For new CCAD graduates with a creative degree in hand, the horizon is vast, and to each destination lays myriad paths. This is both super exciting and—we’re not afraid to say it—daunting. Between launch and land there will be a bit of unknown, which is why we decided to contact 10 of our top 2012 grads and ask them how things are going.

From these 10, we found that two have formed LLCs, four have shown in galleries, one has “gone viral,” and, among them, there are nine cats, two dogs, and one “very handsome” fish named Columbus. Their workplaces are diverse: while one is at an international clothier, another might spend all day in a urethane-casting lab.

To what do they owe their successes so far? CCAD comes up—the inspired friendships, life-altering classes, and amazing professors are too many to list — but so do hard work, integrity, connections, knowing one’s priorities, curiosity, and gumption.

They are a grateful bunch. Asked to be specific, classmates and sweeties get a mention, and from Alex Trimpe, “Just being alive is pretty nice, wouldn’t you say?” But overall, their greatest gratitude is to mom and dad. (Awww…)

May we introduce: our Ten to Watch.

Chavilah Bennett at work

Chavilah Bennett

Major: Advertising & Graphic Design

City: Columbus

Position: Motion graphics designer at S77

Cause: The Maximin Project

Go-to Food: Avocado

Chavilah Bennett was warned she’d be a coffee girl or a “pair of hands” at her first job. “That was a lie,” she says. Already, at S77, she’s designed the opening titles for a CeeLo Green/Muppets holiday video, worked post-production on a “T.I. featuring Lil Wayne” music video, and helped to direct and shoot footage for a series on the Bio Channel. Bennett’s job is in motion graphics, though her training is not. When she was hired—because of “people saying nice things about me behind my back”—it was with the understanding that she’d be learning on the job. No problem:  “The great thing about CCAD,” she says, “is it teaches how to think creatively, how to problem-solve, and how to work efficiently, and those are qualities that transfer to any career.”

Lian Dziura

LIAN DZIURA

BFA: Photography

City: Columbus

Position: Freelance photo assistant for Michael Cogar at Lane Bryant

Inspired by: Medieval and Renaissance art

Fave CCAD class: Still-life photography

A day at work for Lian Dziura might be spent assisting photographer Michael Cogar on-set, editing and color-correcting final images, photographing an edible tableau for a freelance client, or maybe even working on her own collages. Since graduating, she’s shown in two galleries, including the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, where she received an honorable mention. While she wasn’t sure what to expect post-college, to have a job she enjoys and to show and sell work “is a great feeling,” she says. “I’m glad it’s turned out the way it has.”

Rachel Cass

RACHEL CASS

BFA: Fashion Design

City: New York

Position: Assistant designer at American Eagle Outfitters (AEO)

Fave CCAD Class: Collection (“the class where all the hard work pays off”)

Words to Live By: Grow or die.

Talent, skill, and education are all key to landing a dream job, but for Rachel Cass, so were patience and confidence. Certain she’d find the right job, she looked at a lot of companies, even turned down some. Then she applied to AEO. “I left my interview knowing I would work there,” she says. Sure enough, she’s now in New York designing denim jeans and jackets. The transition was smooth, something she credits to all her hard work at CCAD. She plans on growing with AEO and looks forward to “seeing where my adventure takes me.”

Leah Fisher

LEAH FISHER

BFA: Photography

City: Columbus

Position: Archivist and evening supervisor at CCAD’s Packard Library

Go-to Food: Gatto’s Pizza

Creative Jumpstart: Crossword puzzles

Leah Fisher didn’t look for a job—she already had one. Since 2007, she’s been transforming a roomful of boxes into a digitized, cataloged, and shared archive about the history of CCAD. She’s added to that history by, for instance, replicating old photos for a Then-and-Now exhibit. It’s the kind of project that keeps her passionate. Fisher also remains focused on her art. Nine of her “drive-bys” (photos she takes from a moving vehicle) are part of Image Ohio 2013, one of those won an Honorable Mention in that exhibition, and she’s applied for a show at the Urban Arts Space. “Life right now feels great,” she says.

Jake LaBombarbe

JAKE LaBOMBARBE

BFA: Industrial Design

City: Columbus

Position: Lead industrial designer at Concept Engineering

Cause: Toys for Tots and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Hobby: “I am a connoisseur of terrible movies.”

“It may be corny,” says Jake LaBombarbe, “but to hold something you’ve designed as a tangible object is still one of the greatest feelings in the world.” At Concept, LaBombarbe does design, research, product testing, and modeling; he’s overseen a new silicone and urethane casting lab; and he’s the go-to guy about additive manufacturing and prototyping capabilities. Owens Corning is a big client, but potentially so is anyone with, as he says, “great concepts but no idea how to make them.” His ultimate aim is the toy industry (and he’s developed some ideas, so keep an eye out on Kickstarter). Although he had a job ready and waiting after graduation, his advice is to never take anything for granted. Also, “do right by others,” and, sharing a tip once given to him, “don’t ever point out a flaw in your own sketch: chances are, only you see it.”

Sarah McCance, photo by Kevin Brown

SARAH McCANCE

BFA: Interior Design

City: Dallas

Position: Interior designer for Wilson Associates

Go-to Food: Hot Cheetos

Tool to Unwind: Jim Henson’s The Labyrinth

Designing interiors for a palace in Abu Dhabi may not have been on Sarah McCance’s career to-do list, but because she made the most of opportunities while at CCAD, it’s one item she can now check off. “My company designs luxury,” she explains—often for high-end resorts, casinos, and, yes, palaces. After careful research, McCance applied to be a student intern at Wilson and, while there, was “a sponge, absorbing everything,” she says. Afterward, she prioritized those professional ties and was hired on full time after graduation. Time to set new goals: she’s now focused on professional certifications—and recruiting more CCAD students for Wilson internships.

Kattie Baker

KATTIE BAKER

BFA: Advertising & Graphic Design

City: Columbus

Position: Designer at Fine Citizens, a web design agency

Cause: Big Sisters (“I’m a sucker for children.”)

Tool to Unwind: Zumba

“To see your work grow up and march out into the real world feels fabulous,” says Kattie Baker (even if, technically, her work is in the virtual world). At Fine Citizens, she’s in charge of responsive web design and is the “icon and vector graphics girl,” which means she gets to do fun stuff like animal illustrations for the Columbus Zoo’s online guide. Add in art direction and client presentations and “it’s a lot of hats,” she says, “but multi-tasking is a skill all CCAD grads acquire.” Baker and her husband just bought their first house, and, as for the future, “it’s whatever keeps challenging me,” she says.

Erin McKenna

ERIN McKENNA

BFA: Fine Arts

City: Columbus

Position: Host at Better Earth in the North Market; founder/manager of No Place Studios, LLC

Fave CCAD Experience: NY Studio Residency

Words to Live By: If you want something done, do it yourself.

Erin McKenna wasn’t ready to give up the tools, materials, supportive community, and feedback she had at CCAD, so she problem-solved. McKenna formed an LLC and with 10 other artists (nine from CCAD) founded No Place Studios: 2,500 sq. ft. to make art, hold events, and foster community. “We’re very proud of this space,” she says. After an artist’s residency at Chicago-based ACRE and a related exhibition this spring, grad school is next up. Already, she’s been nominated for a scholarship.

Sara Diesel

SARA DIESEL

BFA: Illustration

City: Pittsburgh

Position: Freelance illustrator

Fave CCAD Class: Entrepreneurial Illustration

Inspired by: 1980s sci-fi movies

“Freelancing,” says Sara Diesel, “is a great way to network and work your way up the field to larger clients.” But jobs don’t fall in your lap; it takes hustle, and “persistence, most of all.” Asked to brag, she mentions her work on the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones card games, to which, she says, “it was an honor to add my voice.” She calls it “humbling and surreal” to have work in Spectrum 19, a publication full of her favorite illustrators. Though someday she might like to try her hand at game creation, she’s happy freelancing and excited to see just where it will take her.

Alex Trimpe

ALEX TRIMPE

BFA: Media Studies

City: Akron

Position: Proprietor of Alex Trimpe Motion Design, LLC

Cause: Longstride

Creativity Jumpstart: Going outside

With the ink on his diploma barely dry, December grad Alex Trimpe is the boss of his own motion graphics company, producing work (usually typography-based with illustrations) for clients around the globe. The “short story,” he explains: “A video of mine [The World Is Obsessed with Facebook] went viral. People wanted similar-style videos. Then, bigger people wanted videos.” Some of those bigger people are Samsung, Levi’s, and Cisco. But don’t just chalk up his success to luck. Trimpe asked for it. He messaged Vimeo: Hi…can you give me feedback…thank you…oh, and if you like it, maybe throw it on your staff picks. They did. His advice—along with “be kind but not a pushover, persistent but not annoying, and have a good reel”—is “simply ask, it works better than you’d think.”

Web Exclusive, full interviews from our Ten to Watch:

Chavilah Bennett

Go-to food: Avocado! I’ll eat it with (almost) anything.
Fave class at CCAD: Mr. Mohr’s Senior Ad/Graph class; the work consistently forced me to explore outside my comfort zone.
Fave CCAD hangout: The study/work room in the Admin building. During December finals one year I had to pull so many all-nighters in the admin building that I brought Christmas lights, music and snacks to make it feel a bit more cheerful.
Productivity/creativity jumpstart: On a warm day my favorite thing to do is walk around the city with a coffee and a camera, exploring hidden side streets, pretty neighborhoods and parks. I like to think of the world as an adventure and if someone takes the time to look, they will find something beautiful and unexpected.
Hobby: Singing, playing the piano and small harp, power yoga. I’ve missed painting and drawing so I started a few personal projects. Right now I’m painting a large map of the world on my wall. (I’ll send photos to Lindsay Kronmiller.)
Fave game: You can’t go wrong with Uno or Settlers of Catan. A new favorite is Telestrations; it’s like the game of telephone but in drawings. I played with my siblings over the holidays and the results were hilarious.
Ideal breakfast: A mountain of bacon
Everyday breakfast: Coffee and a granola bar or bagel
Cause/nonprofit close to your heart: Maximin Project. I was involved as a designer for this organization for about six months after initially meeting them at Startup Weekend 2011 at CCAD.
Website/podcast for inspiration or to learn something: I listen to podcasts when I’m in the middle of a project. NPR Planet Money, TED Talks, The Moth: True Stories Told Live, and This American Life. Listening to the BBC News podcast as I get ready for work is a ritual for me, it helps put life in perspective before I leave the house.

Kattie Baker

Go-to for blowing off steam or relaxing: Zumba dancing. I’m self-taught, so I’m not sure I have much of a knack for it. Mostly it’s just me shaking my hips and romping around the living room. It gets the energy out regardless.
Fave game: I like simpler, classic games like Mario Kart. If there are guns or aliens I tend to grip the controller too tightly and take my character’s death too seriously.
Best advice you’ve heard: “If your first job out of college doesn’t make you worried that you’ll be fired every day for the first six months, you’re not being challenged enough.”
Cause/nonprofit close to your heart: There are a ton that deserve limelight, but this year I’ve decided to volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I’m a sucker for kids.

Rachel Cass

Go-to food: Sushi!
Fave class at CCAD: Collection. It’s where you get to show all your skills, all while creating your own designs. It’s what we went to school for; it’s the class where all your hard work pays off.
Fave CCAD hangout: Sitting on the lawn between classes. It’s a great place to take a time out and just relax
Fave artist/designer/photographer(s): I have a huge list of people I look up to and admire, but narrowing down to just one is too hard.
Productivity/creativity jumpstart: Visiting the German Village Book Loft with my fiance. Sifting through books and discovering new artist and places is always a source of inspiration. Music is always a huge inspiration in my creative process. The right music can change anything.
Go-to for blowing off steam or relaxing: Sleeping; it’s not something I see much of, but when I really need to relax or take a break, I like to close my eyes and dream.
Hobby: Camping, snowboarding, enjoying life
Words to live by: My dad told me if you’re not growing in life, you’re dying. He’s a pretty smart man, so I try to apply it to all aspects of my life.
Fave game: Monopoly
Comic book or character: I would be Storm from X-Men.
Ideal breakfast: Cream-cheese eggs with toast and fruit
Everyday breakfast: Veggie breakfast sandwich and coffee
Best advice you’ve gotten: To live my life as an adventure, not as something set in stone.
Best advice you’ve given: follow what’s in your heart
Pet(s)? My dog Charlie, she’s a mutt and the cutest one out there! She’s also back in Columbus, and I miss her everyday. I got a fish to keep me company in NYC. His name is Columbus; he is a very handsome blue beta.
Grateful for: I’m grateful for the amazing people in my life and the unbelievable amount of support they have showed me.

Sara K. Diesel

Fave class at CCAD: Entrepreneurial Illustration with Andrew Bawidamann—very informative and challenging!
Go-to for blowing off steam or relaxing: I’m a big movie watcher. I love the old eighties sci-fi movies especially. It’s where a lot of my inspiration comes from.
Fave game: I play a lot of video games. I think it would be safe to say that at the moment I’m stuck on Dishonored. It has great design and concept all around.
Best advice you’ve gotten: Fake it ’til you make it.
Website/podcast for inspiration: Muddy Colors is a blog chock-full of great inspiration, advice, and tips, and it’s run by some of the big names in the illustration world.
Grateful for: My parents, especially right now. They’ve given me so many opportunities and have supported my decision to be an illustrator 100%.

Lian Dziura

Fave class at CCAD: Still-life photography
Fave artist/designer/photographer: I love most medieval and Renaissance art. I think that’s where most of my inspiration comes from.
Productivity/creativity jumpstart: Pinterest and sketching
Go-to for blowing off steam or relaxing: A cup of tea and Downton Abbey
Hobby: Reading and cooking
Fave game: Scattergories
Ideal breakfast: French toast from Tasi. Or crêpes.
Everyday breakfast: Tea and toast or hot cereal
Best advice you’ve gotten: Never give up; failure is not the end, it’s just another step in the process of learning.
Best advice you’ve given: Probably the advice above.  :)
Cause/nonprofit close to your heart: Children’s homes and orphanages
Pet(s)? Cat named Lily
Website/podcast to learn something: The Guardian and TED talks
Grateful for: My mom

Leah Fisher

Go-to food: Gattos Pizza
Fave class at CCAD: It’s a toss-up between my independent studies with amazing faculty members Helen Hoffelt and Charlotte Belland
Fave artist/designer/photographer(s): Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus
Productivity/creativity jumpstart: Crossword puzzles
Go-to for blowing off steam or relaxing: Obsessive fiction book reading
Hobby: Cooking
Words to live by: Use it or lose it
Fave game: Apples to Apples
Everyday breakfast: Nuts Over Chocolate Luna Bars
Ideal breakfast: Frittatas and biscuits
Cause/nonprofit close to your heart: Planned Parenthood
Pet(s)? I am a mom to four cats! Mookie, Milton, Hellz Bellz and Hormel.
Website/podcast for laughs: Cracked.com
Website/podcast to learn something: Salon.com
Grateful for: My amazing husband, Dave, who not only supports the things I am passionate about, but also shares my passion.  We are pretty much always together when I am out shooting, and he is my primary driver for the Drive-By Shootings series.

Jake LaBombarbe

Fave class at CCAD: Anything with Dave Burghy or Tom Williamson
Fave CCAD hangout: The ID Cave in Kinney Hall
Fave artist/designer/photographer(s): Animator Bruce Timm, illustrator Matt Wagner
Productivity/creativity jumpstart: Punk rock and copious amounts of coffee
Go-to for blowing off steam or relaxing: Street Fighter 4
Hobby: I am a connoisseur of terrible movies.
Words to live by: My latest: “Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Fave game: Metal Gear Solid 3
Comic book or character: Batman
Ideal breakfast: Coffee and a bagel with lox
Everyday breakfast: Coffee
Best advice you’ve gotten: Don’t ever point out a flaw in sketch, chances are you are the only one who knows that it’s there.
Best advice you’ve given: Play to your strengths, but mind your weaknesses.
Cause/nonprofit close to your heart: Toys for Tots and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Pet(s)? Chippy, he’s a cat. He’s also an a$$hole.
Website/podcast to learn something: Brad Jones aka The Cinema Snob, Matt and Pat at Two Best Friends Play, and Noah Antwiller aka The Spoony One
Grateful for: I am grateful for Alex Mazur, Caleb Boller, Hak Chan Kim, Jennifer Helber, Joe Washington, Joel Van Gilder, and Nikki Stapleton…the finest classmates and greatest friends that anyone could ever have.

Sarah McCance

Go-to food: Hot Cheetos!! More of a snack really, but I just can’t help myself. They are delicious.
Fave class at CCAD: Definitely my Fairy Tales class my senior year. The content and the teacher were both incredibly interesting. I only ever missed class if I was on my death bed with sickness. (Haha. Even then I contemplated going.) That class definitely makes me rethink whether or not I want to read certain fairytales to my children someday. Especially Snow White.
Fave CCAD hangout: Interior Design is a relatively small program at CCAD, so you become really tight knit with your classmates. My favorite memories and most fun experiences there were whenever we were all in the computer lab on the second floor of the Crane Center. We laughed, we cried, we had screaming matches due to lack of sleep and WAY too much estrogen, but those are my favorite memories at CCAD.
Fave artist/designer/photographer(s): I have always been inspired by designers like Eero Saarinen, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Verner Panton. They all had very simple design with a bit of a funky flair. Each very different and each very inspiring. As far as still living designers go, my best friend and classmate Amanda Shaw is incredibly inspiring to me. She is so incredibly creative, driven, and won’t take no for an answer…EVER. I can only hope to pick up some of her traits along the way.
Go-to for blowing off steam or relaxing: The Labyrinth by Jim Henson starring David Bowie, and music
Comic book or character: I’ve always been really into X-Men. As a child my cousin and I were always reading the comics or watching the TV shows. I feel like a little kid every time a new movie is released!
Everyday breakfast: Oatmeal with brown sugar, golden raisins, and cranberries. It’s the only thing that will keep me full well into the afternoon!
Best advice you’ve gotten: My mom always encouraged me to push myself. She would never let me quit anything without putting up a fight. And she always encouraged me to just be myself. She said, “Sometimes the only honesty you will truly have in life is with yourself.” I try to be as honest with myself, others, and my work as much as I can.
Pet(s)? My fiance and I got our first puppy a few months ago. She is a german shepherd/black lab mix. Her name is Trinity and she is 5 months old. I feel like I’m chasing a toddler around half the time between the teething and getting into anything and everything she can! I love her to pieces though. She is a little bit of a tomboy, ALWAYS wants to play, and is convinced that if she chases her tail enough she is DEFINITELY going to get it one of these days.

Erin McKenna

Fave class at CCAD: The most helpful thing about CCAD was my professors. Danielle Julian Norton, Matt Flegle, Tim Rietenbach, Michael Goodson, and Kelly Malec-Kosak were a huge part of my growth as a person and artist.  Without them, I would not be thinking the way I do now.  Also, CCAD provided the opportunity to go to the New York Studio Residency Program when I was a junior.  I was in NYC for a semester, and it changed my life dramatically.  I think I actually learned how to make art and how to think there.
Fave CCAD hangout: AMF studios
Fave artist/designer/photographer(s): Mika Rottenberg, David Lynch, Vincent Fecteau
Productivity/creativity jumpstart: Cleaning and organizing my studio
Words to live by: If you want something done, do it yourself.
Best advice you’ve gotten: Don’t be afraid.
Best advice you’ve given: Make work that makes you uncomfortable
Cause/nonprofit close to your heart: Materials for the Arts in Queens, NYC.  Nonprofit group that has a warehouse where people and companies can donate anything and everything.  Artists, teachers, or anyone in art organization can get any of the materials, all for free.  The only catch is you have to write a thank you card.  It promotes recycling and saves money.
Pet(s)? Jasper and Wayne—both cats
Website/podcast to learn something: ContemporaryArtDaily.com, DailyServing.com, iTunes U lectures, Art21, documentaries on Netflix of favorite directors
Grateful for: Very grateful to my parents, for their support both financially and mentally now and through school.  I’m very lucky that my parents support my decision in pursing art.

Alex Trimpe

Go-to food: Chicken Tikka Masala
Productivity/creativity jumpstart: Going outside
Hobby: Reading
Words to live by: Conan O’Brien said, “If you work really hard and you are kind, amazing things will happen.”
Fave game: Video-Team Fortress 2. Board game-anything!
Ideal breakfast: Sausage.
Everyday breakfast: Scrambled eggs in a mug in the microwave.
Pet(s)? Ollie the fat cat
Website/podcast to learn something: Reddit, for everything
Grateful for: Just being alive is pretty nice, wouldn’t you say?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alumnus Aaron Roberts’ poster design for the Columbus Food & Wine Affair

The Columbus Food & Wine Affair is set to take place this Friday, and once again its collector-worthy poster is a product of CCAD talent.

Aaron Roberts (CCAD 2012) earned first place in the annual class design project for the event while he was still a senior in Advertising & Graphic Design.

For the class project, students were told the dimensions of the poster and how it would be displayed. They were told the poster had to appeal in both color and black and white, represent food and wine equally, and have an international and contemporary flair.

“It is absolutely amazing to see what these young artists can do,” said Bob Himes, president of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association Foundation. “We benefit from their concepts and ideas, and they benefit by getting a feel for what it’s like to work with clients.”

Roberts was awarded a cash prize and CCAD received a contribution from the Columbus Food & Wine Affair to the CCAD Scholarship Fund.

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Stefan Doke (CCAD 2012) was awarded second place in the competition, and honorable mentions were given to Advertising & Graphic Design alumni Andrea Hager (CCAD 2012), Chavilah Bennett (CCAD 2012), and Christopher Olvis (CCAD 2012).

The Columbus Food & Wine Affair draws more than 1,000 people and showcases food from local Columbus restaurants and more than 350 wines from around the world. The event will take place Sept. 21 at the Franklin Park Conservatory.

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.

The garment on the left is from Rachel Kaplan's collection, inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe and Umberto Boccioni. Chavilah Bennett used the fashion shoot photo to recontsruct a work of art inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's painting “Red Canna."

When the music is pounding and the models are strutting down the runway—each bringing forth a delightful new surprise—it is easy to only see the fashion design talent at the CCAD Senior Fashion Show.

So, each year we like to take a moment and call attention to all of the other creative minds that make our extraordinary fundraiser such a memorable experience.

One piece in particular, the lookbook, lasts well beyond that one adrenaline-fueled night. CCAD students have always played a significant role in developing the book, but this year that role was increased. The book not only showcases the design talent of our fashion students, but it also showcases the talent of our photographers, graphic designers, fine artists, and illustrators—not just in its production but in the rich content seen on each page.

“The fashion designers took their inspiration from 2D and 3D artists. To showcase that inspiration, we took the idea of deconstruction and reconstruction to highlight more forms of art and design at CCAD,” said CCAD Creative Director Lindsay Kronmiller as she described the concept for this year’s fashion show lookbook.

The team that developed the concept for the lookbook, the invites, and did the design work, from left Isabella Hidalgo, Aaron Roberts, Walker Crane, and Isuri Merenchi Hewage

“We took photos of the models wearing the designs on backgrounds that make it appear that the fashion is being ‘unpacked’ for a gallery show,” explained Kronmiller. “We then gave those photos to artists, designers, and illustrators and had them reconstruct each photo into a piece of art that was inspired by the original 2D and/or 3D artist—thus creating an ‘exhibition book’ of CCAD work focused around this year’s fashion thesis projects.”

While guests of the event will appreciate the beautiful book as they wait for the main event to start, the book’s shelf life lasts quite a bit longer. For the next year the admissions office will include the fashion lookbook in packets to prospective students and bring it with them to college fairs.

“This has become a signature piece for the college,” said Robin Hepler, director of marketing and communications at CCAD. “It started as a program just for the event, but we found that prospective students considering CCAD were fascinated by it and inevitably wanted a copy to keep. So, each year we’ve improved the content and ordered more quantities turning it into a regular piece in our recruitment packet. This year we’ve gone even further to ensure the book showcases the breadth of diverse talent at CCAD, while still being true to its original purpose.”

CCAD’s Design Group is an in-house design firm staffed by students and directed by Kronmiller. The team that developed the concept for the lookbook, the invites, and did the design work, included Advertising & Graphic Design seniors, Isabella Hidalgo and Aaron Roberts; Illustration senior Isuri Merenchi Hewage; and Advertising & Graphic Design junior Walker Crane.

Lookbook photographers, from left, Danielle Ford, Xandre King, Kelsey McClellan, Lian Dziura, Nicole Miller, and Marcus Morris.

The visual content for the lookbook was also all student generated. The photographs were taken by CCAD students (and an alumnus) during a daylong photo shoot that involved several sets  in CCAD’s massive photography studio space. Photography majors on the shoot, included seniors Lian Dziura, Xandre King, Kelsey McClellan, and Nicole Miller; junior Danielle Ford, and 2011 alumnus Marcus Morris.

The ‘reconstructed artwork’ was completed by the following students and alumni: Justine Arreche (Advertising & Graphic Design 2011), Chavilah Bennett (Advertising & Graphic Design 2012), Danielle Deley (Advertising & Graphic Design 2011), Pei Yin Chen (Photography 2011), Crane,  Dziura, Ford,  Andy Hayes (Advertising & Graphic Design 2001), Merenchi Hewage, Hidalgo,  Matthew Houston (Illustration 2012), Alex Lanisoz (Advertising & Graphic Design 2013),  Brian Liston (Media Studies 2012),  McClellan, Nathan Moser (Fine Arts 2012),  Simone Noronha (Advertising & Graphic Design 2011), Emily Rickard (Fine Arts 2010), Madison Schneider (Advertising & Graphic Design 2012), Pallavi Sen (Fine Arts 2011) Dillon Sirimongkhon (Illustration 2011), and Miles Tsang (Illustration 2012).

Videographers, from left, Alex Trimpe and Tom Hoying

Adding to the creative mix, CCAD tapped local branding agency Ologie to provide creative consultation and mentorship for the students as they worked on this massive undertaking.

While the lookbook has become a signature piece, it’s not the only student produced work that will be seen the night of the event (and beyond). Media Studies majors Tom Hoying (sophomore) and Alex Trimpe (senior) have been filming the lookbook design process and will be filming the entirety of the event to develop promotional materials for 2013. They also worked with local videographer Ryan Sweeney to develop a piece that will run prior to the runway show.

If you have your tickets be sure to remember to pick up a lookbook to see what all the fuss is about. If you don’t have tickets, we’ll do our best to post as many student-generated photos as we can the night of the show for your vicarious enjoyment.

Chavilah Bennett, 2012 Outstanding Senior

At the end of the academic year, CCAD deans present the Outstanding Seniors for their divisions. Today, in part two of our 10-part Outstanding Senior series, meet Advertising & Graphic Design major Chavilah Bennett.

Q) What was your proudest achievement at CCAD?

A) One of my proudest achievements would definitely be this—being named an outstanding senior.  Another achievement would be the general growth I have undergone. Everyone comes here as a high school student, and we leave here as educated adults; I think that is a big achievement.

Q) What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

A) It would probably be just getting a job after graduation, which is probably everyone’s fear. I didn’t have many fears while here, because everyone is so accepting and helpful that is hard to be fearful of anything.

Q) What are your plans after graduation?

A) I am going to make a big move—to California, New York City, or London. Right now I am doing some freelance work and have been working with a nonprofit company that participated in Startup Weekend here on campus, so I will probably continue to volunteer my time with them until I leave Columbus.

Q) What is your ultimate dream job or goal?

A) I want to be the creative director of a company. I want it to be in a big city, because I love the energy and life there. I want to be working somewhere that is full of creative people who have the drive to try new things and are interested in new technology.

Q) Why is it important as an alumna to continue to give back to your alma mater?

A) I think it is very important to give back and to help future artists and the future of CCAD. Most of us are attending this school because alumni have given back and we were able to receive a scholarship. Right now, I am working on the 2012 senior class gift. Since a lot of us don’t have the financial means to donate, we gave a piece to be sold at the CCAD Spring Art Sale, and those proceeds will be given to the scholarship fund.

Q) Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

A) All of the time. I always get that feeling, especially when I am in the middle of a really great project and someone comes up and says “great work” or offers me encouragement. I also get that rewarding feeling when I interview for jobs. For instance, I worked with American Greetings over the summer and to have Dan Weiss [senior creative recruiter at American Greetings] come in and talk to me was an “ah-ha” moment.

Q) What smells, words, objects, or whatever will always remind you of your time here as a student?

A) Ramen, “all nighter,” and burnt popcorn. I remember whenever someone would burn popcorn in the dorm we would all have to leave the dorm in the middle of the night, often after we were asleep and in pajamas, and stand outside in the cold.

Q) What will you miss the most?

A) I will miss that during the time I was here I was surrounded by creatives who were all in the process of learning. Our main responsibility was to learn, and we had this freedom to do just that, learn and grow.

Q) If you can describe what graduating feels like in one word, what would it be?

A) Terrifying—it feels as though I am on the top of a roller coaster. I have worked four years to get to the top, and I am just crossing that edge where all of a sudden you are about to go down. Below you there are opportunities, and you can see everything. I feel as though I am looking down at the entire world. I have a mix of  anticipation and fear, but excitement about everything.

Q) What was your favorite class while at CCAD?

A) They all had their ups and downs, but I enjoyed my last Advertising & Graphic Design class. It was nice to be surrounded by seniors who knew that they were in the right major and going down the right path. We were able to focus on our work and really push each other to new limits.

Q) What did you like to do during your free time?

A) I like to illustrate; I definitely want to start working on my illustrations more. I also like to travel, and in June I am going to South Carolina for a trip. I have a creative side that includes dance and music. After graduation I want to make more time for playing the harp and start writing my own music again.

Q) What is your fondest memory at CCAD?

A) They are all fond memories, I don’t know if I can pick just one. Even when I was crying late at night due to the stress of a project, I still would love to go back and repeat it all.

Q) If you could go back, what would you change?

A) I would have learned where to look for research. What the school is doing now with the library and those resources is beneficial to current and future students. I wish I would have learned those resources more; it definitely would have saved me a lot of time.

Q) What advice would you give to future CCAD students?

A) The time at CCAD is a process that everyone has to go through and learn their own path. Embrace every moment, because it doesn’t last long, and it will be over before you know it.

2011 graduates and families outside The Ohio Theatre

In honor of the 200-plus students who will receive diplomas at CCAD’s 133^rd commencement, we’ll be counting down the days by publishing interviews with our 10 Outstanding Seniors and announcing the class valedictorian(s).

Grades have not yet been submitted, so we are still waiting in anticipation to find out who is at the top of our 2012 class. One thing we can tell you is the names of our Outstanding Seniors. These 10 students were selected by the deans of their respective majors. They include 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; and Erin McKenna, Fine Arts.

The commencement speaker on May 12, is Mark Kvamme, interim chief investment officer and president of JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit corporation responsible for Ohio’s economic development activities for the past year. Kvamme recently worked with CCAD’s Design Group on the redesign of Ohio’s license plates and driver’s licenses.

Check back on Monday, April 30, when we’ll introduce you to our first Outstanding Senior, Lian Dziura—we’ll publish one interview a day (on school days) through Friday, May 11.

Members of the 1492 project sit to discuss project goals

CCAD’s collaboration in two innovative entrepreneurial events this fall has lead to a rich new appreciation of the importance of creative thinking in business development.

Startup Weekend Columbus took place Oct. 7–9, 2011 on CCAD campus. In its fifth year, it was the first time this 54-hour program was hosted on CCAD’s campus.

The program, which normally draws students, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists, had a new edge by including the creative class.

“Through Startup Weekend our students got an accelerated and intense sense of any number of considerations that impact business decisions and in turn impact design. They got to see how design contributes to business and how business influences design and how together, a company becomes more successful and their stories more impactful,” commented Cynthia Gravino, director of career services.

The program helped emphasize how closely related the creative and business processes have become.

“The weekend was not just another class exercise for students,”said Gravino. “This is a real-world experience that they can take with them as they launch their careers.”

Ten CCAD students participated in Startup Weekend Columbus, including honors students, Chavilah Bennett (senior, Advertising & Graphic Design), Lillie Templeton (junior, Advertising & Graphic Design), and Hilary Sroufe (junior, Advertising & Graphic Design); and Yiangos Panayiotou (junior, Illustration), Vincent Smigiel (sophomore, Advertising & Graphic Design), Abby Staley (freshman), Manuel Austin (sophomore, Media Studies), Michael Kroptavich (junior, Advertising & Graphic Advertising), Nikhil Nigade (freshman, Advertising & Graphic Design), Danielle Williams (sophomore, Advertising & Graphic Design), and Devin Broadnax (junior, Fine Arts).

The students worked closely with the 16 teams launching their business plans. Creatives and techies worked together to execute a successful start-up.

At the end of the weekend three of the 16 teams were chosen as the best concepts presented. They included, Source Match, DemandZilla, and UserTOS.

Similiar in some ways, 1492 is a program that accelerates the creation of start-ups in a couple of months as opposed to what would normally take a couple of years. The program is a collaborative effort among TechColumbus, Columbus State Community College, and CCAD, with support from the Ohio Third Frontier and includes money for the chosen projects.

Out of 162 applicants, 10 companies were chosen to present their ideas to a panel of judges on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Out of the 10, five were chosen to participate in an 11-week coaching program on CCAD’s campus. They will each receive a $20,000 grant and will launch a product or service in mid Jan. 2012, following the program.

The five companies selected for the 1492 program this year were Azoti.com, Capstone Innovations, Churchsys.com, hungerly LLC, and Infinum Education LLC

Azoti will serve local farmers, dairies, fisheries, distributors, co-ops, farmer’s markets and artisans by providing demand aggregation services, program management and a host of CRM solutions.

Capstone Innovations has designed and patented an adaptable interlocking pallet system made up of identical units.

Churchsys is a software service (SaaS) developed to manage all aspects of operating a church or any other institution with patrons.

hungerly LLC is a location-based mobile marketing, analytics, sales, and loyalty platform built with street truck and cart vendors in mind.

Infinum Education has developed Aviso, which allows students and instructors to collaboratively drive both student and institutional success.

During the 11-week training the start-ups cover everything from financial advice to meetings with business mentors, and brainstorming sessions on how to achieve their desired goals and results.

In addition to these training programs, the start-ups will be able to utilize a CCAD intern. The intern will be with them through the duration of the program and their initial launch.

Support from participating organization, professionals, peers, and CCAD’s creative talent ensure the participating companies with a successful product launch.

Photo courtesy of The Columbus Dispatch.

Major Columbus College of Art & Design supporter Loann Crane, after whom the Loann Crane Center for Design is named, was honored yesterday for her community involvement and achievement at the YWCA’s annual Women of Achievement Awards.

In an interview with WBNS-TV anchor Andrea Cambern, Crane said that growing up during the great depression has contributed to her need to give back. “I can remember my father coming home and saying in a kind of defeated way, ‘A good man can’t get a job,’” Crane said. “The kind of philanthropy that my parents were involved in was they had to slip somebody a couple of dollars.”

Watch Cambern’s interview of Crane here.

Crane served on CCAD’s board of trustees from 1998–2009, bringing her wisdom and leadership to the college during a transformational period of growth. She was among the lead donors of the college’s Creative Drive campaign and included her family in the Creative Drive gift that named the Loann Crane Center for Design.

Chavilah Bennett, a junior majoring in Advertising & Graphic Design and CCAD student body president-elect, was in the audience when Crane received the Lifetime Achievement Award. She said, “I’m in that building all the time and see her name every day. It’s amazing to see her in person—and knowing more about her really inspires me to do something as significant with my life as she has done with hers.”

Crane has diligently worked on behalf of many organizations, including the Columbus Museum of Art and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. She was a founder of the Women’s Fund, where she has promoted women’s issues and quality of life, serving the interests of more than 800,000 women and girls in Central Ohio.

Learn more about Loann Crane and the rest of the Crane family on the Crane Group’s website.

Green vase by Molly J. Burke

The old adage  “if you want a job done, ask a busy person” describes the students and alumni who make CCAD’s annual art sales successful events.

Consider students Chavilah Bennett, Michiella Sturiano, Dion Utt, and alumna Molly J. Burke.

Between the four, they work 10 part-time jobs and one full-time position. In their spare time they create art for CCAD’s Art Sale, held this year on Dec. 4 in the Loann Crane Center for Design.

Burke, a Graduate Admissions officer and adjunct instructor at CCAD, offers blown glass sculptures, vases, and ornaments, which she specifically makes for the art sale.

Sturiano is making glass, cut paper, and relief prints. Although she has helped coordinate past sales, 2010 is the first year she’s selling her nature-related and abstract art.

An Ad & Graphic Design junior, Sturiano is weighing input from experienced participants. She’s been advised to not underestimate the value (selling price) of her art and to “reasonably bargain” if a customer loves a piece but can’t afford it.

“This shows you’re passionate about your work and not just out to make a quick buck,” Sturiano said. She’s selling not only for profit but also to network and to be active within the CCAD community.

Portrait by Chavilah Bennett, class of 2012

Bennett, a junior majoring in Ad & Graphic Design, and Utt, a Fine Arts major, are sharing their sales space. Bennett already knows of people coming to the art sale specifically to buy her small 3D fish necklaces and keychains. The third grade teaching assistant in the Saturday Morning Art Classes (SMAC) program also is advertising examples of her portrait work and hopes to obtain a commission.

Utt, also a SMAC teaching assistant, is making metal and wood earrings and small sculptures for his first sale.

As a first-time participant Bennett is fulfilling a promise she made to herself as a freshman. She spent the past two years observing the holiday and spring sales, taking notes, and asking questions.

Bennett describes the sales as festive and fun. “It’s incredibly rewarding to sell something that I’ve made. I currently view graphic design as my future career, and my drawing, 3D, and illustrative skills as my hobby. I don’t have the stress of being forced to rely on selling my drawings and 3D art, so the CCAD art sale is fun for me,” she said.

A veteran participant, Burke (Fine Arts, ’06) reflects on how she has grown professionally as an artist. “I know what to prep for the sale and how long it takes to set up. I remember scrambling at times as a student but now it’s only a little added stress. I have yet to come up with the perfect way to display the ornaments so I may break down and build something this year. I have to admit it’s hard to find the time for that when sometimes its hard to even have time to make the artwork.”

The artists aren’t immune to some shopping of their own. At past sales, favorite buys have included jewelry, scarves, vases, a stuffed animal, and purses. And if funds are tight a plethora of wanted items can still be found.

Burke confesses to some occasional end-of-the-day exchanges. “Sometimes I will trade with people at the end of the sale. It’s a lot of fun that way. I usually trade for something smaller in size. I have this thing about not wanting to carry out more weight than I came with,” she said.

Blissful Ballerina by Chavilah Bennett

Students who participated in CCAD’s Internship Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 9, found they were competing for something more than internships when one of the attending companies offered a doodling contest.

The Navicor Group provided students with a piece of paper with a red shape in the center and asked them to create a doodle around it. The 30 student illustrations were then uploaded to the agency’s Facebook page for voting.

Votes determined that the winning doodle was Blissful Ballerina by Chavilah Bennett, a junior majoring in Advertising & Graphic Design. She won a $25 Chipotle gift card.

A division of inVentiv Health, The Navicor Group is a full-service advertising agency with a specialty focus on oncology and immunology brands.

To see more doodles check out the contest’s gallery.

CCAD students interact with Super Mario Bros. mural

CCAD students now have opportunities to paint murals on campus between the Schottenstein Residence Hall and the Administration Building.

A team of 12 students kicked off the new Student Government program with a 16 x 38 foot mural featuring Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Students and groups can submit proposals to paint a new mural every month.

The first mural, on display through September, took eight days to complete and was created to advertise CCAD’s inaugural Town Hall meeting, one of several events for students to voice their concerns and have questions answered.

Creators of the Super Mario Bros. mural include Ken Aschliman, Chavilah Bennett, Jessica Braunschweiger, Walker Crane, Greg Reyes, Emily Rickard Jennifer Sands, Pallavi Sen, Dillon Sirimongkhon, Michael Smith, Alex Trimpe, and Dion Utt.

To see local news coverage of the CCAD mural go to nbc4i.