Classnotes, June 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 March, April, and May.

Mark Hazlerig ’74 and ’77 and James Lutz ’78 received the Teaching Excellence Award at CCAD. Read more here.

Denise Romecki ’76 exhibited her work at the Zanesville Museum of Art in Zanesville, OH. Read more here.

Scott Hull ’77, Steve Prescott ’95, Jason Jourdan ’98, and Graham Erwin ’11 served as judges for the 2013 Art of Illustration Show. Read more here.

Tim Rietenbach ’77, Julie Abijanac ’92, Susan Li O’Connor ’96, Danielle Julian Norton ’99, and Mariana Smith ’02 had work shown at Wehrle Gallery at Ohio Dominican University. Read more here.

Hiroshi Hayakawa ’85 published his book Paper Pups: 35 Dogs to Copy, Cut & Fold. Read more here.

Mike Martin ’85, Clinton Reno ’95, Jason Goad ’96, Ryan Mowry ’04, Graham Erwin ’11, and Miles Tsang ’12 were part of a group exhibition at Rivet Gallery in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Juliette Montague ’85 had her work exhibited at Hayley Gallery in New Albany, OH. Read more here.

Vincent Mattina ’87 won a Stellar Art Award through Digital Arts’ Simply the Best 2 online exhibit.

Craig Carlisle ’88 had a solo exhibition at Sharon Weiss Gallery in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Laura Sanders ’88 and Sarah Fairchild ’94 were part of a group exhibition at Lindsay Gallery in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Peter Wachtel ’90 had his invention the Grill Wrangler featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Read more here.

Inka Essenhigh ’91 had two paintings reproduced in Artist Daily, an online forum for the art community. Read more here.

Chun Arthur Wang ’94 had a solo exhibition at the Muscatine Art Center in Muscatine, IA. Read more here.

Sam Chung ’95 owns Luna Pier Beach Café in Michigan. Read more here.

John Urbano ’96 directed the album countdown video for singer and actor Justin Timberlake. Read more here.

Robyn Meadows ’98 had work in a group exhibition at the Textile Center in Minneapolis, MN. Read more here.

Soo Sunny Park ’98 has an installation on view at Rice University Art Gallery in Houston. Read more here.

Amanda Hope Cook ’99 had work in a group exhibition presented by the Ohio Art Council’s Riffe Gallery. Read more here.

Danielle Julian Norton ’99 had work featured in Art13 London, a fair in West London dedicated to international contemporary art. Read more here.

Anthony Nesossis ’00 branded, designed, and developed a logo and responsive website for Caring Access Solutions, Inc.

Michelle Brickner ’01 was selected as a Champion of Sustainability by Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S) in Cleveland, OH. Read more here.

Andy Hayes ‘01 created an event poster for the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts. Read more here.

Adam Brouillette ’02, Thom Glick ’04, Andrew Ina ’06, Christopher Tennant ’06, Jamie Sommer ’07, and Jen Wrubles ’10 all had work in Easton Town Center’s Celebrate Local retail store. Read more here.

Manjari Sharma ’04 had her photography project Darshan featured in Yoga Journal. Read more here.

Steven Weinzierl ’05 worked on a promo for HBO’s film Behind the Candelabra. Read more here.

Boryana Rusenova Ina ’06 was featured in the spring volume of Studio Visit. Read more here.

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

Greg Beck ’09 was part of the team at Longstride that received a Gold award at the Columbus ADDYs. Read more here.

Steve Hubbard ’10 was the recipient of a Visual Effects Society award for his work on the movie Life of Pi. Read more here.

Graham Erwin ’11 created illustrations for the April issue of Wired magazine. Read more here.

Jessica Lipps ’12 is now an assistant graphic designer for Hollister Bettys Fleece at Abercrombie & Fitch.

Dion Utt ’12 is working as a goldsmith at Worthington Jewelers.

In Memoriam:

Joe Reiff ‘12

Karen Elizabeth Leach ’98

Ohio Governor John Kasich with winning design Aaron Roberts

CCAD-Designed Licenses and Plates Hit the Road

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

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

Informal Critique Blooms on Campus

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

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

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

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

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

Animation students during Skype conversation

Animation Students Skype for Advice

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

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

“Instead, we Skype them.”

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

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

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

Students work in the MindMarket

Students Embark on Two-Year Project with Electronics Company

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Science Chair’s Research Presented

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

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

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

Alexa Carson’s holiday card design

’Twas the Season — for a Holiday Card Contest Winner

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

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

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

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

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

Fine Arts Faculty Member Keeps Active Practice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Andy Hayes’ poster for CSCA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

American Greetings logo

Visit American Greetings and you could run into as many as 23 CCAD alumni. We got a chance to chat recently with four employees about what it is like to work with fellow CCAD grads in this great creative environment.

The CCAD alumni we talked to were Senior Designer/Illustrator Kelly Grupczynski (CCAD, 2002, Illustration), Senior Writer/Illustrator Erik Flesher (CCAD, 1991, Illustration), Creative Director Mark Harvey (CCAD, 1984, Illustration), and Graphic Designer New Product Concepts Heidi Appel (CCAD, 2001, Advertising & Graphic Design).

American Greetings states that they  hire people who “are passionate about their craft, exhibit engaging personalities, demonstrate very good communication skills, and who have an insatiable appetite for the world and people around them.” The company has nothing but high regards for the alumni who are currently employed there. “CCAD students and alumni stand out in specific ways with a good right/left brain balance—a positive career path since most of our creative leaders are CCAD alumni, and their creative development process stands out.”

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

Kelly Grupczynski (KG): It is has been nice. Starting a new job can always be daunting, and seeing a familiar face or having a common background helps take the edge off.

Erik Flesher (EF): I have worked with dozens of alumni over the years, and I always find it interesting to hear their stories about classes and professors. There is a sense of commonality among us that I think helps build a professional camaraderie as well as a friendship. I also know that being a CCAD alumni means they have mad skills.

Mark Harvey (MH): We are scattered all around American Greetings, and it truly has become a giant melting pot of talent. We even have mini impromptu reunions!

Heidi Appel (HA): I think it is excellent—we all share such rich experiences, and it is wonderful to be able to swap stories

Q) Why do you think American Greetings has so many CCAD alumni?

All: Their past relationship with recruitment and [AG's] proximity to the school.

EF: CCAD’s emphasis on learning solid design skills as well as trying to tap into each student’s imagination is a big reason. Whether they are looking for artists or writers, American Greetings has come to expect a certain level of professionalism and talent coming out of CCAD, so they tend to hire those graduates.

Q) Any advice for current students or fellow alumni who want to become involved at American Greetings?

MH: You need to be open to all possibilities. And have multiple skill sets in each category of art. The best philosophy is to work hard and play hard.

EF:  Develop a strong work ethic. Bring your sketchbooks along with your finished pieces to show the company. It will help American Greetings see how you think and construct. If you are looking to write, bring your own voice! Also, here is a biggie—spell everything correctly in your writing submission, I know it sounds like a no-brainer, but check and re-check.

KG: Take time in your portfolio and put something unique together. Reach out to fellow alumni at the company and have them offer their suggestions and critiques.

HA: Be persistent! Keep checking job boards, and make a website that houses your work.

The Town Square at the American Greetings headquarters

Q) Why do you love your job?

HA: I love the diversity of job positions available. There are also a lot of opportunities to collaborate and work with other areas of the company.

KG: My whole life I wanted to work in children’s entertainment and illustrations and here, I’m able to do just that! Currently, I am the lead illustrator for Strawberry Shortcake, which means pretty much everything and anything Strawberry gets seen by me! It’s an exciting prospect to think that one of my own ideas can get made into a television series or toy one day for the next generation to enjoy.

EF: I have worked here nearly 20 years and I can honestly say I still love coming in every day. Oh sure, there are frustrations and headaches, but that’s going to occur at any company. There is a freedom to be creative here. In many ways, AG is like an art school—you’re surrounded every day by other creative people, all doing amazing work, sharing ideas, and speaking the same language—but, unlike an art school, you get paid to do this.

MH: I have been with American Greetings for 27 years and I still love coming to work every day!

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

HA: I remember working my butt off! The work ethic has followed me into my professional career.

KG: Ha! For some reason, the first thing I thought of with this question was eating at our dorm cafeteria.  One time, the cooks made chicken cordon bleu and the sauce on the chicken was actually blue … cerulean blue in fact. Sadly, I declined the blue chicken. But what I really remember about school was how enthusiastic and encouraging our instructors were. Bruce Barnes taught me animation. Ron Saks taught me story boarding. I had illustration with Dave Groff, figure drawing with Dennis Drummond, oils and watercolor with Arthur Wang, portfolio class with Evangelia Philippidis—to name a few.

EF: When I think about CCAD, I can’t help but think of me all jacked up on caffeine, trying to finish projects at two, three in the morning. If you haven’t pulled more than a few all-nighters at that school, then you’re clearly not working hard enough! I also remember all the critiques. Sitting through those critiques definitely helped me learn to accept and give feedback—both good and bad.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alumnus Michael McAteer recently earned his Masters of Journalism from Marshall University.

Advertising& Graphic Design alumnus Michael McAteer (CCAD 2001) recently earned his masters in journalism from Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

“I studied Ad/Graph while at CCAD, and I feel that what I learned there really informed and influenced my graduate thesis: Analyzing Teens Attitudes toward Health Messaging on Branded, Prepackaged Food,” McAteer said.

“Special thanks to Mr. Burleigh and Mr. Hazelrig for their influence on my career as a scholar in Mass Communication and Advertising analysis.”

Learn more on Michael’s website.

Photo courtesy of ColumbusAlive.com

Illustration alumnus Paul Tepper (CCAD 2001) was recently featured on the cover of Columbus Alive! to promote his selection as one of 10 emerging artists in the 2011 Columbus Arts Festival.

“Tepper’s booth at the arts festival this weekend is his first step from galleries into open-air art markets, where he hopes to go from ‘emerging artist’ to pro,” writes Jackie Mantey. “But trust he’ll keep his inspirations around.”

“I keep those art history books out,” Tepper said in the article, “to keep logs on the fire.”

Also included in the Emerging Artist Program was Fine Arts alumna Chelstin Ross (CCAD 2009). Ross and her watercolors were featured in the Columbus Dispatch. Read more here.

Learn more about Tepper on his website. And to read the entire article from Columbus Alive!, click here.

Photo courtesy of thearmoryshow.com.

CRG Gallery presents a new series of large-scale works on paper by Fine Arts alumnus Steven Bindernagel (CCAD 2001) during the Armory Art Fair in New York City.

Using watercolor and colored pencil, Bindernagel constructs semi-representational motifs that seem to shift between the architectonic and the completely abstract. Each drawing is constructed layer by layer as the surface is drawn on, painted, erased and reworked several times, so the work’s history (and the artist’s thought process) becomes apparent to the viewer.

Bindernagel is inspired by the urban landscapes of his hometown, Cleveland, OH as well as New York City. He couples the brilliant colors of billboards, neon signs, and glowing lights with the dark and corrosive colors of rust and decay.

The Armory Show is America’s leading fine art fair devoted to the most important art of the 20th and 21st centuries. In its 11 years, the fair has become an international institution. Every March, artists, galleries, collectors, critics and curators from all over the world make New York their destination during Armory Arts Week.

Learn more about Bindernagel on his website.

Works by alumnus Nathan Janes were featured in a pre-retrospective.

Works by Illustration alumnus Nathan Janes (CCAD 2001) were featured Saturday in the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Councils, Winter Art Pre-Retrospective.

“We’re calling this a ‘pre-retrospective’ because he’s a young man,” said council treasurer Paul Berndt in an article by Port Clinton News Herald. “He’s not a seasoned artist. We will probably have 15 to 20 pieces of his art on display. We will have a meet-and-greet and see how his work has progressed over his career to this point.”

Janes is the driving force behind PUPAGANDA, activist artwork that depicts serious social issues using the family pet as muse. He has been chosen as a contributor to the newly published book, Art is Dead—A Manifesto for Revolution in the Visual Arts. He has also completed commissioned works for celebrities Pete Wentz and Caprice Bourret and has shown work in New York and Chicago.

Read the entire Port Clinton News Herald article here.

Love in the Shadow of Death, an exhibition by Paul Tepper (CCAD ’01), opens November 14 at Hayley Gallery in New Albany, Ohio.

Tepper is a Columbus-based painter who has exhibited in Philadelphia, PA; Columbus, OH; New Albany, OH; and Balatonfured, Hungary. He worked on the 2003 film, Speak, starring Kristen Stewart and Steve Zahn.

In an interview with Sorina Higgins, Tepper explained his use of exaggerated features within his paintings. “I like to exaggerate certain characteristics to communicate,” Tepper said. “If I’m painting a man and a woman, I like making his hands huge and her hands small, not as a way of judging the feminine and masculine, but just showing that the masculine is big and strong and the feminine is more soft and gentle.”

Gallery hours are Tuesday–Friday 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday 12–5 p.m.; and Sunday 1–4 p.m. The show ends December 31. Learn more about Tepper on his website.

Image from Matt Klos's website.

Alumnus Matt Klos has an exhibition at Prince Street Gallery, 530 W. 25th St., 4th floor, New York, NY. Keeping Things runs Aug. 3–21, 2010. Currently residing in Maryland, Klos earned his BFA at CCAD in Fine Arts, graduating in 2001. After earning his MFA from University of Maryland Klos returned to CCAD to teach for two years.  To see images of paintings go to the artist’s website. For exhibition information go to http://princestreetgallery.com.

Galgas worked several months as a 2D animation production coordinator on Day & Night and Altman was responsible for modeling and articulating all of the short’s 3D characters. Altman also worked on Toy Story 3 as a technical director in modeling and articulation, focusing on rigging toys in Sunnyside Day Care.

A recent review in The New York Times included the following about Day & Night, “. . . a charming little movie about two characters, opposites in temperament and outlook, hostile at the start, who gradually learned not only to find delight in each other, but also to appreciate how much they had in common. This film is whimsical, inventive, crammed with visual virtuosity and six minutes long.”

Both Altman (class of 2000) and Galgas (class of 2001) majored in Media Studies Time-Based at CCAD.

Foster has first inventor patents on the FT-iQ driver, Legacy driver, the X-20 Tour irons, FT wide sole irons and X-22 Tour irons, which currently are available in the marketplace. He also is the lead designer for the next generation “X” irons, Diablo/Big Bertha irons, Diablo and FT hybrids, Diablo driver, FT driver, and some putters that will release over the next two years.

Check out Hayes’s work and a snap-shot profile of his company at www.commarts.com.

More information is on the design firm’s website.