheese buttercream icing. Surprisingly, they weren’t horrible. The crowd favorite and the one most requested is a chocolate curry cupcake with coconut-and-lime frosting.

Q) If others want to know more about you, how can they connect?

MG: Send me an email at alumni@ccad.edu, it’s that easy. I’m always happy to catch up with people on what they are doing, if they’re moving, if they have a new job, or just want to chat. Going forward I am also going to be looking for alumni who want to be more involved and help organize regional events, from alumni gatherings to admissions help. It’s going to be exciting rolling out the programming in the next year or so, so everyone get excited and ready.

Classnotes, September 2012 Issue

We do our best to get most of the news you submit to us onto the CCAD News Blog, but because there are more than 10,000 of you making news all over the world, not everything can make it into the blog. We’re glad to have another venue where we can share everything with you—this newsletter’s classnotes.

You can submit classnotes via the easy-to-use form on the alumni landing page. We only post career-related successes, awards, exhibitions, and publications, but we’d also love to know when you move, get married, or have children—just use that same form.

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from June, July, and August 2012.

John Schaffner ’60 and J. Luray Schaffner ’62 both exhibited their work at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in Solomons, MD. Read more here.

Elena Osterwalder ’76 showed work in Celebrating UA, an exhibition at the Concourse Gallery in Upper Arlington, OH. Read more here.

Joe Howard ’72 had his piece Stone, Steel and Wood chosen for the permanent Western Art Collection of the Pearce Museum at Navarro College in Corsicana, TX. Read more here.

Jeff Stahler ’77 was interviewed in The Illustrator’s Market. Read more here.

Tim Bowers ’79 illustrated Dinosaur Pet, which climbed the best-seller lists. Read more here.

David Groff ’79 received gold and bronze awards in the 29^th annual Aster Awards for his illustrations in a hospital calendar.

Marty Husted ’79, Mark Thomas ’90, and Heather Nibert ’12 are each participating in a public arts project in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Laura Sanders ’88, Sarah Fairchild ’94, Chris Rankin ’94, Adam Brouillette ’02,  Anne Holman ’02, Lauren Mudd ’04,  and Boryana Rusenova Ina ’06, participated in Art for the Environment, a silent auction benefiting the Ohio Environmental Council. Read more here.

Kaname Takada ’89, William Shearrow ’97,  and Michael Bonardi ’04 are featured in a group exhibition at the  Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Coshocton, OH. Read more here.

Peter Wachtel ’90 is now selling his product STAKE, an all-in-one BBQ tool, via Quirky, Target, Fab, and ThinkGeek. Read more here.

James Alicea ’92 organized a fundraiser for the victims of the 2011 tsunami and earthquake in Japan, involving artists from Japan and New York. Read more here.

Laurie Brown ’94 showed her work in a group exhibition at the Mansion at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD. Read more here.

Chad Hunt ’94 spent time training with a U.S. Special Operations Command team, and his resulting photographs were featured in an issue of Popular Mechanics. Read more here.

Chris Rankin ’94 exhibited his work in two Columbus, OH, venues this summer. Read more here.

David Hartman ’95 is a supervising director for the show Transformers: Prime, which won a 2012 Daytime Emmy®. Read more here.

Jason Goad ’96 has partnered on projects for some big-name brands and projects, including Mattel’s Hot Wheels. Read more here.

John Urbano ’96 released a limited edition photography book and directed a music video for British pop band One Direction that has been nominated for an MTV Video Music Award. Read more here.

Nathaniel Galka ’98 had work in the exhibition The Birds and Bees. Read more here.

Mike Hein ’98 exhibited his work at Mulherin + Pollard gallery in New York City. Read more here.

Dan Scanlon ’98 was featured in the LA Times for his upcoming directorial debut on Pixar’s Monsters University. Read more here.

Michael Phillips ’99 was profiled in All4You, a contemporary culture magazine based in Croatia. Read more here.

Clint Davidson ’00 worked on a mural for a public park in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Olga Ziemska ’00 installed a sculpture at the Columbus State Community College (CSCC) main library.  Read more here.

Adam Brouillette ’02, Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski ’02, and Corey Aumiller ’06 are participating in the Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project (CAP-UP), a public art project. Read more here.

Carl Bork ’03 exhibited his paintings at the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, CO. Read more here.

Sarah DeAngulo Hout ’04 worked on a mural that is now in the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Read more here.

Michael Lai ’04 presented as a special guest for the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts in Columbus, OH. Read more here

Jill Raymundo ’04 exhibited her work in the City Center Gallery of the OSU Urban Arts Space in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Manjari Sharma ’04 was featured in the Huffington Post’s iPad issue for her photography project Darshan. Read more here.

Corey Aumiller ’06 worked on a video project featuring CCAD President Denny Griffith. Read more here.

Martina Nikova ’07 had a solo exhibition at the Ohio Art League in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Greg Beck ’09 helped start Longstride, a creative marketing company in Columbus, OH, that was featured in a local business journal. Read more here.

John Malta ’10 received a grant from the Xeric Foundation to self-publish his comic book The Professor and the Paperboy. Read more here.

Kartika Mediani ’10 showed her film The Box at the 2012 Comic-Con’s San Diego International Children’s Film Festival in California. Read more here.

Kerry Kunze ’11 displayed her work at ZenClay Gallery in Morgantown, WV. Read more here.

Rachel Cass ’12 was featured in Easton Town Center’s 2012 directory after being awarded Easton’s Fashion Design Award. Read more here.

Kathryn Chamberlin ’12 became the graphic designer at Origo Branding Company in downtown Columbus, OH.

Alex Conrad ’12 showed his work in a national MFA competition. Read more here.

Brianne Schulze ’12 earned a goldsmithery apprenticeship at the Diamond Cellar in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

The Department of Art Visiting Artists & Lectures exhibition is a collection of work from more than 30 Columbus-based artists that will be visiting the department throughout the year.

Swing Space Gallery is located at South Campus Gateway, 1556 N. High St., Columbus, OH.

David Breaux (left) standing with his Megaforce MK4 Motorcycle, part of his extensive movie prop collection

David Breaux (CCAD 1994) had a busy year on the Hollywood animation scene. Recently he has been working with international visual effects company Pixmondo, and worked on such well-known films and television shows as Terra Nova, Hunger Games, Tron: Legacy, and Iron Man 2.

The Illustration alumnus was a senior animator on the FOX television series Terra Nova, produced by Steven Spielberg, which won a Visual Effects Society (VES) award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series.

“We averaged about two to three weeks per episode for our schedule,” Breaux said of his time developing the characters, which, in this case, included dinosaurs.

Breaux’s work as a freelancer means he relies heavily on the success of a show. When Terra Nova was not picked up for a second season, it left Breaux and other designers temporarily out of work.

“If a show is cancelled it can have a huge impact,” Breaux said. “We [animators] can be out of work for three or five months because of the hole that was created in our schedule. In the animation business, companies cannot afford to float people for too long waiting for another show.”

To fill the gaps, Breaux works on smaller projects, including some weekend work for the television show Grimm. He also is an instructor at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects.

For Hunger Games, Breaux spent months working on the tracker jackers, which fans of the books and movie will remember as the genetically engineered wasps. All the work had to be hand keyed, which meant that he spent hours developing details such as their movement, their speed, and the hive.

“My time at CCAD gave me a broad education, though, and it has helped me be flexible when it comes to work,” Breaux said. “Most of the time I focus on formatting, but I can also work on models and do some design work.”

Breaux is currently working on Die Hard 5: A Good Day to Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis, which is scheduled for release in 2013.

John Urbano works on the One Direction music video, screenshot from behind the scenes video

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus John Urbano can now add two VMAs to his list of accomplishments.

Urbano directed the British pop band One Direction’s music video “What Makes You Beautiful,” which won two MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 6 for Best Pop Video and Most Share-Worthy Video, with the band taking home Best New Artist.

John Urbano works on the One Direction music video, screenshot from behind the scenes video

The video features the five-member boy band on a road trip, meeting up with friends on a beautiful California beach.

In a behind the scenes video, Urbano describes the film as candid, energetic, and fun.

“In a typical boy-band music video there is this recipe, and we’ve kind of thrown that recipe away—breaking the mold,” Urbano said in the making-of video.

The video has reached more than 200 million views on Vevo, a music video site, since its premiere on Aug. 19, 2011.

“Let Them be Helpless” by Mariana Smith

Adjunct faculty and Fine Arts alumna Mariana Smith (CCAD 2002) has an exhibition at Hammond Harkins Galleries in Columbus, OH.

Her exhibition, If only you’d let me finish my song—Would you let me finish my song?, is inspired by Andrei Tarkovsky’s films Stalker and The Sacrifice. She explores the metaphors of landscape through miniature paintings, large works on paper, and video projections.

The exhibition runs Sept. 14–Oct. 14 with a reception Sept. 14, 5–8 p.m., and an artist’s talk Sept. 19, 7 p.m.

The exhibition is held in conjunction with the 36th Annual Wisconsin Women’s Studies Conference and the 7th Annual UW System LGBTQ Conference.

O’Connor has two exhibitions planned for 2013 in Columbus, OH: the group exhibition The Poetics of Pattern at the Riffe Gallery, July 25–Oct. 20, and a group exhibition at the Cultural Arts Center, Nov. 16-Dec. 28.

The show is in honor of Columbus’ bicentennial and features work acquired by collectors living in the city. More than 80 objects from 19 collections present a broad sampling of contemporary American craft.

The exhibition will be on view Sept. 9–Oct. 28, with an opening reception Sept. 8, 1–4 p.m.

Christopher Olvis and Michiella Sturiano hold their winning umbrella design for Easton Town Center

Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH, offers a perk for visitors and shoppers when the clouds turn grey: a courtesy umbrella. This year the design is brand new thanks to Advertising & Graphic Design students at the Columbus College of Art & Design.

Easton hosts nearly 21 million visitors a year and orders 8,000 umbrellas a year for those customers to use—so when Steiner & Associates, the managing company of Easton, approached CCAD Advertising & Graphic Design classes with this project, the students were beyond excited.

Students had to not only create a design that incorporated Easton’s current brand theme and colors, but also work on an umbrella stand, follow a strict budget, deal with storage issues, consider guidelines for the arc, panels, and handle for the umbrella, and create a communication plan, all within an eight-week time frame.

A group of Easton staff members chose the winning design team, which included then-seniors Christopher Olvis and Jacob Graham and junior Michiella Sturiano.

Their design features a nature-themed pattern including snowflakes, autumn leaves, and tree branches all on the color blue that Easton uses as a brand color.

Easton Town Center is one of several community clients that CCAD has recently partnered with. Others include The Central Ohio Transit Authority, the State of Ohio’s Governor’s office, ScottsMiracleGro Company, and Nationwide Insurance.

Screenshot from Elena Harvey Collins’ film “When They’re Gone, They’re Gone”

MFA alumna Elena Harvey Collins’ film “When They’re Gone, They’re Gone” is playing at Roy G Biv gallery this month and opened during September’s Gallery Hop, a monthly art event in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district.

The film is a narrative of abandoned parking lots and shopping plazas across the city. The 2012 graduate moved to Ohio five years ago from London, England, and decided to pursue this project after being shocked by the amount of unused, deserted space in Columbus.

“It’s a profoundly different landscape,” Harvey-Collins said in a Columbus Alive interview. “To see these spaces that are devalued to the point they’re not even for sale, they’re just left, they’re like monuments. I became really interested in finding out more about those spaces.”

Collins spent six months and many hours filming the happenings in these empty locations and captured anything from driving lessons to trash blowing in the wind. The film will be on display until Sept. 29 at Roy G Biv, 997 N. High St., Columbus, OH.

To read the full interview from Columbus Alive, click here.

Brian Williams’ illustration “Laughing Owl”

Work by Illustration alumnus and Adjunct Faculty Brian Williams (CCAD 2003) was featured in the August issue of Map Magazine, an arts and culture magazine based in Australia.

The August cover featured one of Williams’ drawings from his series Extinct Birds. The magazine included an interview where Williams described himself as “the sexiest Sasquatch-hunting art nerd you’ll ever meet.”

Extinct Birds features species that are each wearing clothing typical of the year they became extinct.

To view the cover and article, click here.

Arts in Bartlett is a nonprofit organization whose main goal is to increase access to the arts in the community by hosting an array of events and exhibitions.

Hartman is a supervising director and supervising art director for Transformers: Prime, which took home an Emmy for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program at the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards earlier this summer. He was also nominated in the category of Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program.

Hartman has worked on other series and projects including Spider-Man, My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Starship Troopers, Stuart Little 3, and Jackie Chan Adventures.

The 39th Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards recognize outstanding achievement in all fields of daytime television production.

Promo material for Amanda VanDenberg’s exhibition

Fine Arts alumna Amanda C. VanDenberg (CCAD 2010) showed her work in a group exhibition at the Little Art Gallery in North Canton, OH.

In the exhibition, Essential Momentum, VanDenberg presented her self-portrait series Madonna Complex.

The exhibition was on display July 21–Aug. 18, 2012.

The novel revolves around the theme of “here comes the rain” and includes the work of more than 15 animators and illustrators. Work ranges from digital media to traditional watercolor.

The group hopes to publish the book in October, and they are raising support and money through the online fundraising site kickstarter.

Michael Bonardi’s “Newton’s Platter”

Fine Arts alumnus and CCAD admissions advisor Michael Bonardi (CCAD 2004), Fine Arts alumna William Shearrow (CCAD 1991), and Fine Arts alumnus and professor Kaname Takada (CCAD 1989) are featured in the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum’s Clay & Bead Works: Binding Together Two Cultures in Coshocton, Ohio.

The exhibition features Native American artifacts and works by contemporary artists and runs Aug. 17–Oct. 7, with an artist’s reception Aug. 24, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum opened in 1931 and is located at 300 N. Whitewoman St., Coshocton, OH, 43812.

Groff’s illustrations for the Marion General Hospital calendar

Faculty member and Illustration alumnus David Groff (CCAD 1979) received gold and bronze awards in the 29^th annual Aster Awards for his illustrations in the Marion General Hospital & Foundation calendar.

Groff worked with Karen Ruth Media Consultants Inc. on the themed calendar. This is the third year that the calendar, illustrated by Groff, has won several awards.

The Aster Awards is a medical marketing program allowing healthcare organizations and advertising agencies to compete nationally and internationally against similarly sized organizations.

Olga Ziemska’s installation, photo by Elizabeth Bates

Fine Arts alumna Olga Ziemska (CCAD 2000) recently finished installing her sculpture at the Columbus State Community College (CSCC) main library. The piece was commissioned by CSCC and the Ohio Arts Council as part of the Percent for Art program.

The sculpture, Indra, consists of stainless steel circles and symbols. Ziemska surveyed more then 200 students to help her choose the symbols, many of which represent current areas of study at the school.

“The shadows that are cast and the way [the piece] reflects different things is constantly changing. That is the really exciting thing,” Ziemska said in a CSCC video.

Ziemska lives and works in downtown Cleveland, OH, in a studio by Lake Erie. She has received many prestigious grants and awards including a Fulbright Fellowship in 2002 and a Creative Workforce Fellowship in 2009. She has participated in several residencies, and her work has been shown nationally and internationally.

The installation of Ziemska’s piece was part of a multi-million-dollar project to remodel the library. The Percent for Art program provides funds for the acquisition, commissioning, and installation of works of art for new or renovated public buildings that receive state appropriations.

Aumiller (far left) takes video of Griffith working two of the puppets

Media Studies alumnus Corey Aumiller (CCAD 2006) is featuring CCAD president Denny Griffith, CCAD’s iconic ART sculpture, and some rather unusual co-stars in a video called Time Tunnel to be released in late September of this year.

Aumiller’s project is part of the Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project (CAP-UP), which is a series of 10 window installations that will be placed in downtown Columbus, OH, in celebration of the city’s bicentennial.

Included in the video are eight ex-presidents who were Ohio natives—in puppet form. Aumiller was tasked with the restoration of the puppets, which were originally displayed at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus.

The video, produced with the help of fellow artist Dan Gerdeman, will feature the eight puppet presidents at various landmarks around Columbus. The video segment featuring Griffith involved three of the puppets working on portraits with the ART sculpture as a backdrop. CCAD’s president (who is always a good sport) offered up helpful artistic advice and encouragement to the puppets/painters.

Other sites include the Ohio Statehouse, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Ohio Stadium, and the Ohio State Fair.

The video will be on view in the window of 65 E. State St., Columbus, OH, Sept. 27–Jan. 3.

Read about other CCAD-affiliated artists involved in CAP-UP here.

2011 AAE recipient Nathan Greno (right), accepting award from Denny Griffith (left)

Sixteen distinguished Columbus College of Art & Design alumni have been nominated for the 2012 Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence (AAE). Nominees range from a fashion knitting queen to a Pixar storyboard artist and an art therapy director to an internationally recognized fine artist.

The nominees are Bryan Ballinger ( CCAD 1990), Charlotte Belland (CCAD 1997), Samantha Bennett (CCAD 1995–1999), Sean Blanton (CCAD 2011), Roy Doty (CCAD 1942), Nicky Epstein (CCAD 1974), Michael Flechtner (CCAD 1981), Scott Hull (CCAD 1977), Matthew Kaser (CCAD 1984), Jon Hair (CCAD 1976–1978), Catherine Hyland Moon (CCAD 1978), Paitoon Ratan (CCAD 1993), William D. Ray (CCAD 1992–1994), Benjamin Roseland (CCAD 2005), Dan Scanlon (CCAD 1998), and Charles Wilkin (CCAD 1992). Read the nominee bios here.

The AAE will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 13, during Family Weekend & Homecoming. This event is part of an entire weekend of events for the whole CCAD family, including alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff.

Each year CCAD accepts nominations for AAE as a way to acknowledge not only the success and contributions of one very deserving graduate, but also the impact CCAD alumni have all over the world. Alumni are currently voting on the finalists, after which a committee will review the nominees and choose the recipient. To learn more about the nomination and voting process, click here.

Brianne Schulze, from her website

Being a goldsmith may not be the most obvious career choice for an Illustration major, but alumna Brianne Schulze (CCAD 2012) decided to follow that path and now holds a position as an apprentice at Diamond Cellar in Columbus, OH.

At the Diamond Cellar, Schulze is learning from the ground up, starting with the basics and focusing on precision and technique.

“I’ve been able to get a feel for different metals and how they act,” Schulze said. “I will soon be learning more of the bench work such as repairs, ring sizing, stone setting, and wax carving.”

“There is always something new to learn, and about a million and one ways to accomplish a certain task,” Schulze said. “This is one of the many things I find to be both exciting and challenging, and I’ve always been a sucker for a challenge.”

Schulze was completing her class requirements for an Illustration major when her interest was piqued by something she had no prior experience in, jewelry. During her junior year, she took a beginning jewelry/small-scale metals class, and from there her career path took on its new direction.

“Prior to this class, I knew absolutely nothing about soldering, annealing, riveting, or just about working with metal in general,” Schulze said. “It was also my first sculpture class, and it opened an entire new outlet for me.”

Ring designed by Schulze

Her class with professor Kelly Malec-Kosak taught her not only the techniques needed to work with jewelry and metal, but also how to approach problems with a “fearless mindset.”

Schulze pushed herself to do as much as she could with the time that she had at CCAD. She was the chair of CCAD’s annual Art of Illustration Show and was also the lead work study assistant in the Illustration department’s office.

Professor Stewart McKissick chose Schulze for that position not only for her talents, but also for her maturity, self-discipline, communication, and leadership.

“By taking full advantage of the many opportunities that the college offers for creative individuals to explore, Brianne was able to grow beyond the usual notions of what people might initially think of as an Illustration major,” McKissick said.

“I really just wanted to take advantage of as many learning opportunities as I possibly could while at CCAD,” Schulze said. “The closer I got to my senior year, the more classes I wanted to take because I knew I wouldn’t have an opportunity like this again.”

Schulze’s career path does not end here; she hopes to one day become a designer for Diamond Cellar.

“Privatization” by Boryana Rusenova Ina will be up for bid on Aug. 25

CCAD faculty, staff, and alumni are involved in Art for the Environment, a silent auction on Aug. 25 benefiting the Ohio Environmental Council.

All of the artwork that will be for sale expresses a connection to the environment. This encourages guests, who will mingle with the artists throughout the event, to think about the environmental issues that matter to them.

Participating CCAD artists include editorial director Laura Bidwa, Fine Arts alumnus Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002), Fine Arts alumna Sarah Fairchild (CCAD 1994), adjunct instructor Linda Gall, president Dennison W. Griffith, Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Anne Holman (CCAD 2002), Fine Arts alumna Lauren Mudd (CCAD 2004), Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Chris Rankin (CCAD 1994), Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Boryana Rusenova Ina (CCAD 2006), and Fine Arts alumna Laura Sanders (CCAD 1988).

Director of Continuing & Professional Studies and Fine Arts alumna Cat Sheriden (CCAD 2003) and associate professor and Fine Arts alumnus Tim Rietenbach (CCAD 1977) also participated, serving on the host committee.

“As a host committee member, my job is to help build community interest for this event,” Sheridan said. “So why did I say yes to help? Because I’m a big ol’ tree hugger! But seriously, one only has to think of this record-setting hot July to understand the dire need to act in sustainable ways and strive to contribute to a culture that is sustainable, not just ‘more sustainable.’”

“This event combines two things dear to my heart: the environment and art. It was an obvious choice to be involved in whatever way I could,” Sheridan said.

The auction will be held Aug. 25, 6–9 p.m. at the Lab, 855 Grandview Avenue, Columbus, OH. Tickets can be purchased here. Paintings to be auctioned can also be viewed here.

Cass (left) walking down the CCAD Senior Fashion Show runway with one of her models.

Easton Town Center, located in Columbus, OH, recently printed and distributed their 2012 directory, which features Fashion Design alumna Rachel Cass (CCAD 2012).

Earlier this year, Easton Town Center awarded Cass their inaugural 2012 Fashion Design Award. In addition to the trophy and cash prize, the award included prominent placement in the Center’s directory, which includes two models on the front cover wearing Cass’ original designs and Cass on the back cover holding her award.

The Easton Fashion Award was created as a partnership between CCAD and Easton Town Center.

Cass received the award and showed her senior work in the 2012 Senior Fashion Show at CCAD.

“[My line] is somewhere between lingerie, lounge, and ready-to-wear,” Cass told the CCAD Fashion Show blog. “These designs create a true mix-and-match collection, which allow you to feel sexy, sophisticated, and comfortable.”

Cass was also named by the Fashion Design faculty as one of the 2012 CCAD Outstanding Seniors.

Michael Lai, photo from CSCA flyer

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Michael Lai (CCAD 2004) will present as a special guest for the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA), Aug. 2 at the Arena Grand Theatre, Columbus, OH.

For the presentation, Lai will share his thoughts on the changes occurring in design throughout China and Asia.

Following graduation from CCAD, Lai worked as a senior designer at the Columbus-based branding agency Ologie. He also worked as an adjunct professor at CCAD and served as co-president of CSCA.

In 2009, Lai ventured to Hong Kong Polytechnic University to get a master’s in interaction design. He is currently working as a visiting assistant professor at the university.

CSCA is a professional organization that promotes a better understanding of the context and function of the visual arts in commerce, industry, education, and the community.

To learn more about Lai’s presentation and purchase tickets, click here.

Screenshot from Mediani’s “The Box”

Animation alumna Kartika Mediani (CCAD 2010) showed her film The Box at the 2012 Comic-Con’s San Diego International Children’s Film Festival in California on July 15.

The short animated film, which was written, directed, and illustrated by Mediana, follows a young boy and the lengths to which he will go to protect a precious box.

The San Diego International Children’s Film Festival presents creative, exciting, and imaginative short films from around the world.

Mediana is currently working on her MFA at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“Creativity never seems to stop,” Stahler said in the blog post. “I love getting up each morning and traveling up the stairs to my third-floor studio, where I plant myself. I read, doodle, sketch, and ink ideas for hours.”

Stahler is an award-winning editorial cartoonist. His editorials and daily comics panel are syndicated and distributed by Universal Press Syndicate out of Kansas City. He is also currently working on the 2012 program cover for the Cincinnati Bengals.

To read the full article click here.

Brown’s work “Awareness, No. 1″

Illustration alumna Laurie Brown (CCAD 1994) is showing work in a group exhibition at the Mansion at Strathmore in Bethseda, MD.

Inform/Reform explores work that is made from repurposed and sustainable items. Brown, who creates three-dimensional works from paper, has four pieces in the show.

Strathmore provides educational programs for children and adults taught by professional artists and curators. The11-acre site has state-of-the-art gallery space, hosting more than two dozen art exhibits a year.

The exhibition, which runs until Aug. 17, shows the work of 37 artists that currently live in Upper Arlington, OH. Each artist also completed a sketchbook to accompany the exhibition, which will then be made part of the Upper Arlington Public Library’s permanent art collection.

The Concourse Gallery, programmed with the help of the Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Commission, is located at 3600 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington, in the Municipal Services Center.

Hout working on the mural inside the Columbus Library

What do Ballet Met, a library mural, and a children’s book have in common? Illustration alumna Sarah DeAngulo Hout (CCAD 2004).

Earlier this year, Hout was asked to paint a mural for the children’s section of the downtown branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The mural, which is in the activity room, features a landscape as it goes through the four seasons.

Hout also illustrated her first children’s book, Leap & Twirl, which was written by Steven Anderson and created for the dance company BalletMet Columbus. The book follows the daily adventures of a frog and a squirrel.

BalletMet Columbus also asked Hout to illustrate their 2012 Nutcracker poster. The poster will be revealed and displayed across the city in November.

Kunze’s flyer for the Zenclay Gallery

Fine Arts alumna Kerry Kunze (CCAD 2011) is exhibiting her work at Zenclay Gallery in Morgantown, WV, Aug. 4–Sept. 28, 2012.

The solo exhibition, Veils, features her recent paintings and drawings. There will be a reception Aug. 4, 6:30–8 p.m.

Kunze will also be showing her work in a group exhibition at the Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Schnormeier Gallery in Mount Vernon, OH, Feb. 25–April 4, 2013.

Teaser image for the Huffington Post’s article on Sharma

Alumna Manjari Sharma (CCAD 2004) was featured in the Huffington Post’s iPad issue for her photography project Darshan.

The article, MOVING IMAGE: Recreating the Gods, describes her ongoing project of photographically representing Hindu gods and goddesses.

Sharma began the project by creating an image of the Hindu goddess Maa Laxmi. She then used Kickstarter to raise money to help her continue and expand her project. She raised nearly $26,000 to create the gods Ganesha, Shiva, Durga, and Hanuman.

“Darshan is a Sanskrit word that means ‘sight,’ ‘view’ or ‘vision,’” Sharma wrote on her Kickstarter site. “My project, Darshan, aims to photographically recreate nine classical images of gods and goddesses pivotal to mythological stories in Hinduism.”

Creating each photograph is no small task and requires the help of nearly three dozen people. Everything in the photo is created in a studio—including the set, costumes, jewelry, props, makeup, and more. The first image alone took more than three weeks and cost nearly $5,000 to put together.

Sharma and the Darshan project were recently featured in The New York Times and NPR. Her other photographic projects, including her Shower Series, led her to be named to the Best of 2010 by the American Society of Media Photographers.

Chad Hunt’s photograph for Popular Mechanics magazine

Photography alumnus Chad Hunt (CCAD 1994) spent a week training with a U.S. Special Operations Command team, and some of the resulting photography is featured in the July issue of Popular Mechanics.

Hunt’s week with the team involved live-fire training at the Yakima training grounds outside of Seattle, WA.

“Getting such intimate access to the military’s elite was not easy,” Hunt said. “It came about from a personal relationship that I have had with [that] special operations team leader since 2006 when I was embedded in the Korengal Valley, the backdrop for the documentary film Restrepo.”

Hunt filmed a short video to be featured on the Popular Mechanics website and the iPad version of the magazine, which can be watched here. His photographs from Yakima can be viewed here.

Hunt has more than 15 years of experience in photojournalism and portrait work. He has traveled to Afghanistan three times in the last two years as an embedded photographer with the U.S. military. In 2008, his photograph of Sergeant Major David Combs at the Korengal Outpost in Afghanistan made the cover of TIME magazine.

“At CCAD I learned to follow my heart and paint what moves me most,” Bork said on his website.

The paintings are for sale, and a portion of proceeds will go to the HRRMC Foundation.

Bork lives and works in Salida as an artist and also owns a studio/gallery, which he opened in 2010.

Rankin’s encaustic painting “Untitled”

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Chris Rankin (CCAD 1994) will have his work displayed in two Columbus, OH, venues this summer.

His encaustic paintings will be hung at Basil, a restaurant in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district, through August. He will also have his work displayed at the Bexley Public Library in September and October.

Rankin is currently working on landscapes painted with pigmented beeswax. He is also the co-founder and principal of Creative Spot, a full-service ad agency founded in 1994.

A resident and his dog walk by Davidson’s mural; photo courtesy of “This Week”

Fine Arts alumnus Clint Davidson (CCAD 2000) finished painting a mural that was unveiled July 14 in honor of Glen Echo Park’s 100th birthday in Columbus, Ohio.

The mural, which features birds native to the area, was funded by a grant from the Chase 200Columbus Neighborhood Grant Program. The project also received donations through online fundraising.

“The neighborhood’s been very positive and supportive,” said Davidson in an online This Week article.  “Some people come by every day and take some kind of process shots. That makes me happy as an artist.”

The daylong celebration at Glen Echo Park was hosted by the Lower Olentangy Urban Arboretum, Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed, Friends of the Ravines, and ALTernative.

To read the full article on Davidson and the mural, click here.

Alex Conrad with his work

MFA alumnus Alex Conrad (CCAD 2012) will be showing his work in the First Street Gallery’s 2012 MFA National Competition in New York City.

The annual exhibition is open exclusively to MFA students throughout the United States. Juried by John Yau, art critic, poet, and professor at Rutgers University, the exhibition features paintings, drawings, prints, mixed media, and sculpture.

Conrad’s final thesis project involved embedding X-ray and MRI films in resin. Inspiration was pulled from his childhood. His father was a radiologist, and when he was on call Conrad would often play with his X-ray films and their backlighting.

John Schaffner with his sculpture

Industrial Design alumnus John Schaffner (CCAD 1960) and Advertising & Graphic Design alumna J. Luray Schaffner (CCAD 1962) are both exhibiting work at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in Solomons, Maryland.

John’s wood sculpture Spiney Sea Creature is on display for a year in the mezzanine of the sculpture garden and J. Luray’s painting Vanishing Sea Grass Meadows is in the juried exhibition Treasured: Honoring Precious and Vanishing Worlds, which is on display until Aug. 26, 2012.

Treasured reveals the beauty and vulnerability of the endangered and the threatened. From disappearing plant and animal species, to vanishing languages and cultures, to threatened ecosystems, the exhibition highlights the intricacies and fragility of precious and vanishing worlds.

The Annmarie Sculpture Garden comprises 30 acres of forests, fields, and meadows around a paved walking path that features permanent and loaned sculptures, including more than 30 works on loan from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery of Art. The Arts Center includes rotating exhibition space, a gift shop, cafe, and a patio. Annmarie  presents a variety of popular annual festivals, rotating exhibitions, family activities, and creative public programs.

Four of the 13 artists chosen through a jurying process have CCAD ties. They include Corey Aumiller (Media Studies 2006), Adam Brouillette (Fine Arts 2002), Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski (Fine Arts 2002), and adjunct faculty Andrea Myers.

Aumiller will partner with artist Dan Gerdeman on Time Tunnel, a video featuring the Center of Science and Industry’s (COSI) presidential figures. Brouillette will be deploying his signature little red men in a motivational piece about Columbus. Rutkowski’s Wolf’s Ridge will be a diorama similar to those seen in natural history museums, and Myers’ display will include a large sculpture symbolizing the forward momentum and energy of the Columbus community.

Each artist, or team of artists, receives $1,000 and a $250 materials fee. The artworks will be installed the week of September 17–22, 2012. kicked-off by a public unveiling.

A full list of artists and their window locations can be viewed here.

The Western Art Collection currently has 228 works of art, which comprise both two- and three-dimensional pieces; in various media including oil, acrylic, watercolor, egg tempera, and guache, as well as bronze and alabaster sculpture.

Howard’s work can be viewed during the museum’s 8^th Annual Western Art of America Show, where his piece was chosen as “artist’s choice” by his peers.

Howard’s work is a part of numerous private and commercial collections such as the Ronald McDonald House, the state of Ohio, Xerox, Ohio State University Cultural Center, Liebert Corporation, Hydroplane Inc., and country music legend Conway Twitty.

Still from the “Monsters University” trailer

Pixar’s Monsters University will not be released until summer 2013, but the animated feature film, directed by alumnus Dan Scanlon (CCAD 1998), is getting a lot of media attention already.

We broke the exciting news last year that Scanlon would be directing the Monsters Inc prequel. This week the LA Times wrote an article announcing that the movie had released not one, not two, but four trailers for Monsters University, which will follow monsters Mike and Sully, voiced by John Goodman and Billy Crystal, as they navigate their way through college life at scaring school.

“This is about showing youthful exuberance and fun,” Scanlon said in the article. “Just Mike and Sully being wild and young feels right.”

This will be Scanlon’s first time directing a feature film, but he has had a writing credit on Cars, co-directed the short Mater and the Ghostlight, and was a storyboard artist on other Pixar projects.

Monsters University will be released into theaters June 21, 2013. To read the full LA Times article and watch the trailers click here.

Cover of “The Professor and the Paperboy”

Illustration alumnus John Malta (CCAD 2010) received a grant from the Xeric Foundation to self-publish his comic book, The Professor and the Paperboy.

“I am working on part two of  The Professor and the Paperboy, so I can publish both as a two-part box set,” Malta said.

The book follows the adventures of a distinguished professor of theoretical physics named Reginald Cornelius Oozeman and his paperboy, Grover.

The Xeric Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation established by Peter A. Laird, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Planet Racers. The foundation offers financial assistance to committed, self-publishing comic book creators and qualified charitable and nonprofit organizations.

Poster from “S.O.S”

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus James Alicea (CCAD 1992) recently finished a project where he was not only able to rally artists from Japan and New York, but also helped raise money and awareness for victims of the 2011 tsunami and eathquake in Japan.

Alicea and his business partner Shin Ono created S.O.S: Suns of Silence, a one-day exhibition featuring work from 28 artists, 14 from Japan and 14 from New York City. The show was held in Tokyo, Japan, on April 13, 2012.

“I connected with artists from my everyday movements,” Alicea said. “Creatives that I have met or have had the pleasure of working with all helped out.”

The artists had to put their own artistic touch on a 3D mold of a human skull. The designs ranged from an abstract neon painting to a realistic recreation of a face.

“There were no guidelines as to what was suppose to be painted,” Alicea said. “[The skulls] were meant to represent the destruction that the earthquake and tsunami left in their wakes.”

The exhibition served as an auction for the skulls. Guests also enjoyed a live photo session with internationally known photographer Yone. Every skull was sold, and the money raised was donated to Bond&Justice, a grassroots organization helping the victims of the 2011 disaster.

“It was a successful turnout not just because of the cause and the money that was raised, but it introduced artists from two different worlds,” Alicea said.

Alicea and Ono have started planning and creating a similar exhibition for next year, which will tour through Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore and end in New York City.

Additional photos from the event can be viewed here, and video here.

Kittikhun Ter Charoenkitnapa

By Kendra Hovey

Even as the corners of the world are drawing closer together, there’s still room for an occasional small-world surprise. For example, how exactly did a teenager in Bangkok find out about an art school in the American Midwest? Was it research? Recruiters? The Internet? No. It was word of mouth. In high school, Kittikhun Ter Charoenkitnapa made no secret of the fact that he wasn’t going to go to any, as he put it, “normal school.”

“I was deciding between art school and music school,” he said, “and a friend told me about CCAD.”

Now 28, Charoenkitnapa is a CCAD alumnus, having graduated in 2006 with a degree in Industrial Design. In 2009, he returned to Thailand and joined Dusit International, where he is now a senior manager in design and marketing.

Dusit International is one of Thailand’s leading hospitality companies, with five different lines of luxury hotels and resorts. One meaning of the word “dusit” refers to a utopian city conceived in 1918 by King Rama VI. The king’s idea combined the best of the contemporary West and traditional Thailand. For Dusit International, this blend is key to the brand, and it is Charoenkitnapa’s job to be the discerning eye that ensures all collateral materials reflects this brand. Designing templates and reviewing marketing pieces is, in his words, “always a work in progress,” and even more so as the company expands. With a presence already stretching from the Philippines to Dubai and across the Nile to Egypt, Dusit is soon coming to the U.S. Their new Pasadena, CA, hotel will open this year.

As his company prepares to cross continents, we asked Charoenkitnapa about his own continental crossing.

“I fit in pretty comfortably within the CCAD crowd,” he said, remembering four years of “sleepless nights, strong friendships, and deciding which class to skip to finish another class’s project.” He offered his thanks to the college for a “well-rounded design education” and “amazing, close-to-real-world experience.” He added that the ability to communicate design concepts in English is invaluable, but just as essential were those benefits that are a little harder to pin down.

Kittikhun Ter Charoenkitnapa

“Interacting with other students and teachers, I absorbed their way of thinking,” he explained. “I believe that different nationalities have different methods of life, and experiencing more than one type gives me a better understanding of what ‘life’ really means.”

This thinking informed his advice both to those coming to CCAD internationally—“go in open-minded, study the foundations seriously, then decide your major. Oh, and practice English”—and also to those working internationally: “Different countries have different personalities…don’t try to force your design or your concepts. Be humble yet confident. Present yourself professionally. Be brave.”

Charoenkitnapa shared that in Thailand art is central to the culture. It is appreciated. “You can see it in the dances, jewelry, and architecture.” But, in almost an inversion of American culture, there is less fluency when it comes to design.

Though his work at Dusit keeps him busy, Charoenkitnapa somehow found the time to start a small, but growing side photography business with a friend.

About life in his hometown, he said, “I’ve always compared Bangkok to New York City…except I’m only a couple hours from the tropical ocean!”

CCAD alumni pictured in front of the Disney Animation Studios

Disney Animation has created beloved movies such as Tangled, Winnie the Pooh, and Bolt, and CCAD alumni have worked on story boarding, sketching, and programming for all of these hit features. We got a chance to talk to seven of our graduates about what it’s like to work with CCAD peers in this creative environment.

Meet Director Nathan Greno (Illustration 1993–1996), Story Artist Ben Lane (Illustration 1996), Character Designer Chris Oatley (Illustration 2001), Story Artist Ryan Green (Media Studies 2003), Story Artist Fawn Veerasunthorn (Media Studies 2005), CG Layout Artist Joaquin Baldwin (Media Studies 2006), and Stereoscopic Artist Trainee Darren Simpson (Media Studies 2011).

Q)  What is it like to work with other CCAD alumni?

Nathan Greno (NG): For me, it’s always a pleasure to be working with CCAD alumni. CCAD teaches a strong work ethic and a strong work ethic, gets the job done on time.

Ben Lane (BL): It’s a bit like old soldiers who can share war stories of late nights, rubylith, and scars from dull X-Acto blades. We grumble about the young punks who have it so easy these days with them computers, unseasonably warm winters, and the ability to tote their entire portfolio on miniscule flash drives. In all seriousness, it’s nice to have a common background with people, especially when starting a new job in LA. It’s comforting to know there are people who have been in the same trenches.

Chris Oatley (CO): The CCAD alumni who have made it to Disney are top talent. Ryan Green and Fawn Veerasunthorn are not only some of my best friends at the studio, but they are also some of the most talented people I know. It’s ridiculous and inspiring.

Ryan Green (RG): I feel that we have a bond, not just because we came from the same school, but because the animation jobs we wanted were unfortunately in a city other than Columbus. We all had to venture away from home, a little naive of the rules of the LA animation industry. Some of us had more roundabout career paths than others, but in the end, we kept learning and making connections until we were finally invited into the Disney family. By the nature of our school’s distance from LA, every CCAD animation student who wants to work for Disney will have to deal with a similar journey, and I think all alumni are aware and empathetic to that fact.

Fawn Veerasunthorn (FV): Most of the people I work with went to school in southern California, so I feel this instant bond whenever I meet another CCAD alum working at Disney or other studios. It is a small group of us, but a strong one. Even if we’re from various majors, we all fought through the same tough foundation year that allowed us to be where we are today.

Joaquin Baldwin (JB): Because we are all in different departments, I don’t really work directly with any other CCAD alumni. It’s great to know that they are around in the same studio.

Darren Simpson (DS): It’s exciting knowing that there are people in the same building that graduated from the same college. I have a friend here in particular that graduated the same year as me, and we were roommates freshman year. To eventually reconnect in a professional environment is very nice.

Q)  Why do you think Disney Animation has a lot of CCAD alumni?

NG: CCAD focuses on teaching the fundamentals. Every artist that works at the Disney Animation Studios need a strong fundamental structure to succeed. It’s been over a decade since I attended classes at CCAD, but what I learned there I use every day. The technology will change over the years, but the fundamentals stay the same.

BL: CCAD has a great program. Any artist could benefit from the foundation year alone. I think Disney recognizes that quality in the students and sees the school as a good source to draw its future employees.

CO: Disney Animation is still all about strong drawing and painting. If you submit a portfolio to Disney, people will go nuts for beautiful life drawings or plein air paintings. A high value is placed on classical art skill because it’s an inextricable part of the Disney legacy, regardless of the pervasive obsession with [Computer Graphics].

RG: Disney artists who come from CCAD embody the school’s foundation program. These individuals have found strength in their drawing, painting, or design skills and deliver high-quality craftsmanship on the job.

FV: CCAD focuses so much on the strong foundation in drawing, color, and design. Those are very important skills to have regardless of the department you’re working for. Not many schools emphasize them. Technology will always be changing, but the principles you learned from color concept classes will always be relevant in your career.

JB: I have no clue! I think it’s all due to random chance, depending mostly on the amount of available positions. Our studio has been hiring a lot of new people lately.

DS: There are a lot of passionate artists from CCAD doing many great things. I feel that having a desire to be in your respective profession will get you anywhere you want to be.

Q)  Any advice for current students or fellow alumni who want to become involved with Disney?

NG: It takes a lot of hard work to become an artist at the Disney Animation Studios. It’s not easy to get in the door, but it’s a goal worth fighting for. At Disney it’s possible to create films that will be loved worldwide. Tangled is a film I will be proud of for the rest of my life. Our animated films inspire toys, theme park rides, and attractions. It’s an amazing place to work. Aim high and never stop fighting for your goals.

BL: Many people who work in the animation industry, including some of Disney’s best artists, have websites, post on twitter, and regularly blog. Google search these guys and study their work, read what they have to say, contact them (if their contact info is readily available), and get their opinion of your work. The only caveat I would add is that they may not respond—these guys are busy. If you don’t hear anything, don’t get discouraged, but don’t become a pest, either. Also, start a website, or a blog or anything accessible via the internet. It doesn’t entirely replace having a portfolio, but it comes in handy when getting opinions of your work.

CO: Do great work and be great to work with. Every investment of time, money, and energy that you make as a professional artist should be in service of one or both of these goals. So the next time you start to get overwhelmed or depressed, just ask yourself:  Is this (time, energy, emotional, financial) investment helping me to focus on one of the two principles for success in the industry?

RG: Get personally involved with artists who do what you want to do. Be proactive. Use the internet to your advantage. If you want to be a Disney story artist, find a current Disney story artist’s website, study his/her work, and email him/her questions about what it takes to get into that specific position. Show your work and ask for a brutally honest critique. If that professional feels you’re not quite up to par yet, then make new samples and get a new critique in a few months. Ultimately, keep communicating with professionals and don’t stop making new art.

FV: The internet has opened up a new world full of great references to study. I’d recommend for students to look up artist’s blogs that are currently working in the industry, and don’t be shy to ask for their advice. Lastly, keep on practicing and never be discouraged by rejections.

JB: Definitely try for the talent development program. I would say it’s even better than being hired regularly, because they train you, give you tons of free classes, have you meet other departments and great people, and they pay you for it all. It’s also easier to get in since they expect you to prove yourself once in, rather than depend entirely on previous work experience like most of the other standard positions.

DS: It’s not required, but it helps living close to the studios. I think being around the studios and creative people fuels creativity further. Also, be persistent when trying to achieve a goal, and be open minded. You will never know which skill of yours will eventually get your foot in the door—It took me by surprise.

Q)  Why do you love your job/working in a creative environment?

NG: I can’t imagine not working in a creative environment. I don’t have an easy job, but I have a very rewarding one. I can’t imagine doing anything else in the world. I’ve been at Disney Animation for 16 years. There’s no other place I’d rather work.

BL: I love working with like-minded people. It’s amazing to be surrounded by so many artists who are passionate about animation, telling stories, and creating entertainment. The caliber of talent at Disney is humbling, and I can’t help but be inspired to be a better artist.

CO: I make a living from my imagination. It’s what I was born to do, so the privilege to do that 24/7 is overwhelmingly awesome. I’m also a people person. Some folks are made to go off into the woods, live life in a log cabin and paint lakes—that’s not me. I am made to collaborate, encourage, challenge, argue, etc. So to be released to just be myself in an environment where I can learn from and be challenged by everyone…well, it’s a dream come true.

RG: Animation is a collaborative medium, especially at a studio like Disney. For me, doing my art amongst creative peers is not only inspiring and informative, but in a racehorse kind of way, keeps me focused on being the best I can be, offering the best solutions for our films.

FV: Disney Animation has a long line of legacy and knowledge that has been passed along from one generation to the next. I learn so much from my colleagues each day, and they inspire me to be better at my craft.

JB: I feel like I can provide a lot of creative input into the films we are making. There is a hierarchy here, but it doesn’t mean that only the directors and producers have a say on it all. I tend to be very vocal and push new ideas. I feel that if I was just creating the shots that I was assigned to without questioning them, I’d get bored very quickly.

DS: I love it because I get to be creative. In any creative environment with passionate people, you will get sucked up in a whirlwind of creative magic—and it feels great.

Q) What past experiences do you share and remember from being a student at CCAD? How has this impacted your professional career?

NG: CCAD really taught me the importance of getting the job done on time and putting the most into everything I do. I learned work ethic and skills at CCAD that I apply every day at the studio. Without CCAD, my artistic toolbox would be empty. I owe a lot to all of my instructors at CCAD. I worked hard while I was in Columbus, and my reward has been a successful career at the Disney Animation Studios.

BL: I had to explore a few different directions in art before settling on animation. CCAD exposed me to many different artistic paths and helped me discover where I wanted to go. Specifically, Ron Saks’ class on storyboarding opened my eyes to an exciting new world that I had never considered before.

CO: When I was at CCAD, the animation industry was getting turned upside-down by the likes of Woody, Buzz, and Shrek. Meaning, CG [Computer Graphics] was changing everything and art schools everywhere were trying to figure it out. The internet wasn’t really “The Internet” yet, so information moved more slowly. My teachers at CCAD knew something that has been proven true in my life over and over and over, that regardless of what changes are happening in any area of commercial art, the art part should always be your main focus. CCAD taught me to set unreachable high standards for myself and to focus on drawing and painting above all else. It took me six years to break into the industry, but ever since then I haven’t had a single day without work. I owe a great deal of that consistent success to CCAD. CCAD is unlike many art schools in that they don’t chase software trends. They focus on drawing, painting, color, composition, etc. That’s the important stuff. That’s the stuff that will get you through the long haul.

RG: Around my junior year, the Media Studies department invited Dr. Stuart Sumida, a paleontologist and animal locomotion expert, to give an intensive seminar at our school. In his “You Are What You Eat” presentation, he broke down and defined the differences between herbivores and carnivores and how their anatomy affects their movement and behavior. Fast forward to my current Disney project, a movie involving a fictitious animal. In what started as a casual conversation with my director about this animal’s movement, I was eventually asked to create a presentation for the team that would clarify how this animal would move and what features needed to be changed so the character would be more believable to the audience.

FV: During my junior year at CCAD, I took Mr. Tardino’s illustration class, despite being a Media Studies major. I learned so much about character development and story, that I went back and took it again the next semester. The knowledge I gained then has been very helpful to me as a story artist today.

JB: I remember a lot of cheap ramen. I remember freezing my butt off. I remember cleaning the ceramics lab as a student worker, and growing clay stalactites in my nostrils. I also remember picking the hard teachers on purpose so I’d be pushed harder, and always trying to do a bit more than what any assignment asked for. I think that CCAD was as much about learning art concepts and skills as it was about learning to be self dependent and self driven. In a creative work environment they look for people that can handle the tools well, but that are also able to take initiative and improve the tool set and quality of the work.

DS: Foundation year. We all have our own experiences and memories from foundation year, but it was a huge stepping stone for me. I learned a lot about so much, and I still have a lot of learning and growing to do. I’m always trying to better myself and discover/learn new ideas, techniques, etc.

Check out our alums’ websites for more information:
Ben Lane
Chis Oatley
Ryan Green and Fawn Veerasunthorn have Bluefoot Studios
Joaquin Baldwin
Darren Simpson

Richard Cowdrey’s illustration for the children’s book “Searching for the You We Adore”

We do our best to get most of the news you submit to us onto the CCAD News Blog, but since there are more than 10,000 of you making news all over the world, not everything can make it into the blog. We’re glad to have another venue where we can share everything with you—this newsletter’s classnotes.

You can submit classnotes via the easy-to-use form on the alumni landing page. We only post career-related successes, awards, exhibitions, and publications, but we’d also love to know when you move, get married, or have children—just use that same form.

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from March, April, and May 2012.

Eileen Mueller Neill ’65 had an exhibition, Imaginaries, at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Fine Arts Gallery. Read more here.

Richard Cowdrey ’81 illustrated Searching for the You We Adore, written by Valerie Westfall. Read more here.

Janet Sopp-Sims ’85 was a finalist in the 2012 Hunting Art Prize. Read more here.

Anthony Baker ’86 presented at a conference about the importance of art in the classroom. Read more here.

Creative Arts of Women (CAW) members Helma Groot ’89, Roxanne Smith-Mansell ’87, Kristin Morris ’94–’02, Mary Ann Crago ’95, and Cat Sheridan ’03 were in a group exhibition honoring Women’s History Month. Read more here.

Richard Hughes ’88–’95 was chosen to create a poster for the eighth annual Art Affair on the Square in Urbana, OH. Read more here.

Don Slobodien ’88 earned first place in the Art at the Arnold competition. Read more here.

Chris Cosnowski ‘92 had a solo exhibition at Lyons Wier Gallery in New York City. Read more here.

Daniel Hopper ’94 had a chandelier chosen to be displayed in Coup d’Etat, a design showroom in San Francisco.

Jason Moore ’96 was named to Columbus Business First’s 40 under 40 2012 Honorees list. Read more here.

Danielle Julian Norton ’99 was in a group exhibition in New Jersey. Read more here.

Nicole Bruckman ’00 co-curated Cella Gallery’s exhibition Femme Fatale in North Hollywood. Read more here.

Irina Grebennik ’02 exhibited work in the  Orville J. Hanchey Gallery at Northwestern State University in the Inaugural 40 under 40 show.

Michael Bonardi ’04 had a solo exhibition in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Eliza Kinkz ’04 premiered her film Chocolate Milk at the 2012 South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Film Conference and Festival. Read more here.

Michael Litzau ’04 was offered a two-week residency at Ragdale in Illinois. Read more here.

Steve Weinzierl ’05 became the creative director at Favorite Color in New York City.

Anna Porreca ’06 was hired as an apparel graphic designer for Victoria’s Secret Pink in New York City.

John O’Reilly ’07 had his first solo exhibition at RH Gallery in New York City. Read more here.

These are Things, founded by Jen Adrion ’08 and Omar Noory ’08, was featured in two trade publications (read more here) and was used as a case study for a New York Times bestselling author’s book (read more here).

Ashley K. Alexander ’09 published her second novel, The Hanged Man’s Ghost. Read more here.

Annie Kocher ’09 was featured in Alive! Read more here.

Rachel Ridgley ’10 had her photography and personal story featured in Wolfdogs magazine. Read more here.

Mason Miller ’11 was hired as a graphic designer for Big Red Rooster, a multidimensional brand experience firm.

Pallavi Sen ’11 was awarded the Lifchez/Stronach nine-month, paid curatorial internship with the Antonio Ratti Textile Center of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Read more here.

A preview from John Urbano’s photography book

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus John Urbano’s creative touch can be seen on big-name companies and projects including photography and videos for Abercrombie & Fitch and music videos for the international pop band One Direction. One of his own personal projects has neared an end after 10 years in the making. He will be self-publishing a 300-page, black and white photography book, John Urbano 1.

For  Urbano it is all about story-telling no matter what the project or subject is, and John Urbano 1 is no different. The book, which will be a limited-edition release this summer, all started when he met a girl named Niki Coyne.

“Niki’s love for riding horses inspired me to start taking photographs,” Urbano said. “These photographs became the first part of my collection for the book. After shooting Niki I started to photograph more girls who were passionate about something in their lives, everything from soccer to sailing—and that is what drove this book.”

Urbano’s long-time friend Arri Taylor, who runs a scouting company, helped him find the right women to photograph.

“He introduced me to some of my favorite women in the book. Along with Arri, I also worked with a few agencies like Ford and Vision,” Urbano said.

A preview from John Urbano’s photography book

Urbano shot all over the world in locations including the U.S., Dominican Republic, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Central America.

In Urbano’s own words, the tone of the book is simple—beautiful women and beautiful landscapes. Each woman was shot in black and white to portray Urbano’s tone and purpose.

“I have always loved traditional black and white photography,” Urbano said. “It seems appropriate for this collection of work—timeless.”

After nine years of taking the photographs Urbano had to decide how he was going to design and publish the book. He worked closely with Roger De La Rosa on the book design and decided to self-publish the book and release it in limited edition.

“I wanted to self-publish John Urbano 1 so I could control every detail from start to finish,” Urbano said. “I am only releasing 1,000 copies because I like the idea of my book being rare—if you don’t buy one now, you might not be able to later.”

This is not Urbano’s first time working on a book. In 2010, he finished work on the photography book Beauty of the Flight, which accompanied a documentary he filmed. The work featured the intimate and devastating imagery of two Panama barrios affected  by both political and social struggles.

You can purchase John Urbano 1 at www.johnurbano.com, and it will also be in a few, selected bookstores around the world. He is currently working on two more photography books and two short films.

Peter Wachtel using his invention the STAKE

A creation of Industrial Design alumnus Peter Wachtel (CCAD 1990) seems to be becoming the “official BBQ tool of the summer.” Last year we reported his invention STAKE and his production of it via Quirky. Since then the STAKE has received a lot of publicity and is being sold through venues such as Target, Fab, and ThinkGeek.

Reviews for the product on the popular gadget site ThinkGeek range from “This. Changes. Everything,” to “If Tony Stark ever grilled, this is what he would use.”

“I am a big BBQ fan,” Wachtel said. “I was BBQing in the backyard and was amazed that I needed so many tools to cook—I had my spatula, tongs, a fork, a knife, and even a bottle opener. There was a different tool for every function. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to combine all of these needed tools into one multifunction tool that I could easily take anywhere.”

And so Wachtel created the STAKE. He began his design process by taking apart the tools he used while BBQing and creating a rough prototype. After some trial and error, he arrived at his final invention.

Wachtel has also been gaining publicity for his other invention, the Mercado bag, which was designed with farmers’ markets in mind. It is made out of nylon mesh and canvas and has multiple compartments to protect fresh produce from being bruised during transport. The bag is also being sold on Quirky and Fab and has even been featured on the LA Times online blog.

Wachtel is the owner and president of Kid Toyology, which designs and develops items for the toy and entertainment industries.

Custom trading cards by Goad

Illustration alumnus Jason Goad (CCAD 1996) has been keeping a busy freelance illustration business going by partnering with some big-name brands and projects.

For the last seven years, Goad has been freelancing with Mattel’s Hot Wheels. His most recent Hot Wheels project was working on their new Nostalgia Nose Art series, which pulls inspiration from iconic brands such as Hershey’s, General Mills, Masters of the Universe, and DC Comics.

One of the cars Goad worked on for Hot Wheels

Another recent project was with the Topps Company, which creates sport trading cards and entertainment products.

The company sent Goad 200 blank trading cards, asking him to do custom sketches relating to their MARS ATTACKS Heritage card set. After completing the drawings, Goad sent them back to Topps to be randomly inserted into packs of cards that would then be sold to the public. He will also work on custom sketch cards for their new Star Wars card set.

Goad’s other clients include Sony, Signatures LLC, The Giant Peach, Z1R, Mr. Angry Motorsports, The Electric Factory, Live Nation Presents, and WOW Factory/Nowstalgic Toys.

Phillips during video interview

CCAD alumni are often featured in media outlets around the world, and Illustration alumnus Michael Phillips (CCAD 1999) is no different. He was recently profiled in All4You, a contemporary culture magazine based in Croatia.

The interview discussed everything from his original inspiration for becoming an artist to his everyday challenges and successes.

He connected with the magazine through a friend living in Croatia and immediately became involved with some of their current art projects.

“Once you start traveling you meet so many people and have so many opportunities,” Phillips said. “You begin to realize that the world is filled with passionate people.”

Phillips recently signed with a licensing publisher that will help him manage his marketing and promotions so he can continue his illustration and painting work fulltime.

“Being an artist has always been about the love of creating,” Phillips said.

Watch the full interview here.

Cover of “Dinosaur Pet”

Dinosaur Pet, illustrated by alumnus Tim Bowers (CCAD 1979), has garnered a lot of attention—it has climbed to number three on The New York Times bestsellers list and is number one on the Publishers Weekly top-selling children’s picture book list.

The book, written by Marc Sedaka, follows a young boy and his unlikely companionship with his pet dinosaur. A musical CD accompanies the story; songs on the CD are sung by the author’s father, Grammy Award winner Neil Sedaka.

Bowers has illustrated more than 30 children’s books, including The New York Times bestseller Dream Big, Little Pig! written by Kristi Yamaguchi.

The exhibition, Vato, titled after an Ayurvedic term meaning air and space, will explore Raymundo’s graphite and charcoal drawings.

“The concept is literally depicted in the works’ subject matter of cloudscapes, a night sky, the empty space of paper, and in my own personal journey in creating the series,” Raymundo says in her artist statement.

This will be the first time Raymundo will display the drawings together. They range from intricate, textural collages to commonplace objects, both small- and large-scale.

There will be a reception Saturday, June 23, 6–9 p.m.

Longstride logo

There’s a new creative company in Columbus named after the legend of Robin Hood. Longstride has tapped CCAD talent and was recently featured in a Business First article

The company was launched in January 2012 by Anthony Trimpe, who was shortly joined by friend and Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Greg Beck (CCAD 2009). Anthony’s brother, Alex Trimpe, who is a senior at CCAD, works with the team on a contract basis, as does CCAD faculty Andrew Ina.

“It was much less of an epiphany and more like a natural evolution on what we could do with our skill set,” Beck said in the article. “It was a shared passion.”

The team has worked with nonprofit organizations including the Capital Area Humane Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and Flying Horse Farms. Their services range from brand imagery and website work to videography and guerrilla marketing tactics.

“This is what I have been craving all this time,” Beck said. “Creative talents put to good use—for the benefit of others.”

They’ve kept costs low by working out of their homes and hiring freelancers as needed. They haven’t overlooked plans for expansion though. According to the article, they believe their 2012 revenue will reach $150,000, and they hope to hire a few full-time staff members.

“We know these types of [clients] don’t have deep pockets, but we believe they deserve the same top talent [as for-profit companies can afford],” Anthony said.

To learn more about the company and its work, click here.

Mike Hein: Lean-To will show recent sculptures that emphasize the textural detail of found and handmade objects encasing them with thick sheets of clear acrylic. Hein’s work has been included in numerous exhibitions in the U.S. and Canada; he currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Opening reception is May 31, 6–8 p.m.

Curated by David Horton, Aliens Among Us explores the feelings Nikova had after immigrating to the United States from Bulgaria at the age of 17. She combines images from her childhood and Bulgarian folklore in her paintings and sculptures.

The exhibition is open until May 26 at the Ohio Art League Gallery, 1552 N. High St., Columbus, OH. View the video preview here.

Hartman was nominated in the category of Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program. He is competing against directors from other daytime shows including Penguins of Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Hartman has worked on other series and projects including Spider-Man, My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Stuart Little 3, and Jackie Chan Adventures. This is his second daytime Emmy nomination.

The Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards recognize outstanding achievement in all fields of daytime television production. This year’s gala will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, June 23, 2012, in Beverly Hills, CA.

Nathaniel Galka’s upcoming exhibition

Fine Arts alumnus Nathaniel Galka (CCAD 1998) will have work in the exhibition The Birds and Bees, May 21–June 17 at Muse Gallery in Columbus, OH.

The exhibition will include 12 of Galka’s recent paintings along with those of fellow artist Mel Rea. Galka will also have a show at Kai Lin Art in Atlanta, GA, opening May 18 and an exhibition at Packer Schopf Gallery, Chicago, IL, in July of this year.

Galka is represented by Muse Gallery, Kai Lin Art, Packer Schopf Gallery, Gallery Minerva, and Plum Gallery.

Congratulations Graduates!

More than 200 Columbus College of Art & Design students graced the stage of the historic Ohio Theatre to receive their diplomas on Saturday, May 12, 2012. The 133^rd annual spring commencement, in downtown Columbus, included an address by commencement speaker Mark Kvamme of JobsOhio.

The ceremony awarded four honorary degrees including, Beverly Bethge founder and creative officer of Ologie, Richard Aschenbrand dean of Visual Communications, Carl Garant dean of Industrial and Interior Design, and Edward Lathy dean of Liberal Arts.

Robert P Restrepo Jr., vice chair of CCAD’s board of trustees; President Dennison W. Griffith; Kevin J. Conlon, vice president for academic affairs, and Ric Petry, director of graduate studies and professor; conferred 11 master of fine arts degrees. Restrepo, Griffith, Conlon, and Faculty Council President and Professor Tim Rietenbach conferred 228 bachelor of fine arts degrees.

The students returned the recognition giving a standing ovation to all faculty and staff that assisted them along their journey. President Dennison W. Griffith gave the students a farewell message that earned a spontaneous round of applause when he encouraged graduates to be nuanced, and spread love in the world.

Family and friends greet the class of 2012 after commencement.

The 2012 class valedictorian is Industrial Design major Joel Van Gilder and the college honored the following 10 students with the distinction of Outstanding Senior in their area of study.

Kattie Baker, Advertising & Graphic Design

Chavilah Bennett, Advertising & Graphic Design

Rachel Cass, Fashion Design

Sara Diesel, Illustration

Lian Dziura, Photography

Christopher Ryan Evans, Media Studies

Leah Fisher, Photography

Jake LaBombarbe, Industrial Design

Sarah McCance, Interior Design

Erin McKenna, Fine Arts

Check out photos from commencement and more on the CCAD Alumni facebook page.

Neill's "Escaping the Vending Machine"

Eileen Mueller Neill (CCAD 1965) has an exhibition, Imaginaries, at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Fine Arts Gallery.

The Advertising & Graphic Design alumna’s exhibition encompasses sculptures made of clay, paper, and other assorted materials, inviting viewers into an imaginary world.

Neill has exhibited across the country and currently works out of her studio in Riverwoods, Illinois.

The exhibition is open until May 12, 2012.

Litzau will continue his work on a project that addresses what it is like to be a football fan through quotes and imagery.

“My artwork uses sports as a vehicle to investigate and celebrate issues of fandom, ritual, and fantasy,” Litzau said. “Throughout the football season I am enamored with the competition, the will to succeed, [and] the drama, but above all else the overwhelming sense of community that being a fan of football affords.”

At Ragdale, visual artists, writers, composers, and interdisciplinary artists come together to study their craft. Built in 1897, Ragdale is located on the grounds of  architect Howard Van Doren Shaw’s summer home and has provided a sanctuary for artists-in-residence for more than 30 years.

Kocher designed a custom wedding dress for a client who wanted to combine fabrics from her mother and grandmother’s wedding gowns.

“This is really exciting as a designer, to create my own lace through someone else’s lace, to recycle fabric,” Kosher said in the article.

Kocher founded Efficiency 204 Designs in 2009 as an outlet for her custom fashion designs.

To read the full  Alive! article, click here.

Pallavi Sen

Pallavi Sen (CCAD 2011) has been awarded the Lifchez/Stronach nine-month, paid curatorial internship at The Metropolitan Museum of Art working with the Antonio Ratti Textile Center.

Sen, a Fine Arts major, was assigned to the textile center to match her personal and professional interests and goals. She will also participate in the museum’s training seminars and conduct gallery talks.

The Antonio Ratti Textile Center is one of the largest, most technically advanced facilities for the study and storage of textiles in any major art museum.

Sen’s internship is June 4, 2012–March 1, 2013. To view her portfolio, click here.

Business representatives look over students' portfolios at Directions

Where can you find big-name companies such as Express, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Skreened, right alongside all our fresh, ready-to-enter-the-world CCAD talent? At Directions, CCAD’s reverse Career Fair, where things are a bit different. At this career fair, more than 100 students are stationed at booths organized by major, with their portfolios laid out, ready to pitch to business representatives from small, large, and international companies.

This year Directions was held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus on April 25, 2012.

“It is the passion that really drives me to come to this event every year,” says Bob Campell, creative director at Victoria’s Secret and 2000 Industrial Design alumnus. “Coming to these events you get to not only see what talent is coming into the work-force, but you also get inspired seeing fresh, young, passionate designers and creatives presenting their ideas.”

Bob Campbell was one of the many professionals who returned to visit the fair this year. Another was Lileah Porter from Tween Brands who came to check out the talent in the Fashion Design department.

“Last year we hired one full-time individual, and we also had some internships come from this,” Porter said. “I love the way CCAD sets this up. Here the students can have all their information and portfolios spread out, and they can present to us in a more relaxed environment.”

Dion Utt, a Fine Arts senior, was excited and eager for the professionals to walk in the door.

Joel VanGilder stands in front of his booth at Directions

“This is really a chance to present myself to the business world and help get my name out there,” Utt said. “The real benefit is being able to network. There aren’t many opportunities like this where you can have a diverse crowd of professionals who are all 100% interested in what you do.”

Not far from Utt, was Joel VanGilder, an Industrial Design senior who is already working as a designer for Worthington Cylinders and brought his coworkers to the event to scout out more talent.

“It is nice to have this exposure as a student,” Van Gilder said. “I was lucky to get placed in a job already, and I am using this time to continue to pitch myself to companies. It is interesting because there are a lot of companies that you may not know even existed who are looking for a product that you can help create with them. As a designer it is important to think outside of your niche sometimes and look at companies that may host a wide range of products and may need an illustrator or an industrial designer and this is an opportunity to discover that.”

Daniel Fox, founder of Skreened, roamed the Illustration and Advertising & Graphic Design aisles searching for talent to fill in as freelance designers for his Columbus clothing company.

“CCAD and Columbus are great places to pull local talent and creatives from,” Fox said. “This is my first time coming here, and I am really excited to be able to look at all these students’ work and see if there is a fit for us.”

Skreened owner Daniel Fox examines a student's work

Christian Cimoroni, an illustration senior, views this as a final step before he enters the real world.

“I feel accomplished,” Cimoroni said. “After all this work I can stand out here confident and talk to these professionals. I can gain a lot of contacts and start to network with people in Columbus.”

Ted Smirniotopoulous, Photography senior, was also really excited about the networking opportunities Directions allowed.

“This is a really good opportunity to meet and connect with people. I want to be able to expand my horizons and continue to learn after I graduate, and this is a perfect outlet to meet people from companies all around Columbus, whether local, national, or international.”

The event hosted students from all nine CCAD majors: Advertising & Graphic Design, Animation, Cinematic Arts, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Photography. More than 600 professionals representing close to 400 businesses attended the event.

Student painting in summer workshop

Summertime is often filled with pools, vacations, sunscreen, and art… yes, art.  CCAD offers adult and children’s workshops and classes that are a great opportunity to throw yourself into the creative community.

“CCAD is kind of an amazing place to be during the summer,” says Cat Sheridan, director of Continuing & Professional Studies.

Children can take one-week, half-day workshops during which they can explore a wide range of art techniques. For adults, CCAD provides an extensive variety of workshops and classes that fit all schedules including daytime, evening, and online formats.

“It is great to see people walk into our classes and then see the difference in them when they leave,” Sheridan says. “A lot of people leave here with bragging rights; they can say ‘hey this weekend I went to college and studied with CCAD students and faculty.’ They even have final pieces to show off.”

Student drawing in a summer workshop

CCAD brings summer art classes to a new level with the resources made available to participants. Those involved in the program will have access to state-of-the-art equipment and classrooms and will be provided with all the necessary supplies. Instructors are practicing artists and are a reliable source of information for students interested in the arts. Many classes and workshops are also assisted by current CCAD students.

“What really stands above the rest about this program is not only do participants have access to these resources, but they are also able to study with people who enjoy art as much as they do and explore along with them,” Sheridan says. “It is a pretty awesome deal.”

Children’s classes explore themes such as animation, drawing, digital art, ceramics, comic book drawing, printmaking, photography, and more. The classes are also broken down by grades, so students can study with peers in the same age group.

Adult programs are offered at a variety of times and intervals. Available classes include ceramics, fashion design, Photoshop, jewelry, website design, painting, welding, and more.

To view a complete list of workshops offered to children and adults, click here. To learn more about CCAD’s Continuing & Professional Studies program click here.

Boston, the home of Phong Nguyen (CCAD 2011) and his first post-graduation job.

By Kendra Hovey

It’s Thursday afternoon and by the look of things, Phong Nguyen might think he is back in college. After all, there are pizza and video games and it’s not even six o’clock. But Nguyen, 25, is not in college. The Texas native graduated from CCAD in 2011 and soon after took his Illustration degree to a new job at Tencent Boston—where every other Thursday is Game Day. “We stop working when the food arrives,” explains Nguyen. Spouses and partners come, and the play can last all night “or whenever we tap out.”

Tencent is China’s largest and most-used internet portal—comparable to Google—and Tencent Boston (TCB) is one of its U.S. branches. At TCB, the focus is on game development, and Nguyen is a junior concept artist. “Basically,” he says, “whenever there is a question of ‘how will this look,’ concept artists provide the answer.” Getting to that answer is when Nguyen knows for sure he is not in college. “In school, I might have weeks to complete an assignment. Here at work, from thumbnails, sketches, semi-final, to final can be as short as a day.”

Most days now at Tencent Nguyen works on a Cintiq digital tablet, drawing on the pressure-sensitive screen with a stylus. When he is given a project, it comes with a code name and an “art bible.” Sometimes the creative direction in the art bible is specific—a Greek castle, say, circa 15^th century, colors muted—and sometimes very loose, like the two words guiding his assignment for a project codenamed “Ice.” All Nguyen was given was “creepy cave”—so he created a dark, damp, eerie mood with lighting that allowed the action in the game to reflect off puddles and the damp roof of the cave.

Nguyen at work.

Is it challenging? “Yes,” he says, “but I’ve learned that when you push yourself, you can do a lot you didn’t think you were capable of.” The best part of his job—even better than Game Day—and the part he never loses sight of is this: “When it comes down to it, I’m being paid to draw and paint pictures.”

In a different city and a different industry, CCAD alum Kristen Macauley has also managed to marry art and career, and she is pretty pumped about it. At Haskell Jewels in New York, Macauley is the jewelry designer for the Robert Lee Morris line. “It’s been amazing,” she says. The 23-year-old Fine Arts major works directly with Morris, whose “wearable art” has been celebrated since the 1970s and can be found in the pages of Vogue and on the wrists of stars from Iman to the Olsen twins. (Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas is partial to his silver metallic cuffs.) Morris’s style is sculptural, conceptual, and organic. “He is an artist,” says Macauley, “and he inspires and motivates me every day.”

New York City, the home of Kristen Macauley (CCAD 2011) and her first post-graduation job.

Macauley, just like Nguyen, is less than a year out of CCAD. For any graduate, that first year is often a time of finding one’s professional legs, yet both of these young artists seem to be in full stride. “In fact, it’s been crazy hectic,” says Macauley—especially in January, when the runway pieces had to be ready for Fashion Week, which is right on the heels of Market Week, when Haskell opens its doors and all its lines to buyers scoping out the newest designs.

Macauley no longer works on the fabrication end making the jewelry itself. Yet before samples are delivered to the studio, she knows exactly what each piece will look like. It’s a skill she owes to CCAD faculty member Kelly Malec-Kosak, an assistant professor in Fine Arts and the chair of Dimensional Studies. “She makes you really get your hand and mind wrapped around what the material is going to do,” says Macauley, who also appreciated her former professor’s emphasis on communication, even her “dreaded” writing assignments. “One thing CCAD does very well,” she says, “is to make you talk about your work, what it is about, and the story behind it.” Macauley believes this prepared her for the intensive interview process that got her in, first, at the large apparel and accessories company the Jones Group, and then later, in November, at Haskell.

Macauley at work.

Macauley also discovered that her degree from CCAD was a “wonderful attention grabber.” In the accessories side of the New York fashion world, most candidates come out of the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Macauley’s interviewers assumed she did, too. “I was very proud to say, ‘No, I went to CCAD,’” she says. She feels that, as a result, there was more interest in her portfolio and her education.

CCAD also played a role in Nguyen finding his job. It was a CCAD alum who told him about the opportunity at Tencent Boston. Nguyen was a senior at the time and already building his concept art portfolio; he immediately began researching Tencent so he could tailor his portfolio to the company’s needs.

From Nguyen’s first day at CCAD, his plan was to work in entertainment. The industry is recession-proof, he explains, and “allows steady income without losing creativity.” His parents were supportive of his art degree, but to him the loans were scary. He’s glad to have found that he is able to handle them now.

Macauley’s family is, in her words, a “huge supporter of the arts.” Her father is an application architect for Rolls-Royce North America. Macauley had always expected that, like her father, she would do creative work within a commercial enterprise, but exactly what kind of work that would be didn’t come together until her senior year at CCAD. “That’s when I realized I wanted to combine my interests and find a way to deliver a fine arts message with a fashion and jewelry design look,” she recalls.

Now living in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, Macauley likes to take advantage of the design scene in New York—going to events, conferences, and museums. Still, she does miss CCAD, especially the studio time. Her advice to current students: “Take full advantage, because when you leave, studio time is not cheap.” Nguyen especially appreciated the camaraderie of talented artists at CCAD, as well as the painting and figure drawing classes, and nights spent sketching and drinking bubble tea at Pochi’s. In Boston, he enjoys going to Newbury Street and Chinatown.

But both grads are well aware that they’re still getting to know their new cities. It’s no surprise; after all, it’s just the first year.

Click any thumbnail below to view images in larger, slideshow format. Nguyen and Macauley each provided images of of their work and offices. Thanks to Fernanda Medina of sydandpianyc.com for the 2011 photo of a Robert Lee Morris shop window in SoHo.

CCAD alumnus Thomas Boonyarungsrit at work.

By Kendra Hovey

With everything the Thai city of Bangkok has to offer, why would Thomas Katkanan Boonyarungsrit get a kick out of grocery shopping? Perhaps because when he shops, he might just spot his own illustration on the shelf or type treatment in the freezer aisle. The senior graphic designer crafts the look and feel of all kinds of products, from websites to logos to book covers, but consumer goods, he says, can be especially fun. “Seeing my designs hit the shelf all over the country—I feel very proud.”

We hope he feels just as proud when he opens this magazine. After all, he designed it. Days after his 2005 graduation from CCAD, the Thai native joined Columbus firm Ologie, where he helped rebrand Nationwide and CCAD, taking the lead on the initial design for Image [the print version]. A refresh or two later, 80% of his building blocks remain. About our revamps: “Ain’t bad at all,” he says, “I’m quite pleased with how it looks.”

These days the 29-year-old Boonyarungsrit reads Image in his hometown. In 2006, he returned to Bangkok, where—first at Young & Rubicam and now at Creative Juice/Bangkok—he’s built a career in advertising and a list of accounts that includes multinationals Bacardi, DQ, and Dell, among others.

Branding project from Boonyarungsrit's work with Young & Rubicam.

Recently, we caught up with him for a long-distance chat about career, life, and his very engaging French bulldog—but first on our list was to ask about his name. After all, he has three: Katkanan, his given name; Shane, a nickname from his parents (a common Thai practice) used by his nearest and dearest; and Thomas, an aid for English speakers and the one he suggested we use for this headline. He adopted it at 15 when he and his brother moved to New Zealand to attend high school.

Boonyarungsrit not only has three first names, he’s lived in three countries and on three continents (New Zealand being, officially, a “micro-continent.”) All of this occurred before he reached age 19. So when asked if he had any words of wisdom for current CCAD students, he answered from experience. “Don’t be afraid of change!” he says. “Life is all about learning, and there is so much out here for you to learn.”

Not one to ignore his own advice, Thomas recently made a big change: He joined a new agency, Creative Juice/Bangkok, which is ranked as the top creative firm in Thailand. For someone whose personal tagline, “Great Minds Don’t Think Alike,” is an inventive twist on a familiar saying, it seems like a good match.

IMAGE: Can you tell us a bit about your work in the advertising industry?

Boonyarungsrit: When I came back to Bangkok I took on a freelance project creating brand guidelines. That’s when I realized advertising was really where I wanted to be. I get to set the style, look, and feel, and I like to learn and be inspired among creative people. Designing for an agency means being involved in the whole production process, and I really enjoy working with the photographer, stylist, retoucher, supplier, event organizer. I learn so much from creative people in different fields.

IMAGE: What brought you from Thailand—by way of New Zealand—to CCAD?

Boonyarungsrit: I’ve enjoyed art since the age of eight. I guess it is in my blood. My dad used to make custom frames for artists and also owned an art and antiques shop. In high school, after I came in first in art for three years and won a couple of national competitions, I knew I wanted to make it my career. Art is big in the United  States and the United Kingdom, so my parents found out about good art colleges. When CCAD offered me a scholarship, I did not hesitate. I had heard that it had a great foundation program.

Boonyarungsrit and Rod-Tung (which means "a tank").

IMAGE: Any difficulties adjusting to life in the American Midwest?

Boonyarungsrit: Yes, but it was because of New Zealand! I had to change my accent and slang and spelling. For instance, in the States rubber does not mean eraser, tea is called dinner, and colour is spelled color. Returning to Thailand after 10 years also took adjustment. It is my home, but I didn’t know the streets. I had a very difficult time with directions.

IMAGE: What has been your experience having a degree from the States?

Boonyarungsrit: I think it gives me an advantage. My experience abroad shows flexibility, curiosity, adaptability, and pro-activity. Plus, of course, there are my additional language skills. I still use the knowledge I gained from those foundation studies every day—color theory, composition, etc. You never realize how much you have learned at CCAD till you’re actually using it in real life.

IMAGE: Is there anything we here in the States might not know about the advertising industry in Thailand?

Boonyarungsrit: The Thai consumer still consumes traditional media such as TV commercials and radio and print ads. Digital media is something Thai creatives are moving toward, but clients still think that the old-fashioned way is most effective. Therefore, entering awards is an important channel for young creatives and agencies like mine to create cool work and gain a reputation.

IMAGE: What do you like to do for fun?

Boonyarungsrit: I love to play guitar and sing. I also love traveling, especially to Japan. What I most enjoy about Bangkok is that everything comes in variety and is inexpensive. We have many foods from different cultures, many shopping malls, markets, beaches, and more.

IMAGE: You also seem to enjoy photography—or at least taking pictures of your dog! Can you tell us about her?

Boonyarungsrit: Ok! She is a French bulldog, and she is now about two years old. I named her “Rod-Tung,” which means “a tank.” She sleeps with me every night and wakes me up every morning, including weekends! She is very friendly with people, but won’t play with other dogs.

IMAGE: Lastly, what do you think about being part of the content in a magazine you designed?

Boonyarungsrit: Well, I do feel good about being featured in my own work!

(All images were provided by Thomas Boonyarungsrit.)

Baker presented with coworker Tammy Thompson during a session at The Ohio State University’s Innovate, an annual conference featuring the best uses of technology in teaching and learning at universities and colleges across the Midwest.

Baker co-led the discussion “Teaching Is an Art (Using Art in Teaching),” showing examples of educational drawings, animations, and videos and discussing how these components were integrated into courses to transform learning objectives into tangible concepts for students.

The theme of this year’s conference was transformation. Numerous sessions highlighted the ways that technology can promote dramatic changes in the ability to engage students in the classroom and affect research and field-study opportunities across the globe.

Baker’s illustrations have been published in professional journals, medical textbooks, and other print and web material. He currently works as a medical illustrator in the OSU Health Sciences Library’s Medical Visuals team. He is a Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI) and a professional member of the Association of Medical Illustrators.

2012 Art at the Arnold artists at work with model, photo courtesy of Ralphoto Studio

An alumnus and student took home prizes in the third-annual Art at the Arnold competition, which coincided with the 2012 Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OH.

Don Slobodien (CCAD 1988) earned first place and a $2,500 prize. Illustration junior Shelby Bertsch placed third, receiving a $500 prize.

The competition comprised more than 50 Columbus artists competing in a three-day event.

It started with a half day of figure drawing and painting athletic models, followed by an afternoon of sketching and gathering references throughout the festival.

Artists spent the second day in a studio work session using materials gathered from the day before. On the final day artists selected one piece to submit for judging. Ron Pizzuti, owner of Pizzuti Companies in Columbus, was the judge for the 2012 competition.

Danielle Julian Norton, “Portrait,” 2011, photograph

Fine Arts alumna and faculty Danielle Julian Norton (CCAD 1999) will be a part of a group exhibition, Conference of the Birds, in New Jersey starting in early May.

The exhibition features artwork by 30 artists from around the world. It explores the collective relationship between humans and birds and the effect both have on their habitats. The exhibition was curated by Cynthia-Reeves Projects and features conceptual installations, photography, and video work.

Julian Norton will have a photographic portrait in the show that features a women with bird-like traits.

The exhibition will be on view at Mana Contemporary, 888 Newark Ave., Jersey City, May 3–July 31, 2012, with an opening reception May 6, 1–5 p.m.

Michael Bonardi's solo exhibition

Some people paint using a paintbrush, but not Fine Arts alumnus and CCAD admissions advisor Michael Bonardi (CCAD 2004), who uses a PVC pipe to create the artwork in his solo exhibition Dissecting the Dynamic Brushstroke at Brothers Drake Meadery in Columbus, OH, throughout April.

Bonardi’s exhibition presents a microscopic view of the act of painting and the marks that can be left behind on a canvas.

“I like to explore the potential of each medium and material I work with,” Bonardi says. “This work shows that the brush can limit findings and what the end piece can become.”

Bonardi says he has always tested the boundaries of his work and likes to leave everything open for the viewers’ imagination. He works with a variety of media ranging from glass blowing to ceramics.

“I like to leave my work in black and white and not use color,” Bonardi says. “Leaving it without color allows the person to be able to attach their own emotions to the piece without color and the mood deciding it for them.”

Bonardi has a busy season ahead of him. He recently sold work at the CCAD Spring Art Sale and has another exhibition with a reception August 24 at JH Museum.

Dissecting the Dynamic Brushstroke is open through April, with an opening reception April 20, 6–9 p.m.

"Art Affair on the Square" poster by Richard Hughes

Alumnus Richard Hughes (1988-1995) was chosen to create a poster for the eighth annual Art Affair on the Square in Urbana, OH.

Art Affair is an arts festival that features work by more than 60 artists in downtown Urbana. Each year a local artist is asked by the event planning board, is asked to portray his or her impressions of the annual show. Hughes responded to the request with a detailed painting of a festival scene.

The poster will be printed and signed by Hughes and available for purchase at the festival at Guild Galleries Interiors and Gifts, 118 N. Main St. The alumnus will also be on site painting during the duration of the festival.

Art Affair on the Square is July 21, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Earrings created by Mark Burleigh

The CCAD Spring Art Sale is here again and not only are we getting excited, but our vendors are also waiting with anticipation to show off their hard work. On April 14, 2012 more than 100 students, alumni, faculty & staff will sell their work in the Loann Crane Center for Design on April 14, 2012.

The sale provides an excellent way for visitors to purchase unique artwork produced by the talent at CCAD. An array of items can be found including jewelry, paintings, ceramics, glass, scarves, clothing, prints, homemade cards, and much more. CCAD artists and designers prep for the sale weeks in advance and are already set to go.

Mark Burleigh, assistant professor and Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus, will be selling silver and metal jewelry including earrings, brooches, pendants, and bracelets.

“This will be my second time participating in the CCAD Art Sale, and I am excited not only to sell my work, but also to show students and faculty a new side of me,” Burleigh said.

"Tuk," an illustration by Isuri Hewage

Burleigh has been working with silver for the past 30 years. He began after attending a Revolutionary War reenactment and talking to a silversmith there who sparked his interest. Burleigh regularly works with antique  hand-hammered silver and beads that were used for trade in the early 19th century.

“I will take a 200-year-old trade bead and wrap it in silver to create a bracelet,” Burleigh said.  “I like mixing these separate eras and worlds. I think it is important to have a piece that tells a story.”

CCAD Illustration senior Isuri Merenchi Hewage will be selling prints of her illustrations at the sale. This is her third art sale, and she has gotten the routine down pat.

“I think vendors get a lot of good exposure by selling work at the sale,” Hewage said. “I like seeing what artwork other artists have brought, and I get the chance to meet new people who are interested in art, just like I am.”

The CCAD Spring Art Sale begins at 9 a.m. with first choice admission ($50) and general admission ($5) beginning at 10:30 a.m. Click here for more information on the sale.

"Red Tape" floor installation by Cat Sheridan

Creative Arts of Women (CAW) opened their exhibition Creating Our History honoreing women’s history month on March 5, 2012.

The exhibition includes work by 28 CAW members, including many with CCAD connections: Mary Ann Crago (1995 Fine Arts alumna), Linda Diec (Fine Arts adjunct faculty), Helma Groot (1989 Fine Arts alumna), Roxanne Smith-Mansell (1987 Fine Arts alumna), Lisa McLymont (Continuing and Professional Studies instructor), Kristin Morris (1994-2002 Illustration alumna), and Cat Sheridan (2003 Fine Arts alumna and director of Continuing and Professional Studies).

The exhibition was reviewed by Melissa Starker for the Columbus Dispatch. She described several works, noting that “the most straightforward statement of the group comes from Cat Sheridan’s Red Tape. The floor installation, constructed of the titular material, forms a circle of slanted caution lines around the word uterus. With that, she unites the intent of the exhibition and the headlines and frustrations of the moment.”

CAW members are visual artists, performance artists, writers, arts administrators, arts supporters, and art appreciators. The objective of the group is to support each member in her individual career, be involved in community service, have group shows, share new work, and network.

Creating Our History is on view until April 20, 2012 at the Shot Tower Gallery at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center, 546 Jack Gibbs Blvd., Columbus, OH.

The competition is open for all artists 18 and over who live in Texas. Sopp-Sims submitted her acrylic painting For a Young Man, which was inspired by the death of a close friend.

There were more than 1,000 entries into the contest, and 109 were selected by a jury as finalists. The jury will make its final decision on April 28, 2012. The winner will be awarded a $50,000 prize.

Sopp-Sims owns and operates Red Hound Fine Art Studio.

Cover of Wolfdogs magazine, featuring Ridgley's photography

CCAD alumna Rachel Ridgley (CCAD 2010) had her photography and personal story featured in Wolfdogs magazine Vol.2, Issue 3.

The Photography alumna works in both fine art and documentary style photography specializing in canines. Her lifetime love for dogs led her to specialize in dog photography. She has done work with several publications, fashion designers, and pet shelters. Ridgley does not limit herself to family pets and has hands-on experience photographing wolves, foxes, and even dingoes.

She is also a member of HeARTs Speak, a network of photographers who volunteer their time to animal shelters and nonprofit rescue groups.

Wolfdogs magazine was created by owners of wolf-dog hybrid breeds to share their stories and other stories about their canine companions.

Cowdrey's illustration for "Searching for the You We Adore"

Alumnus Richard Cowdrey (CCAD 1981) illustrated the recently published book Searching for the You We Adore, written by Valerie Westfall.

The children’s book celebrates parents’ love  as they search the world for a child they dream of adopting. The illustrations represent the love of the parents as a red ribbon traveling the world. The reader will see anything from pandas in Asia to polar bears in Antarctica covering the pages.

The Illustration alumnus is known for his children’s book illustrations, including the New York Times #1 bestseller Bad Dog, Marley! He has worked with top publishers including Scholastic, Inc., Harper Collins, McGraw Hill, Penguin, and more.

Bindernagel working in his studio

CCAD alumnus Steven Bindernagel (CCAD 2002) is often in his New York City studio for 15 hours a day, six days a week. His intense dedication began at CCAD and has continued to support him as he displays his work in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally.

“CCAD really infused me with a strong work ethic,” Bindernagel said. “I remember staying up for three days straight to finish my freshman year final projects.”

Bindernagel works as a full-time artist and is represented by CRG Gallery in New York City. In the latter half of 2012 the gallery will feature him in a solo exhibition, his first with CRG.

Richard Desroche, one of CRG’s co-owners, describes Bindernagel’s work as “…unabashedly beautiful. Color resonates and explodes off paper and canvas and at the same time a dark, brooding, even stained background is ever-present. For Bindernagel, soft and gentle must always be juxtaposed with harsh and aggressive.”

Bindernagel creates abstract paintings using a variety of techniques. His process is layered and can include pouring paint, glazing, painting out and erasing areas, and reworking the same area several times over.

Bindernagel’s success is no accident. Even in his undergraduate years at CCAD he was realizing the importance art would have in his life—and he was seizing every opportunity to learn, explore, and take risks.

“It was at CCAD that I realized I love making art and I was willing to do everything possible to do it for the rest of my life,” he said.

During his undergraduate years, Bindernagel learned to take criticism and defend his work. He enjoyed the critiques in his classes, learning to better himself and his peers. In particular, Professor Gordon Lee taught him how to defend his work and creative ideas and the importance of helping other artists grow.

“I remember his insights and keen ability to speak simultaneously to the emotional content of a painting as well as to the technical aspects of creating—it was in these classes that I really fell in love with the complexity and nuance of painting,” Bindernagel said.

His color concept and 2D design classes had a profound technical and tactile effect on his art. Today, Bindernagel still loves to use modulated color and semi-sculptural low-relief techniques in his paintings, which can be traced back to those classes.

Bindernagel participated in the New York Studio Residency Program in 2001, while at CCAD. The program allows students to study among art and design professionals in New York City for a semester, and Bindernagel capitalized on every minute of the experience.

"The Inevitable Yield"

“I spent a lot of time working in the studio, where I would spend hours and hours painting, and outside of classes I would try to visit as many gallery and museum shows as possible,” Bindernagel said. “I also spent a good amount of time just wandering around the city. It was an amazing, concentrated, and enlightening experience for me.”

He knew he wanted to return and live in New York following graduation. Bindernagel admits that the amount of time he was able to focus solely on his work during the program directly and positively influenced his last year at CCAD and was a precursor to further his studies.

Bindernagel did return to New York and earned his MFA at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). From his lessons in the studio program and at CCAD he was able to understand intense studio hours prior to grad school and “knew where to buy $1 noodles for lunch in the city.”

The move from Ohio to New York for Bindernagel was not just about attending graduate school; it was also about diving into the arts and culture scene.

“Once here [in New York] I set up a large support network of fellow artists and colleagues, friends, and mentors,” Bindernagel said. “As people know, New York is expensive and somewhat chaotic, and the art world is extremely saturated and competitive, but having a strong network here has been invaluable on countless levels—from help finding work when I needed a job, to swapping studio visits with friends, to devising how to make our goals and dreams a reality.”

Upon graduation from SVA, Bindernagel found himself searching for a full-time job to pay the bills. He had to learn to adapt to a life of balancing a full-time job with up to 40 additional hours a week in the studio.

CRG Gallery began showing Bindernagel’s work in 2010 and eventually offered to represent him. The gallery was founded in 1990 and has exhibited work by artists from the United States, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and China. It  remains committed to providing exposure to emerging artists from around the world.

“I have known everyone at CRG for about five years,” Bindernagel explained. “I admire, respect, and trust them all, so I feel fortunate, and I couldn’t be happier to be working with them so early in my career.”

Bindernagel has been able to quite his job and now works more than 60 hours a week in his studio. But that doesn’t mean he has no free time. On Sundays he makes sure to take the day off to relax, read, and upload the photos of his artwork.

“Being an artist is a lifestyle choice rather than solely a career choice,” Bindernagel explained. “I came to terms [with the fact] that I was in this for the long haul, whether it ever paid off financially or not, because it is what I love to do.”

Since being able to devote himself solely to his artistic pursuits, Bindernagel has followed advice that he received from a professor years ago: as an artist, he needs to focus on making his art practice his primary and unwavering ambition. He understands that financial demands and countless other obligations may come up, but despite all of that he will find a way to stay unconditionally dedicated to his practice. His advice and motto: “Don’t stop creating”

Bindernagel believes possibilities are truly limitless for today’s artists, but times have also drastically changed due to technological advancements.

“Being an independent artist is like running a small business—you need a website, quality jpegs, business cards, etc. This may be common sense now, but in the late 1990s we were still looking at artwork on slides and projectors.”

Bindernagel’s success includes four solo exhibitions and 18 group exhibitions, and yet he still looks back to work completed his freshman year at CCAD.

“When I go home for the holidays and open the box with my work from CCAD, the memories flood back,” Bindernagel admits. “I still remember making every single project and the countless sleepless nights.”

His solo exhibition at CRG will run Nov. 15–Dec. 22, 2012.

Nationwide downtown office

They can be found working on branding or pulling together a commercial or photograph. They’re our alumni, and they work for one of the leading insurance companies in the country, Nationwide. We recently got a chance to chat with four CCAD grads about what it is like to work with fellow alumni at Nationwide.

Meet Brand/Reputation Director Tara Roe (Illustration, 1999), Campaign Manager Pamela Watkins (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1983), Creative Director Marc Lincewicz (Illustration, 1992), and Multimedia Senior Coordinator Mary Kay Kemper (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1991).

Q) What is it like to work with other CCAD alumni?

Tara Roe (TR):  It’s fun! There is a common understanding of design and color because we all had the same foundation courses. CCAD grads have a lot of pride in their work and it helps Nationwide’s design continue to grow and evolve.

Pamela Watkins (PW): It’s great to find out someone is a graduate of CCAD—because of foundation courses and instructors, you immediately have a bond with a co-worker. It is also fun to see where we have landed; our careers can take such diverse courses.

Marc Lincewicz (ML): I guess I would say that when I discover that someone I’m working with has graduated from CCAD it forms sort of an instant bond. We have an understanding that we both went through a similar learning experience and probably have similar levels of understanding with regards to finding creative solutions to complex problems. It’s sort of that unsaid wink and smile that we get each other.

Mary Kay Kemper (MK): It’s great to re-connect with people I went to school with and to meet other alumni. It’s almost like they get it and they have a slightly better work ethic then others (at times).

Q) Why do you think Nationwide has a lot of CCAD alumni?

TR: Nationwide is a great place to work! We have a great creative culture within our design teams and they are encouraged to challenge ideas and push the envelope. There are also a variety of projects and opportunities to move within the company.

PW: There are so many opportunities at Nationwide that incorporate a part of your education from CCAD. We have great creative teams. Having both CCAD and Nationwide as such a big part of Columbus’ culture, it only makes sense that so many of us end up here.

ML:  Some people may be surprised to learn that Nationwide recognizes the impact that strong creativity has on our ability to communicate with our members. In my experience, on the design side of my training, CCAD taught me to always create with users in mind. People may be unaware that Nationwide sells much more than just auto insurance. Our in-house creative also consists of an internal photography department, web and interactive teams, video production, photo retouching, and we’re even moving towards 3D modeling. I also think Nationwide understands that CCAD turns out quality people who are prepared to take on a variety of creative challenges. Finally, the combination of the company wanting to be a creative leader and having a leading creative institution in the same city simply works well together.

MK: A big perk is having Nationwide located conveniently near the school. I was out of state for a while and when I returned to find work in Columbus I knew having a CCAD education on my resume would be a big benefit.

Remodeled Nationwide plaza/lobby

Q) Any advice for current students or fellow alumni who want to become involved at Nationwide?

TR: I started at Nationwide as an intern after attending a job fair just before graduating. My advice is to show up to job fairs and make connections. It truly is a key to building your network. It’s all about who you know. That will help you get the time to prove yourself to a potential employer. Have a strong portfolio, practice interviewing, and continue to push yourself creatively.

PW: Never close the door on what you might bring to the table as a result of your excellent education at CCAD. After a long career in graphic design, my first job at Nationwide was as a print buyer. That opened so many doors, and now I’m a campaign manager for Nationwide Financial, who would have thought!

ML: It can be a long, hard, and competitive process to break into Nationwide. The best approach is to be willing to start in a junior position and work your way up. If you are an alumnus with experience, your book needs to show serious talent and a commitment to your craft. Either way, a candidate’s book needs to be excellent, clean, and professional.

MK: A good way is to start as a contractor and test the water, see if Nationwide is right for you while the company will see if you will work out. I contracted for a while before going full time.

Q) Why do you love your job?

TR: I love managing a team of campaign managers and working daily with designers and writers. Although I’m no longer designing myself, I know that I need to stay close to it. Creative people bring so much more energy to the table.

PW: I still get to be a huge part of the creative process without doing the actual designs. I co-lead projects from strategy through completion. I’m always working on various platforms from collateral to conferences to web presence. I still get to partake in the background I love, while learning new things and developing new relationships every day.