Work by Chun Arthur Wang

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

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

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

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.

“Lettuces and Lambquarters” by alumna Sarah Fairchild

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

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

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

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

Students work on project for InPower through the CCAD MindMarket

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Classnotes, December 2012 Issue

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Kristen M. Foley

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

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

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

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

Photo by Chad Hunt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo from last year’s Family Weekend & Homecoming

Classes are in full swing and the temperature is starting to drop, which can only mean one thing…. Family Weekend & Homecoming is almost here.

This will be the second year that the popular events are combined into one spectacular, action-packed weekend; this year on Oct. 12 and 13.

Last year during and after the event we shared hundreds of photos with our friends on Facebook via our Columbus College of Art & Design page and our CCAD Alumni page.

People tagged and liked the pictures, allowing everyone online to participate. So, what better way to get excited for this year’s event then look back at last year’s photos and comments?

A few that warmed our cold hearts:

“Totally enjoyed the Family Weekend & Homecoming thing—great job,” said alumnus James Walter Elston. “So good to be back at CCAD.”

Alumna Lisa Hetzer said, “we had a great time at the Homecoming/Family/Alumni weekend! Kudos to everyone involved with the planning, great job. What a wonderful surprise to see my favorite teacher, Billie Ingram, being honored at the alumni reception!”

Attendees were excited about the carnival on the quad, the comedy performance, and the homecoming reception, but some were also just as excited for the food.

“Joy Waking up starving and making overdone eggs isn’t fun, heading down to the market to get some good food,” current student Starla Hay said on a post announcing breakfast was beginning.

Sharing photos allowed the people who were there to reminisce (even while the event was still going on), but our hyperactive posting and tweeting meant that those who weren’t able to make the trip to campus got to enjoy it vicariously (at least that’s what we hope).

Alumna Amy Marie Book commented, “I wish I could have gone…miss my CCAD days bad…they were rough while there, but now looking back they were the best years for being myself.”

“I think if I visit now I will get lost,” alumna Sylvia Olmos stated on a picture of the campus. “Campus looks a lot different from 1986 when I started.”

Olmos is right; campus has changed a lot (just another reason to come back). But for those who are worried about getting lost, throughout the day there will be guided tours, so no need to worry.

Those who were watching our posts throughout the day were also a little perplexed by who we were exactly.

Student Alejandro Bellizzi commented that he thought our Faceboook page was alive—“I like this because I don’t understand who you are. It’s as if CCAD is alive and once you are an alumnus/a, you can talk to it like it’s a person. What are you? Are you some kind of art school ghost spirit?”

No, we are not an “art school spirit,” but wouldn’t that be cool? Walking through walls and just appearing places? …We digress. Like last year, Lacey Luce and I (Katlin McNally) will be wandering the streets tweeting and posting—and we think you should too! Seriously, do we have to do everything?

But, anyway, we like Bellizzi’s thinking. We are here to bring the “spirit” of CCAD to you (but not in a creepy poltergeist way)—whether you are among our alumni, a student, a family member, faculty, or staff—we are all CCAD family and on Oct. 12 and 13, everyone is coming together to celebrate. This is something you will not want to miss!

To check out a full listing of events planned for the weekend, please go to our event page. Also, look at photos from last year on our Facebook photo albums here and here.

Classnotes, September 2012 Issue

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

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

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from June, July, and August 2012.

John Schaffner ’60 and J. Luray Schaffner ’62 both exhibited their work at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in Solomons, MD. Read more here.

Elena Osterwalder ’76 showed work in Celebrating UA, an exhibition at the Concourse Gallery in Upper Arlington, OH. Read more here.

Joe Howard ’72 had his piece Stone, Steel and Wood chosen for the permanent Western Art Collection of the Pearce Museum at Navarro College in Corsicana, TX. Read more here.

Jeff Stahler ’77 was interviewed in The Illustrator’s Market. Read more here.

Tim Bowers ’79 illustrated Dinosaur Pet, which climbed the best-seller lists. Read more here.

David Groff ’79 received gold and bronze awards in the 29^th annual Aster Awards for his illustrations in a hospital calendar.

Marty Husted ’79, Mark Thomas ’90, and Heather Nibert ’12 are each participating in a public arts project in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Laura Sanders ’88, Sarah Fairchild ’94, Chris Rankin ’94, Adam Brouillette ’02,  Anne Holman ’02, Lauren Mudd ’04,  and Boryana Rusenova Ina ’06, participated in Art for the Environment, a silent auction benefiting the Ohio Environmental Council. Read more here.

Kaname Takada ’89, William Shearrow ’97,  and Michael Bonardi ’04 are featured in a group exhibition at the  Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Coshocton, OH. Read more here.

Peter Wachtel ’90 is now selling his product STAKE, an all-in-one BBQ tool, via Quirky, Target, Fab, and ThinkGeek. Read more here.

James Alicea ’92 organized a fundraiser for the victims of the 2011 tsunami and earthquake in Japan, involving artists from Japan and New York. Read more here.

Laurie Brown ’94 showed her work in a group exhibition at the Mansion at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD. Read more here.

Chad Hunt ’94 spent time training with a U.S. Special Operations Command team, and his resulting photographs were featured in an issue of Popular Mechanics. Read more here.

Chris Rankin ’94 exhibited his work in two Columbus, OH, venues this summer. Read more here.

David Hartman ’95 is a supervising director for the show Transformers: Prime, which won a 2012 Daytime Emmy®. Read more here.

Jason Goad ’96 has partnered on projects for some big-name brands and projects, including Mattel’s Hot Wheels. Read more here.

John Urbano ’96 released a limited edition photography book and directed a music video for British pop band One Direction that has been nominated for an MTV Video Music Award. Read more here.

Nathaniel Galka ’98 had work in the exhibition The Birds and Bees. Read more here.

Mike Hein ’98 exhibited his work at Mulherin + Pollard gallery in New York City. Read more here.

Dan Scanlon ’98 was featured in the LA Times for his upcoming directorial debut on Pixar’s Monsters University. Read more here.

Michael Phillips ’99 was profiled in All4You, a contemporary culture magazine based in Croatia. Read more here.

Clint Davidson ’00 worked on a mural for a public park in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Olga Ziemska ’00 installed a sculpture at the Columbus State Community College (CSCC) main library.  Read more here.

Adam Brouillette ’02, Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski ’02, and Corey Aumiller ’06 are participating in the Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project (CAP-UP), a public art project. Read more here.

Carl Bork ’03 exhibited his paintings at the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, CO. Read more here.

Sarah DeAngulo Hout ’04 worked on a mural that is now in the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Read more here.

Michael Lai ’04 presented as a special guest for the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts in Columbus, OH. Read more here

Jill Raymundo ’04 exhibited her work in the City Center Gallery of the OSU Urban Arts Space in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Manjari Sharma ’04 was featured in the Huffington Post’s iPad issue for her photography project Darshan. Read more here.

Corey Aumiller ’06 worked on a video project featuring CCAD President Denny Griffith. Read more here.

Martina Nikova ’07 had a solo exhibition at the Ohio Art League in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Greg Beck ’09 helped start Longstride, a creative marketing company in Columbus, OH, that was featured in a local business journal. Read more here.

John Malta ’10 received a grant from the Xeric Foundation to self-publish his comic book The Professor and the Paperboy. Read more here.

Kartika Mediani ’10 showed her film The Box at the 2012 Comic-Con’s San Diego International Children’s Film Festival in California. Read more here.

Kerry Kunze ’11 displayed her work at ZenClay Gallery in Morgantown, WV. Read more here.

Rachel Cass ’12 was featured in Easton Town Center’s 2012 directory after being awarded Easton’s Fashion Design Award. Read more here.

Kathryn Chamberlin ’12 became the graphic designer at Origo Branding Company in downtown Columbus, OH.

Alex Conrad ’12 showed his work in a national MFA competition. Read more here.

Brianne Schulze ’12 earned a goldsmithery apprenticeship at the Diamond Cellar in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

David Breaux (left) standing with his Megaforce MK4 Motorcycle, part of his extensive movie prop collection

David Breaux (CCAD 1994) had a busy year on the Hollywood animation scene. Recently he has been working with international visual effects company Pixmondo, and worked on such well-known films and television shows as Terra Nova, Hunger Games, Tron: Legacy, and Iron Man 2.

The Illustration alumnus was a senior animator on the FOX television series Terra Nova, produced by Steven Spielberg, which won a Visual Effects Society (VES) award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series.

“We averaged about two to three weeks per episode for our schedule,” Breaux said of his time developing the characters, which, in this case, included dinosaurs.

Breaux’s work as a freelancer means he relies heavily on the success of a show. When Terra Nova was not picked up for a second season, it left Breaux and other designers temporarily out of work.

“If a show is cancelled it can have a huge impact,” Breaux said. “We [animators] can be out of work for three or five months because of the hole that was created in our schedule. In the animation business, companies cannot afford to float people for too long waiting for another show.”

To fill the gaps, Breaux works on smaller projects, including some weekend work for the television show Grimm. He also is an instructor at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects.

For Hunger Games, Breaux spent months working on the tracker jackers, which fans of the books and movie will remember as the genetically engineered wasps. All the work had to be hand keyed, which meant that he spent hours developing details such as their movement, their speed, and the hive.

“My time at CCAD gave me a broad education, though, and it has helped me be flexible when it comes to work,” Breaux said. “Most of the time I focus on formatting, but I can also work on models and do some design work.”

Breaux is currently working on Die Hard 5: A Good Day to Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis, which is scheduled for release in 2013.

2011 AAE recipient Nathan Greno (right), accepting award from Denny Griffith (left)

Sixteen distinguished Columbus College of Art & Design alumni have been nominated for the 2012 Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence (AAE). Nominees range from a fashion knitting queen to a Pixar storyboard artist and an art therapy director to an internationally recognized fine artist.

The nominees are Bryan Ballinger ( CCAD 1990), Charlotte Belland (CCAD 1997), Samantha Bennett (CCAD 1995–1999), Sean Blanton (CCAD 2011), Roy Doty (CCAD 1942), Nicky Epstein (CCAD 1974), Michael Flechtner (CCAD 1981), Scott Hull (CCAD 1977), Matthew Kaser (CCAD 1984), Jon Hair (CCAD 1976–1978), Catherine Hyland Moon (CCAD 1978), Paitoon Ratan (CCAD 1993), William D. Ray (CCAD 1992–1994), Benjamin Roseland (CCAD 2005), Dan Scanlon (CCAD 1998), and Charles Wilkin (CCAD 1992). Read the nominee bios here.

The AAE will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 13, during Family Weekend & Homecoming. This event is part of an entire weekend of events for the whole CCAD family, including alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff.

Each year CCAD accepts nominations for AAE as a way to acknowledge not only the success and contributions of one very deserving graduate, but also the impact CCAD alumni have all over the world. Alumni are currently voting on the finalists, after which a committee will review the nominees and choose the recipient. To learn more about the nomination and voting process, click here.

“Privatization” by Boryana Rusenova Ina will be up for bid on Aug. 25

CCAD faculty, staff, and alumni are involved in Art for the Environment, a silent auction on Aug. 25 benefiting the Ohio Environmental Council.

All of the artwork that will be for sale expresses a connection to the environment. This encourages guests, who will mingle with the artists throughout the event, to think about the environmental issues that matter to them.

Participating CCAD artists include editorial director Laura Bidwa, Fine Arts alumnus Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002), Fine Arts alumna Sarah Fairchild (CCAD 1994), adjunct instructor Linda Gall, president Dennison W. Griffith, Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Anne Holman (CCAD 2002), Fine Arts alumna Lauren Mudd (CCAD 2004), Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Chris Rankin (CCAD 1994), Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Boryana Rusenova Ina (CCAD 2006), and Fine Arts alumna Laura Sanders (CCAD 1988).

Director of Continuing & Professional Studies and Fine Arts alumna Cat Sheriden (CCAD 2003) and associate professor and Fine Arts alumnus Tim Rietenbach (CCAD 1977) also participated, serving on the host committee.

“As a host committee member, my job is to help build community interest for this event,” Sheridan said. “So why did I say yes to help? Because I’m a big ol’ tree hugger! But seriously, one only has to think of this record-setting hot July to understand the dire need to act in sustainable ways and strive to contribute to a culture that is sustainable, not just ‘more sustainable.’”

“This event combines two things dear to my heart: the environment and art. It was an obvious choice to be involved in whatever way I could,” Sheridan said.

The auction will be held Aug. 25, 6–9 p.m. at the Lab, 855 Grandview Avenue, Columbus, OH. Tickets can be purchased here. Paintings to be auctioned can also be viewed here.

Brown’s work “Awareness, No. 1″

Illustration alumna Laurie Brown (CCAD 1994) is showing work in a group exhibition at the Mansion at Strathmore in Bethseda, MD.

Inform/Reform explores work that is made from repurposed and sustainable items. Brown, who creates three-dimensional works from paper, has four pieces in the show.

Strathmore provides educational programs for children and adults taught by professional artists and curators. The11-acre site has state-of-the-art gallery space, hosting more than two dozen art exhibits a year.

Chad Hunt’s photograph for Popular Mechanics magazine

Photography alumnus Chad Hunt (CCAD 1994) spent a week training with a U.S. Special Operations Command team, and some of the resulting photography is featured in the July issue of Popular Mechanics.

Hunt’s week with the team involved live-fire training at the Yakima training grounds outside of Seattle, WA.

“Getting such intimate access to the military’s elite was not easy,” Hunt said. “It came about from a personal relationship that I have had with [that] special operations team leader since 2006 when I was embedded in the Korengal Valley, the backdrop for the documentary film Restrepo.”

Hunt filmed a short video to be featured on the Popular Mechanics website and the iPad version of the magazine, which can be watched here. His photographs from Yakima can be viewed here.

Hunt has more than 15 years of experience in photojournalism and portrait work. He has traveled to Afghanistan three times in the last two years as an embedded photographer with the U.S. military. In 2008, his photograph of Sergeant Major David Combs at the Korengal Outpost in Afghanistan made the cover of TIME magazine.

Rankin’s encaustic painting “Untitled”

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Chris Rankin (CCAD 1994) will have his work displayed in two Columbus, OH, venues this summer.

His encaustic paintings will be hung at Basil, a restaurant in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district, through August. He will also have his work displayed at the Bexley Public Library in September and October.

Rankin is currently working on landscapes painted with pigmented beeswax. He is also the co-founder and principal of Creative Spot, a full-service ad agency founded in 1994.

John Jude Palencar’s illustration for the best-selling children’s novel “Eragon”

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

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

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from December 2011, January 2012, and February 2012.

Ron Miller ’70 created the illustrations for an iPad app Journey to the Exoplanets. Read more here.

Nicky Epstein ’74 has finished her 24^th book about knitting design. Read more here.

Tim Rietenbach ’77, Danielle Julian Norton ’99, Mariana Smith ’02, and Michael Litzau ’04 were among 10 CCAD-affiliated artists in a recent exhibition. Read more here.

Tim Rietenbach ’77 is a participating artist in FINDING TIME: Columbus Public Art 2012, a multi-artist public art project to celebrate the city of Columbus’ 200^th birthday. Read more here.

Kent Roberts ’77 had his work accepted in the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s Annual Show.

Wong Wo Bik ’77 was in the group exhibition Memory and Fiction at Blindspot Gallery in Hong Kong. Read more here.

John Jude Palencar ’80 illustrated the newest book in a best-selling children’s series, the Inheritance Cycle. Read more here.

Michael Neno ’84, Andy Bennett ’94, and Ryan Brinkerhoff ’08 all worked on the fourth issue of a Columbus based comic book. Read more here.

Kurt Fondriest ’85 was featured in the film Operation Rhino, which received a Midwest/Chicago Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Read more here.

Inka Essenhigh ’91 had a solo exhibition at Tomio Koyama Gallery in Kyoto, Japan. Read more here.

Anita Miller ’91–’99 continues to tour her exhibition The Eyes of Freedom: the Lima Company Memorial. Read more here.

Nathan Greno ’93–’96 co-directed Disney’s animated short Tangled Ever After. Read more here.

David Breaux ’94 is a senior animator on the FOX television series Terra Nova, produced by Steven Spielberg. Read more here.

Sandy Kessler Kaminski ’93 had her piece Around 65 featured in Studio Visit magazine, vol. 14.

Ron Stasko ’93 had his work Liquid Color displayed in Tsunami, a Baton Rouge restaurant.

Kathleen ’94 and David Hartman ’95 both worked on the film John Dies at the End, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Read more here.

Samantha Bennett ’95–’99 had a solo exhibition, Scars, Portraits and Beyond, at Hayley Gallery in New Albany, OH. Read more here.

Michael Newton ’96 and Jeremy Sorrell ’04, exhibited their work at Rivet Gallery in downtown Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Laine Bachman ’97 had a solo exhibition, Birds of a Feather, which was reviewed by The Columbus Dispatch. Read more here.

Nicole Bruckman ’00 was in a group exhibition at WWA Gallery in Culver City, California. Read more here.

Michael Guinane ’00 showed his work at the Cultural Arts Center in Columbus, OH.

Adam Brouillette ’02 and Boryana Rusenova Ina ’00 were on the Best Local Artists list of 2011 in Columbus Underground. Read more here.

Anne Holman ’02 is featured in The New Artisans: Handmade Designs for Contemporary Living. Read more here.

Carl Bork ’03 had a solo exhibition at Tointon Gallery in Greeley, CO. Read more here.

Kenneth Hall ’04 had a solo exhibition at Parkland College Art Gallery in Champaign, Ill. Read more here.

Manjari Sharma ’04 was featured in The New York Times discussing her photography project Darshan. Read more here.

Melissa Spencer ’06 displayed her photography in Cleveland, OH at Sunny Side Up Gallery.

Maris Turner ’07 and Sara Renner ’08 opened a boutique in Ann Arbor. Read more here.

Genoveva Christoff ’09 was a finalist in the E! Live from the Red Carpet Design Contest and presented her work at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Dinosaur featured on the television series “Terra Nova”

David Breaux (CCAD 1994) is a senior animator on the FOX television series Terra Nova produced by Steven Spielberg.

The Illustration alumnus works on animated creatures featured on the science fiction television series that follows a family as they travel 85 million years into the past. Breaux is a character animator and has worked on well-known films such as Tron: Legacy, Iron Man 2, Night at the Museum, and Thor.

The show recently won a Visual Effects Society (VES) award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series. VES awards recognize outstanding visual effects artistry in 23 categories of film, animation, television, commercials, special venues, and video games.

"John Dies at the End" movie poster

A premiere at the Sundance Film Festival is a big step toward success for any independent film and the crew that worked on it. Two CCAD alumni are enjoying that satisfaction as the movie John Dies at the End is being screened at the festival.

Kathleen (CCAD 1994) and David Hartman (CCAD 1995) both worked on the film, Kathleen in the costume and wardrobe department and David in animation and special effects.

John Dies at the End began as a webserial and was transformed into a movie by director Don Coscarelli, who also directed The Beastmaster, Bubba Ho-Tep, and the Phantasm films. The movie depicts a couple of college drop-outs who begin to take a paranormal, psychoactive drug that gives users an out-of-body experience. It features a few up-and-coming actors along with award-winning actor Paul Giamatti, who is an executive producer on the film.

The sci-fi comedy premiered Jan. 23 and has four showings throughout the festival, and it’s already being talked about for more than just the cast. Reviews have been praising the film and its special effects, ranging from a flying mustache to doorknobs changing into phallic-shaped items.

“When you see an overturned freezer full of foodstuffs become animated Jan Svankmajer-style and assemble into a turkey-headed, sausage-draped meat monster, character development and motivation will be the last thing on your mind,” said one reviewer.

The Sundance Film Festival promotes independent artists’ work and shares it with global audiences. The festival has included ground-breaking films such as Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, and Napoleon Dynamite.

To learn more about the appearance of  John Dies at the End at the Sundance Film Festival click here.

Alumna Kristi Kalkman's font created for Victoria's Secret

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

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

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from September, October, and November (2011).

William Walker (CCAD, 1953) was featured in a Chicago Sun-Times article about the mark he left on the city with his murals; read more here.

Ben Mahan (CCAD, Illustration, 1965) participated in the 16th International Competition of Illustration in Italy. Read more here.

Robert Tavani (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1985) participated in an exhibition at the Cummings Art Gallery featuring recent works from members of the Mercyhurst College Art Department. He showed oil paintings including both portraits and landscapes.

Anthony Baker (CCAD, Illustration, 1986) was appointed the team lead, medical illustrator at The Ohio State University’s health science library.

Christopher Yates ( CCAD, Fine Arts, 1987), Steve Bush (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1994), Hiroshi Hayakawa (CCAD, Photography, 1995), Casey Bradley (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2001), Mariana Smith (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2002), Tina Matthews (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2003), Lauren Mudd (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2004), Mylesant Carreno (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2005), Brandon Noblet (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2005), and Nicki Strouss ( CCAD, Fine Arts, 2008) all were involved in the exhibition Crossroads. Read more here.

Julie Abijanac (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1992) had work in a two-person exhibition with Dean of Faculty Char Norman. Read more here.

Steve Bush (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1994) was commissioned for a public art piece in Creekside Plaza (Gahanna, Ohio). Read more here.

Craig Swoboda (CCAD, Illustration, 1994) took the position of package creative manager at Anheuser-Busch Inc.

Nathan Greno (CCAD, Illustration, 1996) won the Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence. Read more here.

Kelly Weik (CCAD, Illustration, 1996) was featured as artist of the month in the Chicago-based company Faux by Kathy.

Michael Auger (CCAD, Illustration, 1998) was featured in DC Conspiracy magazine. Read more here.

Johnny Yanok (CCAD, Illustration, 1998) was featured in an exhibition at Rivet Gallery in the Short North (Columbus, Ohio). Read more here.

Josh Sutton (CCAD, Illustration, 2000) was featured in a (614) magazine article detailing his work as a freelance toy sculptor.

Matthew Klos (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2001) had an exhibition at the Still Life Gallery in Ellicott City, MD, this fall.

Ryan Green (CCAD, Media Studies, 2003) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (CCAD, Media Studies, 2005) were both hired as story artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Read more here.

Jen Chapman (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2004) and her company, Redsnapper Baby & Toddler, were featured in HOW magazine. Read more here.

Holly Koskinen’s (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2005) freelance agency won a 2011 American Graphic Design Award.

Molly Burke (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2006) participated in the Sculpture X Symposium and its 2011 fall juried exhibition in Cleveland, OH. Read more here.

Justin Cohen (CCAD, Industrial Design, 2006) won a 2010 Good Design award.

Kendra L. Meyer (CCAD, Fashion Design, 2007) has joined Albright College as assistant professor of fashion design.

Angela Svarda (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2008) was in ArtSpan’s 2011 SF Open Studios in San Francisco. Read more here.

Christie S. Craven (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2009) is now working as a web designer for Direct Brands/Columbia House in Manhattan and also started her own venture, www.samplesaleavenue.com.

Kristi Kalkman (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2010) created a font for a Victoria’s Secret campaign. Read more here.

Catherine Proctor (CCAD, Media Studies, 2010) had images published in The Ohio State University Dance Department’s annual magazine, InFORM.

Alex Alvarado (CCAD, Illustration, 2011) received a job as a look development artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Read more here.

Eric Coolidge (CCAD, Fine Arts, 2011) was featured on the Ohio Department of Education website to promote National Arts in Education Week. Read more here.

Ryan Monroe (CCAD, Photography, 2011) did the photography for the 10^th anniversary calendar for a restaurant in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

In Memoriam:

Walker, Steve (CCAD, 1970) Obituary here.

William, Walker (CCAD, 1953) Obituary here.

NCQ cover by Michael Neno

CCAD alumni are contributing to the comic scene in Columbus with Nix Comics Quarterly (NCQ).

NCQ is an open submission comic book/magazine with a focus on horror, humor, and garage-punk theme.

The series is on its fourth issue and three CCAD alumni are involved. They include Ryan Brinkerhoff (2008 Advertising & Graphic Design), Michael Neno (1984 Illustration), and Andy Bennett (1994 Illustration).

The magazine has become a creative outlet for those who enjoy illustration and the comic book scene. Interested people will submit pitches to the creator, Ken Eppstein. He then selects artists to contribute their work.

The alumni all work on outside projects, but will combine their skills in this magazine, which contains four feature stories and four recurring shorts.

“I always enjoy working with a new writer, especially someone as talented as Ken,” Bennett said. “Every creator has a unique approach to storytelling and cool things happen when you start to combine those aesthetics into a brand new thing.”

This is Bennett’s first contribution to the magazine and he illustrated a story called Eddie & the Squid Contemplate the Great Beyond. Bennett is currently working as Art Director at Brighter Minds Media, a book and software publisher.

The cover of this issue was illustrated by Michael Neno. His favorite part of working on this magazine was being able to paint again, since he has recently worked with digital tools and pencils. Neno’s cover features The Vicar, a vampire-killing rock’n’roll priest. In previous issues, Neno had illustrated The Vicar in various stories and shorts. He is currently working toward publishing his own comic book.

Brinkerhoff, much to his excitement, is working on a Bus Stop Ned story. This reoccurring short personifies a man at a public transit bus stop and his antics. Brinkeroff has been worked on all four issues of the magazine and is also working on creating a promo poster for Nix. He is the art director at Origo Branding Company and also runs Bandito Design Company.

NCQ is currently on Kickstarter.com, an online funding platform for creative projects. You can donate and view the project here.  

work by Mylesant Carreno

An exhibition that centers on the unique approach to art making through the collaboration and mixing of media will feature 15 artists affiliated with Columbus College of Art & Design.

Alumni, faculty, and staff are all involved in Crossroads, an invitational exhibition at the Schumacher Gallery at Capital University.

Casey Bradley (CCAD 2001), a Fine Arts alumnus and Lab manager at CCAD, developed the exhibition.

“Crossroads is an exhibition devoted to the enduring spirit of the artist as a creative seeker,” Bradley said.

Bradley invited 20 artists to participate in the show. He went through a jurying process with the Schumacher Gallery director and the director’s assistant to choose the work.

“All of the artists were selected based upon the ability of their work to push the boundaries of the materials and the processes that they are working with,” he said.

The final show comprises of 55 pieces with mediums including watercolors, glass, ceramics, printmaking, found objects, and more.

“It is the orchestration methods and interactions with each artist’s materials that allow a sense of discovery to translate to the experience of the viewer,” Bradley said.

CCAD artists involved in the exhibition include Bradley, and Carol Boram-Hays (adjunct faculty),  Steven Bush (1994 Fine Arts alumnus), Mylesant Carreno (SMAC instructor and 2005 Fine Arts alumna), Elizabeth Fergus-Jean (adjunct faculty), Nicole Gibbs (adjunct faculty), Michael Goodson (Exhibitions Director), Hiroshi Hayakawa (associate professor and 1995 Photography alumnus), Kelly Malec-Kosak (assistant professor),  Tina Matthews (2003 Fine Arts alumna), Lauren Mudd (2004 Fine Arts alumna),  Brandon Noblet (adjunct faculty  and 2005 Fine Arts alumnus), Mariana Smith (adjunct faculty and 2002 Fine Arts alumna),  Nicki Strouss (SMAC instructor and 2008 Fine Arts alumna), and Christopher Yates (associate professor and 1987 Fine Arts alumnus).

For more information and the full list of participating artists click here.

The exhibition will be at the Schumacher Gallery at Capital University through Dec. 9, 2011 with a reception on Friday, Nov. 11 5–7 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Brian Hoyt, city of Gahanna- concept model of Steve Bush's artwork

Alumnus Steve Bush (CCAD, Fine Arts, 1994) will be the first commissioned artist to feature a public piece for Creekside Plaza.

His commissioned work and the city’s program were featured in an article in Columbus Local News, which can be read here.

Bush is working to finish creating a six-foot abstract sculpture that will be placed in front of a fountain at Creekside Plaza. The sculpture was commissioned by the Parks and Recreation Foundation. The unveiling of this sculpture on Sept. 9 at the park’s Friday after Five event will mark the launch of the foundation’s public art program.

Brandi Braun, Gahanna’s assistant city administrator, comments that it will hopefully be the beginning of a tradition of annually commissioning a piece to help increase a public art presence in Downtown Gahanna.

Bush began the process by presenting five sketches to a committee of seven people. He then created models to represent the two favored designs. The final sculpture was chosen by a committee vote.

The sculpture will remain in front of the fountain for one year, and then will be moved to a permanent location in the Creekside district.

A Fine Arts major,  Bush is a metal sculptor and owner of smARTworks. smARTworks specializes in one-of-a-kind metal sculptures and functional art. Bush started the business 10 years ago and has since then produced more than 3,000 pieces. He has his work displayed in 24 states and four countries and hopes to continue expanding within the coming years.

Photo Courtesy of HubWorld.

Illustration alumnus David Hartman (CCAD 1995) was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the Oustanding Directing in an Animated Program category for his work as the supervising director for Transformers Prime.

Transformers Prime is up against Disney Kick Buttowski on DisneyXD, Fanboy and Chum Chum on Nickelodeon, Martha Speaks on PBS, Penguins of Madagascar on Nickelodeon, and Toot & Poodle on Nick Jr.

Nominations were announced Wednesday, May 11, and CCAD Illustration alumna (and David’s wife) Kathleen Hartman (CCAD 1994) shared the good news via the Columbus College of Art & Design Facebook page. A complete list of nominations can be viewed here.

We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed until June 19 when the winners are announced. In the meantime, learn more about the show on its webpage.

Illustration alumnus David Breaux worked as an animator on feature film "Thor."

With an estimated $150 million budget and Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins starring, Thor is pretty much the definition of a summer blockbuster. So when Illustration alumnus David Breaux (CCAD 1994) sent us the classnote, “Last year I completed animation work on three films–Iron Man 2, Tron Legacy, and Real Steel. And I’m currently finishing up work on Thor feature film,” we had a few follow up questions.

Q.) What scared you most while you were at CCAD?
A.) Oversleeping for class. Seriously!

Q.) How long after graduation did it take you to find work in your field? What did you do to get it?
A.) It took me a while, but I left Columbus after graduation and moved back home (that may have hurt me a bit). But I did have some freelance gigs along the way.

Q.) Was there a smooth path from where you started in your field to where you are now? What helped you most along the way?
A.) Smooth? No Way. I ended up working as a sculptor for a bit, then illustrating for a textbook company, then moved into games, then commercials, then finally film. And I am still bouncing around between films, commercials, and game work. It’s all animation, but they’re somewhat different beasts.

Q.) Do you have a single piece of advice for today’s CCAD students?
A.) If you’re a commercial artist—network, network, network. Be a content creator, not just a soldier in the trenches. All the commercial artists I know out here are pitching their ideas—be it films, comic books, tv shows, etc. Everyone wants to be the creator/owner.

Q.)  Do you remember a single point in your career that made you sit back and say, “This is why I do what I do.”
A.) It was amazing to see my name up on the big screen in a film, amongst the hundreds of other artists and technicians. But more often than not, I’ll be driving to or from the studio and it’ll hit me. I actually made it. It’s not easy, but somehow I made it and I’m actually here doing it.

Q.)  Why was it great to be a student at CCAD in the ‘90s?
A.) CCAD seemed to be at a turning point. It was changing from what it was and beginning its expansion into the future. The Disney Internships were great to try out for. I never got accepted, but it was still fun to shoot for it.

Q.)  Finish the sentence. The best class at CCAD was…
A.) Easily Mark Hazlerig’s 3D Illustration classes
Q.)  My fondest CCAD memory is…
A.) A moment Mr. Hazlerig chewed me out for slacking (along with the rest of the class) then told me he thought I could do anything I put my mind to.

Breaux is the senior character animator for and owner of Silicon Riot. He has contributed his animation talents to films Speed Racer; Outlander; Night at the Museum; Garfield and Garfield 2; The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; and Elektra as well as to a slew of video games, music videos, and commercials. Learn more on his website. Or visit his official IMDB profile.

Thor opens Friday, May 6, at theaters nationwide.

"Rain Again, by Chun Arthur Wang, is on display in his exhibition "Fleeting Dream."

CCAD faculty member and Fine Arts alumnus Chun Arthur Wang (CCAD 1994) has a solo exhibition, Fleeting Dream, at The Ohio State University Faculty Club through April 29.

“The delicacy and understatement of Wang’s vision are coupled with his evident attention to the purely aesthetic aspects of painting,” wrote the Other Paper. “Though his subjects are treated realistically, the paintings are at the same time composed with an eye to more abstract qualities like pattern and geometry. They can be just as highly appreciated on this level.”

“Expressing a desire to preserve and celebrate a traditional culture, Wang is troubled by the pace of change in his native country [China],” wrote fellow faculty member Christopher A. Yates in the Columbus Dispatch. “His paintings document vanishing agrarian lifestyles and are tinged with a romantic air of nostalgia. Referring to Western artists in several works, he seems to long for an idyllic, simple life.”

A reception will be held from 6–8 p.m. on Friday, April 8, To RSVP for the reception, call The Ohio State University Faculty Club at 614.292.2262 by Thursday, April 7.

For more information about Wang, visit his website.

Photo courtesy of www.aidan5.com.

Illustration alumnus Doug McGuire (CCAD 1994) recently partnered with other Columbus-based alumni to create a new science fiction web series, Aidan 5.

“The alumni I have worked with have been great,” said McGuire. “We all know what each other went through, in and out of school, and have a true respect for the skills we each bring to the project.”

Set in 2064, Aidan 5 follows a hard-boiled detective investigating the murders of his clones within a gritty urban landscape mixing elements of science fiction and film noir. The series was created entirely by volunteers who dedicated one Saturday every three weeks to producing the series.

An article in The Columbus Dispatch said, “Originally a four-minute short directed by Jackson for the 48 Hour Film Project—a touring contest in which filmmakers conceive, shoot, and edit a work in two days—Aidan 5 was named the best film in Columbus in 2008. It later won second-runner-up honors at Filmapalooza, part of the Miami International Film Festival, and was chosen for the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival.”

A new episode will appear on the website each Friday. There are 15 total episodes. Click here to begin the Aidan 5 series.

Read more about the thriller series in The Columbus Dispatch.

Alumnus Dean Mitchell (CCAD '80) exhibited at the Canton Museum of Art in Canton, OH.

One of the big changes we’ve made recently is to take Alumni Classnotes out of IMAGE magazine and bring them to you on our CCAD News Blog. We do our best to make sure most of the news our alumni submit to us ends up there, but since there are more than 10,000 of you making news all over the world, it’s a tough job to keep up with it all. Ultimately, not everything can make it into CCAD News. What doesn’t, ends up here.

We’ve also changed how you can submit classnotes. Now when news happens, let us know 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 July-December 2010.

Career successes and awards
KATHLEEN (RIVERS) LANDES ’77 is a July 2010 artist in residence at the Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe NM.

JON HAIR ’79 was recently honored by the city of Shanghai for his artistic contribution to the city’s efforts to revitalize its downtown theater district. In addition, his contemporary sculpture “Lucky 8” was commissioned by the city of Beijing and the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee and is now permanently installed at the Beijing International Sculpture Park.

JIM WEITZEL ’79 recently launched a new website and completed a steel sculpture for the grounds of Cooperris, a community based mental health program in western NC.

MATTHEW KASER ’84 received a multi-year Interpretive Design contract from the Texas Historical Commission for two historical sites. M. Kaser & Associates, Inc., was also awarded a contract with the US Army Corp of Engineers to design and produce an indoor and outdoor interpretive program at the Port Allen Navigation Lock in West Baton Rouge Parish LA.

KURT FONDRIEST ’85 had a selection of poetry published in the Winter 2010 issue of the Expressive Art Therapy Journal.

SANDRA (KESSLER) KAMINSKI ’93 recently accepted a position at the Pittsburgh Project located in Pittsburgh PA as visual arts instructor. Check out our blog for more information on Sandra.

ALYCIA (PARKER) YATES ’99 recently received her teaching license in Art Education from Ohio State University and is working toward her Master’s degree.

DAVID CROSLAND ’00 was selected as one of the winners in ArtSlant’s sixth juried Showcase of 2010 for his collaborative art piece “Booty & The Beast.” David also illustrated Yo Gabba Gabba! Comic Anthology. Find out more here.

MARIANO SANTILLAN ’00 had his comic book Seven Citadels released as a mobile comic by Robot Comics for iPhones, iPads and Droid devices.

KRISTI VALIANT ’00 has illustrated the recently published picture books The Goodbye Cancer Garden, Do You Love Me More?, Oliver’s First Christmas, and Dancing Dreams. She has also recently become the Regional Advisor of the Indiana region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

ELIZABETH WEISSBROD ’04 received a MA in Medical Illustration from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in May 2010. She now works for the Corbin Company as a medical illustrator/animator at the Uniformed Service University of the Health Sciences – Simulation Center in Bethesda MD.

STEVEN WEINZIERL ’05 recently completed projects for Nickelodeon, MTV, Discovery, and HBO through his Art Directing position at Click 3X. He also worked on Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” music video.

ALEXANDER KWAPIS ’06 recently accepted a position as Creative Director at Fusion Packaging, located in Dallas TX.

HAZEL TARR ’07 assisted with Shadowbox’s first three-week Summer Intern Bootcamp, Sketch Comedy Fest, and collaborative, “Seven Deadly Sins.”

MICHELLE DICK ’08 created custom hair accessories for the Vera Wang trunk show in July 2009. Her company, Mimi’s Closet, sells items at Big Rock Little Rooster in Columbus’s Short North.

EDEN (HUTCHINSON) WHITSETT ’08 currently owns and operates a tattoo and body piercing shop in Marion OH called Bettie’s Body Shop: Custom Tattoos and Body Piercing.

NICHOLAS CAVALIER ’09 accepted an editor position at Cramer-Krasselt in Chicago IL.

BARBARA BENAS ’10 is part of the official selection of artists featured on Cartoon Brew TV’s first annual Student Animation Festival, with her short Always, Only, Ever. The festival features work by emerging talents from around the world. The film has also been accepted into the Animation Block Party at Rooftop Films in Brooklyn NY. The Animation Block Party is New York City’s premiere animation film festival.

BERNADETTE CARSTENSEN ’10 was selected as to receive a full-ride scholarship to attend IlluXcon 3 in Altoona PA in November 2010.

KARTIKA MEDIANI ’10 has been accepted into the Animation Block Party at Rooftop Films in Brooklyn NY with her film, “Breath.”

Exhibitions
BERNARD BEN PEARCE ’70 Trinidad’s National Musuem, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

KATHLEEN (RIVERS) LANDES ’77 Istvan Gallery, Oklahoma City OK.

WALTER KING ’81 Walter King: Midwest Dialog, Fort Hayes Shot Tower Gallery, Columbus OH.

DANIEL DAY ’86 Colosseum Fine Arts, La Jolla CA.

PAUL HAMILTON ’88 Paul Hamilton: Poetry of Place, Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster OH.

CHRISTOPHER GASTON ’90 and DOUGLAS BLACK ’90 Three Roads to Mashiko, MIDORI, Mashiko, Japan.

SANDRA (KESSLER) KAMINSKI ’93 State of the Art, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg PA.

JAMIE SNELL ’94 Star Wars Celebration V, Orange County Convention Center, Los Angeles CA.

ROBERT ENGLERT ’96 Edge of Art New York State Artists Series: Designed to Scale, Everson Art Museum, Syracuse NY.

ROXANNE HOLONITCH ’97 Core Fitness Studio, Columbus, OH.

JONATHON REESE ’98 and SALEM REESE ’08 The Reunion Show, Art Outreach Gallery, Youngstown OH.

JAMES BAKER ’02 Wild Thing, Roberts & Tilton, Culver City CA.

RYAN OREWILER ’04 The Language of Art, Carnegie Gallery at Columbus Metropolitan Main Library, Columbus OH.

MANJARI SHARMA ’04 Elements of Water, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins CO; PAANI, Richard Levy Galley, Albuquerque NM; SULTRY II, DUMBO, Brooklyn NY.

ANDREW STATTMILLER ’05, Mischief, Studio Gallery, San Francisco CA.

ANDREW INA ’06, BORYANA RUSENOVA INA ’06 Landing, Art Access Gallery, Columbus OH.

MICHELLE DICK ’08 ArtPrize 2010, Peaches Bed & Breakfast, Grand Rapids, MI.

MALLORY McCLELLAN ’10 Savage Gardens, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus OH.

EMILY RICKARD ’10 Material Collections, Wild Goose Creative, Columbus OH.

In the news
DEAN MITCHELL ’80 “Paintings by Dean Mitchell,” recave.com.

LAURA (PATTERSON) SANDERS ’88 CMH magazine.

MANJARI SHARMA ’04 Pdnedu magazine.

Photo Courtesy of The Columbus Dispatch. Daniel Colvin in his Olde Towne East studio with dried flowers, which add color and texture to his paper works.

Fine Arts alumni Daniel Colvin (CCAD 2000), owner of Cobenick Studios and paper artist, and Sarah Fairchild (CCAD 1994), painter and art teacher at Gahanna Lincoln High School, were recently featured in a Columbus Dispatch article highlighting artist’s studios in central Ohio.

“Paper was so attractive to me because there are textures you can achieve and ways you can manipulate it that you can’t do in any other medium,” Colvin said in the article. “And there’s never a point where you can’t go back and play with it.”

Colvin creates sculptures, wall hangings, and large murals from paper. He also practices printmaking and bookbinding and has had works on display at art festivals throughout Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

In the article, Fairchild said she sees the “drama created by bold color” and applies this to her mixed-media paintings. “I enjoy taking a simple garden plant—like cabbage, corn, Brussels sprouts or soybeans—and elevating it,” Fairchild said.

To read the entire article, check out the Columbus Dispatch. Learn more about Colvin on his website. For more information about Fairchild, visit her website.

Image from www.jameselston.com

An exhibition of new works by illustrator James Elston (CCAD, ’94) titled Through Windows and Doors opens Saturday, Oct. 2 in Johnstown, PA.

The exhibit is a visual journey of the past seven years as the artist worked as an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation Studio in Florida and then returned to Pennsylvania as a full-time freelance illustrator. His film credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Tarzan, The Emperor’s New Groove and Lilo and Stitch.

An opening reception will be 6–8 p.m. on Oct. 2 at the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center, 411 Third Ave. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown. The exhibit is on display through Nov. 2, 2010.

More information about the artist is available at www.jameselston.com. To read additional coverage of Elston’s exhibition go to tribune-democrat.com.

Field Corn by Sarah E. Fairchild

CCAD alumni and faculty are participating in the Ohio Art League’s 100th anniversary exhibition.

HERE and Beyond: Ohio Art League’s 100th Anniversary Exhibition, is at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe gallery in downtown Columbus.

The 16 featured artists include CCAD alumni Sandra Aska (’61-64), Mary Fahy (’94), Sarah Fairchild (’94), Curtis W.M. Goldstein (’84-’86), Brent Payne (’06), Stephanie Sypsa (’04), and Alicia Jean Vanderelli (’08); and CCAD Liberal Arts instructor Carol Boram-Hays.

The exhibition is on view through October 25, 2009.