Boryana Rusenova Ina’s “Standardized Living”

Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Boryana Rusenova Ina (CCAD 2006) will be featured in a spring volume of Studio Visit, which is a publication that introduces artists and their work to a national audience of art world professionals.

Studio Visit features approximately 150 artists per issue and each artist is selected by a professional curator. Ina will receive a full-color page that includes an image, contact information, and a brief artist’s statement. She was selected by Dina Deitsch, curator of contemporary art at DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Boston.

The magazine is distributed to about 2,000 curators and galleries throughout the country, as well as a growing base of collectors and enthusiasts.

Ina is a native of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and attended Lathrop R-li High School.

Examples of the work Jessica Porter has done

In any design field, artists have to balance their own brand or their company’s brand with the trends that come and go. We had a chance to chat with three alumnae working at Victoria’s Secret about their own efforts to find this balance in their work.

The alumnae work on marketing projects from new gift card designs to environmental graphics that appear in stores nationwide.

Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Jessica Porter (CCAD 2011) is a contracted photo retoucher for the company. She does image correction on  models and products for the in-store displays, working on elements such as skin cleanup, product swap, and background extensions.

“Each new floor set is exciting to me,” Porter said. “As the seasons change, so do the stores. One month I’m retouching beautiful girls in swimsuits and the next I am working on girls in adorable Pink Valentine’s Day products.

“The retouching industry is definitely on the rise. As for Victoria’s Secret, we tend to keep the models looking as naturalistic as possible—and good retouching means you can’t tell it has been retouched.”

Porter, along with other photo retouchers, has often had to deal with the criticism that digitally manipulating a woman’s image can lead to unrealistic photos and perceptions about beauty.

“I am here to sell a product, not a woman or a body” Porter said. “We [photo retouchers] don’t remove flaws—and let’s face it, some of these supermodels don’t have any—but we do remove all the distractions from a photo. If something draws your eye away from the product, I am not doing my job properly.”

Fine Arts alumna Anna Porreca (CCAD 2006) works as a graphic designer for Victoria’s Secret Pink, a segmented brand aimed at a younger demographic.

Example of Anna Porreca’s graphic work

“I’ve been given the opportunity to work on so many fun projects in the past year that I’ve been with Pink,” Porreca said. “It is really rewarding to see how the graphic concept and design work that my team does affects and gets implemented into so many of the other areas of the Pink brand.”

An example of this is the script typography that Porreca developed for hoodies, which was then used to create LED signage that will be displayed in stores nationwide.

“The most fun is when our ideas lead us to an opportunity to work on projects that are less common for my job description, like thinking three-dimensionally and designing new and humorous shapes for iPhone cases,” Porreca said.

This type of work requires daily research. The designers’ days are spent not only working on products and store models, but also sifting through competitor websites, social media platforms, and anything that yields clues to what fads and trends customers are currently into.

Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Krysti Kalkman (CCAD 2010) is a graphic designer for Victoria’s Secret who works closely with the strategic marketing team from conceptualizing design to executing it.

“Social media is definitely affecting every single big brand,” Kalkman said. “I am always asking myself when designing in-store marketing signage or pieces for PR events if there is an opportunity to bring that into the design. Our customers eat that up, and it helps to get our message out.”

Glyphs of supermodel signatures that Krysti Kalkman developed

Trends in typography or pop culture verbiage may be big, and the designers need to gather all those trends into one place and figure out what can and should be worked into the design and brand.

“Basically we take note of all the inspiring stuff we see and hear and create concept boards that will drive our graphic approach that season,” Porreca said. “Sometimes ideas are saved for the next season, and other times they are completely dropped from development. We take what we know about our customer and anything fresh that we see in the world and blend the two.”

Although these alumnae soak up pop culture daily and have busy schedules, they all have similar CCAD experiences and lessons that helped them develop their fine-tuned skills.

“My foundation year classes and professors, especially Tam Peterson and Stuart McKissick, were tough, smart, and pushed my understanding of color and two-dimensional design, as well as re-enforced a strong work ethic,” Porreca said. “I have so much respect for them.”

For Kalkman, a memory from her senior year sticks with her, and it came in the form of a note from her professor Heather Miller.

“It said ‘remember to always keep inspired,’ and that really stuck with me,” she said. “When I’m not with it on a project it’s because I’m not inspired anymore. I think that’s something that is really important. For a designer to conceive vision, you must collect inspiration from others to help drive you.”

For Porter her most important lesson was time management.

“Time management is one of the most important skills you can have as a professional,” Porter said. “When I know I am going to have a lot of work for a very quick deadline I factor in my hours. Staying at work past midnight does happen, programs crash, files go corrupt. You always have to have a backup plan and work diligently.”

Kalkman is from Canton, OH, and attended Jackson High School; Porreca is from Grove City, OH, and attended Grove City High School; Porter is from Heath, OH, and attended Newark High School.

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.

Celebrate Local’s gallery wall

Celebrate Local, a shop in Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH, has recently installed a gallery wall that features artwork from local artists, so it’s no surprise that some CCAD alumni lent a hand to get it started.

Fine Arts alumnus Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002) helped organize the gallery in the store, which is currently displaying the work of 24 artists.

“Celebrate Local requested work that deals with artists’ representations of ‘being local’ or ‘localism,’” Brouillette said. “Each artist’s take varies in subject and style.”

Illustration by Thom Glick for the Celebrate Local gallery

The work is available for purchase and will continually rotate as pieces sell. Current CCAD artists with work up include Illustration alumnus and Assistant Director of Admissions Thom Glick (CCAD 2004), Fine Arts alumnus and adjunct faculty Andrew Ina (CCAD 2006), Fine Arts alumnus Christopher Tennant (CCAD 2006), Fine Arts alumna Jamie Sommer (CCAD 2007), and Illustration alumna Jen Wrubles (CCAD 2010).

“Artists are part of the economy,” Brouillette said. “They buy supplies to produce and produce things that are desired commodities. Not only that, but the desire for unique objects in a world driven by individualism has made artist-made objects very desirable. The willingness of a space like Easton to not only support local commerce, but local creativity is commendable.”

Celebrate Local showcases Ohio-produced handmade and artisanal goods from more than 200 small businesses.

Brouillette is from Avon Lake, OH, and attended Avon Lake High School; Glick is from West Milton, OH, and attended Milton Union High School; Ina is from Strongsville, OH, and attended Strongsville Senior High School; Sommer is from Martins Ferry, OH, and attended Martins Ferry High School; Tennant is from Mount Vernon, OH, and attended Fort Hayes Metro Education Center; Wrubles is from Williamstown, WV, and attended Williamstown High School.

Brent Payne’s “Pepper, Tuesday Morning, 8:33″

Adjunct faculty and Fine Arts alumnus Brent Payne (CCAD 2006) will have a drawing in the 47^th Annual National Drawing & Small Sculpture Show hosted by Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, TX, Feb. 22–May 3.

His drawing Pepper, Tuesday Morning, 8:33 will be in the juried exhibition that features work from contemporary artists across the country. The exhibition will include drawings and other works on paper, such as prints in traditional media or watercolors, along with sculptures of any media.

Payne is also showing his work in two other juried exhibitions in Oxford and Dayton, Ohio.

The 2013 Oscar nominations have been announced. Photo courtesy of oscar.go.com

The awards season is upon us, and the Oscar nominees have been announced. With so many of our alumni working in the film and animation industry, it’s no surprise that some of the nominated films include CCAD talent in their credits.

Media Studies alumnus Steve Hubbard (CCAD 2010) worked on the animation for Life of Pi, which was nominated in eight categories, including Best Picture and Visual Effects.

“I worked on about 20 shots throughout the film,” Hubbard said. “I worked on fur and muscle simulations for Richard Parker [the tiger], the hyena, and the zebra. I also worked on the tarp interactions with the animals and Pi, the ropes on the boat, and some movements on fish as well.”

Illustration alumnus Alex Alvarado (CCAD 2011), Media Studies alumnus Joaquin Baldwin (CCAD 2006), and Media Studies alumnus Darren Simpson (CCAD 2011) worked on Walt Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, which was nominated in the Animated Feature Film category.

Baldwin was also selected as a juror for the 40^th Annual Annie Awards, which will take place Feb. 2 at UCLA’s Royal Hall in Los Angeles.

And finally, Illustration alumnus Ben Lane (CCAD 1996) worked on The Longest Daycare, which is nominated for Short Film (Animated).

Update: On Sunday, Feb. 24 Life of Pi, which alumnus Steve Hubbard worked on, took home four Oscars, including Best Visual Effects.

Detail of Boryana Rusenova Ina’s “Privatization 1″

Fine Arts alumna and adjunct faculty Boryana Rusenova Ina (CCAD 2006) will have work in two upcoming group exhibitions in Michigan.

The first, Interspecies at the Gallery Project in Ann Arbor, MI, focuses on the complex and changing relationships between humans and animals and is open Jan. 3–Feb. 11.

The second, M.A.P.: Movement and Position, showcases different types of physical and social geography. The show is at Whitdel Art Center in Detroit, MI, Jan. 18–Feb. 9 and will feature work by regional and international artists working in a variety of mediums.

Ina’s current work explores the notions of home from cultural, geographic, and emotional standpoints.

Still from Joaquin Baldwin’s animated film “Sebastian’s Voodoo”

Media Studies alumnus Joaquin Baldwin (CCAD 2006) had the privilege of being selected as a juror for the 40^th Annual Annie Awards, taking place Feb. 2 at UCLA’s Royal Hall in Los Angeles, CA.

The Annie Awards have been honoring excellence in the field of animation for 40 years. There are 30 categories of awards, including best animated feature, television production(s), television commercial, video game, and student film, as well as the achievement and honorary awards.

“They picked me to judge for the Best Student Short category because I had won the Emile Cohl Award at the ASIFA-Hollywood Student Animation Festival in 2008, which was sort of the precursor to this new category at the Annie Awards,” Baldwin said.

Every category has a set of jurors to select nominees because there are so many applicants per category. After the jurors select the top nominees, all ASIFA members vote for the winner.

Baldwin works as a CG layout artist for Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles, CA. His projects there included Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled Ever After, and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice.

“The most fun part of the award ceremony will be that this time I know a lot of the nominees, since they also work at Disney,” Baldwin said. “So I’ll be biased and rooting for them of course.”

After completing work for Wreck-It Ralph, Baldwin jumped right into work for Frozen, a Disney animated adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale The Snow Queen. The movie is set to be released in November 2013 and will feature the voices of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel.

Baldwin is represented by the Creative Artists Agency and has received more than 120 international awards for his independent animated shorts Sebastian’s Voodoo and Papiroflexia.

The award was presented at the 60^th Columbus International Film + Video Festival in November. At the festival, they also showed Ina’s film Pastime, a story about two brothers facing the challenges of growing up in a post-oil society.

The fellowship, established in 1986, is designed to recognize outstanding local artists and awarded Ina $5,000. There were more than 40 entries for the fellowship. Jurors included Janine Cirincione, director of Sean Kelly Gallery, New York; David Hartz, associate professor of electronic media communications, University of Cincinnati and Blue Ash College; and Karen Kunc, Cather professor of art, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Alumna Megan Mathie working glass aboard the Solstice cruise ship

Fine Arts alumna Megan Mathie (CCAD 2006) spent her summer traveling the globe upon the Celebrity Cruise ship Solstice as a glassblower—cool gig right? We wrote part of her story in the fall IMAGE magazine, but there was just so much more to share that we decided to take a more in-depth look here.

The Solstice cruise ship has 1,250 crew members coming from 70 countries. The sheer number of employees may seem daunting to some, but aboard this ship Mathie was able to find a new family and the support she needed at a critical time.

Her decision to work aboard the ship as a member of the hot glass show team was a difficult one. She had worked on a cruise ship before, but this time she would be leaving her mother and sister who were both battling breast cancer.

One of the pieces Mathie created for the Pink Glass Show

“I don’t know a better way to say this, but cancer has made me feel my feelings really hard,” Mathie said. “I can go from feeling deep worry to intense artistic stimulation to loneliness to pure peace and joy. I am so fortunate to have managed to find myself surrounded by kindness and love where I never expected it. Being able to take this job, this opportunity, has turned into so much more of a gift than I thought it would be, and a big part of that is the people I’ve gotten to know.”

Although it was difficult for Mathie to leave her family behind, the Celebrity Cruise line provided her a productive way to help with the cause and funnel her artistic energy. The line has a partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Each voyage holds special events to help raise awareness and support for the cause, including special cocktail offers, auctions, and dances. Mathie and the other members of the hot glass show put on a “Pink Show” once per cruise.

For this special show, the glassblowers make all their glass creations pink. They then auction the pieces, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Foundation Research Foundation.

Mathie was also recently granted a special recognition of her work aboard the ship and her passion for the breast cancer cause. She was named the godmother of a ship—one of the highest honors in maritime tradition.

Mathie and three other women affected by breast cancer were honored in a ceremony on Dec. 1 during which they christened a ship, Celebrity Reflection.

“These impressive women personify the qualities we admire among our Solstice Class Godmothers: remarkable strength and courage, along with optimism, warmth and genuine care for others,” said Michael Bayley, Celebrity’s president and CEO. “They beautifully represent countless other women within our company and around the world who have battled the disease or support the cause in honor of friends or family who have done so.”

To read Mathie’s blog, click here.

CCAD alumni at S77 (right to left: Chavilah Bennett, Scott Ulliman, Nate Reese (back), Andrew Mark, Chris Meister). Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Walking through the Short North, Columbus’ arts district, you will be sure to spot galleries, restaurants, and tattoo parlors. Look a little closer and you’ll see S77, a design studio that focuses on motion graphics.

Its work can be seen around the world and ranges from a Lil Wayne music video to EXPRESS online branding.

Out of the nine full-time employees, five are CCAD alumni: Chris Meister (Media Studies, 2006), Andrew Mark (Media Studies, 2007), Scott Ulliman (Media Studies, 2010), and Chavilah Bennett (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2012). We got a chance recently to sit down and chat with some of them about what it’s like to work in a creative environment alongside fellow alumni.

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

Andrew Mark (AM): Working with fellow alumni allows you to immediately have an idea of their background. You know that they come from the same foundation studies, and it gives you a good read on what they can do and how you can work with them.

Chavilah Bennett (CB): What Andrew said is absolutely right. I am a new graduate and have only been away from CCAD for six months, and coming here and knowing that everyone had a similar background was nice and made my transition easy and comfortable. We all had an initial commonality and can relate on some CCAD experiences, like all-nighters.

Scott Ulliman (SU): Honestly, I don’t really think about it (laughing). It does give us a common topic to talk about though—and there are plenty of times we sit here and chat about past professors and projects.

Chris Meister (CM): Yeah, I am with Scott in that I don’t think about this too much. I did know a lot of my current co-workers before starting at S77. For instance, I went to school and had class with Andrew, so we just had to transition our student teamwork to a professional setting.

CCAD alumni at S77 (from right to left: Scott Ulliman, Nate Reese, Chris Meister, Andrew Mark, Chavilah Bennett). Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Q) Why do you think S77 has employed a lot of CCAD alumni?

AM: The fairly obvious answer is that S77 is local, just a hop-and-skip away. I know a lot of people love the city of Columbus, and after they graduate they want to stay local. There is not only an attraction for alumni to come work here, but also for us to go search out graduating CCAD students to come work here. At S77 we are able to take comfort in the fact that when we are looking to expand we have people ready to join the team with similar training and background right around the corner. It has just developed into a natural relationship.

CM: When a lot of us have a similar education background we are able to know right off the bat when they start where their skills are going to lie, what they have a strong background in, and how we can mold that skill. Chavilah is a perfect example of this. She came to us with not a lot of experience in motion design, but we knew she would be able to pick up on this because she has a basic understanding in design and fundamentals, so we could easily teach her anything as projects roll in.

SU: To add on to what Andrew just mentioned about the natural relationship with CCAD—I have been working here for two years and it is primarily CCAD alumni, but I think it is natural and not intentional. Rainer [Ziehm] started this company and also taught briefly at CCAD, so when he is looking for new talent he is going to able to identify those people in town and where they are coming from—which is CCAD.

CB: Although there are a lot of CCAD alumni here, I think it is also important to note we work with a lot of freelancers based around the world. But when we are looking for a permanent fixture on our team, we pull from the local pool and a lot are affiliated with CCAD.

CCAD alumni at S77 (from right to left: Scott Ulliman, Andrew Mark, Chavilah Bennett). Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Q) What would your advice be to students and fellow alumni who want to work with S77 or a similar company?

AM: Develop your portfolio, definitely. Create a massive portfolio, and then you can trim it down to your best work. There are a lot of times that if you are a particularly good student you will have a big-fish-little-pond mentality. I think the best thing students can do is envision their pond as being the industry. They need to remember that they are not just competing against students, but they are up against professionals, too. That’s not to scare young designers away, since most employers will hire on potential, too, not just current work, but it is important to keep things in perspective and keep practicing and learning—because you will do that your whole career.

CM: Presentation is key. And for me personally, I love looking through students’ and peers’ sketchbooks. You can see specific projects in their final portfolio, but sketchbooks kind of give you a peek into how they are as a personal artist and what their passion is.

SU: Like Chris said, I like looking at sketchbooks and more personal work. A big thing when you are looking to get hired at a place like S77 is fitting in with the company and having something unique to bring to the company and the team. Always do work outside your professional or educational projects; that way you can show the company something else and little bit more of who you are.

CB:  I think a big part of being hired someplace and having people trust you enough to become a part of their company is being able to think creatively. It is not always about the skill level you are at; you have to be good, but you have to show that there is thought behind your work and that you will continue to grow. It is a continual process, and for me, I have learned an astronomical amount since I have gotten here and I have a lot more to learn.

CCAD alumnus Andrew Mark (right) watches a co-worker play skee-ball in the S77 office. Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

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

SU: We do talk a lot about difficult and easy professors—and of course the all-nighters. We have also brought the competitive nature you have as a student here into the workplace. I studied a lot of 3D work in school, and it was a small group of students, and we got competitive with our work. I think it is the same way here and probably in any office. But with friendly competition you are constantly able to learn the strengths of others and able to develop your own style.

AM: All-nighters is one thing we all remember, and it is something that doesn’t disappear once you go into the professional world. There are a lot of things that are similar, though, between this line of work and your time as a student. In school you try and get a good grade on a project, and now you want to get a good grade with the client. So that mentality has stuck with me.

CB: Critiques have definitely continued into my professional life. Now you will get critiqued by not only the client when you present the work, but also your peers and co-workers. It is productive criticism, though, and really valuable in becoming a better designer.

CM: My favorite classes at CCAD were the ones with brutal critiques. I know sometimes they would make students break down and cry, but it was always so helpful because it was so truthful—like when they say, “This looks awful, why would you even turn it in?” In the professional world you need to kind of have that tough skin. Clients have an idea in their head, and they are coming for you for help, but if it is not what they want they will always be honest about it.

An S77 hallway, hung with part of their collection of albums released in the year 1977. Photo courtesy Rainer Ziehm.

Q) Why are you in the creative field—why do you love your job?

SU: What makes it great here is how comfortable I feel. I mean of course we can all wear what we want, but the people make you feel comfortable. I don’t ever want to have a job that is not as fun as this. You get difficult clients or boring projects occasionally, but then you remind yourself that you worked on a rapper’s music video that is seen now worldwide.

CM: I like the fact that we all do a little bit of everything, so there is never a boredom factor of having to do the same thing day-in and day-out. And there is also a level of freedom—if you want to start learning a new technique or something you can explore it and learn new skills.

AM: I really like the people here a lot. We can joke around with each other and small talk. Here at S77 we have a small, intimate team, where you know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. I trust everyone I work with, and I have genuine friendships with everyone.

CB: The best thing about working here? There are just so many great things. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door here is the environment. We are surrounded by toys; we are all big kids and everyone can take a break once in awhile. It is exciting to work on projects and then see them released on TV. Recently I worked on Highball [Short North’s Halloween celebration], and when I went there I got to see my work on the big screen—it’s a new, exciting experience.

Editor’s note: Their offices are brag-worthy. They have a bowling arcade game, a wall covered in record albums released in 1977 (based on the company’s name), a skee-ball machine, and a fully functional kitchen (word is that Andrew makes pancakes every Monday morning). We are a bit jealous.

CM: To jump off that idea—it is exactly like the music video we worked on for TI and Lil Wayne. It premiered on VH1 in October, and I got to watch the whole show and kept getting excited when they would say, “Coming up, the world premiere…” I know that if I ever get a project that is boring or slower than the rest it is immediately erased by the fact that I got to work on a Lil Wayne music video.

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.

Photo of S77′s awards, photo courtesy of Rainer Ziehm

Several alumni earned well-deserved accolades at the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA) Creative Best Awards for their work with S77, a motion graphics company in Columbus, OH.

The CCAD alumni team at S77 includes Media Studies alumni Sean Conner (CCAD 2005), Nate Reese (CCAD 2005), Chris Meister (CCAD 2006), Andrew Mark (CCAD 2007), and Scott Ulliman (CCAD 2010), and Advertising & Graphic Design alumna Chavilah Bennett (CCAD 2012).

The company received a Judges Choice and a Best of Category award for the work they did on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ music video Monarchy of Roses. They also received a Merit Award for the creative video ToyCar the company worked on.

Bennett took home additional Creative Best Awards for work she completed while a CCAD senior last spring. Her mock ad for A.L.C., a clothing and jewelry line, was awarded a Best of Category in the student work section, as well as a Judges Choice. To view the project, click here.

His drawing will be included in the juried exhibition Drawing From Perception VII, at Wright State University in Dayton, OH, running Jan. 13–Feb. 24. The exhibition features the work from 34 artists, highlighting contemporary examples of drawing using traditional media.

Payne will also show his work in the juried exhibition 2013 Department of Art Faculty & Alumni Exhibition at the Miami Art Museum in Oxford, OH, running Jan. 15–May 11, 2013.

Zipline during Family Weekend & Homecoming, photo courtesy of Katlin McNally

Six New Faculty Named

CCAD’s realignment into two schools—Design Arts and Studio Arts—has brought six new faculty to campus this fall. Their hiring reflects the college’s commitment to providing students the real-world skills to lead in the growing creative economy, says Char Norman, dean of faculty.

“We seek out professionals who have proven teaching experience combined with significant current work in the field,” Norman says.

We welcome:

Kelly DeVore (Interior Design and Advertising & Graphic Design), a LEED-accredited architect who has also done research in socially responsive design education.

Steve Elbert (Interior Design), a licensed architect with international teaching experience and significant 2-D and 3-D modeling software skills.

Phil Garrett (Cinematic Arts), who has worked as a special effects artist on films such as Madagascar and Shrek and as a writer, producer, and animator for a large variety of indie films as well as animated features for DisneyToon Studios.

Mathew Mitchem (English and Philosophy), a philosopher, author, and web designer who has worked with topics ranging from advertising ideology in the world of political campaigns, to the cultural implications of participatory video, to online videos during the political uprisings of 2011.

Adam Osgood (Illustration), a creator of web designs, animation, and motion graphics for major brands including Exxon and Barnes & Noble.

Rebecca Robinson (Fashion Design), who has created her own fashion designs as well as contributing to books on the history of men’s fashion, American football uniforms, and hip-hop gear.

2012 Family Weekend & Homecoming

Campus was packed with hundreds of students, parents, alumni, staff, and friends for Family Weekend & Homecoming on Oct. 12 and 13.

Things kicked off Friday evening with dinner and a comedy show on campus.

Saturday began with free breakfast and ended with an alumni reception. In between were a CCAD MindMarket open house, a carnival on the quad, a zipline down East Gay Street, a lecture from recently retired Dean Richard Aschenbrand, and much more.

The energy was contagious and all-ages: View photos on our Columbus College of Art & Design facebook page and our CCAD Alumni facebook page.

Comic book artist Chris Ware’s keynote conversation, photo couresy Danielle Ford (2013)

Mix 2012

In early October, more than 200 people came to campus for Mix 2012: CCAD’s Celebration of Comics.

A highlight of the event was the participation of Chris Ware, an Eisner-Award-winning American comic book artist who is perhaps best known for his graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth. Ware delivered the keynote presentation, exhibited original artwork from Jimmy Corrigan, and participated in a symposium panel called The Epic Ordinary.

In all there were three exhibitions and two-and-a-half days of panels and workshops—all kicked off by a student comic-making marathon. Eleven teams were challenged with producing a 24-page comic in 24 hours. The results were then displayed for the rest of the symposium.

The plan is to make this symposium an annual event.

Mix 2012 was sponsored by State Auto Insurance Companies, with media sponsorship provided by WCBE 90.5.

Teaching Award Winner Connects Art to Literature

Associate Professor Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis with CCAD President Denny Griffith, photo courtesy Lian Dziura (2012)

Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis, a poet who has become a writing mentor to many of her CCAD students, was selected as the winner of CCAD’s 2012 Teaching Excellence Award. The award celebrates the exemplary contributions faculty members make to the college as a whole.

“She encourages critical thinking and nurtures an artist’s curiosities, helping us all to see the correlation between the art realm and the realm of literature,” said a student nominator, “and empowers her students to want to develop their skills and techniques as writers not just for class, but for themselves.”

Kartsonis, who is an associate professor in Liberal Arts and Graduate Studies, teaches fiction and poetry writing, contemporary literature, and special topics in literature. With dozens of published poems, as well as fiction and nonfiction works, she also has served as editor of a number of literary outlets, including wordsonwalls.net, scene360, and Shades Literary/Art Review.

Her most recent work is EmuSeum, a collaborative chapbook with Caleb Adler, MD, published by Dancing Girl Press.

Ten to Watch

Doesn’t everyone love a “where are they now” story? Well, we do, too—so we’re starting a feature called Ten to Watch.

Ten to Watch will follow a group of students from CCAD’s Class of 2012 as they take their first steps into the professional world after graduation. You’ll read about where they are, what they’re up to, and how they feel about their paths so far.

Annual feature stories will start in spring, but we couldn’t wait until then to introduce them:

Kattie Baker (Advertising & Graphic Design), Chavilah Bennett (Advertising & Graphic Design), Rachel Cass (Fashion Design), Sara K. Diesel (Illustration), Lian Dziura (Photography), Ryan Christopher Evans (Media Studies), Leah Fisher (Photography), Jake LaBombarbe (Industrial Design), Sarah McCance (Interior Design), and Erin McKenna (Fine Arts)

A few teasers to think about in the meantime:

1. Who’s working on a project in Abu Dhabi?
2. Who’s already moved to New York?
3. Who did a residency that comes with a show in Chicago?

Yu Qiduo (left) and Leah Wong (right) on Yu’s television show in Shanghai.

CCAD Discussed on Shanghai TV

Leah Wong, who has taught at CCAD and is assisting the college with a teaching exchange with the China Academy of Art, recently appeared on an education-focused show in Shanghai.

The show’s host, Yu Qiduo (Duoduo), brought CCAD into the conversation as they discussed Wong’s personal opinions on art and art education and talked about her teaching experiences in both China and the United States.

The half-hour program focuses on education programs and is aimed toward middle and high school students and their parents.

Glass Alumna Helps Cruise Line Fight Cancer

Fine Arts alumna Megan Mathie (CCAD 2006) has just returned from working on the Celebrity cruise ship Solstice as a glassblower for the Corning Museum of Glass.

Over a three-month tour of back-to-back 12-day cruises around the Mediterranean, the hot glass team stayed busy.

“On sea days we do two shows. On port days we usually do an evening show,” Mathie says. “I like the 12-day cruises because as people come back again and again, they ask smarter and smarter questions. Instead of having to explain ‘what is glass’ over and over, we can talk about some of the more sophisticated techniques and tell stories.”

Megan Mathie (CCAD 2006) doing a glass show at the Corning Museum of Glass

Although she loves the work, leaving home this summer was difficult for Mathie because both her sister and her mother are fighting breast cancer. She was thrilled to find out about a new project in Celebrity Cruises’ longstanding support of the breast cancer research.

The glass team refers to it as “the Pink Show.” During one show per cruise, they make everything pink, and one of the resulting pieces of glass is auctioned—with all of the profits going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Mathie also found strong support among her fellow crew members. Just one example: On her sister’s birthday, the Ringmasters, a world-champion barbershop quartet, sang happy birthday into the phone for her.

“I was so fortunate to have found myself surrounded by kindness and love where I never expected it and when I needed it the most. Being able to take this job, this opportunity, turned into so much more of a gift than I thought it would be, and a big part of that is because of the people I’ve gotten to know. I know they care about Jen and Mom, and I know they care about me,” Mathie says.

For more photos and lots of Mathie’s engaging writing, visit her blog.

To check out the online print version of IMAGE, click here.

“Rain Reflection” by Joseph Lombardo

Fine Arts alumnus and adjunct faculty Joseph Lombardo (CCAD 2006) has a solo exhibition, Twenty Twelve, at Art Access Gallery in Bexley, OH, Nov. 27–Jan. 9, with an artist’s reception Nov. 30, 5–8 p.m.

The exhibition focuses on patterns and repetition found in landscapes, primarily focusing on Columbus.

Lombardo also won an honorable mention in the 2012 Ohio Plein Air Society Plein Air Competition in September. The Ohio Plein Air Society is a nonprofit organization of artists and patrons who share a passion for art and nature. They organize various opportunities throughout the year for members to paint outdoors.

The quarterly supply grants give artists in the community the opportunity to enhance their skills and create work that helps drive the vibrancy of the arts in Columbus and Franklin County. Applications are accepted monthly and are funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Alumna Lisa Horkin (1985), alumna and adjunct instructor Susan Li  O’Connor (1996), alumna and adjunct faculty Anne Holman (2002), alumna Jennifer Deafenbough (2004), alumnus and adjunct faculty Joseph Lombardo (2006), alumnus and adjunct faculty Chris Harman (2012), and alumnus Jack Ramunni (2012) all received funding.

Two CCAD artists were also selected for GCAC’s Dresden Residency Program; read more here.

Screenshot from Corey Aumiller’s video “Time Tunnel”

The Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project (CAP-UP) announced the winners of their Juror’s Choice Awards, and two CCAD alumni made the list.

Media Studies alumnus Corey Aumiller (CCAD 2006) took second place for his project Time Tunnel and Fine Arts alumnus Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski (CCAD 2002) tied for third with his installation Wolf’s Ridge.

Aumiller worked with hisfriend Dan Gerdeman on the installation and video that featured puppets of the eight U.S. presidents who were Ohio natives. The video features the presidents walking around Columbus, exploring locations including the CCAD campus and visiting with CCAD President Denny Griffith. The installation is located at 65 E. State St. inside the Capitol Square Shoppes.

Photo of Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski’s “Wolf’s Ridge,” photo courtesy of Columbus Underground

Rutkowski’s installation, located at 20 E. Broad St., is a diorama similar to those seen in a natural history museum. The display recalls the Talking Tree, which was a popular feature of the Lazarus Christmas display for decades. Lazarus was a well-known department store in downtown Columbus.

CAP-UP is a series of 10 window installations in downtown Columbus in celebration of the city’s bicentennial.

Other CCAD artists who were involved in the project include Fine Arts alumnus Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002) and adjunct faculty Andrea Myers.

Read the full press release here.

Artists create murals at the sixth annual Urban Scrawl in Franklinton, photo courtesy of Kyle Robertson

Urban Scrawl, an annual festival in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, was chalk full of CCAD talent this year.

Participating artists were chosen after they submitted proposals to the Franklinton Arts District. During the festival each artist was given a 4 by 8 foot vertical panel to paint. Following the festival, panels were either sold in a silent auction or displayed as public art in Franklinton.

Participating alumni included Lea Gray (Fine Arts 2004), Kirsten Bowen (Illustration 1989), Adam Crum (Fine Arts 2006), Joel Atkinson (Illustration 2009), Clint Davidson (Fine Arts 2000), Julia McCann (Illustration 2011), Christopher Tennant (Fine Arts 2006), Daric Gill (Fine Arts 2004), and Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski (Fine Arts 2002). Students who participated include Illustration sophomore Jacob Tanner (CCAD 2014) and freshman Franklin Cain-Borgers (CCAD 2016).

The Franklinton Urban Scrawl is an annual two-day festival (which took place Aug. 25–26). In addition to the on-site art creations, the festival had bands performing, a skateboard competition, pedicab rides, and break-dancing performances.

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.

Aumiller (far left) takes video of Griffith working two of the puppets

Media Studies alumnus Corey Aumiller (CCAD 2006) is featuring CCAD president Denny Griffith, CCAD’s iconic ART sculpture, and some rather unusual co-stars in a video called Time Tunnel to be released in late September of this year.

Aumiller’s project is part of the Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project (CAP-UP), which is a series of 10 window installations that will be placed in downtown Columbus, OH, in celebration of the city’s bicentennial.

Included in the video are eight ex-presidents who were Ohio natives—in puppet form. Aumiller was tasked with the restoration of the puppets, which were originally displayed at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus.

The video, produced with the help of fellow artist Dan Gerdeman, will feature the eight puppet presidents at various landmarks around Columbus. The video segment featuring Griffith involved three of the puppets working on portraits with the ART sculpture as a backdrop. CCAD’s president (who is always a good sport) offered up helpful artistic advice and encouragement to the puppets/painters.

Other sites include the Ohio Statehouse, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Ohio Stadium, and the Ohio State Fair.

The video will be on view in the window of 65 E. State St., Columbus, OH, Sept. 27–Jan. 3.

Read about other CCAD-affiliated artists involved in CAP-UP 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.

Four of the 13 artists chosen through a jurying process have CCAD ties. They include Corey Aumiller (Media Studies 2006), Adam Brouillette (Fine Arts 2002), Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski (Fine Arts 2002), and adjunct faculty Andrea Myers.

Aumiller will partner with artist Dan Gerdeman on Time Tunnel, a video featuring the Center of Science and Industry’s (COSI) presidential figures. Brouillette will be deploying his signature little red men in a motivational piece about Columbus. Rutkowski’s Wolf’s Ridge will be a diorama similar to those seen in natural history museums, and Myers’ display will include a large sculpture symbolizing the forward momentum and energy of the Columbus community.

Each artist, or team of artists, receives $1,000 and a $250 materials fee. The artworks will be installed the week of September 17–22, 2012. kicked-off by a public unveiling.

A full list of artists and their window locations can be viewed here.

Kittikhun Ter Charoenkitnapa

By Kendra Hovey

Even as the corners of the world are drawing closer together, there’s still room for an occasional small-world surprise. For example, how exactly did a teenager in Bangkok find out about an art school in the American Midwest? Was it research? Recruiters? The Internet? No. It was word of mouth. In high school, Kittikhun Ter Charoenkitnapa made no secret of the fact that he wasn’t going to go to any, as he put it, “normal school.”

“I was deciding between art school and music school,” he said, “and a friend told me about CCAD.”

Now 28, Charoenkitnapa is a CCAD alumnus, having graduated in 2006 with a degree in Industrial Design. In 2009, he returned to Thailand and joined Dusit International, where he is now a senior manager in design and marketing.

Dusit International is one of Thailand’s leading hospitality companies, with five different lines of luxury hotels and resorts. One meaning of the word “dusit” refers to a utopian city conceived in 1918 by King Rama VI. The king’s idea combined the best of the contemporary West and traditional Thailand. For Dusit International, this blend is key to the brand, and it is Charoenkitnapa’s job to be the discerning eye that ensures all collateral materials reflects this brand. Designing templates and reviewing marketing pieces is, in his words, “always a work in progress,” and even more so as the company expands. With a presence already stretching from the Philippines to Dubai and across the Nile to Egypt, Dusit is soon coming to the U.S. Their new Pasadena, CA, hotel will open this year.

As his company prepares to cross continents, we asked Charoenkitnapa about his own continental crossing.

“I fit in pretty comfortably within the CCAD crowd,” he said, remembering four years of “sleepless nights, strong friendships, and deciding which class to skip to finish another class’s project.” He offered his thanks to the college for a “well-rounded design education” and “amazing, close-to-real-world experience.” He added that the ability to communicate design concepts in English is invaluable, but just as essential were those benefits that are a little harder to pin down.

Kittikhun Ter Charoenkitnapa

“Interacting with other students and teachers, I absorbed their way of thinking,” he explained. “I believe that different nationalities have different methods of life, and experiencing more than one type gives me a better understanding of what ‘life’ really means.”

This thinking informed his advice both to those coming to CCAD internationally—“go in open-minded, study the foundations seriously, then decide your major. Oh, and practice English”—and also to those working internationally: “Different countries have different personalities…don’t try to force your design or your concepts. Be humble yet confident. Present yourself professionally. Be brave.”

Charoenkitnapa shared that in Thailand art is central to the culture. It is appreciated. “You can see it in the dances, jewelry, and architecture.” But, in almost an inversion of American culture, there is less fluency when it comes to design.

Though his work at Dusit keeps him busy, Charoenkitnapa somehow found the time to start a small, but growing side photography business with a friend.

About life in his hometown, he said, “I’ve always compared Bangkok to New York City…except I’m only a couple hours from the tropical ocean!”

CCAD alumni pictured in front of the Disney Animation Studios

Disney Animation has created beloved movies such as Tangled, Winnie the Pooh, and Bolt, and CCAD alumni have worked on story boarding, sketching, and programming for all of these hit features. We got a chance to talk to seven of our graduates about what it’s like to work with CCAD peers in this creative environment.

Meet Director Nathan Greno (Illustration 1993–1996), Story Artist Ben Lane (Illustration 1996), Character Designer Chris Oatley (Illustration 2001), Story Artist Ryan Green (Media Studies 2003), Story Artist Fawn Veerasunthorn (Media Studies 2005), CG Layout Artist Joaquin Baldwin (Media Studies 2006), and Stereoscopic Artist Trainee Darren Simpson (Media Studies 2011).

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

Nathan Greno (NG): For me, it’s always a pleasure to be working with CCAD alumni. CCAD teaches a strong work ethic and a strong work ethic, gets the job done on time.

Ben Lane (BL): It’s a bit like old soldiers who can share war stories of late nights, rubylith, and scars from dull X-Acto blades. We grumble about the young punks who have it so easy these days with them computers, unseasonably warm winters, and the ability to tote their entire portfolio on miniscule flash drives. In all seriousness, it’s nice to have a common background with people, especially when starting a new job in LA. It’s comforting to know there are people who have been in the same trenches.

Chris Oatley (CO): The CCAD alumni who have made it to Disney are top talent. Ryan Green and Fawn Veerasunthorn are not only some of my best friends at the studio, but they are also some of the most talented people I know. It’s ridiculous and inspiring.

Ryan Green (RG): I feel that we have a bond, not just because we came from the same school, but because the animation jobs we wanted were unfortunately in a city other than Columbus. We all had to venture away from home, a little naive of the rules of the LA animation industry. Some of us had more roundabout career paths than others, but in the end, we kept learning and making connections until we were finally invited into the Disney family. By the nature of our school’s distance from LA, every CCAD animation student who wants to work for Disney will have to deal with a similar journey, and I think all alumni are aware and empathetic to that fact.

Fawn Veerasunthorn (FV): Most of the people I work with went to school in southern California, so I feel this instant bond whenever I meet another CCAD alum working at Disney or other studios. It is a small group of us, but a strong one. Even if we’re from various majors, we all fought through the same tough foundation year that allowed us to be where we are today.

Joaquin Baldwin (JB): Because we are all in different departments, I don’t really work directly with any other CCAD alumni. It’s great to know that they are around in the same studio.

Darren Simpson (DS): It’s exciting knowing that there are people in the same building that graduated from the same college. I have a friend here in particular that graduated the same year as me, and we were roommates freshman year. To eventually reconnect in a professional environment is very nice.

Q)  Why do you think Disney Animation has a lot of CCAD alumni?

NG: CCAD focuses on teaching the fundamentals. Every artist that works at the Disney Animation Studios need a strong fundamental structure to succeed. It’s been over a decade since I attended classes at CCAD, but what I learned there I use every day. The technology will change over the years, but the fundamentals stay the same.

BL: CCAD has a great program. Any artist could benefit from the foundation year alone. I think Disney recognizes that quality in the students and sees the school as a good source to draw its future employees.

CO: Disney Animation is still all about strong drawing and painting. If you submit a portfolio to Disney, people will go nuts for beautiful life drawings or plein air paintings. A high value is placed on classical art skill because it’s an inextricable part of the Disney legacy, regardless of the pervasive obsession with [Computer Graphics].

RG: Disney artists who come from CCAD embody the school’s foundation program. These individuals have found strength in their drawing, painting, or design skills and deliver high-quality craftsmanship on the job.

FV: CCAD focuses so much on the strong foundation in drawing, color, and design. Those are very important skills to have regardless of the department you’re working for. Not many schools emphasize them. Technology will always be changing, but the principles you learned from color concept classes will always be relevant in your career.

JB: I have no clue! I think it’s all due to random chance, depending mostly on the amount of available positions. Our studio has been hiring a lot of new people lately.

DS: There are a lot of passionate artists from CCAD doing many great things. I feel that having a desire to be in your respective profession will get you anywhere you want to be.

Q)  Any advice for current students or fellow alumni who want to become involved with Disney?

NG: It takes a lot of hard work to become an artist at the Disney Animation Studios. It’s not easy to get in the door, but it’s a goal worth fighting for. At Disney it’s possible to create films that will be loved worldwide. Tangled is a film I will be proud of for the rest of my life. Our animated films inspire toys, theme park rides, and attractions. It’s an amazing place to work. Aim high and never stop fighting for your goals.

BL: Many people who work in the animation industry, including some of Disney’s best artists, have websites, post on twitter, and regularly blog. Google search these guys and study their work, read what they have to say, contact them (if their contact info is readily available), and get their opinion of your work. The only caveat I would add is that they may not respond—these guys are busy. If you don’t hear anything, don’t get discouraged, but don’t become a pest, either. Also, start a website, or a blog or anything accessible via the internet. It doesn’t entirely replace having a portfolio, but it comes in handy when getting opinions of your work.

CO: Do great work and be great to work with. Every investment of time, money, and energy that you make as a professional artist should be in service of one or both of these goals. So the next time you start to get overwhelmed or depressed, just ask yourself:  Is this (time, energy, emotional, financial) investment helping me to focus on one of the two principles for success in the industry?

RG: Get personally involved with artists who do what you want to do. Be proactive. Use the internet to your advantage. If you want to be a Disney story artist, find a current Disney story artist’s website, study his/her work, and email him/her questions about what it takes to get into that specific position. Show your work and ask for a brutally honest critique. If that professional feels you’re not quite up to par yet, then make new samples and get a new critique in a few months. Ultimately, keep communicating with professionals and don’t stop making new art.

FV: The internet has opened up a new world full of great references to study. I’d recommend for students to look up artist’s blogs that are currently working in the industry, and don’t be shy to ask for their advice. Lastly, keep on practicing and never be discouraged by rejections.

JB: Definitely try for the talent development program. I would say it’s even better than being hired regularly, because they train you, give you tons of free classes, have you meet other departments and great people, and they pay you for it all. It’s also easier to get in since they expect you to prove yourself once in, rather than depend entirely on previous work experience like most of the other standard positions.

DS: It’s not required, but it helps living close to the studios. I think being around the studios and creative people fuels creativity further. Also, be persistent when trying to achieve a goal, and be open minded. You will never know which skill of yours will eventually get your foot in the door—It took me by surprise.

Q)  Why do you love your job/working in a creative environment?

NG: I can’t imagine not working in a creative environment. I don’t have an easy job, but I have a very rewarding one. I can’t imagine doing anything else in the world. I’ve been at Disney Animation for 16 years. There’s no other place I’d rather work.

BL: I love working with like-minded people. It’s amazing to be surrounded by so many artists who are passionate about animation, telling stories, and creating entertainment. The caliber of talent at Disney is humbling, and I can’t help but be inspired to be a better artist.

CO: I make a living from my imagination. It’s what I was born to do, so the privilege to do that 24/7 is overwhelmingly awesome. I’m also a people person. Some folks are made to go off into the woods, live life in a log cabin and paint lakes—that’s not me. I am made to collaborate, encourage, challenge, argue, etc. So to be released to just be myself in an environment where I can learn from and be challenged by everyone…well, it’s a dream come true.

RG: Animation is a collaborative medium, especially at a studio like Disney. For me, doing my art amongst creative peers is not only inspiring and informative, but in a racehorse kind of way, keeps me focused on being the best I can be, offering the best solutions for our films.

FV: Disney Animation has a long line of legacy and knowledge that has been passed along from one generation to the next. I learn so much from my colleagues each day, and they inspire me to be better at my craft.

JB: I feel like I can provide a lot of creative input into the films we are making. There is a hierarchy here, but it doesn’t mean that only the directors and producers have a say on it all. I tend to be very vocal and push new ideas. I feel that if I was just creating the shots that I was assigned to without questioning them, I’d get bored very quickly.

DS: I love it because I get to be creative. In any creative environment with passionate people, you will get sucked up in a whirlwind of creative magic—and it feels great.

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

NG: CCAD really taught me the importance of getting the job done on time and putting the most into everything I do. I learned work ethic and skills at CCAD that I apply every day at the studio. Without CCAD, my artistic toolbox would be empty. I owe a lot to all of my instructors at CCAD. I worked hard while I was in Columbus, and my reward has been a successful career at the Disney Animation Studios.

BL: I had to explore a few different directions in art before settling on animation. CCAD exposed me to many different artistic paths and helped me discover where I wanted to go. Specifically, Ron Saks’ class on storyboarding opened my eyes to an exciting new world that I had never considered before.

CO: When I was at CCAD, the animation industry was getting turned upside-down by the likes of Woody, Buzz, and Shrek. Meaning, CG [Computer Graphics] was changing everything and art schools everywhere were trying to figure it out. The internet wasn’t really “The Internet” yet, so information moved more slowly. My teachers at CCAD knew something that has been proven true in my life over and over and over, that regardless of what changes are happening in any area of commercial art, the art part should always be your main focus. CCAD taught me to set unreachable high standards for myself and to focus on drawing and painting above all else. It took me six years to break into the industry, but ever since then I haven’t had a single day without work. I owe a great deal of that consistent success to CCAD. CCAD is unlike many art schools in that they don’t chase software trends. They focus on drawing, painting, color, composition, etc. That’s the important stuff. That’s the stuff that will get you through the long haul.

RG: Around my junior year, the Media Studies department invited Dr. Stuart Sumida, a paleontologist and animal locomotion expert, to give an intensive seminar at our school. In his “You Are What You Eat” presentation, he broke down and defined the differences between herbivores and carnivores and how their anatomy affects their movement and behavior. Fast forward to my current Disney project, a movie involving a fictitious animal. In what started as a casual conversation with my director about this animal’s movement, I was eventually asked to create a presentation for the team that would clarify how this animal would move and what features needed to be changed so the character would be more believable to the audience.

FV: During my junior year at CCAD, I took Mr. Tardino’s illustration class, despite being a Media Studies major. I learned so much about character development and story, that I went back and took it again the next semester. The knowledge I gained then has been very helpful to me as a story artist today.

JB: I remember a lot of cheap ramen. I remember freezing my butt off. I remember cleaning the ceramics lab as a student worker, and growing clay stalactites in my nostrils. I also remember picking the hard teachers on purpose so I’d be pushed harder, and always trying to do a bit more than what any assignment asked for. I think that CCAD was as much about learning art concepts and skills as it was about learning to be self dependent and self driven. In a creative work environment they look for people that can handle the tools well, but that are also able to take initiative and improve the tool set and quality of the work.

DS: Foundation year. We all have our own experiences and memories from foundation year, but it was a huge stepping stone for me. I learned a lot about so much, and I still have a lot of learning and growing to do. I’m always trying to better myself and discover/learn new ideas, techniques, etc.

Check out our alums’ websites for more information:
Ben Lane
Chis Oatley
Ryan Green and Fawn Veerasunthorn have Bluefoot Studios
Joaquin Baldwin
Darren Simpson

Richard Cowdrey’s illustration for the children’s book “Searching for the You We Adore”

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 March, April, and May 2012.

Eileen Mueller Neill ’65 had an exhibition, Imaginaries, at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Fine Arts Gallery. Read more here.

Richard Cowdrey ’81 illustrated Searching for the You We Adore, written by Valerie Westfall. Read more here.

Janet Sopp-Sims ’85 was a finalist in the 2012 Hunting Art Prize. Read more here.

Anthony Baker ’86 presented at a conference about the importance of art in the classroom. Read more here.

Creative Arts of Women (CAW) members Helma Groot ’89, Roxanne Smith-Mansell ’87, Kristin Morris ’94–’02, Mary Ann Crago ’95, and Cat Sheridan ’03 were in a group exhibition honoring Women’s History Month. Read more here.

Richard Hughes ’88–’95 was chosen to create a poster for the eighth annual Art Affair on the Square in Urbana, OH. Read more here.

Don Slobodien ’88 earned first place in the Art at the Arnold competition. Read more here.

Chris Cosnowski ‘92 had a solo exhibition at Lyons Wier Gallery in New York City. Read more here.

Daniel Hopper ’94 had a chandelier chosen to be displayed in Coup d’Etat, a design showroom in San Francisco.

Jason Moore ’96 was named to Columbus Business First’s 40 under 40 2012 Honorees list. Read more here.

Danielle Julian Norton ’99 was in a group exhibition in New Jersey. Read more here.

Nicole Bruckman ’00 co-curated Cella Gallery’s exhibition Femme Fatale in North Hollywood. Read more here.

Irina Grebennik ’02 exhibited work in the  Orville J. Hanchey Gallery at Northwestern State University in the Inaugural 40 under 40 show.

Michael Bonardi ’04 had a solo exhibition in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Eliza Kinkz ’04 premiered her film Chocolate Milk at the 2012 South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Film Conference and Festival. Read more here.

Michael Litzau ’04 was offered a two-week residency at Ragdale in Illinois. Read more here.

Steve Weinzierl ’05 became the creative director at Favorite Color in New York City.

Anna Porreca ’06 was hired as an apparel graphic designer for Victoria’s Secret Pink in New York City.

John O’Reilly ’07 had his first solo exhibition at RH Gallery in New York City. Read more here.

These are Things, founded by Jen Adrion ’08 and Omar Noory ’08, was featured in two trade publications (read more here) and was used as a case study for a New York Times bestselling author’s book (read more here).

Ashley K. Alexander ’09 published her second novel, The Hanged Man’s Ghost. Read more here.

Annie Kocher ’09 was featured in Alive! Read more here.

Rachel Ridgley ’10 had her photography and personal story featured in Wolfdogs magazine. Read more here.

Mason Miller ’11 was hired as a graphic designer for Big Red Rooster, a multidimensional brand experience firm.

Pallavi Sen ’11 was awarded the Lifchez/Stronach nine-month, paid curatorial internship with the Antonio Ratti Textile Center of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Read more here.

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.

Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002) and Boryana Rusenova Ina (CCAD 2006) are local artists who were both on the Best Local Artist list, which, like all other lists, was voted on by readers.

Brouilette is active in several local organizations. In 2009 he opened his own studio, littleINDUSTRIES. He is the executive director of  Wonderland Columbus, a founding member of Couchfire Collective, a past board chair of the Ohio Art League, and helps manage Junctionview Studios.

Ina paints urban landscapes and has shown her work recently at Roy G Biv and Art Access galleries in Columbus. She is an adjunct faculty member at CCAD and also teaches at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center.

To see the full list of top 10 artists, go 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.

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

Classnotes

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

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

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from June 2011 – August 2011.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CCAD talent on display at Bluemile

A collaborative effort to support central Ohio entrepreneurs and to nurture the best ideas from the region includes a display of art for purchase as one of its active components.

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

“We see CCAD as a leader in creative thought,” said Michael Marlowe, president and co-founder of Bluemile. “We’re introducing the college to various programs that we participate in that encourage idea growth and opportunity.”

Kevin J. Conlon, vice president for Academic Affairs, said CCAD talent came up in discussions with Marlowe as one way to support the company’s extensive involvement in venture accelerator and entrepreneurial programs.

“The elements that artists use to create are the same that entrepreneurs use to develop their businesses,” Marlowe said.

Since joining CCAD in June, Conlon has gotten to know the business executive as well as Fine Arts alumnus Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002), executive director for Wonderland and founder of Couchfire Collective. Both impressed him with their ideas about the value of creativity as a means to solve problems, spark innovation and develop entrepreneurship.

Conlon immediately thought of Brouillette as a source for connecting with the best artistic talent that Columbus has to offer when Marlowe inquired about showcasing artists and their work. In a matter of days Brouillette organized 12 artists, the majority of whom are affiliated with CCAD, with a shared vision that creative individuals of all types contribute to the overall cultural value of the area.

“I have learned through experience that artistic, creative cultures thrive when supported and coupled with business entrepreneurs,” Brouillette said. “The opportunity to have these creative endeavors collide makes complete sense and I’m happy to do my part.”

Along with Brouillette, participating Fine Arts alumni included Christine D’Epiro (CCAD 2005), Andrew Ina (CCAD 2006), Boryana Rusenova Ina (CCAD 2006), Mike Litzau (CCAD 2004), Lauren Mudd (CCAD 2004), Nikos Fydor Rutkowski (CCAD 2002), Stephanie Sypsa (CCAD 2004) and Christopher Tennant (CCAD 2006). Other participants included Illustration alumnus Brian R. Williams (CCAD 2003), an adjunct instructor in Advertising & Graphic Design, and Foundation Studies adjunct instructor Nicole Langille. Ina and Litzau also are adjunct instructors in Foundation Studies and Rusenova Ina is a Fine Arts adjunct instructor.

“It makes perfect sense,” Conlon said. “(An artist’s) way of thinking during the creative process, also called abductive thinking, is identical to the sort of thinking that entrepreneurs engage to come up with new ideas.”

“I believe that Michael, Adam and I all share a vision that creative individuals of all types can contribute their skills in a way that realizes value from new ideas and new intellectual property,” Conlon said. “Overall, those skills contribute to the cultural value of the region and lead to the establishment and growth of creative companies in central Ohio.”

"Life on Uncle Howard's Farm" by Eric Homan

Several CCAD alumni and faculty received awards at the opening of this year’s Fine Arts Exhibition at the Ohio State Fair.

The exhibition, housed in the Cox Fine Arts Center on the fairgrounds in Columbus, showcases approximately 300 pieces of Ohio’s best artwork during the fair, which runs through Aug. 7.

In the professional category, Andrew Ina (CCAD 2006) received 2nd Best of Show ($1400) for “The Price of Greatness is Responsibility.” Carol Griffith, professor of Fine Arts and Graduate Studies and chair of painting at CCAD, received one of 10 Ohio Arts Council professional awards ($300) for “Conneaut Cycle-Blue Streak.”

Ina, who studied Fine Arts at CCAD, and two other alumni received awards for their short films. Ina’s “HOMEless” won Best of Show ($1,000) and Media Studies alumni Corey Aumiller (CCAD 2006) received 2nd Best of Show ($300) for “1926/1950/1984.” A Juror’s Choice Award ($100) went to Amanda H. Cook (CCAD 1999) for “Ink.” Aumiller also received a Greater Columbus Arts Council award ($250) for “Walls.” Film jurors were Susan Halpern and Chad Dull.

In addition to the award winners, other CCAD-affiliated artists had work accepted in the exhibition. The film division included “Self Portrait as Marlon Brando” by Cook, who majored in Illustration, and “Columbus Lights” and “Life on Uncle Howard’s Farm” by Eric Homan (CCAD 1998). Homan is an assistant professor of Media Studies at CCAD.

The exhibition’s professional category included work by Fine Arts alumni Brandon Antczak (CCAD 2007) and Adam Brouillette (CCAD 2002) as well as faculty members Carol Borham-Hays, an adjunct instructor of Liberal Arts, and John Kortlander, a professor of Fine Arts and Graduate Studies.

A complete listing of artists and works in the Fine Arts Exhibition is at theohiostatefairfineartsexhibition.blogspot.com.

Alumna Melissa Spencer's invitation to a photo exhibition held at the House of Representatives.

Media Studies alumna Melissa (Hofelzer) Spencer (CCAD 2006) has been busy this year.

“I have been working on freelance jobs this year,” she wrote in an email. “First, I designed an invitation for a Haiti photography exhibit and reception that was at the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. I worked for MatchMap Media and their client ActionAid USA.”

“Right now, I am working for Fifth Estate and their client National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). I am creating an illustration for NOAA’s interactive website, Countmyfish.com. The final will be done in Flash, and I will post a link when completed.”

Spencer owns Melissa Marie Images Studio (MMI), a professional videography, photography, and graphic design business. Learn more on the business’s website.

Visually-similar works by Molly Burke and Julie Morgan were featured in a Cleveland West Art League exhibition.

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

The exhibition is described on the CWAL website as a presentation of “work that evokes life cycles and transformation, sometimes with darker undertones.” The website also calls attention to the undeniable visual parallels between the works (as seen to the right).

Burke holds an MFA in glass from The Ohio State University. She has also attended Pilchuck School of Glass newar Seattle, WA. Her work has been featured in exhibitions in Ohio, Washington, and New York.

The show ran May 20-June 17 at 78^th Street Studios in Cleveland.

Learn more about Burke on her blog.

(Left to right) Randi Prudden, Cierra Cunningham, Jasmine Stewart, and Anna Fowler

Given that more than 50 CCAD alumni are employed by Abercrombie & Fitch, it’s less of a surprise than you’d think to find four just in the company’s knit bottoms division: Anna Fowler (CCAD 2008), Randi Prudden (CCAD 2010), Cierra Cunningham (CCAD 2010), and Jasmine Stewart (CCAD 2006). We couldn’t resist the opportunity for a group interview. But before we talked to them, we had to ask the company why they love working with CCAD grads.

“Abercrombie & Fitch loves going through the recruitment process at CCAD each year,” said Anne Vetta, senior recruiter for design at Abercrombie & Fitch. “We know we can expect to meet well-rounded, talented students from the design programs.  The foundation year at CCAD is truly unique, and we really appreciate the fine artist skills that are developed during that first year.  We also receive amazing support from the Office of Career Services as well as the Institutional Advancement Office, which is crucial.”

Now without any further ado, a word from our alumnae.

Q) What’s it like to work with three other CCAD alumnae?

Jasmine Stewart (JS) It’s great, because you know the skill set of the other person. You know they learned the same things you did, so you know what you can expect from them.

Randi Prudden (RP) That’s the best part about it. They’ve been through the same thing that you have. Just to be like, “Anna, you know how Mrs. Hannan said this, well what does that mean in Abercrombie terms?”

Cierra Cunningham (CC) It’s really cool to walk around A&F’s campus and recognize a lot of faces. It’s less intimidating, and you feel at home because you recognize so many people.

Editor’s Note: We got to experience this first hand. As we were taking our tour of A&F, we walked past soon-to-graduate Jordan Jones, who was interning for the company at the time and finishing up his collection for the Senior Fashion Show.

Q) Why do you think Abercrombie keeps coming to CCAD for employees?

AF) I think it’s that they know we have the skill set, we’re hard workers, and we come out knowing design.

JS) We’re well-rounded. We’re able to be creative. We’re able to work hard. But most importantly, we’re able to talk about our work, which can be intimidating for designers. CCAD makes you talk about your work and explain your ideas, which is very helpful once you get out into the workforce.

RP) When you step into a design role, you’re not just a designer. You’re a part-time merchant, a part-time graphic designer, a part-time critic. You do everything, and I think that Foundation year at CCAD—when you spend all your time learning about so many different things—helps you to develop the confidence to say “yeah sure, the store should be set up this way.” You know how to do interior design work and how it will look and 2D and 3D presentation and everything. As CCAD grads, we’re like, “throw it at us. Come on. We can take it. ”

JS) Right. You come out knowing all the computer programs. You can draw by hand. You can kind of do everything or at least have the foundation to look to.

AF) I think that’s the biggest thing, having that foundation—because you don’t learn industry until you’re in it, but having that foundation is super important and key. I’ve worked with a couple people who were just coming in and weren’t from CCAD, and they didn’t have the same skill set. It’s nice to work with other people coming from CCAD because you’re like, “oh yeah, you know that.”

Q) Each of you designed a four-piece collection for the senior fashion show the year you graduated. Are you going to this year’s event? Are you looking for future coworkers, or just to support your alma mater?

(All four) “Yes, of course, we’re going!”

RP) I’m going back to support the school, but you never know when Human Resources is going to call.

AF) Just to see the final collections. It’s really cool to see people who come in—and maybe they’ve been sewing since they were four or maybe not—but they have that final collection which is such a big accomplishment.

Q) We have several recent graduates heading to Abercrombie for their first “real” job. What would be your advice for them?

CC) Coming from CCAD, you’re taught to work hard, so it is really an easy transition to working here.

JS) Be passionate and work hard—and be open to learning.

AF) Keep an open mind. Everything you learn in school is a great foundation, but you’ll need to hit the ground running because everything changes when you start.

Q) Why do you love your job?

JS) I have been working here for almost five years, and every day is a challenge, and every day is interesting—and I just love it. I am constantly learning every single day.

AF) It’s a fun, casual atmosphere. What we like today isn’t necessarily what we’re going to like tomorrow, which keeps it interesting.

CC) It is just so inspiring to work here.

RP) I think that people are like “oh, it’s Abercrombie & Fitch. You’re not going to be challenged.” But that predetermined idea is completely wrong. You have to be even more creative than normal because you are working within one brand and each thing has to be different than what it was before—and that’s really hard to do sometimes. You have to find other ways to solve problems. It’s challenging, but I look forward to it every day.

Andrew Ina's exhibition was reviewed in the Columbus Dispatch.

Fine Arts alumnus Andrew Ina’s exhibition was recently reviewed in The Columbus Dispatch for his painting exhibition New Frontier on display at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center through June 25.

“Something’s been brewing in my head for a while,” Ina (CCAD 2006) explained to Melissa Starker for her Dispatch article, Humanity Figures in Bold Works. “I wanted to add a different perspective to my work but organically, out of the work I’ve been doing for a few years.”

Starker wrote, “Layers of thick, extra-wide strokes of acrylic paint and bumpy patches of gesso rise from birch-plywood bases. Some works are left as unaltered showcases for his painting techniques and bold, novel color combinations. For others, Ina puts his back into distressing, sandpapering and gouging down to the wood with the point of a palette knife.”

Read the entire story here.

Ina’s works can be viewed in the Main Hall Gallery at 139 West Main Street in Columbus.

Learn more about Ina on his webpage.

Dennison W. Griffith

What does it feel like when a college is good? Not just ok, but really good?

To be honest, at CCAD, we’re starting to think we know. Of course it’s great to have a compact, attractive campus right in the heart of downtown. Lots of new talent arriving every semester. Strong fundraising, with committed donors and dedicated volunteers. Insightful, thought-provoking conversations going on all over the place.

But what comes of all this after students graduate and leave campus? That‘s what’s making us feel extra-great this spring, so we’re putting it right up front in this issue. A college’s truest measure is the accomplishments of its alumni—and we’re ready to brag.

• Nathan Greno (Associate 1993–1996) made his feature film directorial debut with a movie that not only updated some hoary gender clichés, but also topped the box-office rankings for weeks. … more
• Package designer Michael Carney (CCAD 2004) won a 2011 Grammy. (For his work on an album by an Ohio band, no less!) …more
• Je Jung (CCAD 1998) and Rujira Lawonvisut (CCAD 1999) are pulling down raves in places like Vanity Fair as they take their fashion line global. …more
• Corey Favor (CCAD 2002) is back on campus at the center of a revival of CCAD’s Black Student Leaders Association—and he’s brought Marshall Shorts (CCAD 2006) with him. …more

Feeling really good yet? There’s more. Don’t delay, start reading!

Warm regards,

Dennison W. Griffith

President

"Man Boy" is open May 1-31.

Man Boy, an exhibition by Fine Arts alumnus Michael Krutsch (CCAD 2006), will run May 1–31 at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. An opening reception is planned for Thursday, May 5 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Krutsch is earning his masters of fine arts from the Academy of Art University. He is the recipient of the American Visions Award, Gold Keys, and Silver Keys from Scholastic Inc. and Cleveland Institute of Art. He is also a Benny Award winner from the Graphic Arts Council of Cleveland.

Learn more about the artist on his website.

The gallery is open daily from 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday until 5 p.m. It is located at 625 Sutter Street, San Francisco.

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.

Fine Arts associate professor Kristine Schramer will be co-exhibiting with Brent Payne (CCAD ’06) in Tapped. The exhibition is on view through Feb. 18 at Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, OH.

The exhibition jurors selected the pairings (shown here) from a number of paintings Schramer and Payne submitted. “I think it’s interesting which two they chose to visually demonstrate our student-professor relationship,” Schramer said. “I don’t think anyone would be able to say which was the teacher and which was the student! But then, Brent was the kind of student who taught his teachers as much as they taught him.”

Payne majored in Fine Arts at CCAD. He currently teaches at Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Green vase by Molly J. Burke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portrait by Chavilah Bennett, class of 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Molly J. Burke

An exhibition featuring the artwork of Molly J. Burke (CCAD ’06) and Sonya Berg is September 4-25, 2010 at Roy G Biv Gallery, 997 N. High St. in Columbus.

An opening reception is 7-10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4 during the Short North’s monthly gallery hop. An artists’ talk is Saturday, Sept. 25 at 2:30 p.m.

Burke is a graduate admissions officer at CCAD. To see her artwork go to www.mollyjburke.wordpress.com.

Gallery hours are 3-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 1-5 p.m. Saturday and by appointment. For more information go to http://www.roygbivgallery.org.

Image from www.pixelnitrate.com

Joaquin Baldwin (CCAD, ’06) will present his award-winning, 3D animated short, Sebastian’s Voodoo, at the Columbus International Film & Video Festival on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009.

The screening is part of the Animation 4 Adults 2 program, which starts at 7:30 p.m. in CCAD’s Canzani Center auditorium.

The Columbus International Film & Video Festival kicks off Nov. 10.

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.