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).

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.

During Family Weekend & Homecoming, alumni got a tour of the raw space that will soon house the MindMarket.

Columbus College of Art & Design is in the early stages of a new endeavor that will change how the college engages its students and alumni with entrepreneurship and the business world.

The program, called the CCAD MindMarket, will have many facets including business partnerships, charrettes, and a business incubator—which is about to enter its beta phase with a few alumni.

Only offered to CCAD alumni and students, the business incubator will assist entrepreneurs in launching their start-up companies by providing space and services that a new business owner might not otherwise have access to.

“The business incubator is designed to provide a comprehensive resource center for small, start-up businesses aimed at accelerating growth and increasing the business’s potential for long-term success by leveraging the resources at CCAD,”  said Cynthia Gravino, executive director of the MindMarket initiative. “We are able to provide physical space, basic office equipment, and office support for a fraction of what these tenants would pay if they tried to do this on their own.”

“More importantly, we will be providing our incubator tenants mentorship opportunities with industry experts, seasoned entrepreneurial artists and designers, as well as important links to the entrepreneurial community.  By having an incubator on campus, our tenants will not only have a home-base within our creative community—they will also have the opportunity to engage and embrace the energy and shared learning that is created by working with other creative start-ups and professionals. They can bounce ideas off of each other, as well as tap into the talent that is on campus.”

Incubator tenants will also have access to a network of professionals in areas outside the scope of art and design that are imperative to the success of a start-up, such as accountants and lawyers who can provide the expertise needed to navigate issues like business filings, intellectual property protection, and tax liability.

Eventually the MindMarket and its incubator program will be housed on the ground floor of Design Studios on Broad. While renovations continue on that space, the college is recruiting a select few alumni to engage in a beta test of the program to be housed in the Loann Crane Center for Design.

An email was recently sent to alumni announcing the opportunity. More than 40 alumni responded. Applications will be evaluated through December with the expectation that two beta tenants will move into their office space in early January.

During the beta phase each participant will be provided with a cubical-office space, access to meeting rooms, a computer, internet access, fax, copier, access to support personnel, and access to CCAD’s entrepreneurial support network and partners, such as TechColumbus and the Columbus State Small Business Development Center.

Since the full range of services will not be available during the beta phase, participants will be given reduced rates for their participation.  Once the full program is launched, all tenants will pay the same fees.

“By doing a beta run we can see how the program works as it is currently modeled, and we can adjust as needed,” said Gravino. “We can identify services that should be added or those that, perhaps, are not necessary.”

The incubator program is just one part of the MindMarket. Career Services is working closely with Vice President of Academic Affairs Kevin Conlon to develop curriculum that will dovetail into MindMarket-run business partnerships. In addition, plans include the development of charrettes, which will allow students to work with organizations on short-term design challenges.

“The goal,” said Gravino, “is to arm our graduates with the business savvy they need as creative professionals. Anyone who applies themselves can learn sound businesses practices. The same cannot be said of creativity—and that is what our alumni and students bring to the boardroom table.”

Senior Justin Highlander was named the Outstanding Senior for the Interior Design department.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. Today in part seven of our 10-part series, we interviewed senior Justin Highlander (CCAD 2011), who was named Outstanding Senior for the Interior Design department.

Q.) When did you realize that this is, without a doubt, what you want to do?
A.) Sophomore year. Our final project had to be entirely hand-drafted, and I was at the point where I re-hand-drafted my floor plan about fifteen times—and it took a couple hours each time. So I was at the point where I really started questioning if this was really what I wanted to do and if this was the industry I wanted to be in. Am I really going to have to do this fifteen times just to get it right?

But it now serves as a sort of traumatic experience that has gone well. This is how it works. This is how it is done right. You can’t just turn anything in, you can’t turn in junk work. It is real work that goes to a real client. And that’s what makes it so exciting.

Q.) Do you have a job lined up for after graduation?
A.) Not right now, but I’m looking to get into the commercial and retail industries. I’ve applied to about 15 places, and I’m looking for contacts. I’m willing to go anywhere that the opportunity presents itself—basically whoever wants to hire me, and if it’s a good place, and a good company, I’m game.

I did my first internship through Career Services, and they helped me with my first portfolio as a junior and my resume and interviewing skills. It is a great department at the school, and I hold a huge respect for those who work there.

Q.) What’s your sales pitch? Why should someone hire you?
A.) I always tell people about everything I’ve self-taught myself. I’m pushing my knowledge, sort of as, ‘if there is something new that you guys don’t know how to use, I’ll learn it, I’ll teach myself.’I think it’s very important to learn something new, so every semester I taught myself something new (outside of the curriculum) to help push my projects. I realized early on that this is what the industry wants and what the industry needs. It helped my projects and it helped me as a person, but it’s also helping me to apply for jobs, saying that I do know how to use these programs that others may not know how to use.

Q.) What’s the dream job?
A.) The dream job is working for one of those companies that gets a new client every three months, so you can do the ultimate design for every new project that you do. I would reference Chute Gerdeman as the dream job. I mean, M&M World! Plus, as a CCAD student, I’ve gotten to work with them, to go to their offices, to meet some of our alums who work there.

Q.) What word always reminds you of CCAD?
A.) Crane. Crane reminds me of CCAD. When I come to CCAD on the weekends, I come to Crane. When I go to classes, I come to Crane. I mean, I basically live in Crane, so of course it will always remind me of this place. Someday, I’ll see a crane and be like, ‘oh, yep, CCAD.’

Q.) Can you describe what graduating feels like in one word?
A. Ecstatic. Finally done. That’s two though. Some more? Congrats. Hooray.

Q.) If you could give yourself a do-over, what would it be?
A.)Leave myself a note sophomore year that said, ‘Push yourself farther. Do more.’ I learned my lesson after two years that I can accomplish so much if I continue to push myself, but I wish I would have learned that sooner.

To learn more about Justin, visit his Coroflot profile.

A portfolio review at Directions

There was ample evidence at Directions, CCAD’s annual career fair, to indicate that more than 160 soon-to-be graduates are eager and prepared to enter the workforce.

Armed with faculty-juried portfolios, polished résumés, branded business cards, ready smiles, positive attitudes and a few cases of nervousness, the seniors and some December graduates networked with nearly 200 employer representatives in the Canzani Center.

Small, large and international companies, including McGraw Hill, American Greetings, Abercrombie & Fitch, Interbrand, Columbus Idea Foundry, LimitedBrands, and LPK, attended the April 20 career fair, which opened with a preview hour for employers to privately review student portfolios.

Cynthia Gravino, director of Career Services, said several factors indicate that the job market looks good for creative individuals. Her office currently is receiving more full-time job descriptions than it has in the recent past and salary ranges, in some cases, are $10,000 to $15,000 higher.

Kristen Macauley was the sole Fine Arts senior participating in Directions. Her burgeoning love for design compelled her to register for the annual career fair.

“It’s exciting to see interest in my work. I expected to be ignored but it has been very rewarding to describe my work and jewelry designs.” Macauley is heading to New York City after graduation for a three-month paid position with The Jones Group. During the career fair the Idea Foundry approached her about conducting jewelry workshops in Columbus.

Justin Highlander, a senior in Interior Design who is an intern at Asset Strategies Group, LLC, confessed to being a bit nervous but said his goals for Directions include getting his name circulating among potential employers and creating an impression that helps retail design and commercial design firms to remember him.

“Directions is helping me understand what companies expect from an entry-level designer,” said Highlander, who is willing to relocate and is looking at opportunities in Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. He said preparing for Directions taught him how to memorably brand himself, how to explain his work and to convey his personality. “I feel prepared for any interview in the future,” Highlander said.

Several CCAD alumni were among the employer representatives networking at Directions. Tom Studer (CCAD 1993-97), digital strategy director at LPK in Cincinnati, said he loves the diversity of projects at the event. “This is an opportunity to create interest in LPK. A job opportunity might be a year from now but it’s still important to make a memorable connection today,” he said.

Studer’s co-worker, Steve Bowling, a talent acquisition specialist at the global design agency, said he participates in Directions because he respects the talent. Bowling and Studer, who studied Fine Arts at CCAD, are especially interested in students who can cohesively story-tell across multimedia.

Interbrand’s representatives teamed up to review all the available portfolios. Jamey Wagner, creative director, and junior designers Katie Carter, Susan Burke (CCAD 2010) and Jen Rossignol (CCAD 2009), summed up their impressions by describing the students as eager, the vibe as good, and the work as strong. Both Burke and Rossignol studied Advertising & Graphic Design at CCAD.

Jennifer Chema, who describes herself as a research designer, talked to seven companies at Directions. Participating was a “no brainer,” she said. “I want to learn about people’s mindsets and to network. You learn more from interacting with people than from a website.”

One project featured in Chema’s portfolio, completed as a senior capstone project in CCAD’s Honors Program, included a redesigned federal income tax form. Jim Lutz (CCAD 1978), an instructor in Visual Communications who majored in Advertising  & Graphic Design, served as her project mentor as she researched the history of the form, its current design, gathered feedback and tested new designs.

The Advertising & Graphic Design senior said her future design work will involve “turning something negative into something positive.” Her portfolio reveals just such plans for nuclear power plants.

Director of Career Services Cynthia Gravino has the following opportunities available to alumni.

My first piece of advice to any alum looking for career help is: call me! The Career Services Office wants to see all CCAD students succeed in their careers, which is why we offer all our services to alumni as well as current students. Whether you’re looking for a new job, hiring new talent, or just need some advice, we’re here to help.

Finding a new job
If you’re looking for a new job, we can meet with you one-on-one to help you review your career goals and objectives, develop an overall strategy to identify and apply for positions that meet those goals, and prepare your application materials (cover letter, resume, and more). There are many job postings on www.ccadcareers.com, as well as additional job search resources readily available in our Career Services Office.

Going to graduate school?
We offer workshops on how to apply to grad school. We also have a graduate school resource center in the Office of Career Services with grad school catalogues and application materials. We work closely with students to develop a strategy on schools to which they would like to apply.

Need a transcript? Request one online.

Looking for interns or new hires?
Each year, CCAD hosts internship and career fairs to help our students find positions. They’re a wonderful opportunity for alumni to give back to their alma mater by offering a job or internship opportunity to current students. And rest assured, our students are prepared. All participating students in the Internship Fair and Directions Career Fair have been fully registered with our office, have had at least one one-on-one career strategy and planning meeting, and have an approved resume and cover letter.

Interested in career advice?
If you’d just like a little advice on your career path, we’ll meet with you one-on-one to go over your personal career plan and strategy. We also provide workshops and offer guidance to accessing the proper resources.

For more information about any of these offerings, please contact the Career Services Office.