Nathan Greno at work

In his motion picture directorial debut, Nathan Greno, who studied Illustration at CCAD, pulled down a $49-million opening weekend and received a Golden Globe nomination for the film Tangled.

Now he can add the Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence to his many accolades.

CCAD will formally acknowledge the success and contributions of Greno, as well as the impact that CCAD alumni have all over the world, Oct. 7 and 8 during Family Weekend & Homecoming. The Award for Excellence will be presented and an exhibition of Greno’s work will be displayed during the college’s annual celebration.

When Greno (Associate 1993–1996) returns to campus he just may catch up with CCAD grads he has met while working at Walt Disney Animation. He said some of the best animators on Tangled attended CCAD and that it is fun sharing stories with other alumni. “It’s like we were part of a club,” he told Image magazine.

Greno advises others to “never stop fighting for your goals.” He described himself as one of the weaker figure drawing students when he first started at CCAD, but three years later he was working at Disney. “I had to work crazy hard to make that happen,” he said.

After sitting in on extra figure drawing classes and working diligently on his animation portfolio, Greno received an internship offer from Disney at the end of his junior year and he has been there since 1996. He hated his first job as a clean-up animator on Mulan and faced a crisis moment because he didn’t feel like he was being creative but had been dreaming about working for Disney since elementary school. Fortunately for audiences, he found the storyboarding department and spent about 10 years there before having the opportunity to direct.

Greno has worked on other Disney films, including John Henry, Brother Bear, Meet the Robinsons, and Bolt.  As he saw people in the theater laughing, crying, and having fun, he thought about CCAD and the long road to directing.

“It was all worth it,” he said.

Congratulations to all of the 2011 Alumni Award for Excellence nominees.

Family Weekend & Homecoming October 7 & 8

One festive weekend, one big blow out, and one fabulous Homecoming committee to welcome alumni back to campus.

Chances are you already know the committee members, but allow us to introduce them.  (And please, RSVP to let them know you’ll be on campus Oct. 7-8.)

Illustration alumna Estella Hickman is a 1972 graduate.

A second Illustration alumna, Evangelia Philippidis, is an active member of the class of 1981. In addition to her Homecoming contributions, she is pitching in to assist with the 1974 class reunion.

Marcia Tabler majored in Advertising & Graphic Design, graduating in 1974.

Another Advertising & Graphic Design alum is Jeff Stahler, class of 1977.

The committee member with the shortest “alum” status is David E. Merz III, a 2011 Advertising & Graphic Design graduate now living in Chicago.

Even though Merz has only been away for a few months, he wants to see for himself if anything has changed on campus (besides the new students!) and he hopes to catch up with several professors to ask questions he has been wondering about since being “in the real world.”

“At Homecoming I’m most looking forward to seeing my friends from school. I’ve missed staying up late with my Mighty All-Nighter friends. I’ve been getting the word out about the event so I can see as many of them as possible during the short weekend,” Merz said

“It’ll be great to see my friends who have also graduated, but I’m excited to see those friends I left behind who are still burning the midnight oil at CCAD, especially those working in Design Group,” he said.

Merz said he received a few messages on the first day of the semester from friends who miss hanging out with him on the quad or at the Market, and he confesses to missing CCAD’s main dining facility. “Looking back, it was a great deal for getting food,” he said.

As an underclassman, Merz was involved with Student Government. He plans to check out what the new officers have in mind to enhance the college experience for current students.

Merz said he’s curious to see who the alumni award winner will be and what he will “have to do someday to be considered for such an award!”

“I wish I could be back for an entire week instead of just a couple of days. I miss Columbus and all the great people there. The people are the best!”

Stahler moved back to Columbus a few years ago, so he is no stranger to campus. “It’s exciting when it’s filled with alumni who have built this campus into a growing, progressive, smart, contemporary school with a still-strong foundation program,” he said.

Stahler commented on the changes to the annual gathering. “I look forward to the new fall Homecoming. Traditionally, the spring graduation on the heels of the annual fashion show makes for a busy campus and not much time to catch up with college friends.”

Facebook has brought Stahler closer to alumni, but he said “seeing someone in person and catching up with them is always a good time.”

When Tabler heard that CCAD was combining Homecoming and Family Weekend she decided it was time for a class reunion.

“Although it has (ha ha!) been only 37 years, not the big 40—the power of all this coming together felt right. So, the class of ’74 is plowing forward with the reunion as well as a few surprises!” she said.

Read more about the class of 1974 reunion.

Billie Ingram

Members from the Class of 1974 know it has been a long time since they have gotten together. So when they heard about the new and improved Alumni Homecoming gathering on campus this October, the class thought it would be the perfect time to meet up for their 37-year reunion on Oct. 7 and 8.

Their celebration will start with a cocktail reception at Galleria Evangelia  (4269 North High Street) on Friday, Oct. 7.  On Saturday, Oct. 8, they are contributing to all the excitement on campus by joining in the day’s Homecoming activities, topped off with their formal class reunion from 6-9 p.m. There will be cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres, storytelling and reminiscing.  Since it has been 37 years since the group last got together, the class of ’74 will be honoring a true CCAD legend, former faculty member Billie Ingram, with a special tribute to her contribution to the college and the creative community.

“The Class of ’74 felt it was important to celebrate their 37-year reunion as part CCAD’s first Homecoming & Family Weekend” wrote reunion coordinator Marcia Tabler upon making the decision to gather fellow classmates for this new CCAD tradition. “We want alumni to come back to see Billie Ingram … plus see each other and have a great time.”

Follow all the excitement on the group’s Facebook Page.  And for more information about the Family Weekend & Homecoming events creating a buzz on campus, visit our events page.

Are you from the class of 1974 (or close)? If you are and would like to attend the reunion on Oct. 8, find more info about how to RSVP here. There is a $30 fee to cover food, drink, and a gift to Billie Ingram.

Find out more about the reunion here.

Interbrand alumni: Front Row: Jen Rossignol, Les Maass, Jon Moser, Lauren Kemnitz, Ted Monnin; Back Row: Kayla Risch, Jack Hinkel, Susan Burke, Derek Robinson

Back in 1974, when Interbrand was founded, the world still thought of brands as just another word for logo and Les Maass (CCAD, 1974) was fresh out of college.

Since then, the Illustration major and a steady stream of other alumni talent have joined the ranks of Interbrand—a business at the forefront of the movement to capitalize on brands as business assets.

With one of the world’s leading brand consultancy companies consistently hiring our graduates we thought it would be worthwhile to take a look at the creative assets and traditional skills that CCAD contributes to the business of brand management.

Understandably, Interbrand’s human resources department must remain impartial and recruit from various schools, but we think (and admittedly we may be biased) that the company has made some wonderful hires and has some very talented tenured employees within its leadership who are graduates of CCAD.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, all of the CCAD alumni currently working at the Cincinnati office of Interbrand were Advertising & Graphic Design majors. We queried two of the nine alumni: Art Director Lauren Kemnitz (CCAD 2005) and Creative Director Ted Monnin (CCAD 1991). They don’t claim to speak directly for their classmates, but their perspectives illuminate the work environment of designers Susan Burke (CCAD 2010), Jon Moser (CCAD 2007), Kayla Risch (CCAD 2010), Jen Rossignol (CCAD 2009), Associate Creative Director Derek Robinson (CCAD 2001), Executive Director of Implementation Jack Hinkel (CCAD 1983), and last but certainly not least, the aforementioned Les Maass, who is a senior implementation designer.

Q) What’s it like to work for a company that hires so many CCAD alumni?
Lauren Kemnitz (LK) It makes me proud that Interbrand hires so many students from CCAD. It verifies that our education prepared us well for the working world. We all share a strong bond from our years at CCAD and love sharing stories about our experiences there. We respect each other’s skills and count on our ability to deliver strong strategic design solutions. The energy and passion for design we all carry is intoxicating.

Q) Why do you think Interbrand keeps coming to CCAD for employees?
Ted Monnin (TM) Interbrand is very interested in bringing in strong talent and developing them into world-class branding creatives. Our design process is built around concept development via collaboration and sketching ideas before going to the computer.  Having traditional hand skills to clearly communicate concepts and experience in a critique-based environment is key to successful design development here at Interbrand. CCAD grads have the skill set that works very well with our creative process. That, along with personal creative passion, are the elements we are looking for in our employees.

Q) For any CCAD grads heading to Interbrand or dreaming of one day working at Interbrand, what’s your advice?
TM) Package Design class is not optional, it is imperative. For a CCAD student it is where you will learn how a brand functions in the real word. Also, focus on your hand skills and how clearly you can represent your ideas through typography, color, pattern, and verbal expression. The idea is king, so make sure you can communicate your ideas clearly and can highlight all the facets of your concepts. If you are passionate about design and having your creative work and your career reach a global audience, then you need to look at Interbrand.

Q) What’s the best part about your job?
LK) I work with such talented people! I am inspired daily by the people sitting right next to me. The design world is ever-changing and learning from your colleagues is key.

TM) I really enjoy the collaboration involved in our creative process—the way we all work toward a common goal and how different ideas can come together to create exciting, breakthrough work. I also enjoy working closely with our younger employees and helping them develop into strong, world-class creative talent.

Q) What do you miss most about CCAD?
LK) Being around amazing artists all the time. The exposure you have to all the other art disciplines when you are at CCAD is incredible. I would definitely recommend to everyone that they network during their time at CCAD. Knowing the best photographers, illustrators, and artists can be a great advantage in the future.

Add the following dates to your calendar.

As an alum, you are offered tons of opportunities to reunite with your classmates and reengage with CCAD through our programs and events. Since we have so much going on around campus we thought we would narrow it down for you and share a few of our favorites.

October 7 & 8 —Family Weekend and Homecoming
Read more about the weekend’s events here.
Read more about the class of 1974′s Reunion here.

October 7–December 6 — Supply and Demand
Opening reception is Oct. 7, 6–8 p.m. in the Canzani Center Gallery.
Whether using new or discarded household objects, the artists in Supply and Demand use manufactured materials and wares to create their work. The resulting photography, sculpture, and installations encourage us to consider the necessity of the things we think we cannot live without. Learn more here.

October 28 — The Big Boo!
It’s our infamous Halloween Party, this year it’s from 10:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m., at Bluestone (formerly BOMA). Get ticket info here.

November 1 — Holiday Art Sale Registration
Don’t forget vendor registration for the Art Sale opens at 8 a.m. Tables are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and typically fill up within a few hours. Read more here.

December 3 — Holiday Art Sale
Come check out the fantastic work of your fellow alumni and our current students. Get times & admission cost here.

For a complete list of upcoming events, check out our event listings.

Media Studies alumnus Nick Burkard worked on feature film Puss in Boots

Classnotes

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, too, 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 2011 – August 2011.

Jerry W. McDaniel (CCAD, Illustration, 1957) opened an art gallery and created a process video. Read more here.

Ming Fay (CCAD, Industrial Design, 1965) marked his 20-year anniversary displaying at Butters Gallery with his exhibit Full Circle.

James Markle (CCAD, Industrial Design, 1970) presented a speech about his environmental photography at the Tahoe Art League. Read more here.

Ron Miller (CCAD, Illustration, 1970) illustrates a French youth science magazine. Read more here.

Jamie Berger (CCAD 1975-1978) was featured in a HOW magazine article detailing the rebranding and success of their printing company. Read more here.

Jon Hair (CCAD,  Advertising & Graphic Design, 1976-1978) was featured in North Carolina’s Our State magazine. Read more here.

Kate Rivers (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1977) had an exhibition in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Read more here.

Michele Householder Funk (CCAD, Illustration, 1978) has released her children’s book, The Adventures of Pete and Max and the Lost Sock. Read more here.

David Groff (CCAD, Illustration, 1979) had illustrations featured in a healthcare calendar.

Matthew Kaser (CCAD, Industrial Design, 1984) and his design firm, Kaser Design, were recently awarded another interpretive planning and design job in Texas. The newest project is the historic site Presidio de San Sabá, in Menard, Texas.

Kurt Fondriest (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1985) was included in the annual Misericordia Home group show, which was visited by more than 1,400 guests. Read more here.

Jeff Preston (CCAD, Illustration, 1985) is featured in the DVD Masters of Art: Markers with Jeff Preston. Read more here.

Edward Buchanan (CCAD, Fashion Design, 1988-1991) had his designs  featured in the spring 2011 issue of France’s Blast magazine. Read more here.

Paul Hamilton (CCAD, Illustration, 1988) received the Phil Desind Award, given annually by the Butler Institute of American Art to an outstanding representational work. Read more here.

Scott Musgrove (CCAD, Illustration, 1989) launched an online show and nearly sold out in only three weeks. Read more here.

Tracy Hayes (CCAD 1990) recently moved her design firm SKUBA Designs to a new location on New Orleans’s popular Magazine Street. Read more here.

Peter Wachtel’s (CCAD, Industrial Design, 1990) invention, STAKE, is available for presale on Quirky. Read more here.

Wendy Emrey’s (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 1991) long career influenced a new pursuit. Read more here.

Julie Abijanac (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1992) has been accepted into the Studios of Key West Artist in Residency Program for the summer 2012. Read more here.

Samantha Bennett (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1995-1999) appeared on an episode of Everyday People on TLC’s NY Ink. Find out more here.

Hiroshi Hayakawa (CCAD, Photography, 1995) showed his kinetic sculptures in a Columbus gallery. Read more here.

Susan Li O’Connor (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1996) was one of three artists featured in an exhibition at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Carnegie Gallery. Read more here.

Sara Adrian (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1998) presented in September at FLASH!, an art show in Columbus.

Several CCAD alumni received awards at the opening of this year’s fine arts exhibition at the Ohio State Fair, including Andrew Ina (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2006), Corey Aumiller (CCAD, Media Studies, 2006), Amanda H. Cook (CCAD, Illustration, 1999), Eric Homan (CCAD, Media Studies, 1998), Brandon Antczak (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2007), and Adam Brouillette (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2002) . Find out more here.

Justin Shady (CCAD, Media Studies, 1998) interviewed Michael Altman (CCAD, Media Studies, 2000) in OC Weekly. Read more here.

Danielle Julian-Norton (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1999), a co-founder of Suite 42,  had an open-studio exhibition in Dresden, Germany. Read more here.

Michael Marucco (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 1999) has been promoted at Limited Brands, Inc., to senior art director of internet content for Victoria’s Secret Direct.

Damian Ward (CCAD, Illustration, 1999) illustrated a book written by Oscar-nominated writers. Read more here.

Anthony M. Nesossis (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2000) recently completed a rebrand of various materials for the Educational Council. Read more here.

Brent Woodard (CCAD, Illustration, 2000) helped with a global anti-drug message. Read more and see the image here.

Paul Tepper (CCAD, Illustration, 2001) was recently featured on the cover of Columbus Alive! Read more here.

Nikos Rutowkski, (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2002) helped coordinate Franklinton’s Go West Festival, which featured work by several CCAD Alumni. Read more here.

Michelle Rozic (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2003) was appointed the new assistant professor of art at California State University, Northridge.

Cat Sheridan (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2003) was featured in a Wexner Center blog for her volunteer efforts. Read more here.

Michael Carney (CCAD, Media Studies, 2004) and John Malta (CCAD, Illustration, 2010) were both in the NY Times in August. Read more here.

Jen Chapman (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2004) will be featured in HOW magazine in the fall of 2011 for her company Redsnapper Baby & Toddler. Read more here.

The alumni music trio of Beth Murphy (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2004), Adam Elliot (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2004), and Jared Phillips (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2004) performed at the Wexner Center and were featured in the Columbus Dispatch. Read more here.

Manjari Sharma’s (CCAD, Media Studies, 2004) latest project was featured on an NPR blog. Read more here.

Gabe Shultz (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2004) created an experimental multimedia project and music album samples from the music of rock band Steely Dan. Read more here.

Elizabeth Weissbrod (CCAD, Illustration, 2004) was one of the featured artists in the June 2011 Hopkins Medicine magazine article “Illustrators of the Century.” Read more here.

Brian Scott Campbell (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2005) was invited to Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina as a visiting artist in September and will also be an artist in residence this fall at the McColl Center for Visual Arts in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Steven Weinzierl (CCAD, Media Studies, 2005) has been named Favorite Color’s new creative director. Read more here.

Molly Burke (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2006) recently participated in a Cleveland West Art League (CWAL) exhibition with Cleveland painter Julie Morgan. Read more  here.

Andrew Ina’s (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2006) exhibition New Frontier was recently reviewed in the Columbus Dispatch. Read more here.

Melissa (Hofelzer) Spencer (CCAD, Media Studies, 2006) designed an exhibition invite and an interactive website. Read more here.

Seven alumni, including Nate Burns (CCAD, Illustration, 2010), Travis Czekalski (CCAD, Media Studies, 2010), Julie Hall (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2010) Katie Herbst (CCAD, Media Studies, 2010), Michael Lovett (CCAD, Fine Arts 2011), Alex Moore (CCAD, Fine Arts 2011), and Kevin Smalley (CCAD, Media Studies, 2006-08) teamed up to present Fringed: A Fashionably Fine Art Exhibition in Columbus. Read more here.

Nick Burkard, (CCAD, Media Studies, 2007) Dreamworks effects animator, detailed the work he did on the upcoming film Puss in Boots. Read more here.

Michelle Dick (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2008) had her first trunk show hosted by a Columbus boutique. Read more here.

Ashley K. Alexander (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2009) published her first novel. Read more here.

Cory Cantelupe (CCAD, Illustration, 2009) is currently doing work as a freelance sculptor for Hasbro, Inc.

Navy Seaman Jessica M. Pettinger (CCAD, Interior Design, 2009) recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois.

Emily Spear (CCAD, Illustration, 2009) is finishing her first year as an associate product designer for Hasbro Inc.

Ian Horn (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2010) has found success with a new NYC business. Read more here.

Mallory McClellan (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2010) was featured in Columbus Alive! for the sculpture she built for Harrison Park in Columbus. Read more here.

Kartika Mediani (CCAD, Animation, 2010) was one of 40 college students across the country to receive a summer internship with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. Read more here.

Ross Caliendo (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2011) was featured in a weekly Cincinnati newspaper for his participation in an exhibition. Read more here.

Jen Hutson (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2011) has been accepted into the St. Petersburg Clay Company’s Artist in Residence Program for the 2011-2012 term.

Angela Mancuso (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2011) was appointed as the newest art director at Peebles Creative Group. Read more on their blog.

Amy McQuillin (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2011) was hired as the Upper Arlington’s Cultural Arts Division’s intern.

Local tech company Bluemile, ranked in 2010 by Inc. Magazine as one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, is featuring artwork by CCAD alumni and faculty in its New Albany office as one way to introduce visitors and other programs to the college. Read more here.

In Memoriam
Edmund Kuehn, (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1938). Read more here.
Charles (Chip) Kirker III, (CCAD, Illustration, 1971). Obituary here.
Dan (Danny) J. Schroll, (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1973). Obituary here.
Gerome Alexander, (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 1982). Obituary here.
Teresa Williams, (CCAD, Illustration, 1988). Obituary here.
Kathryn A. Gough, (CCAD, 1990). Obituary here.
Lacey L. Pope, (CCAD, Industrial Design, 2002). Obituary here.
Christine Salisbury, (CCAD, Media Studies, 2005). Obituary here.