Image of Graham Erwin’s illustrations, courtesy of his Instagram

Illustration alumnus Graham Erwin (CCAD 2011) created illustrations for the April issue of Wired magazine.

His illustrations depict well-known television characters including Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation, Richard Harrow from Boardwalk Empire, Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, and Schmidt from New Girl.

The illustrations accompany an article discussing breakout television characters currently on air. Wired magazine discuses the impact of new and developing technology on culture, the economy, and politics.

Erwin is a native of Columbus, OH, and attended Whetstone 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.

The 2013 Art of Illustration poster, created by Illustration senior Taylor Hicks

The Art of Illustration show is a student-run and -organized exhibition that is now in its 16th year. The juried show features illustrations from all majors and alumni who participated when they were students are now coming back to act as jurors.

This year the five Illustration student organizers included sophomore Haleigh Richards and seniors Lexie Holliday, Josh Parkinson, Wes Talbott, and chair Andrew Thompson. The students chose five judges to look over 291 submissions for the show that runs March 16–30. The judges included four CCAD alumni: Scott Hull (Advertising & Graphic Design 1977), Steve Prescott (Illustration 1995), Jason Jourdan (Illustration 1998), and Graham Erwin (Illustration 2011). The fifth judge was artist representative Frank Sturges.

The judges gathered on campus and spent the day going through submissions, offering thorough critiques and advice on every piece, whether accepted or not. Ultimately 40 submissions were accepted into the show.

“The show is and has always been entirely organized and run by the students,” said Stewart McKissick, Illustration professor and alumnus. “They selected and contacted the judges, organized where and when the judging would take place, and researched and collected donations for the opening reception at the gallery, as well as prizes for entry winners.”

This is the third year for the show to be held at Rivet Gallery, a gallery located in Columbus’ art district, the Short North.

“Rivet has been very generous to us, allowing students to sell their work from the show with no commission fee to the gallery,” McKissick said.

Having the exhibition at an off-campus external location for the last three years has allowed it to function as a professional, juried show.

Erwin, who does preproduction work and design for a custom screen printing shop and freelance illustration for a wide range of clients, has witnessed the show expand as a student and now as an alumnus.

“I first submitted work for AOI as a sophomore,” Erwin said. “Although my piece wasn’t chosen that year, it definitely lit a fire for the years to come, and I began approaching every piece as if it could be a submission for one competition or another. I continued to submit work my junior and senior years, where I had pieces accepted and awarded.

“The Art of Illustration show was an important part of my illustration training,” Erwin said. “It was my first experience where my work was looked at by professionals with a critical eye. I think it is important for the show to now be held at Rivet, where students can see their work in a real-world gallery setting.”

The show allows students the ability to access professionals to evaluate their work and have critiques by people other than their peers and professors.

“This process shows students the importance of submitting and getting their art into the real world,” Hull said. “And also accepting the rejection that may come along with this.”

Hull, founder of Scott Hull Associates and illustration representative, has worked as a juror twice now for the show and views helping out students at CCAD as highly rewarding.

“Helping young talent navigate their creative dream is a passion of mine,” Hull said. “I think it is a good practice to have alumni come back as jurors for this particular show, since they are able to understand the CCAD culture a little better and they want to offer any and all help to the students.”

Originally, the show was solely coordinated by Illustration students, and they were the ones submitting work, but as the show has grown so has participation from throughout the college.

“What’s exciting to see is the ever-increasing interest and participation now by the majority of our majors,” McKissick said. “It is an excellent leadership opportunity for the students who work on the committee, and it is a chance to have students learn about aspects of the art world beyond just the making of it.”

The show’s award ceremony was held during its opening reception March 16, 7–10 p.m. Selected work will be honored with first, second, and third place, and each judge selected a work to be awarded Judge’s Choice. The show will be up through March 30.

“I can honestly say that every year is another great memory for us,” McKissick said. “And we’re always very proud of what the students accomplish.”

Erwin is from Columbus and attended Whetstone High School; Hull is from Danville, OH, and attended Danville High School; Jourdan is from Mansfield, OH, and attended Mansfield Senior High School; McKissick is from Franklin, PA, and attended Franklin High School; Prescott is from Gates Mills, OH, and attended Mayfield High School.

Clinton Reno’s “Long Live Rock”

CCAD alumni are a big part of a group exhibition at Rivet Gallery in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district, through March 10.

Ohio, You RAWK! features the work of 18 artists and six are CCAD Illustration alumni: Graham Erwin (CCAD 2011), Jason Goad (CCAD 1996), Mike Martin (CCAD 1985), Ryan Mowry (CCAD 2004), Clinton Reno (CCAD 1995), and Miles Tsang (CCAD 2012).

The show features gig posters and rock inspired poster art.

Erwin is a native of Columbus and attended Whetstone High School; Goad is from Dayton, and attended Centerville High School; Mowry is from Columbus, and attended Worthington Christian High School; Reno is from Xenia, and attended Dayton Christian High School; and Tsang is originally from Ajax, Ontario, Canada and moved back following graduation from CCAD.

The exhibition Griffith, Kunze, Polansky will feature paintings of Conneaut Lake Park, work portraying 2 Corinthians 5:4, and photographs that piece together relationships.

There will be a reception Friday, March 1, 6–9 p.m.

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.

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.

Jerrica Fields at the Spring 2012 CCAD Art Sale

The CCAD Art Sale has become a staple in the Columbus community as a great place to buy local art. More than 100 vendors, consisting of CCAD alumni, faculty, staff, and students, will be set up on Saturday, Dec. 1 to display and sell their work in the Loann Crane Center for Design.

Fine Arts alumna Jerrica Fields (2011) will be participating in her fifth sale this winter. She’ll be selling handcrafted and crocheted jewelry designs in copper and sterling silver, along with her paper goods that include hand-bound notebooks, journals, planners, cards, and magnets.

“There are people at CCAD who are proud of me, and I want to show them how much I have grown because of their help and continued support,” Fields said about why she returns to CCAD to sell her work. “Every year I have repeat customers who tell me they can’t wait to see what new design I’ll come up with—that alone makes what I do worth it.”

CCAD’s doors open at 9 a.m. for first-choice admission, and general admission is 10 a.m.–2 p.m. The spring sale welcomed more than 1,400 customers and raised more than $5,000 through admission fees, which goes straight into the scholarship fund.

Michael Bonardi at the Spring 2012 CCAD Art Sale

“People who attend the sale, especially in the first-choice time period, know how important this sale is to us [the vendors],” Fields said. “We get to show them what we’ve learned and how we are incorporating it into our daily lives as artists and what their money is helping facilitate. People who come to an art college to buy art are here to see what CCAD artists are all about, including craftsmanship, sweat, ambition, pride, and good old-fashioned hard work.”

Fields spends weeks preparing for the sale. After taking inventory of her pieces and hand-crafting her business cards she does a mock-up of her display.

“I have grown so much as an artist, so I love to see the students at the sale and offer them some advice and encouragement,” Fields said.

One of those students is Illustration senior Wes Talbott. He will be selling his prints at what will be his third CCAD Art Sale.

“The Hunter” by Wes Talbott

“Having a table at the sale helps me understand how the general public reacts to my work,” Talbott said. “The response you get from the trained eye of a teacher can be a lot different than the response you get from a customer; both are very helpful to hear.”

Fine Arts alumnus and CCAD admissions counselor Michael Bonardi (2004) is a seasoned professional when it comes to the sale, with this December sale marking his 24^th: eight as a student and 16 as an alumnus.

Bonardi will be selling his blown glass, porcelain, digital photography, and other experimental photographic works.

“For the sale I try to keep a steady inventory of work,” Bonardi said. “Every year I try to add something new into what I present, whether it is a new body of work or different display structures.”

Bonardi’s home entryway doubles as a storage space and gallery for his current work.

“The customer that comes to the CCAD Art Sale knows that all the vendors have a common bond of being a part of the CCAD family,” Bonardi said. “And by coming to the sale they are not only supporting our work, but they are supporting future CCAD artists and students.”

The CCAD Winter Art Sale is Saturday, Dec. 1. Enter at 9 a.m. for first-choice admission ($50) and 10 a.m. for general admission ($5). Come celebrate art, the Columbus community, and above all our CCAD vendors. Click here for more information on the sale.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Kunze’s flyer for the Zenclay Gallery

Fine Arts alumna Kerry Kunze (CCAD 2011) is exhibiting her work at Zenclay Gallery in Morgantown, WV, Aug. 4–Sept. 28, 2012.

The solo exhibition, Veils, features her recent paintings and drawings. There will be a reception Aug. 4, 6:30–8 p.m.

Kunze will also be showing her work in a group exhibition at the Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Schnormeier Gallery in Mount Vernon, OH, Feb. 25–April 4, 2013.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Videographers, from left, Alex Trimpe and Tom Hoying

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

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

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

Pallavi Sen

Pallavi Sen (CCAD 2011) has been awarded the Lifchez/Stronach nine-month, paid curatorial internship at The Metropolitan Museum of Art working with the Antonio Ratti Textile Center.

Sen, a Fine Arts major, was assigned to the textile center to match her personal and professional interests and goals. She will also participate in the museum’s training seminars and conduct gallery talks.

The Antonio Ratti Textile Center is one of the largest, most technically advanced facilities for the study and storage of textiles in any major art museum.

Sen’s internship is June 4, 2012–March 1, 2013. To view her portfolio, click here.

Dennison W. Griffith. Photo by Kelsey McClellan (CCAD 2012)

It’s spring (SPRING!) here in Columbus, and another academic year will soon draw to a close. For our seniors and second-year MFA candidates, the exhilaration and satisfaction of their rapidly approaching graduation is balanced by an awareness that they’re about to step from the academic community back into the community community—which almost certainly will include some form of gainful employment.

But at an art and design college, that’s the whole point. No one enrolls here just to enhance a hobby. With that in mind, we focus this issue of Image on the “j” word: jobs.

• Two 2011 grads, Phong Nguyen and Kristen Macauley, share stories of their lives as creative professionals just starting out in Boston and New York [go to story].
• Thomas Boonyarungsrit (CCAD 2005) talks about how he zeroed in on his favorite field of design—and what it’s been like to return to his hometown of Bangkok to do it [go to story].
• And in the Newest of the New category: You’ve heard mutterings—or perhaps even our formal announcement—about CCAD MindMarket, CCAD’s impending initiative to prepare students for work and entrepreneurship opportunities after graduation. The full MindMarket launch won’t occur until this fall, but we’re offering you a sneak peek right now at two CCAD alumni who are giving MindMarket’s creative business incubator a test drive. The “giving back” is flowing every which way on this one [go to story].

One last thing: every spring, we happily thank our donors in a special section of Image. This spring is no exception, but we’ve upped the CCAD family ante with a student contest to create a feature graphic that says “thanks” in a visual way, too. Don’t miss the great result on page 22 [in the printed magazine, or click here to see the graphic online].

Warm regards,

Dennison W. Griffith

President

Boston, the home of Phong Nguyen (CCAD 2011) and his first post-graduation job.

By Kendra Hovey

It’s Thursday afternoon and by the look of things, Phong Nguyen might think he is back in college. After all, there are pizza and video games and it’s not even six o’clock. But Nguyen, 25, is not in college. The Texas native graduated from CCAD in 2011 and soon after took his Illustration degree to a new job at Tencent Boston—where every other Thursday is Game Day. “We stop working when the food arrives,” explains Nguyen. Spouses and partners come, and the play can last all night “or whenever we tap out.”

Tencent is China’s largest and most-used internet portal—comparable to Google—and Tencent Boston (TCB) is one of its U.S. branches. At TCB, the focus is on game development, and Nguyen is a junior concept artist. “Basically,” he says, “whenever there is a question of ‘how will this look,’ concept artists provide the answer.” Getting to that answer is when Nguyen knows for sure he is not in college. “In school, I might have weeks to complete an assignment. Here at work, from thumbnails, sketches, semi-final, to final can be as short as a day.”

Most days now at Tencent Nguyen works on a Cintiq digital tablet, drawing on the pressure-sensitive screen with a stylus. When he is given a project, it comes with a code name and an “art bible.” Sometimes the creative direction in the art bible is specific—a Greek castle, say, circa 15^th century, colors muted—and sometimes very loose, like the two words guiding his assignment for a project codenamed “Ice.” All Nguyen was given was “creepy cave”—so he created a dark, damp, eerie mood with lighting that allowed the action in the game to reflect off puddles and the damp roof of the cave.

Nguyen at work.

Is it challenging? “Yes,” he says, “but I’ve learned that when you push yourself, you can do a lot you didn’t think you were capable of.” The best part of his job—even better than Game Day—and the part he never loses sight of is this: “When it comes down to it, I’m being paid to draw and paint pictures.”

In a different city and a different industry, CCAD alum Kristen Macauley has also managed to marry art and career, and she is pretty pumped about it. At Haskell Jewels in New York, Macauley is the jewelry designer for the Robert Lee Morris line. “It’s been amazing,” she says. The 23-year-old Fine Arts major works directly with Morris, whose “wearable art” has been celebrated since the 1970s and can be found in the pages of Vogue and on the wrists of stars from Iman to the Olsen twins. (Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas is partial to his silver metallic cuffs.) Morris’s style is sculptural, conceptual, and organic. “He is an artist,” says Macauley, “and he inspires and motivates me every day.”

New York City, the home of Kristen Macauley (CCAD 2011) and her first post-graduation job.

Macauley, just like Nguyen, is less than a year out of CCAD. For any graduate, that first year is often a time of finding one’s professional legs, yet both of these young artists seem to be in full stride. “In fact, it’s been crazy hectic,” says Macauley—especially in January, when the runway pieces had to be ready for Fashion Week, which is right on the heels of Market Week, when Haskell opens its doors and all its lines to buyers scoping out the newest designs.

Macauley no longer works on the fabrication end making the jewelry itself. Yet before samples are delivered to the studio, she knows exactly what each piece will look like. It’s a skill she owes to CCAD faculty member Kelly Malec-Kosak, an assistant professor in Fine Arts and the chair of Dimensional Studies. “She makes you really get your hand and mind wrapped around what the material is going to do,” says Macauley, who also appreciated her former professor’s emphasis on communication, even her “dreaded” writing assignments. “One thing CCAD does very well,” she says, “is to make you talk about your work, what it is about, and the story behind it.” Macauley believes this prepared her for the intensive interview process that got her in, first, at the large apparel and accessories company the Jones Group, and then later, in November, at Haskell.

Macauley at work.

Macauley also discovered that her degree from CCAD was a “wonderful attention grabber.” In the accessories side of the New York fashion world, most candidates come out of the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Macauley’s interviewers assumed she did, too. “I was very proud to say, ‘No, I went to CCAD,’” she says. She feels that, as a result, there was more interest in her portfolio and her education.

CCAD also played a role in Nguyen finding his job. It was a CCAD alum who told him about the opportunity at Tencent Boston. Nguyen was a senior at the time and already building his concept art portfolio; he immediately began researching Tencent so he could tailor his portfolio to the company’s needs.

From Nguyen’s first day at CCAD, his plan was to work in entertainment. The industry is recession-proof, he explains, and “allows steady income without losing creativity.” His parents were supportive of his art degree, but to him the loans were scary. He’s glad to have found that he is able to handle them now.

Macauley’s family is, in her words, a “huge supporter of the arts.” Her father is an application architect for Rolls-Royce North America. Macauley had always expected that, like her father, she would do creative work within a commercial enterprise, but exactly what kind of work that would be didn’t come together until her senior year at CCAD. “That’s when I realized I wanted to combine my interests and find a way to deliver a fine arts message with a fashion and jewelry design look,” she recalls.

Now living in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, Macauley likes to take advantage of the design scene in New York—going to events, conferences, and museums. Still, she does miss CCAD, especially the studio time. Her advice to current students: “Take full advantage, because when you leave, studio time is not cheap.” Nguyen especially appreciated the camaraderie of talented artists at CCAD, as well as the painting and figure drawing classes, and nights spent sketching and drinking bubble tea at Pochi’s. In Boston, he enjoys going to Newbury Street and Chinatown.

But both grads are well aware that they’re still getting to know their new cities. It’s no surprise; after all, it’s just the first year.

Click any thumbnail below to view images in larger, slideshow format. Nguyen and Macauley each provided images of of their work and offices. Thanks to Fernanda Medina of sydandpianyc.com for the 2011 photo of a Robert Lee Morris shop window in SoHo.

From the Pipeline Project video directed by Erich Burchfield (with Meghann Pearson, Jen Stefanski, Dan Zimmer, Greg Browe, Philip Matthews, and Andy Robinson)

In film and video, there are a million ways to tell a story. With CCAD’s newly designed major in Cinematic Arts, you can find the right way (or ways) to tell yours, as well as learn the latest tools and tricks of the trade. Students in the program, which was officially approved last fall, learn the whole filmmaking process: storyboarding, production design, cinematography, directing, and post-production.

“The Cinematic Arts major grew out of a previous program, Media Studies, which was more general in nature. The recent name change reflects curricular revisions to offer a more focused major,” says Kevin J. Conlon, CCAD vice president for academic affairs. “This program prepares students in all cinema-related areas, but I think what distinguishes it from a typical film program is that, while the traditional skill sets are there, our program is all digitally based. Students won’t be working with traditional film—they’ll be working with 21st-century tools and techniques. We wanted to think ahead and think more broadly about preparing CCAD students for a variety of cinematic experiences.”

Conlon notes that students who pursue this major will dive deep into the roles of director, screenwriter, cinematographer, video editor, motion graphics designer, and sound designer. Throughout their coursework, they’ll be exposed to the latest film and editing technology and have the opportunity to spend time outside the classroom shooting on location. By the time students finish their senior project and put it on the big screen, they’ll have both a remarkable demo reel (including cutting-edge commercials, broadcast graphics, music videos, and short films) and a portfolio to showcase their talents.

Prospective students who are interested in the Cinematic Arts major should contact the CCAD Admissions office. Current students should contact One-Stop Student Services and make an appointment with an advisor.

In the gallery below, some student work by recent Cinematic Arts students.

MindMarket will soon be located in Design Studios on Broad. Photo: Kelsey McClellan (CCAD 2012)

The first component of CCAD’s transformational MindMarket initiative is starting up this spring.

While all three parts of the new CCAD MindMarket program—a business incubator, a project center, and a thought lab—will formally launch this fall, the business incubator started a pilot phase in February. Two “beta participants” are benefiting from the incubator’s services at reduced rates in exchange for providing in-depth feedback to CCAD about what they need and how the incubator can best provide it.

Ultimately, the incubator will house up to eight resident participants in newly renovated, highly visible facilities on the first floor of CCAD’s Design Studios on Broad. (A limited number of non-resident members will also be served.)

Each participant will have an individual workspace, as well as access to meeting rooms, basic office equipment, and administrative support. While planning and construction for those spaces proceeds, beta participants are working with financial, legal, and marketing mentors just down the block in the Loann Crane Center for Design.

Entrepreneurial partners such as TechColumbus and the Columbus State Small Business Development Center are also available as needed.

CCAD alumni were identified as a logical place to look for potential beta participants, and they were notified in December 2011 about the opportunity. More than 40 applications poured in from diverse creative professionals including fine artists, fashion designers, photographers, and art educators.

In the end, two participants were selected. We’re proud to welcome them into their new roles and excited to see their businesses and the CCAD MindMarket incubator grow—together.

element Ag

Jamie Dicus at work. Photo: Lian Dziura (CCAD 2012)

Jamie Dicus vividly remembers her first foray into serious jewelry making outside of her CCAD coursework. An aunt agreed to make a completely custom quilt for her—but not for free.

“The deal was that I would have to make her the value of the quilt, $700 or $800, of jewelry in return,” Dicus says. It didn’t stop there. She recalls, “Then my brother and his wife wanted wedding rings. And then I did a CCAD Art Sale—I had a tiny corner of my friend’s booth. I think I made my first non-family-member sale there.”

Dicus, who earned her BFA in Fine Arts in 2007, has steadily built that first CCAD Art Sale transaction into a loyal customer base. She didn’t pause for a second after graduation.

“You have to have a plan and get into it immediately,” she says. “You think it’s hard to be in school, but now it’s all up to you. And you have to figure out how to pay for it.”

She gradually assembled all the necessary equipment for a studio, while developing one particularly popular design into a fuller body of work. She named her business element Ag, after the periodic table’s symbol for silver.

Now that she’s poised to enter the incubator program, a different member of her family is the key influence.

“My dad is an entrepreneur and has been all my life. I’ve seen him have many businesses fail and succeed,” she says. “I love the idea of being your own boss and taking pride in what you do. It’s incredibly difficult, but the rewards outweigh the rest.”

Fulcrum Creatives

Principals Liz Samuelson and Jason Moore (CCAD 1996) of Fulcrum Creatives. Photo: Danielle Ford (CCAD 2013)

Founded in 2002 as Fulcrum Design Corps by Jamison Pack and CCAD alumnus Jason Moore (Ad/Graph 1996), Fulcrum Creatives gained its current name in 2010, when it entered into partnership with Liz Samuelson, formerly of Genuine Creative. Fulcrum has always had a close bond with CCAD; at the moment, there are two CCAD student interns and one full-time employee who is an alumna (Sami Nummi, Ad/Graph 2011).

Offering a broad range of creative services, Fulcrum’s business model focuses on a triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.

“Our one-liner is ‘we create, elevate, and sustain organizations that positively impact their community,’” says Samuelson. The incubator will allow Fulcrum to develop an idea that expands that model. It arose out of the company’s ongoing success.

“[As our business grew] we noticed that we had started working with clients who were bigger. We also realized it was a bummer to have to say no to grassroots clients who were doing some of the most important work in our community,” Samuelson says.

The result was Fulcrum’s incubator proposal: a program called Seesaw Squad that will use a multidisciplinary group of undergraduate art and design students to do identity and design work for clients with lesser budgets.

“There’s no one I know of in Ohio that’s doing anything like this,” says Samuelson. “The most valuable aspect of it is the opportunity for younger students to engage with the Columbus community and help make it a better place. Design can do good; creativity can do good.” For more, visit fulcrumcreatives.com.

First MindMarket Visitor Confirmed

We’re excited to announce the CCAD MindMarket’s inaugural visiting lecturer: Internationally renowned design thinking and management expert Roger Martin will speak on campus Friday, September 28. Best known in design circles for his book The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage, Martin was named in 2010 as one of the 27 most influential designers in the world and in 2011 as the sixth top management thinker in the world. The evening will kick off with a reception at 4:30. More details will follow, but mark your calendars now!

Final image in Nationwide video, painted by Alan Becker

Twenty-five students in CCAD’s Pipeline Project recently created a video for Nationwide to display in the lobby of their downtown Columbus corporate offices.

The Pipeline Project, now in its sixth year, is an extra curricular program at CCAD that provides students a chance to produce a film in a collaborative, team-oriented manner that mirrors professional practice.

The project was led by Assistant Professor Thomas Richner, who met with executives from Nationwide throughout the process and presented the final 30-second video.

The final video focused on the history of Nationwide. It featured a white eagle flying over different Ohio landscapes and a chronological succession of buildings bearing Nationwide’s logos.

“The Pipeline Project allows students to work with real-world factors such as deadlines, meetings, and client requests,” Richner said.

Mardi Girard, a senior in Animation, has participated in the Pipeline Project twice.

“This project was not only a resume builder, but it also taught me how to work with other animators when trying to make a cohesive animation,” Girard said.

Animation senior Bekah Nunn was excited to work in a large group.

“It modeled what we will be doing when we leave school,” she said. “I was able to network with other students and get more experience in completing a team project start to finish.”

Other students who worked on this year’s project include Animation sophomore Kelly Cumpson; Animation juniors Joann Cundiff, Jonathan Pezzatta, Donald Yoakam, Chris Campbell, and Tyler Crowley; Animation seniors Brittney Kellogg, Victor Dearing, Shannon Beech, and DeJuan McCoy; Media Studies juniors Alan Becker and Manuel Austin; and Media Studies senior Jessica Miera.

The first-place student design team with executives from Scotts LawnService

In a recent collaboration with ScottsMiracleGro Company a group of CCAD students competed to design an interior focal point for the company’s corporate offices.

The objective of the project was to design an artistic covering for 22 stone pillars that are a part of Scotts’ interior structure. The coverings needed to reflect the ScottsMiracleGro Company brand and also provide a wayfinding tool for employees and visitors.

Assistant professors Dawson Kellogg and Julie Abijanac (CCAD 1992) led the project involving the Studio Professions class.

Each student presented a concept to the professors. The original 37 designs were then narrowed down to 15.

Tiffany Peoples, the vice president of global innovation at Scotts, evaluated these 15 designs and selected the top six designs to move on to the next round.

The top six designers each became the artistic director of a team that they selected to work on a final design and presentation.

The final round of judging included Peoples and Jim Lyski, the chief marketing officer of Scotts. Each student group presented its designs and ideas to the judges in an open presentation. Peoples and Lyski then chose and ranked the top three designs.

First prize went to a design entitled Elements of Nature created by Fine Arts juniors Devin Broadnax and Chris Pack; Advertising & Graphic Design senior Maggie Malloy; Advertising & Graphic Design junior Richard Coyne; and Fine Arts sophomore Yunji Choi.

“We loved the detail in this group; we look at these designs every day so we wanted them to be generally appealing, but have a sense of detail to keep them fresh,” said Lyski.

First place design being presented to Scotts executives

Second place went to Drawn from the Roots. This design concept was created by Fine Arts sophomores Jamie Turner, Emily Ruff, and Allie Raines; Fine Arts juniors Emily Cook and Alexandria Goeltzenleuchter; and Advertising & Graphic Design junior Ashley Lyon.

The third place design, Hands of Appreciation, was created by Fines Arts sophomores Kyle Franklin, Gabrielle Hirth, and Angela Ryu; Illustration seniors Alyssa Gottlieb and Hannah Mu; and Fine Arts junior Yezen Abusharkh.

Scotts is one of several community clients that CCAD has recently provided significant creative services for including, Easton Town Center, The Central Ohio Transit Authority, the Governor’s office, and Nationwide Insurance.

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.

CCAD took home three awards from CSCA's Creative Best Awards

It’s been quite a design awards season for Columbus College of Art & Design, especially for the college’s Design Group—a student-staffed, in-house design agency.

Columbus Society of Communicating Arts held it’s annual Creative Best awards on Nov. 17 and CCAD was well represented. Several local agencies that employ CCAD alumni took home coveted awards, including EdgeCase, which won an Award of Excellence in the Interactive category  for JRubyConf.com which was designed by 2011 grad Justine Arreche. Pallavi Sen, a fine arts senior, took home two merit awards from the Student category.

CCAD’s Design Group earned a Best in Category award in the Motion Design category for its Happy New Year video. The winning team included Media Studies major (and last year’s Outstanding Senior) Taehee Lee (CCAD 2011) who came up with the concept and directed the video; videographer, media studies junior Alex Trimpe, CCAD Creative Director Lindsay Kronmiller, and Editorial Director Laura Bidwa.

CCAD’s partnership with local brand agency Ologie on the Masters of Design, Senior Fashion Show event collateral earned both organizations Awards of Excellence in the Print category for the invitation and the show catalog. The winning team was comprised of, from CCAD, Arreche, Bidwa, Danielle Deley (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2011), Kronmiller,  and Simone Noronha (CCAD, Advertising & Graphic Design, 2011) and from Ologie, Andy Hayes and Kelly Ruoff.

“These projects not only showcase our student work to the outside world, but also allow our students to build the relationships and business experience that will place them above the rest upon graduation,” said Kronmiller.

CCAD’s Fashion Show print collateral also earned awards from American Graphic Design,  which awarded CCAD four certificates of excellence for branding initiatives, including print and environmental graphics.

In addition to the Fashion Show invitation, the college received awards for the Art Walk (environmental graphic’s in CCAD’s Canzani Center),  the Viewbook, and a positioning piece, titled Think. Do.

Both the Viewbook and the Fashion Show invite were done through the collaboration with Ologie, which is owned by board of trustee member and alumna Bev Bethge (CCAD 1982-1986). The company is an award-winning branding agency that serves national and international clients. The Design Group students worked closely with the agency to complete both pieces gaining mentorship while producing award-winning print materials.

The Art Walk panels were  designed by Design Group, with the help of Chute Gerdeman, another award-winning strategic brand and design firm in Columbus (which also took home awards from CSCA on Thursday).

“’When prospective students, parents, and the general public encounter our materials, they are seeing student work,” said Kronmiller. “It is a great testament to the talent and ability of our students.”

The American Graphic Design Awards are open to all businesses and partnerships in the graphic design community. There were more than 8,000 entries and only 15 percent were then recognized with an Awards Certificate of Excellence.

Judges for the CSCA Creative Best awards were Brigitta Bungard, assistant creative director at the Museum of Modern Arts in-house design studio in NYC; Joe Marianek, associate partner at Pentagram, an international design consultancy; and Ken Visocky O’Grady, an associate professor at Kent State University.

Ryan Monroe photographing a model

What does a restaurant mogul, a pin-up girl, the year 2012, and CCAD have in common? Ryan Monroe is the answer.

Monroe is a 2011 photography alumnus of CCAD who just wrapped up a shoot for a pin-up style calendar benefiting Planned Parenthood.

The calendar theme derives from the sponsor of the shoot, Liz Lessner, a Columbus restaurant owner. She owns Betty’s Fine Food and Spirits which centers around a pin-up decor and 1950s motifs.

The calendar will feature 23 male and female models, all employees of Lessner’s restaurants.

“Shooting pin up is very specific and if things aren’t right, it can look tasteless instead of classic,” Monroe said.

“I had to be sure to set the lighting up right, use the best lens and gear for the job, and have the energy and charisma to guide and capture the model in that sublime decisive moment.”

Monroe was  the only photographer working on the calendar shoot. He worked closely with a graphic design and layout coordinator, but the imaging and branding relied on his keen eye. Elizabeth Solinger is the creative director of the shoot, assisting Ryan along the way.

“We are thrilled to have Ryan working on the project,” Solinger said.  “He’s energetic, dynamic, enthusiastic, and does great work.”

“I have gained a strong work ethic from my time at CCAD,” Monroe said. “There isn’t much downtime in my professional projects and CCAD really helped prepare me for that.”

The calendar will be available for purchase the week of Nov. 23, 2011. It will be sold at all of Lessner’s establishments, online, and at other Short North retailers.

First place winner Shirley Wang's design with model Robbie Banks

The lights dimmed, and the show started. One by one 15 models came down the runway in a one-of-a-kind CCAD student designed garment made of …condoms.

This was the annual Condom Couture Fashion Show which took place this year at ShadowBox Live on Wednesday, October 19, 2011.

The Condom Couture Fashion Show is a fundraiser benefiting the Planned Parenthood of Columbus Ohio and it is also a competition. Each designer is challenged with creating a wearable garment using condoms. The garments are then modeled by members of the community to a packed house.

This year’s judges included, Miki L. Gotch (CCAD 2010), assistant technical designer at Lane Bryant; Dennis Parker, professor emeritus of theatre at The Ohio State University; and Maren Roth, owner of Rowe.

The panel of judges evaluate the garments based on theme, color, creativity, attractiveness, originality, technique, and concept.

Each designer was given 800 Proper Attire condoms to create their ensemble (Proper Attire condoms are designed for the fashion-conscious women). Inspiration ranged from sweet 16 cakes to vintage wear.

Second place winner Michelle Watson's design with model Deja Redman

Of course some of the designer encountered challenges in the construction.

“The most interesting part about working in this medium has been trying to figure out how to get them to not break…you just want to cry every time that happens,” said Elousie McGill, a junior fashion designer.

“There is a lot of research involved. It really takes a while to come up with the proper technique in order to capture the look you are trying to achieve,” said Bridgette Stevens, sophomore fashion design major.

Despite the unique challenges designers were excited for the event and as McGill said,  “actually getting to see my design go down the runway will be a big day for me as a designer.”

Not only did the designers see their garments come down the runway, but they heard the cheers and applause of the enthusiastic audience.

As  Lisa Perks, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio, noted “the condoms have been stitched, braided, knotted, and glued by students from the jewel of our community, CCAD.”

The 15 designers involved included, Pohrt Kaitlyn, Qianyu Shirley Weng, Elouise McGill, Joella Stallard, Byonka Taylor, Dahui Li, Bridgette Stevens, Jocelyn Williams, Jamaica Gilliam, Keser Haji, Michele Watson, Skyler Riggan, Pavani Kolli, Peyton Godfrey, and Marquis Engle.

Third place Jocelyn Williams' design with model Katie Burk

After the models had strutted the garments down the runway, each designer had an opportunity to speak. Then the winners were announced.

Jocelyn Williams, a sophomore majoring in interior design took third place with a brightly colored romper. It had shades of teal and blue featuring a large, white bow in the back.

Michelle Watson, a fashion design senior took second place. She designed a slick, tight-fitting, one shoulder dress. The dress had the condoms layered,  painted white, and then stretched to appear cracked.

Shirley Wang, a fashion design senior, took first place with a seemingly simple, but complex black dress. It included braiding of the material and hand beading at the top.

Second and third place winners received a $500 scholarship with first place receiving $1,000.

One designer summed the process up when asked how difficult it was to construct a piece from this material, “as a designer you face challenges all the time and this is one of those challenges, but it is better to look at them as opportunities and not get discouraged,” Keser Haji, a senior fashion design major said.

Alex Alvarado's 3D self portrait

Illustration alumnus Alex Alvarado (CCAD 2011) recently fulfilled a dream to work at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

“I’m incredibly excited to be involved and can’t wait to get started,” Alvarado said.

The Disney job pursuit began a year ago while Alvarado was a junior at CCAD. He applied for a summer internship with an attitude of, “dang that would be cool.”

He fell in love with the studio, the energy, and the skills that he witnessed at Disney.  During his summer internship he was able to attend dailies, where the animators and directors would come in and critique the in-progress animation.

Although his internship ended, he maintained a strong relationship with his mentors from Disney.

“They were always available for critiques and portfolio development questions,” Alvarado said.

The time came when Alvarado had to begin job hunting and he put all his “eggs in one basket.”

He applied for Disney, knowing that he had a good rapport with the people in his old department and that this is what he wanted to do professionally.

Alvarado will start work as a look development artist, meaning he will handle the painting and shading for their 3D models.

Although the job hunt ended smoothly, he will find some challenges when faced with this new position.

“I majored in Illustration, so I have been playing catch-up over the past year to get my technical knowledge up to scratch … the biggest challenge is definitely going to be competing on that side of the job with people who majored in visual effects and animation,” Alvarado said.

These challenges will never stop his personal drive and artwork.

“I love animation and still have a lot to learn about every aspect.”

CCAD students interact with Super Mario Bros. mural

In its September 2011 subscriber edition, Nintendo Power magazine wrote an article remembering  Ken Aschliman (aka Kenay Kash) and his mural, which was on CCAD’s campus in fall of 2010 (when Aschliman was a senior).

Aschliman (CCAD 2011), a  Fine Arts major, was part of the team that created the 16- by 38-foot interactive mural depicting a scene from Super Mario Bros to stand as a metaphor for student involvement.

“Ultimately, students control their college experience if they participate in the discussion, like a player controls a video game,” Aschliman said in the article.

“The mural invited students to participate by posing in the landscape to complete the image,” he said.

The project was worked on by 12 students and took eight days to complete.

The mural was painted on the side of the administrative building on campus. It was up for three months to promote the Student Government’s inaugural town-hall meeting, which is an open forum for students to discuss any concerns and seek out answers to questions. While up the mural garnered some media attention and was the subject of several blogs.

Eric Coolidge as Ox Lord

The Ohio Department of Education is running a series of stories to help celebrate National Arts in Education Week, Sept.11–17, 2011 and Fine Art alumnus Eric Coolidge (CCAD 2011) was a featured web story.

The department site states that in July 2010 the U.S. House of Representatives designated the second week in September to “promote and showcase the role arts education has in producing engaged, successful, college, and career-ready students.”

The story about our alumnus was crafted to showcase what art teachers can do to make an impact on a student’s life.

According to the article, Coolidge was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and struggled throughout school. He went to Orange High School (Cuyahoga County) and participated in the Cavotta’s career-technical visual art and design program, where art was the source of his transformation and drive.

Due to his success in the program he was awarded $10,000-a-year scholarship to CCAD. While studying at the college, he said he found amazing teachers who understood him.

The teachers “mostly guided me and watched me solve my own problems because they knew then what I know now – that to be successful you need to be able to think for yourself and find your own solutions,” Coolidge said in the article.

“Life really could not be much better,” Coolidge remarks.

He now resides in Brooklyn, New York. He can be found creating furniture and other designs for high-profile clients with Arch Production and Design or working on his own personal fine art, which mostly consists of metal sculptures that in Eric’s words are “insanely sharp, unviewer friendly, awesome.”

Read the full article 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.

Passenger shelter concepts by Industrial Design students

Soon thousands of urban travelers will see new and improved bus shelters thanks to the innovative design work of Columbus College of Art & Design students.

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) worked with 12 CCAD students enrolled in the Contemporary Issues in Design class to design new bus passenger shelters to replace existing ones in downtown’s central business district. Three of the designs are under consideration and are currently on view and open for public review and feedback.

The students were challenged to incorporate innovative materials, sustainable or “green” features, protection from the elements, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their designs. In addition, they needed to incorporate a unique, signature design to complement the urban environment and serve as an attractive focal point to the streetscape.

Tom Williamson, an assistant professor of Industrial Design, and Carl Garant, professor and dean of Industrial and Interior Design, worked with the following students and now-alumni on last year’s project: Caleb Boller, Gregory Holmes (CCAD 2011), 
Steve Hughett (CCAD 2011), Lyndsye Maez, Jeff Ras (CCAD 2011), Scott Stewart (CCAD 2011), Daniel Tsorin, Joel Vangilder, Joe Washington, Michael Young, and 



Igor Zemskov (CCAD 2011). Interior Design alumna Ashley Randolph (CCAD 2011) also was one of the participating students.

COTA is seeking feedback on three student designs, which are on view through Friday, Aug. 12 in the lobbies of the Franklin County Courthouse, 373 S. High St., the Rhodes State Office Tower, 30 E. Broad St. and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation William Green Building, 30 W. Spring St.

Comment cards (as well as collection boxes)  are provided at the displays. Comment here or to COTA directly by calling 614.228.1776 or via email at www.cota.com under “Contact Us.”

After the public comment period COTA will choose a final design. Then the process of replacing a few shelters in the central business district with shelters that incorporate the chosen design will begin. The transit company hasn’t determined the exact number of student-designed shelters to be installed but expects to have them in place by the end of 2012.

Fringed: fashionably fine arts by CCAD alumni

Seven alumni who studied Photography, Fine Arts and Media Studies teamed up to present Fringed: a fashionably fine art exhibition in Columbus.

Held at Fringe Outfitters, the event included art especially selected for the space and fashions from the boutique clothing store, as well as a silent auction, music, and raffle prizes.

Alumni participating in the July 9th and 10th event included Nate Burns (CCAD 2010), Travis Czekalski (CCAD 2010), Julie Hall (CCAD 2010) Katie Herbst (CCAD 2010), Michael Lovett (CCAD 2011), Alex Moore (CCAD 2011), and Kevin Smalley (CCAD 2006-08).

More information is available on their Facebook page.

"The Brown Bag Project" team earned a Bronze Pencil Award.

Three teams of CCAD Advertising & Graphic Design graduating seniors earned their place among the elite at the 2011 One Show Awards last may. One entry, to the college competition, earned a Bronze Pencil Award while two others received Merit awards.

This year’s college competition challenge was to create a campaign for New York City client City Harvest, a nonprofit organization that began as an effort to distribute unused food from city restaurants to area soup kitchens and food pantries. The organization has grown and is now including programming aimed at increasing access to affordable healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods. This effort includes offering nutrition education and creating access points and demand for healthier foods.

College teams were provided with a packet that included a brief and detailed client and target audience information. There was a list of assignments for teams to choose from that ranged from advertising campaigns that raise awareness and donations to corporate identity campaigns to rebrand City Harvest’s corporate collateral.

Winning the Bronze Pencil Award with “The Brown Bag Project,” an integrated branding solution, was: Katelyn Brenn, Kaitlan Hyland, and Simone Noronha.

The “Brown Bag Project” encourages New Yorkers to pack their lunch every Wednesday during the month of February instead of dining out and to donate the money they save that day to City Harvest. The campaign includes healthy tips and recipes and discount opportunities to participants to encourage them to pack their lunch.

“We did this through a mailer that informed people about the project, unconventional advertising to peak the interest of people in the city, and, finally, through a series of reusable lunch bags to help carry the message even after the campaign was done,” explained Noronha.

“My team members and I definitely put in a lot of effort in coming up with a solution that would work, ” she added. “We  felt lucky to go to New York City and represent CCAD. Only 25 pencils were given out that night and we were told that there were more than 23,000 entries to the competition.”

CCAD also had two teams earn merit awards: James Chapa and Luis La Torre entered a non-traditional advertising campaign called “Harvest Pride;” and Zack Beck, Kayla Nickerson, and Jaclyn Pasquale entered a non-traditional advertising campaign titled “Nourishing New York.”

A program of the One Club, an organization that exists to champion and promote excellence in advertising and design in all its forms, the One Show remains the pinnacle of achievement by providing a showcase of the world’s best work and by inviting collaboration among individuals that are actively developing outstanding work. Visit their website for more.

"House on Hill," by Ross Caliendo

Fine Arts alumnus Ross Caliendo (CCAD 2011) was featured in weekly newspaper Cincinnati CityBeat’s article, Art: Rites of Passage and Magnitude 7.

Caliendo’s painting is one of the 13 works on display at the exhibition, an annual show showcasing the work of college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates. Jurors selected the works from more than 381 entries from students at 88 colleges and universities.

“With my art I strive to transform our hyper-reality world, into a tangible physical form,” Caliendo said on his website. “I use paint as a way to layer multiple ideas, images, feelings, and situations into one single entity. It is much as if you were to put every frame of a movie into one image.”

For more information about Caliendo, read his blog.

Rites of Passage and Magnitude 7 can be seen at Manifest Creative Research Gallery in East Walnut Hills through June 24. Read the article in its entirety here.

Interior Design alumna Jessica Katterheinrich joined WD Partners after graduation.

Every year, more than 200 students join the ranks of the 10,000 CCAD alumni living around the world. But we don’t send them out into the world unprepared. Beginning in freshman year, students work with Career Services and their professors to develop portfolios, resumes, and cover letters. They meet with alumni in mock interviews and experience the rigors of the Directions Career Fair. For some, all of this hard work results in a real-world job lined up before the ink on their diploma is even dry. So we asked them: What’s it feel like to graduate with work lined up?

Dayna Carli Smith, Advertising & Graphic Design
Where she’s headed: GSW Worldwide
“I am so excited to see how dreams can come true. I’ve been working hard for so long it’s amazing to see how it all pays off. It makes me want to work even harder, like I have been given a gift that I do not want to squander. And it makes me happy to make my parents proud, knowing they were worried about me going into a field so difficult to get a job in. I’m glad I can look at them and tell them I made the right decision and have proof to back it up with.”

Ryan Richmond, Fashion Design
Where he’s headed: Abercrombie & Fitch
“It’s a wonderful feeling, having work lined up before graduating, and quite honestly, I wasn’t expecting this outcome. I’m extremely grateful, however, not only for being hired while still a student, but also for the support and instruction I got from my teachers at CCAD; they truly care about the success of their students and make it a point to push us to be the best designers and artists we can be. I’m excited for what my future holds and can only thank CCAD and the people I’ve grown close to over the years!”

Kristen Macauley, Fine Arts
Where she’s headed: The Jones Group
“Honestly, it’s nerve-racking. Looking back on freshman year, I never knew I would be here today. I am about to move into a world filled with creative individuals looking for a moment to shine, and I can’t wait for mine. When I first started to apply for jobs, I thought most of them were a long shot. Then I had an interview with Jones New York and the next thing I knew I started packing for New York City. I feel very fortunate that the Jones Apparel Group provided me with such a wonderful opportunity. Not only do I have a job, but it is in my field of choice. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Jessica Katterheinrich, Interior Design
Where she’s headed: WD Partners
“It makes all the nights I slept on the studio floor instead of my own bed feel worth it.”

Taehee Lee, Media Studies
Where she’s headed: Left Channel
“I am relieved and excited to work on something I really love doing. It just feels great. Most of my Korean friends are probably a bit jealous. My main focus was always going to graduate school, and I did get accepted, but I was offered a job and made the last minute decision to accept it over graduate school.  When I was offered the job, all I could think was, I need to seize this opportunity because grad school will always be there but this may not.”
Editor’s Note: Taehee was also this year’s Media Studies Outstanding Senior. You can read a full interview with her here.

President Griffith gears up for the Arts Festival. Photo courtesy of Columbus Arts Festival Facebook page.

During the 50^th annual Columbus Arts Festival, seven CCAD alumni and one student will participate in Expose Yourself, a program where artists give demonstrations of the art-making process. The program was organized by Fine Arts alumnus Ken Aschliman (CCAD 2011).

The schedule of CCAD presenters is as follows:

Friday
4:30-5:15—Stefan Hoza (CCAD 2011), paint a live model
6:30-7:15—Emily Rickard (CCAD 2010), mixed-media collage.

Saturday
4:00-5:00—Ryan Walters (CCAD 2011), large-scale portrait painting.
5:00-6:00—Jon Stommel (CCAD 2009), paint a 7×10 foot mural
6:45-7:30—Tee Johnson (CCAD 2010), watercolor portrait process.
7:30-8:00—Caleb Boller (CCAD 2012), throw a teapot

Sunday
3:00-3:45—Kailtyn Mays (CCAD 2010), three-part mixed-media printmaking
3:00-3:45—Jennifer Sands (CCAD 2011), mask making from limited supplies

Also exhibiting at the Arts Festival is alumna Chelstin Ross (CCAD 2009), who is one of the 10 selected emerging artists. Ross was featured in the Columbus Dispatch for her involvement.

“It’s opportunities like this that make an artist community grow,” said Ross in the article. “At some point, I definitely want to walk around and feel how honored I am to be there.”

Read the entire article here.

The Arts Festival is held on CCAD’s campus from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more at ColumbusArtsFestival.org.

Singing on the Great Day by Matthew Houston

An Illustration senior’s first-place entry in a recent poster contest is on display through Sunday, May 29 in a central Ohio gallery.

The digital print Singing on the Great Day by Matthew Houston can be seen at Hammond Harkins Galleries. Next, Houston’s poster will move to a permanent display at the State Library of Ohio.

Houston submitted the top entry in the recent Forever Free Emancipation Poster contest held in conjunction with an Abraham Lincoln exhibition at the state library. CCAD students were invited to submit posters that would visually communicate emancipation to a slave in 1863 unable to read.

The state library also will permanently display the second- and third-place contest posters by Fine Arts graduate Jerrica Fields (CCAD, 2011) and Joshua Kingsbury, a sophomore studying Animation.

Read the full press release announcing the students’ winning designs.

Graduation Day

More than 200 Columbus College of Art & Design students graced the stage of the historic Ohio Theatre to receive their diplomas on Saturday, May 14, 2011.

The 132^nd annual spring commencement, in downtown Columbus, included an address by commencement speaker and CCAD alumnus Mike Altman. (Download a  pdf copy of his address.)

The 2011 class valedictorian is Sean Blanton and the college awarded the following 10 students with the distinction of Outstanding Senior.

Ken Aschliman, Fine Arts

Sean Blanton, Photography

Jordan Edwards, Advertising & Graphic Design

Graham Erwin, Illustration

Justin Highlander, Interior Design

Taehee Lee, Media Studies

Carolyn Martin, Fashion Design

Chelsea Mummert, Animation

Phong Nguyen, Illustration

Ryan Slicer, Industrial Design

Check out photos from commencement and more on the CCAD Alumni facebook page.

Senior Carolyn Martin was named the Outstanding Senior for the Fashion Show department.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. Today to conclude our 10-part series, we interviewed senior Carolyn Martin (CCAD 2011), who was named Outstanding Senior for the Fashion Design department.

Q.) What scared you most while you were at CCAD?
A.) What scared me most while in design school at CCAD was always “What if I work this hard for four long years and don’t get a job after graduation.” Fears conquered. I have been hired by Dress Barn as a design assistant/CAD artist.

Q.) How did you land your first “real” job?
A.) I landed my first “real” job through the power of internships.  Each of my internships was for the same company so I built strong relations with the designers I worked with and developed a kind of seniority over other interns. Once a position became available, my background with the company put me closer to the top of the list.

Q.) What’s it feel like to graduate knowing you have work lined up?
A.) I didn’t even realize how much I was stressing about finding a job after graduation until I got an offer.  It was such a tremendous sense of relief and accomplishment. I finally felt like all my hard work had paid off.

Q.) Why is it important as an alumnus to continue giving back to your alma mater?
A.) Sharing achievements is a great way to inspire current students and show them all the possibilities that are available after graduation.  There is no straight path or one specific career direction for any major, and the more students are informed of all the possibilities the more confident they will be to build a career path that best fits them.

Q.) What will you miss most?
A.) As happy as I am to be finished with school, I know that what I will miss is the challenge of always being busy.  Being a student at CCAD has constantly challenged me to find the perfect harmony between school, work, and friends and family.  No matter how happy you may be with your work, it’s family and friends—your biggest supporters—who bring true happiness.

Q.) I hope future CCAD students…
A.) Continue making a bigger and better fashion show every year!

Carolyne is one of the 25 Fashion Design seniors who will be showcasing her collection at  the May 13 Senior Fashion Show event on campus. You can read more about what inspired her designs (and her journey to CCAD) on our post, Carolyn Martin’s Road to the Runway Takes Her from Pre-Vet to War Vet, To Chanel.

Senior Ryan Slicer was named Outstanding Senior for the Industrial Design department.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. Today in part nine of our 10-part series, we interviewed s

enior Ryan Slicer (CCAD 2011), who was named Outstanding Senior for the Industrial Design department.

Q.) What’s it feel like to graduate with not one but two job offers?
A.) It feels great. I feel like all the sleepless nights and long hours were worth something in the real world.

Q.) What’s the ultimate dream job?
A.) The ultimate for me is pretty simple. I just want to design new solutions for existing problems. As long as I am able to do that, I will be happy. Eventually, I would really like to start my own firm here in Columbus.

Q.) Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”
A.) Actually receiving this award. I think this means the most because it’s validation from the faculty that I have done well in the program.

Q.) What smell always reminds you of your time here as a student?
A.) Definitely the smell of walnut sawdust. Junior year I built a dining room table from walnut, and the shop and I smelled like sawdust for weeks. It smelled wonderful.

Q.) What are you going to miss most about CCAD?
A.) Everyone sitting down in room 108 on the cintiqs. We would stay down there together for days it seemed, laughing. The people here are great.

Q.) Finish the sentence. The best class at CCAD was…
A.) ID302 with Joel Gundlach.

Q.) What was your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
A.) Put away all my stuff to spend time with my wife—as long as there was no presentations the following week.

Q.) Any advice for future CCAD students?
A.) Take it upon yourselves to see that you are successful.

Ryan’s Coroflot portfolio is available here.

Members of the Senior Class Gift committee presented a banner to President Griffith as a symbol of their donation to the college.

At the beginning of the school year, 2011 class president and Advertising & Graphic Design major David Merz (CCAD 2011) asked his classmates to help make a mark as the first CCAD class to leave behind a class gift. And it was a pretty simple ask. “Leave a little, leave a lot. We’re leaving a legacy. Our class participation shows that we believe in CCAD and in ourselves. So give $20. Give $2. It’s not about the money. It’s about our symbol of support.”

At the Senior Picnic hosted by President Denny Griffith, Merz and his fellow Senior Class Gift committee members presented a class banner to President Griffith to represent their gift. Signed by the members of the class of 2011 and featuring the class’s slogan (go forth and be awesome), the banner will hang at all of the group’s future alumni gatherings.

Through the 100 Days until Graduation event and the production of a class video, the class of 2011 raised funds to benefit technology and facilities upgrades; scholarships; professional development for CCAD faculty members; and lectures and studio visits by creative professionals.  Five percent of the graduates participated.

“Five percent is a lot—but we’d like to see that number grow,” said Merz. “We want the class of 2012 to beat our participation rate, and the class of 2013 to beat theirs, and so on and so forth. We want to leave behind a legacy of philanthropy—fueled by a bit of healthy competition of course.”

Senior Jordan Edwards was named the 2011 Outstanding Senior for Advertising & Graphic Design.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. Today in part eight of our 10-part series, we interviewed senior Jordan Edwards (CCAD 2011), who was named Outstanding Senior for the Advertising & Graphic Design department.

Q.) What was your biggest achievement while studying here?
A.) Being Outstanding Senior is great—don’t get me wrong—I love this, and I’m very proud of it. But I really liked seeing how the Student Programming Board has grown. I started with them my sophomore year. We did a few small events here and there and some people would come. Obviously Big Boo! was kind of our shining achievement. But this year we’ve really been taking on a new structure, we have a really great team, and our events have really started to get a lot of attention. So I’m glad that I got to be involved with that and see what it has become.

Q.) Did you ever have that feeling of “ugh, why do I have to learn this” that eventually led to, “wow, this is so important?”
A.) Color Concept. I remember going into class and being like, “Color concept?!? I know how to mix colors, I already know what this is.” But I really didn’t understand all the intricacies of it and how you can use colors to affect the mood of the piece. So I think that’s the stuff that I employ the most that I thought was the most bogus at the time.

Editors Note: at this point in the interview Director of Career Services Cynthia Gravino came to table. “He’s awesome. Seriously, quote me. This kid is awesome.”

Q.) You’ve landed some really big projects. How’d you do that?
A.) Mostly, it’s just badgering the right person.  One of the big projects I’m working on now is Leakycon, a Harry Potter fan conference that is being held in Orlando this summer. The group that planned the conference held another one in 2009 that I went to and after I left I said, “I have to be a part of this somehow.” And, you know, you start following the right people on Twitter, and you pester them—and pester them, and pester them—and then finally they’ll say, “okay, fine.” I started out as just a graphic designer but have now risen up and am now creative director for the whole conference, which means I’m leading a team of other designers to make everything for the conference.

Q.) The dream job. Everyone has one. What’s yours?
A.) My ultimate goal is to head to California and work for Walt Disney Imagineering. That’s my long time, pie-in-the-sky dream. My parents took me to Walt Disney World when I was five, and I didn’t know what Imagineering was, but I knew that it was really cool that somebody got to make this stuff for their job. It’s always been floating around in the back of my mind, but I never took it seriously until I came here and realized that this is a legitimate possibility and I am learning the stuff now that it takes to get there.

Q.) What’re you going to miss the most?
A.) The community of support. If you’re working on a piece, there is this huge group of people you can tap into for inspiration, support, and motivation. There will always be teams in the future, but we’ve got a pretty strong group here, and I will miss it tremendously.

Q.) If you could go back and tell your 17 year old self anything about CCAD, what would it be?
A.) You’re going to learn more than you ever thought you would. You’re going to meet people who are so similar to you that it is scary, and they are going to be your best friends. And you’re going to get opportunities that you’ll never get again. You’re going to love it—so don’t be scared.

Q.) Finish the sentence. Graduating feels like…
A.) Ripping off the Band Aid. It’s going to be painful, but once it’s off, it’ll be really gratifying.

Learn more about Jordan on his website.

CCAD Student Government President David Merz III was honored at the annual Leadership Recognition Banquet.

In a reception hosted by CCAD’s Student Affairs office, 10 awards were presented to students, a staff member, and a student organization during the college’s second-annual Leadership Recognition Banquet.

More than 100 members of the CCAD community attended the reception Friday, May 6, at the Columbus Renaissance Hotel to honor members and advisers of sponsored student groups and leaders of registered student organizations.

“This year we are introducing a new award specifically for a member of our student government called the Service to Students Award,” said Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Dwayne Todd. “As organizers of the Student Government awards, there is little opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication the president of student government has shown to the CCAD community, and this of all years is the time to begin this honor.”

Student Government president David Merz III received the award.

“We have seen more growth and development in the past year than in all the years we have had student government at CCAD combined,” said Director of Student Activities & Orientation Jason Bowser. “We have not seen as great a positive change in the organization and its presence on campus since the group was started and that is due in no small part to the leadership and vision of David.”

The entire list of 2011 honorees is as follows:

• Service to Students: David E Merz III (CCAD 2011)
• Megan Clare Mathie Student Leader of the Year Award: Kenneth Aschliman (CCAD 2011)
• Commitment to Diversity: Amanda Knittle (CCAD 2011)
• Commitment to Service: Danielle Williams (CCAD 2014)
• Commitment to Involvement: Lacie Daley (CCAD 2013)
• Commitment to Involvement: Walker Crane (CCAD 2013)
• Student Organization: Student Programming Board
• Student Event: Quidditch Cup
• Most Involved Faculty/Staff (outside the classroom): Erica Ott, assistant director of student activities & orientation
• Design Square Resident Advisor: Amanda Knittle (CCAD 2011)
• Schottenstein Resident Advisor: Blake Roberts (CCAD 2013)

“The Megan Clare Mathie Outstanding Student Leader Award goes to a student who has also made a considerable impact on campus through leadership in student organizations and involvement,” said Bowser.” This award’s namesake made an incredible impression on campus through her involvement during her four years. This year’s winner is Kenneth Aschliman for his work with Student Government and the Spotlight Student Exhibitions Group.”

The Commitment to Service Award is presented to a student who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to community service by volunteering time, energy, or resources towards the aim of helping improve the lives of others within and beyond the CCAD community.  The award also recognizes those who make extraordinary efforts to promote an environment of civic responsibility among other CCAD students.

The Commitment to Diversity Award is presented annually to a student who demonstrates an exceptional commitment towards creating a campus environment that is welcoming and inclusive to students from varied cultural backgrounds and personal identities.  The award is given to recognize a student who shows a deep commitment to the values of equity and inclusion, while also helping raise awareness and understanding of multicultural issues within the CCAD community.

The Commitment to Involvement Award is presented annually to a student who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to enhancing campus life and creating opportunities for other students to develop memorable experiences and connections at CCAD.  This award recognizes a student who has helped to advance the goals of the CCAD Student Affairs Division through active involvement in multiple student organizations and campus leadership roles.

“This banquet is our way of saying thank you for contributing so much to the CCAD community and for being such an integral part of making the CCAD experience better for everyone,” said Bowser.

Valedictorian Sean Blanton was also named Outstanding Senior for the Photography department.

Photography senior Sean Blanton (CCAD 2011) has been named the valedictorian for the graduating class of 2011. Blanton will be honored during the commencement ceremony, Saturday, May 14, at The Ohio Theatre.

Pickerington, OH  native Sean Blanton, 22, was named the 2011 Outstanding Senior for the Photography department at Columbus College of Art & Design. Blanton is the son of Charles and Diana Blanton and a 2007 graduate of Pickerington North High School.

He has accepted a retouching position at Lane Bryant to begin upon graduation.

You can read an interview with Blanton here.

Learn more about the 2011 Commencement ceremony on the CCAD Events page.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To learn more about Justin, visit his Coroflot profile.

Senior Taehee Lee was named Outstanding Senior for the Media Studies department.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. Today in part six of our 10-part series, we interviewed senior Tahee Lee (CCAD 2011), who was named Outstanding Senior in Media Studies.

Q.) What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?
A.) To be able to work with Design Group and to be chosen as the Outstanding Senior for Media Studies. I learned a lot from working with Design Group. I really enjoyed editing the Jay-Oh-Bee project because I learned a lot from the alumni and from getting to edit the project.

Q.) What scared you the most?
A.) We’re all a bit uncertain about our futures, but as an international student you truly never know how things are going to go. Many companies are reluctant to employee international students because they will have to prepare visas on the side—so a lot of them think, why bother when they could just get any American student.

Q.) So, what’s next?
A.) I am relieved and excited to work on something I really love doing. It just feels great. Most of my Korean friends are probably a bit jealous. My main focus was always going to graduate school, and I did get accepted but I was offered a job and made the last minute decision to accept it over graduate school.  When I was offered the job, all I could think was, I need to seize this opportunity because grad school will always be there but this may not.

Q.) What’s the dream job?
A.) To be able to work at a design studio as big as Psyop.

Q.) If you could describe graduating in one word, what would it be?
A.) Bittersweet.

Q.) What advice do you have for future CCAD students?
A.) The technique comes later; you will learn about technique when you have the job. I recommend trying everything that you can possibly do at an art school—even if it is really different from your major. You really have to get to know design first: the technique will come later. So enjoy being at an art school. Take ceramics or glassblowing just because you can—it’s all design, and it will really help in the long run.

View Taehee’s work on her website. Stills from her projects are below.

Tim Maurer does Rachel Kaplan's makeup before an appearance on NBC4

THE CCAD 2011 Senior Fashion Show, our signature fundraising event, will take place in exactly one week. When friends, family, sponsors, and industry leaders arrive we will be dressed to thrill and lights, cameras, flowers, music, staging—all the little details that make our event a unique memorable experience—will be in place.

But, before that happens, there is a flurry of activity on campus as the finishing touches are put in place.

A personal favorite “finishing touch” for me is the addition this week of local distillery Middle West Spirits as an in-kind sponsor. They will be bringing to the event their signature vanilla cosmopolitan. The base of their cosmo is their exquisite OYO honey vanilla bean vodka—I liked it so much after tasting the cosmo, I went and bought a bottle. They will also be providing the show’s Designer ticket holders a special tasting during the VIP pre-show party. As of this posting there were still some Designer tickets left at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

As this blog goes live, the models working through their second rehearsal. Anyone who thinks it’s easy to stomp it out down a runway in a custom made garment wearing 4-inch heels, should try it sometime. Fortunately for our models (who are all CCAD students) we bring in a runway coach to get their walk into shape.

Earlier this week Jordan Jones and model Rachel Kaplan joined VP Stephanie Hightower and the always delightful Tim Maurer (of Mukha) on Gail Hogan’s Daytime Columbus, and the week before that Sung Kim and Richard Hurley were interviewed for Female Focus with Andrea Cambern–who will again be our elegant MC for the event.

Starting Monday, Lasting Impressions will begin installing the tent. There will be more rehearsals, oh, and if this wasn’t enough to get our adrenaline pumping, the opening of our 132nd Annual Student Exhibition is also Friday night (hint: if you have your fashion show tickets consider coming early so you can check out the exhibition—you’ll be glad you did). And, the next day there will be an event that for 233 individuals is THE most important–graduation day.

Get more info online about the fashion show event, the 132nd Annual Student Exhibition, and parking for that night—don’t worry thanks to our friendly neighbors we have plenty of free parking for everyone.

Animation major Chelsea Mummert was named the 2011 Outstanding Senior for her department.

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

Q.) Describe a particular thing you learned at CCAD that didn’t make sense to you at first, but that you realized later “Oh, that’s what that meant!”
A.) I would say a lot of things I learned foundation year fits into this category. For example, the project where we had to put three black squares on a white page. I realize it was the simplest form of composition, balance and hierarchy, something that I consider for each scene of animation.

Q.) What’s the ultimate dream job?  Or goal? Basically, when will you be able to sit back and say ‘I’ve made it’?
A.) When I am working in a major animation studio like Pixar or Disney as a part of their core team!

Q.) Why is it important as an alum to continue giving back to your alma mater?
A.) I think it is important for students to hear from us because we come from the same background. When Mike Altman (who was recently tapped as spring 2011 commencement speaker) came to talk to us after landing a job at Pixar, it really made me feel like it was all possible.

Q.) Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”
A.) When I can sit at my computer for hours at a time and it only feels like a few minutes has passed. Then there are moments when I look at my work and am amazed to think to myself, I made that! It just amazes me what can be accomplished with passion and dedication.

Q.) What smell, word, object, or whatever always reminds you of your time here as a student?
A.) I would say Hounddogs pizza reminds me of my time here because of all of the times I spent there with my closest friends through all hours of the night. It’s a place you don’t go to for the service but the pizza is amazing!

Q.) If you can describe what graduating feels like in one word (okay, one sentence), what would it be?
A.) It’s like the end of a very intense training program and the beginning of a very long and beautiful dream come true.

Q.) Finish the sentence. I hope future CCAD students …
A.) Take their time here seriously and get the most out of their experiences because now is the time to grow and experiment. I also hope that they are not afraid to challenge their teachers or push the “limits” of creativity.

Learn more about Chelsea on her website.

Industrial & Interior Design Thesis Show, May 5, 2011

Just one day before the official end of classes for seniors, the graduating Industrial Design and Interior Design class concluded their academic journey on a high note. Thursday, May 5, the 17 Industrial Design and 11 Interior Design seniors presented their final senior thesis projects during an open-to-the-public reception.

Projects ranged from combining neuroscience, psychology, color theory and lighting to develop a more impactful use of color in interior spaces, to a self-sustaining device capable of harnessing, storing, and transferring solar energy of distance wireless. Many projects looked at social issues like repurposing an empty rural town building to create a multi-use community space and garden, and others looked to environmental issues such as designing an ergonomically friendly device to aid with reforestation.

Senior Sean Blanton was named Outstanding Senior for the Photography department.

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

Q.)What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?
A.) I suppose that being selected as the Outstanding Senior in Photography has been my proudest achievement. I know that there are a lot of other people in the photography program producing some really amazing work. Any one of them could have received this award. I’m flattered that I would even be considered.

Q.) What scared you most while you were at CCAD?
A.) Scared? I don’t know about scared. I was however, intimidated. I was definitely intimidated at first by the expectations of the college. It was a completely different environment from what I used to. I wasn’t used to being pushed as hard as I was, especially with having a strong conceptual standpoint in my work. I was really pushed to make my work about something, to have concrete reasons for creating work. Producing work with that kind of conviction was at first intimidating: now, it has become an integral point in my work.

Q.) Why is it important as an alumnus to continue giving back to your alma mater?
A.) CCAD has given me more than I could ever ask for. They have done so much for the artist community in Columbus, and I have truly grown to love this school for that connection. The more we can give back to CCAD, the more we can help it—and Columbus as an artist community—grow. I would like to remain involved in the CCAD community as much as possible, for as long as possible.

Q.) What will you miss most?
A.) The professors. Many of the professors I’ve met during my time at CCAD have been some of the most inspirational people with whom I’ve ever come in contact. Their advice has stretched way beyond critiques on my work. They have truly shaped me—and I mean that only in a positive way. They have driven me to do great things and challenged my thinking. I’ll be sad to drop out of immediate contact with all those people I’ve relied on for advice the past four years. I’ll be sad to never sit through a lecture that leaves me breathless.

Q.) If you can describe what graduating feels like in one word (okay, one sentence), what would it be?
A.) Graduating feels to me like the transition where professors no longer feel the need to teach you, and instead have given you the opportunity to teach yourself. (Sorry for breaking the one sentence rule – but to clarify what I just said – graduating doesn’t feel like the end of my education – but instead a transition where I now need to take my education into my own hands. They have laid the foundation for my education as an artist, but that is all. I now have a lifetime to spend teaching myself to be an artist. That is what it is to be an artist – to always be constantly observing and learning.)

Learn more about Sean on his website.

Senior Phong Nguyen was named co-Outstanding Senior for the Illustration department.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. But sometimes, it’s hard to pick just one—as is the case in the Illustration department. Today in part three of our 10-part series, we interviewed senior Phong Nguyen (CCAD 2011), who was named co-Outstanding Senior for the Illustration department along with classmate Graham Erwin.

Q.) What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?
A.) During my time at CCAD, I’ve had several small achievements here and there, be it getting compliments from a teacher or winning an award. But if I had to pick just one it has to be placing 1^st and 3^rd at the 2011 CCAD Art of Illustration Show.
I had worked really hard on the pieces that I entered and wasn’t going to be satisfied with anything other than 1^st place.  When Chris Payne (Dean of Illustration) called my name for 3^rd place, I was happy but a bit disappointed too because I thought that meant that that was the highest I could place. When he called my name again for 1^st place, I was in shock but extremely happy. I guess this was possible because judging is done per entry piece and not per student.  I can’t help but imagine what it would feel like if I took the 2^nd place spot also.

Q.) Describe a particular thing you learned at CCAD that didn’t make sense to you at first, but that you realized later “Oh, that’s what that meant!”
A.) In freshman 2D design, we were taught the idea of dominant, subdominant, and subordinate in designs. I had never heard of this before so I just went through the lessons. At the end of my freshman year when I began to work on more personal pieces I started to realize the concept behind what I had learned. It’s even more evident when I had to explain it to someone while critiquing.

Q.) How did you land your first “real” job?
A.) My real job is the one I’m currently waiting to interview for. I have a friend who works at a company in Boston called Tencent that makes online computer games. After getting back from winter break, I started looking around for possible places to apply to.  As luck had it, my friend informed me there was a position available at Tencent for an “environment concept artist.”

For the next month or so, I ate, slept, and breathed environment concepts. Eventually when I felt I had a good enough portfolio, I sent the art director at Tencent an email. Got an art test. Completed it. Got a phone interview. Now I’m waiting for the onsite interview.

During this time, my actual school assignments suffered but I knew it was worth it. There’re two minutes left in overtime, I’ve got no more timeouts remaining, it’s time to make a BIG PLAY.

Q.) Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”
A.) When I saw a picture of Craig Mullins working freelance over the internet in his house by the beach in Hawaii. When I talk to friends who are in college and still don’t know what they want to do, they tell me their biggest fear is settling into a field of work that they don’t love. I know I love art so making a living doing what I love is a great way to live.

Q.) Finish the sentence. I hope future CCAD students…
A.) Would not wait too late to start getting serious about their work.

Selecting just a few of Phong’s works was an incredibly tough challenge. Visit his website to see what else is available.

Senior Ken Aschliman was named the Outstanding Senior for the Fine Arts department.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. Today in part two of our 10-part series, we interviewed senior Ken Aschliman (CCAD 2011), who was named Outstanding Senior for the Fine Arts department.

Q.) So what’s next?
A.) I like to do a lot of different things. I like to make artwork, but I also like to organize shows, help other artists. I think that I want to go the Denny Griffith [CCAD's president] route, where I have a professional arts industry job, and then do my artwork in my personal time. He’s a great role model for me. If I want to be just a studio artist, I have to make the connections that are necessary in order to sell art. Now by working with these various arts organizations, I feel like I am beginning to make those connections. I’m looking at different art museum, gallery, and organization jobs.

Q.) What was your proudest achievement since you’ve been here?
A.) I don’t know if last night [winning AICUO’s Excellence in Visual Art Grand Award] has sunk in yet. It still feels like it just happened. So I’d say, Everything Explodes, the exhibition I did my junior year. By doing that, I realized I really enjoyed the organization of the show and the artwork and a lot of great things happened because of it. We were interviewed in Alive! and the Dublin Art Council will be doing a CCAD student show next year because of it. And the second one was the Mario mural. The goal was to promote student government, but the mural was only what it was because of the collaboration I did with so many people—plus it got a lot of attention, which was great.

Q.) Do you remember that “this is why I’m doing this” moment?
A.) My junior year I had a serious crisis of faith. I was debating in my head whether I had made the right decision in coming to art school. I felt like I had made the wrong decision for a while. I felt the classes prepared me to be an entrepreneur and to sell my work, but then all my experiences in trying to do that failed miserably. I showed at an art gallery for six months and made $40, sold only one print. But now I’ve interned at the Columbus Museum of Art and at the Greater Columbus Arts Council and those have really shown me that there are different paths I can follow. And sure once I graduate I may have to spend a year being the coffee guy for one of these organizations, but I know that there are paths I can take.

Q.) What smell will always remind you of this place?
A.) Coming out of AMF [Amelita Mirolo Fine Arts Building], there is always this really sweet smell. It smells like donuts. The smell of coffee is the other smell that will always remind me of this place.

Q.) What’re you going to miss most—besides the donut smell?
A.) Definitely the people and the sense of community. The college is fantastic. When I walk from one building to another, I see like five friends, who I can say ‘hi’ to or stop and have a conversation with. There is always someone to work with and to bounce ideas off, which is really crucial when you’re working on anything really.

Q.) What’s your hope for future CCAD students?
A.) We have a really good thing going here, and I want the next generation to keep it going. My selfish goal is that the Spotlight Exhibition group I started keeps going. The Student Government has really done a lot this year under David Merz and I really hope that energy continues. I see great artwork happening around me, I see younger students getting up to that level and I just hope it continues.

To see more of Ken’s work, visit his website.

Lyndsey Merryman

Lyndsey Merryman followed in the footsteps of a designer whose name is practically synonymous with red carpet fashion: Valentino. If you need a visual, just conjure up  a stunning Julia Roberts in a black and white vintage Valentino gown the year she won her Oscar, or Anne Hathaway on the red carpet this year—not only was she in vintage Valentino but it was his own patented, famous shade of red.

“Valentino was all about making a woman look beautiful and enhancing the body with elements of design” noted Lyndsey.

True to her opulent inspiration, Lyndsey’s two runway looks are red-carpet worthy. Both silk and carefully detailed, one is a floor-length black gown and the other a Valentino red cocktail dress.

Valentino red

Of course working in silk brought with it its own set of challenges. The fabric is delicate, tears and runs easily, and creating gowns in silk means learning a whole set of sewing techniques particular to couture design.

Lyndsey tackled these challenges. She learned how to hand pleat, sew roll hems, reinforce seams, and she created under structures and corseting to support the gowns so the weight of the gown would not stress the silk. Her red cocktail dress in particular took a lot of hand work as it includes layers of sheer, silk organza rose petals.

One challenge she was not expecting was to receive silk that wasn’t silk. Having purchased a fabric that she believed to be 100 percent silk, she learned (after construction had started) that it was in fact a blend. Unhappy with the result she went back to New York for a higher quality fabric. But, of course, it is these types of hurdles that designers are constantly plagued with.

Lyndsey's cocktail dress at the February photoshoot.

If quality fabric is half the battle then fit is the other half. Lyndsey worked hard not only to ensure that her garments fit her models perfectly but also to ensure that the looks were cohesive on the runway. She made slight adjustments to her designs to accommodate the fact that her models are very different heights.

Fortunately for Lyndsey, she had the chance to see a fashion week in New York up close and personal. An internship with Fashion Wire Press and international photographer Ed Kavishe afforded her the opportunity to attend a fashion week, and it revived her love for this avenue of design.

Despite her glamorous choice for her runway collection, Lyndsey’s next step is more down to earth. After graduation she is off to San Diego to continue working with the nonprofit Hug It Forward—where she has been designing graphic T-shirts.

But before she leaves for greener work, she will see her gowns come down the runway on May 13.

Tickets are available at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Senior Graham Erwin was named the 2011 Oustanding Senior for the Illustration department.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. But sometimes, it’s hard to pick just one—as is the case in  Illustration. Today in part one of our 10-part series, we interviewed Senior Graham Erwin (CCAD 2011), who was named co-Outstanding Senior for the Illustration department along with classmate Phong Nguyen.

Q.) What has been your proudest achievement while at CCAD?
A.) Just a couple of weeks ago I received an email from French Paper Company asking me if I would like to have my screen print featured on their site. Having my work featured among many of my screen printing heroes was a huge honor, and one of the first signs that I have a chance making money off of my personal work. (Check it out here.)

Q.) What’s your ultimate dream job?
A.) Ideally, I want to be my own boss. I want people to respect me for my personal work and give me the benefit of the doubt that I’m going to create something awesome on my own. I found that while freelancing there will always be someone that thinks they know more about your profession than you do, even if they never spent a day in art school. I’m in the process of turning selling screen prints from a hobby into a solid part-time job, hopefully it will be full-time in the near future!

Q.) Why is it important to give back to CCAD?
A.)  I’m not a big fan of using people. I think every good relationship is mutual. Although there are ups and downs with any college experience, I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to go to college, and I owe it to CCAD to give something back.

Q.) What about CCAD will you miss the most?
A.) The forced creativity. The most valuable skill CCAD has given me is the ability to force myself to make something when I don’t want to. There were so many times when I was in the middle of a project and was just tortured by how much I hated what I was making. If I didn’t have that deadline, I would have just given up. It’s funny looking back now because those projects have always ended up being my best.

Q.) What word or phrase sums up the feeling of graduation?
A.) FINALLY.

Like his work? Buy a poster online through Graham’s Etsy shop. And to learn more about Graham—and to follow his success—subscribe to his blog.

2010 graduates and families outside The Ohio Theatre

In honor of the 233 students who will receive diplomas at CCAD’s 132^nd annual spring commencement, we’ll be counting down the days to commencement by publishing interviews with our 10 Outstanding Seniors and we’ll be announcing the class valedictorian(s).

And while we don’t know who is at the top of the class just yet (final grades are yet to be submitted), we do know who has been named the outstanding seniors for 2011. They are: Jordan Edwards, Advertising & Graphic Design; Chelsea Mummert, Animation; Carolyn Martin, Fashion Design; Kenneth Aschliman, Fine Arts; Graham Erwin, Illustration; Phong Nguyen, Illustration; Ryan Slicer, Industrial Design; Justin Highlander, Interior Design; Taehee Lee, Media Studies; and Sean Blanton, Photography.

Also coming along for the commencement ride is alumnus Mike Altman (CCAD 2000), who will deliver the commencement address. Altman worked as a technical director in modeling and articulation on Pixar’s Academy Award winning Toy Story 3 and was also responsible for modeling and articulating all the 3D characters for Day & Night, the short at the beginning of the film, which was also nominated for an Academy Award. Learn more in our blog, Alumnus, Pixar Animator Slated to Deliver Commencement Address.

Check back Monday, May 2 as we introduce you to Illustration senior Graham Erwin. We’ll publish one a day (on school days) through Friday, May 13.

Kristin Anderson

“Geoffrey Beene inspired my collection because I loved his use of polka dots and geometry,” stated CCAD fashion designer Kristin Anderson, when asked which Master Designer influenced her collection. “He used clean lines and didn’t conform to trends, and I like that about him.”

Geoffrey Beene is a premier American designer who rose to prominence in the mid 1960s. Some of his hallmarks include fluid designs, sparse use of color, polka dots and use of geometric shapes (which suggest some op-art influence). He is also noted for creating designs that were more sensual then sexy.

Beene’s Fashion Center Walk of Fame (in NYC) plaque reads: “A designer’s designer, Geoffrey Beene is one of the most artistic and individual of fashion’s creators. He is known for his surgically clean cutting and his fluid use of materials. His designs display a sensuous appreciation of the body and always permit movement. Beene blends masterful construction techniques with seemingly disparate elements, such as whimsically patterned fabrics. The end results are spirited garments, like his famous sequined football jersey evening gown.”

Geoffrey Beene designs

Kristin paid homage to Beene, in one look, with a black-and-white, polka-dot fabric as a dominant feature. Her second runway look also incorporates the polka-a-dot fabric with a bow accessory that threads the looks together.

While her black-and-white dress has a clear reference to Beene, the silhouette is softer and more feminine—a reflection of Kristin’s design aesthetic. The other dress has clean lines, but the dominant color is a bright coral, which was a very purposeful choice by the designer, who had her mind set on a specific coral color for the dress. Another nod to Kristin’s voice is a bow element that is used on each of her four looks.

While developing her collection Kristin was surprised by how much her collection’s direction could change from sketch to final garment. She admits that early on she struggled with the patterns for her looks, but she wasn’t’ shy about asking for help—and she got it. With input from instructors and even classmates, she was able to master the patternmaking and create her vision. She is particularly proud of the black-and-white, polka-dot dress which she said turned out exactly how she wanted.

“Starting with a sketch and turning that thought into a finished illustration, then a paper pattern, and finally a finished garment, is my proudest achievement while at CCAD,” said Kristin. “I have come a long way.

Beene's famous football jersey dress

Now, as she looks forward to the runway show and graduation, she can contemplate future opportunities. She is keeping her mind open, but is especially interested in designing wedding gowns or evening wear.

There are still a chance to see Kristin’s designs. Get tickets at www.ccad.edu/fashion

Mike Altman will deliver the commencement address to the class of 2011 on May 14.

Media Studies alumnus Mike Altman (CCAD 2000) has made us proud. In addition to working as a technical director in modeling and articulation on Pixar’s Academy Award winning Toy Story 3, he was also responsible for modeling and articulating all the 3D characters for Day & Night, the short at the beginning of the film, which was also nominated for an Academy Award. For these accomplishments, Altman was asked to come back to Columbus to deliver the commencement speech to the Class of 2011—a task he says he’s honored to do.

“It is hard to describe what an honor it is to be called back to speak with the students on their own commencement day,” Altman said. “My career achievements have been very hard-won, and I think the faculty at CCAD had a big hand in preparing me for the battle.  It’s neat to have them still following up with me, seeing how my career is progressing, still involved and engaged after all these years.  It is a testament to how close-knit a community we are at CCAD.”

“I remember graduation day very vividly—my name being called, walking onto the stage to shake President Griffith’s hand,” he continued. “I remember faculty literally cheering me on as my name was called to receive my diploma.  I was so excited to graduate, yet a little anxious about what would come next.”

“Now that the tables are turned, and I am on the commencement speaker side, all of those questions I had about my future have been answered.  I achieved what my goals were. I’ve found out ‘what happened’ in my story, and, in a way, I’m coming back to CCAD to reassure the students to continue to work hard, so they will get to achieve their goals too.”

Day & Night is an animated short film shown in theaters before the feature film Toy Story 3. Starring the keepers of daylight and darkness, it was described by the New York Times as “…a charming little movie about two characters, opposites in temperament and outlook, hostile at the start, who gradually learn not only to find delight in each other, but also to appreciate how much they have in common. This film is whimsical, inventive, crammed with visual virtuosity, and six minutes long.”

Altman works at Pixar Animation Studios, where he is currently doing character concept modeling for a feature film to be released the summer of 2013. He recently finished sets modeling work on Cars 2, which will open this June.

In addition to his BFA from CCAD, Altman holds an MFA from The Ohio State University. He previously worked as a 3D concept artist at LAIKA Entertainment in Portland, Oregon, and on the animated feature film The Ant Bully at DNA Productions in Dallas, Texas.

Learn more about Altman on his website. Click here to go behind-the-scenes of Day & Night.

And if you’re a graduating senior—or just want to cheer them on as they take their last steps as students and their first steps as alumni—check out our events page for more information.

Female Focus on WBNS

WBNS’s Female Focus segment, hosted by Andrea Cambern was all about CCAD’s 2011 Senior Fashion Show, Wednesday, April 27th. Featuring Fashion Design Instructor Richard Hurley and senior Sung Kim the show shined a spotlight on CCAD’s Fashion Design Program program, the May 13 event, and the enormous talent of CCAD students.

Check it out at on 10TV’s website.

There are still a handful of tickets avialable at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Lauren LeCastre does a quick sequins sewing demonstration.

When Lauren LeCastre’s looks walk down the runway May 13, it won’t be her first fashion show. The fashion design senior has been making clothes for quite a while and did work for a fashion show while still in high school.

With four years of intense college course work under her belt, it’s fair to say that Lauren has upped her game since that high school show. This is reflected not only in her collection but in her choice of Masters of Design influence—the iconic Diane Von Furstenberg.

Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF), is particularly noted for her timeless wrap dress. First introduced in the ’70s this look became a staple in many modern women’s wardrobes. The look was reintroduced in the’90s after DVF returned from a hiatus from fashion, and it was just as popular the second time around.

As Lauren worked on her final collection, she was very mindful of the delicate balance between imitating a muse and staying true to her own voice. Lauren chose not to use the easily identifiable wrap dress silhouette and instead looked to more subtle ways to draw on DVF for inspiration.

Lauren was still sewing in sequins when she met with Tim Maurer to talk makeup.

Another design hallmark attributed to DVF is graphic floral prints. Lauren has used these to great effect in her runways looks. Not only did Lauren use bold floral prints in bright modern colors, but she embellished the fabric with hand-sewn details—emphasizing the print with beading and sequins.

“I think I’m the sequins queen in the our class,” she shared with a smile, while pulling out two well-organized containers, one with tiny compartments filled with different colored sequins and another with tiny boxes of seed beads.

With all of the hand detailing, Lauren ran into a challenge that many young designers can relate to—time management. It is easy, when caught up in the excitement of developing a concept, to underestimate the amount of time it will actually take to realize that concept. Lauren found that, in addition to everything else a graduating senior has to do, she had to develop strong planning skills so that she could complete all of the tasks she had set for herself.

DVF's iconic wrap dress.

One quality that Lauren admires in Diane Von Furstenberg is the designer’s high-quality ready-to-wear line. Lauren easily sees her designs reaching a similar audience—for example a working mother could wear her looks to a fun evening out.

Like DVF, Lauren leaned toward simple silhouettes, but, in keeping with her own aesthetic, she kept her looks modern with her color choices and a higher hemline.

The result is a fun, youthful collection with the kind of hand-sewing and attention to detail that takes a look from great to wow.

Tickets are available at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Janell Clemente

Janell Clemente chose Alexander McQueen as her Masters of Design muse because, as she put it, “he created beautifully.”

As a designer Janell embraces the meticulous details, a trait she shares with McQueen who was known as an extravagant designer. New York Magazine writes the following about him: “The label is known for its dramatic, gorgeously constructed pieces, combining elements of British tailoring with French couture. Signature looks included billowy dresses cut in hourglass silhouettes, frock coats paired with skinny pants, sharp, angular suiting, and darkly romantic gowns covered in intricate embroidery and lace.”

It is the last description, the darkly romantic gowns, which Janell chose to reference as she developed the two full-length, evening-wear looks that will come down the runway May 13.

Janell and one of her models at the catalog photoshoot.

One look has a more obvious connection to her Masters of Design muse. The dress incorporates carefully applied lace appliqué and a waterfall of hand sewn ruffles. The other look is more restrained—a testament to Janell’s appreciation of simple elegance. The sleek, fitted gray dress has long sleeves, an exposed back, and subtle detailing. The beauty of the garment is dependent in its careful construction, fit, and the elegant knit fabric—and the end result is stunning.

An enormous amount of handwork went into Janell’s gowns, and each came with its own set of challenges and adjustments.

She used interlocked knit wool for the gray dress because of the way the knit draped and gently hugged the body. While the effect is elegant the stretch inherent in the knit was a construction challenge. She ended making the pattern a size smaller and used interfacing to provide support and reinforce buttons and button holes.

Alexander McQueen couture

The dress with the lace appliqué underwent design changes as she dived into construction. Originally conceived with more appliqué and a train, she modified her design after she began construction and realized that the train wouldn’t be practical on the runway.

Quality and the final outcome have always been paramount in Janell’s mind as she created her collection. She came to CCAD as a transfer student from California. A few years in a nursing degree, she was exploring pre-med when a friend suggested she consider fashion design. She took some fashion design classes, fell in love, and applied to CCAD.  She entered the college expecting to finish her undergraduate degree in two years. As she tackled the course work she chose extend her education one more year to ensure she could dedicate the time and energy to produce a collection that at the caliber that she knew she was capable of—and as the runway show and graduation nears, she is proud of the outcome.

Before heading back to California to explore opportunities in upscale bridal companies, she will present her garments at the 2011 senior fashion show on May 13.

A handful of tickets are still available online at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

A portfolio review at Directions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

David Merz

By David Merz III, Advertising and Graphic Design Senior and President of the Class of 2011

When I came to CCAD, someone gave a gift to the college that the college then passed along to me in the form of a scholarship. That single financial donation has given me the opportunity to pursue my passion and hone my craft. It has allowed me to work alongside some of the most talented people around and to have those same people turn from classmates to friends. And now that I’m a senior on the brink of graduation (aahhh!), it’s giving me the opportunity to make the same reality possible for someone else.

The idea to leave a Senior Class Gift to the college was pretty simple. The idea to raise money together as the Class of 2011 and donate it to the school’s scholarship fund was even easier.

After all, the point isn’t the amount of money we raise (though raising a lot won’t hurt anyone); it’s the act of doing something together as a class to better the future of the college we all love.

The truth, though, is that we students are broke, and that makes asking for money tough. But we would all be far more broke and have thousands more to pay back (with interest!) if it weren’t for the scholarships we received. So we’re starting small, asking for a dollar here and another there, hoping it will add up to make enough of a difference. And during all the fundraising events we get to hang out together in our final days as CCAD students, which makes the money out of our pockets totally worth it.

This is a small tradition that we’re starting, and we hope the classes of 2012 and thereafter can take and improve this initiative, so the tradition get stronger and better. But my senior class, the Class of 2011, can take pride in being the founders of it all.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Want to add to the scholarship money the Class of 2011 is raising? Visit www.ccad.edu/donate or call Development and Alumni Relations Coordinator Stephanie Stover at 614.222.6188 to make a donation today.

Lillie Templeton presenting at the Fall 2010 Honors Symposium.

CCAD’s Honors Program gives high-achieving students the chance to shape and expand their CCAD education—and not just in the classroom. “Several years ago a faculty and staff committee met to consider an Honors Program,” said Provost Anedith Nash. “Discussion turned on whether to do a more conventional liberal arts honors program or to fully integrate all of our educational experiences. The decision to offer Honors as part of the whole CCAD experience was important. Even more important was encouraging the Honors participants to be the creators of the program.”

When the program opened in 2009, participating students created an Honors Student Council, which took the lead in researching honors programs nationwide. “We’re one of the few art and design schools to offer an Honors program—and we are certainly pioneering by offering both seminars and studio courses in Honors,” said sophomore Lillie Templeton, the current Council president.

Templeton and fellow Council members Jennifer Chema, Dayna Smith, and Austin McClellan have worked alongside CCAD faculty and staff to launch the program, hold CCAD’s first two annual Honors Symposiums, and formulate plans for the program’s next steps.

Jennifer Chema presenting at the Fall 2010 Honors Symposium.

Jennifer Chema (JC): The Honors Symposium is a great way of saying to family members, potential employers, or community members that here is something more from CCAD.

Dayna Smith (DS): We’ve been working very closely with Career Services, and we’re hoping at some point we can get prospective employers to come to the symposium and look at it as a highlight reel for the school. It will get students to want to join and show them that this is something more than just a bunch of geeks wanting to do more work.

Austin McClellan (AM): We definitely do not want to claim that we are the best designers at this school. We just say that we are much more excited about working on projects that encompass the all-around.

DS: Right. [Honors] expands how we think outside the aesthetic. …It’s something we think about—a lot. I think the best thing about Honors is that we can trust each other, and we’re not just going to say, “Oh, that looks pretty!” We’re going to give each other really good feedback.

AM: I ask people to talk to me about my work in [Honors] class. That way, I can get a much broader spectrum because there is someone from a different major offering their advice.

DS: You learn to not only listen to these ideas but to take them in and let them change you. When you’re in a room with people who have different ideas, you grow better. I think the difference is that [our regular] classes teach us how to produce, but Honors teaches us how to…

Lillie Templeton (LT): Control it.

DS: Well, get through it. Think. It isn’t so much the product as it is how you got to the product.

AM: The process.

LT: It’s about how you think through things. We’re not geniuses; it’s not about our final work being better than someone else’s. It’s all about offering these resources to help students think through something differently.

Dayna Smith presenting at the Fall 2010 Honors Symposium.

DS: I think the people in Honors usually consider it more fun. We get to do more things, have bigger ideas. You don’t get told what to do; you pursue something that really interests you. When you do that, you’re not really doing homework anymore. And you start to learn how to apply that to everything else.

JC: I would like to say that working with our [Honors faculty] mentors is really helpful because I am one of those people who likes to work one-on-one with people.

DS: I only saw my mentor three times the whole semester, but every time I went in there he completely changed my whole thought process. And at that moment, I know my whole mind has just gone crazy and I have to write down everything. I’ll fill up half a sketchbook with writing and half with drawing and find out what works. He’s so busy, but he finds the time to work with me, which is great.

LT: And that’s a really nice thing the Honors program can offer. A lot of students will look at it and say “I’m going into this field, and you don’t offer seminars specific to that field.” Well, that’s because that’s what your major offers, and we’re trying to offer you something a little bit different, something that you won’t get elsewhere. The other nice part is that the teacher/student relationship that we offer with the mentoring is not limited too within your major. Even though I am an Ad/Graph major, I can go to an Illustration faculty member. I can go to someone in ID and say, “I’m an Honors student, would you be interested in mentoring me?” And they could say no, but…

DS: …They almost always say yes. Teachers like kids that are crazy.

Austin McClellan presenting at the Fall 2010 Honors Symposium.

AM: I like that you can also go out and find a mentor that isn’t a faculty member. I often [work with] a faculty member at Kentucky University; she’s in child development, and she helps with transferring ideas to a child, getting a child to relate to what I’m trying to communicate.

DS: I work with members of the children’s department at [the] Mayo [Clinic] who specialize in psychiatric health, and they let me in on the way the kids see agoraphobia. They’ll tell me something, and I’ll say, “Really? I never thought of it like that.”

JC: And it’s also nice that our mentors are like, “Take a breath, breathe.” They help so much at refocusing your energy and very gently saying, “Do this.” [Because] you’re not doing such time-constrained projects, it’s nice to have someone there to be gentle, and I just can’t thank my mentor enough. I don’t feel overwhelmed anymore.

Quintessa Goodley

Quintessa Goodley chose a designer with whom she already had strong affinity.

“I was inspired by Emanual Ungaro’s wide range of beautifully constructed, feminine garments that show rich color and texture,” she explained. “I chose him because our styles are similar.”

Ungaro, who retired and sold his brand in 2005, was especially popular in the ’80s and ’90s  and was noted for bold colors and patterns as well as draping silhouettes that hugged the body.

Cathy Horyn, a fashion critic for the New York Times wrote in an August 20, 2010 article: “Men loved a woman in an Ungaro dress, it was said, because the style and the vibrant colors made them imagine what she had on underneath — in a way that an Armani pantsuit did not …”

While Quintessa was drawn to the bright colors, textures, and femininity that are hallmarks of an Ungaro design, she chose to keep her silhouettes more simple than her muse might. She wanted the prints to really stand out.

The Ungaro label.

The runway look that Quintessa created with the boldest print also has Ungaro’s draping feminine touch thanks to a luxurious silk blend that Quintessa picked out. But that silk also proved to be a challenge. Sewing the slick fabric was delicate, but lining it was particularly difficult.

“It was a learning experience,” she said. “But now I know what to do when I work with fabric like that again.”

She used a silk blend on her second look as well, but this one is thicker and double sided. The skirt of the dress is not lined and it is cut short in front and longer in black to show off both the double-sided nature of the fabric and the wearer’s legs. Quintessa did, however, line the top and had to be very agile while piecing the bodice and the skirt so they would appear seamless.

In the end Quintessa is proud that she was able to focus in on an idea, learn all of the different techniques required to construct and realize that idea, and finally see her full collection come to fruition—and throughout she enjoyed the journey.

Detail of illustratino and fabric swatches.

“I love sketching because it allows you to be creative and express yourself,” she shared. “And the construction process brings the sketch and the expression to life.”

Quintessa has journeyed from the challenges and transitions of freshman year through her major classes to completing her final project.

Her creative expression is now a collection and two pieces from that collection will come down the runway on May 13.

There are still some tickets available at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Joscelyn Wiggs

When asked to describe herself as a designer, Joscelyn Wiggs makes a few interesting observations. She describes her style as quirky and says, “I love anything that I can build or tear apart with my own hands. I think three dimensionally.”

What better muse for such a designer than Christian Lacroix, a man known for overlapping multiple prints, and creating the fantastical “pouf” skirt when he launched his couture line in the mid ’80s—a designer whose aesthetic New York Magazine describes as “unapologetically dramatic.”

Joscelyn taps into Lacroix’s style by mixing bold patterns and creating looks with definite volume—even including a pouf skirt on one runway piece. She modernizes the looks and brings in her own voice through her color choices and favoring a corseted look in the bodice.

Screenshot of Christian Lacroix designs

One challenge Joscelyn discovered while developing her collection was committing to a design and fabric. Between creating the illustration and fitting the model she was often re-evaluating and making changes.

“I’d find a fabric that I loved, but then when I worked with it I didn’t like it with the design. I’d have to start over,” she described.

While being adaptable can be a good quality, Joscelyn had to learn to balance the desire to change a garment with the need to finish it.

The piece that Joscelyn is most proud of is one that actually needed little adjustment from start to finish.

“A lot of ideas don’t come out the way you envision them or look the way you think they will look,” said Joscelyn. “But this one did.”

It’s a good thing too, since this garment (which will be on the runway May 13) had an enormous amount of hand sewing. It includes a petticoat covered by a circle skirt that is then detailed with dozens of hand-sewn, three dimensional flowers. Each flower is different from its neighbor and incorporates different patterns and fabrics. Despite the fact that each flower is different, they all come together in one cohesive look.

Detail of Joscelyn Wiggs' flowers

One thing Joscelyn could count on during this challenge was her skill at sewing—a skill she’s been developing since she was old enough to hold a needle. Between 4-H, working in a factory, and working as a seamstress to earn money while in school, she’s gained plenty of experience.

Joscelyn is already in demand in a rather niche business. She’s been tailoring fire, bomb-squad, and chemical spill uniforms for women. The uniforms are not necessarily made with a women’s shape in mind, but it is important for the uniform to fit correctly, that’s where Joscelyn comes in.

Despite all of her experience sewing, Joscelyn still found there were things to learn in CCAD’s sewing labs—new techniques and skills, which keep the skill fresh and interesting.

Joscelyn’s designs will make a dramatic entrance and come down the catwalk Friday, May 13, at Masters of Design the 2011 Senior Fashion Show.

C. Todd Jones, Grand Award winner Ken Aschliman, parents Kathy and Dave Aschliman.

In an exciting follow-up to an already exciting story, Fine Arts Senior Ken Aschliman (CCAD 2011) was awarded the Association of Independent Colleges & Universities of Ohio (AICUO) Excellence in Visual Art Grand Award. To recognize his talent, the AICUO purchased a work of art from Aschliman and awarded him $2,500.

Held at Ohio Wesleyan University on April 13, the reception honored senior students from independent colleges throughout Ohio who were deemed finalists in the competition by a panel of Ohio artists and members of the art community.

Aschliman was one of three CCAD seniors nominated for the award. Fine Arts senior Katherine Adkins (CCAD 2011) and Photography senior Pei Yin Chen (CCAD 2011) also competed for the award. You can read more about the students’ nomination here.

Prior to the reception and awards announcements, the student nominees participated in a panel discussion, discussing their inspirations, their academic experiences and their career aspirations.

AICUO was organized in 1969 to represent the interests of its members to Ohio’s lawmakers, regulators and citizens.  AICUO seeks to strengthen student financial aid programs and bring about a greater understanding of the impact and contributions of Ohio independent colleges and universities.  At the same time, AICUO works to promote the well-being of Ohio higher education as a whole, with special regard for the dual private/public nature of the responsibility to serve the educational, social, and cultural needs of the state and the nation.  For more information regarding AICUO, visit our website at www.aicuo.edu.

Aschliman was named the 2011 Outstanding Senior for the Fine Arts department and is a member of CCAD’s Student Government. Learn more about him on his website.

Brittany Matyas

Brittany Matyas’s Masters of Design muse Kenzo Takada has been retired for more than a decade, but the brand that bears his name has stayed true to the reputation that he fostered for himself.

“Kenzo launched in 1970 as the brainchild of Japanese-born Kenzo Takada. The look epitomizes ‘West meets East,’ merging fun prints with an ethnic vibe, flowers (the house’s signature), and textures to blend Kenzo’s natural Japanese influences with Parisian culture.”—New York Magazine

But while the brand’s fall 2011 collection clearly shows a penchant for long flowing looks, Brittany has chosen a more structured approach to her designs. She references Kenzo’s influence with pops of color and bold prints, combining multiple textures, and plenty of smaller details like little glass flower buttons.

screen shot of an ad for Kenzo

“I took from Kenzo his bold usage of colors and unique integration of prints,” explained Brittany. “He did lots of layering and separates too, which I am also doing for my collection.”

New York Magazine cites Kenzo’s original vision as “creating clothes for the woman or man who’s not afraid of color and prints, but still wants to look pulled together.” Brittany taps into that vision by creating a collection that combines silk, wool, cotton and leather. One rich-blue dress uses textured silk for the skirt, a wool gabardine for the bodice, and includes printed cotton detailing—the result is a pulled together look that has subtle changes in texture and detailing.

Brittany's fitted leather jacket

One of Brittany’s biggest challenges was constructing a fitted leather jacket, which is part of one of her runway looks. The leather is thin and supple and tears easily, which makes for a lovely finish but is difficult to sew. To add to the challenge, Brittany had only made a jacket once. But she practiced the sewing technique until she had it down and in the end executed a beautifully tailored jacket with lots of careful seaming and button details.

While Brittany’s collection is more structured, it is actually the draping technique (which Kenzo is also noted for) that she has come to love—but it was a love that came after a lot of labor.

fabric samples

“When I first took draping, it was a challenge,” she shared. “I was used to flat patterns, but I kept with it and by the second half of the year I loved it, and now it’s something I really enjoy doing.”

On May 13 two of Brittany’s looks will come down the runway while another is exhibited in the 132^nd Annual Student Exhibition—it will be the fourth year Brittany has had work included in the exhibition. On May 14 Brittany will join her brother (Brian Matyas class of 2007) in the ranks of CCAD alumni.

You can still get tickets to the May 13 runway show event, at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Stevie Smith

“I chose Issey Miyake because of his concept of using origami in his garments,” noted Stevie Smith when asked which Masters of Design inspired her collection. “This would give me the chance to further explore constructing garments that are not ready-to-wear.”

A quick look at the fall 2011 Issey Miyake collection quickly underscores Stevie’s statement.

Issey Miyake has long been known for creating feminine pieces that incorporate   architectural and geometrical elements. He is also known for his Pleats Please line, which he launched after developing a revolutionary technique for creating pleats. His process not only made pleating easier for manufacturers to produce but also made the final garment easier for the wearer to care for—thus making pleating more friendly to the ready-to-wear market.

Issey Miyake fall 2011 collection

It is Issey Miyake’s more high-end conceptual work that is reflected in Stevie’s collection. She incorporates geometric elements that nod to Miyake, but she has brought in a color pallet that she feels adds a sense of strength to her looks. She wants the woman wearing her designs to feel powerful even in a feminine fitted skirt.

While developing her collection, Stevie first had to figure out how to incorporate the Masters of Design theme without losing her voice.

“It broadened my horizons, and I had to step out of my comfort zone,” she said.

Stevie started with the body. Wanting to incorporate geometrical elements, she needed to consider where those elements would work on the body so as to still allow for an elegant fit and feel.

Stevie with one of her looks in the fashion design workroom

Once she established the points of the body where her more sculptural elements would be integrated, she could start building a pattern and plan for construction.

Stevie’s design approach requires careful attention to construction details, which is an aspect of design that she finds particularly satisfying.

“I like patternmaking because it’s like a puzzle and you have to piece it together,” she explains. “Without double checking and rechecking the pieces it will not work. It’s something I enjoy.”

Like her peers, Stevie also found that even after double checking, sometimes the best way to learn is to fail.

“The first fabric I chose stretched more than I expected it to,” she shared. “I had to learn to interface and stabilize it. I then redid the piece, using the interface technique to get it to work the way I wanted.”

Inspiration and illustrations

Using the interfacing and some heavy-weight tightly woven fabrics helped Stevie achieve the geometric shapes she was going for, and pops of deep color in the lining provide additional depth.

These elements are prevalent in Stevie’s runway looks, which she is particularly proud of because they are, as she intended, more couture than ready-to-wear.

These looks will join 48 others on the catwalk May 13, at CCAD’s Fashion Show event. As of this posting there were  still a few tickets left at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Student Government President David Merz leads the discussion.

What happens when you put 30 CCAD students in a room? Change.

Today CCAD Student Government hosted a spring semester student symposium, a moment for CCAD students to come together in a town hall format to express what is/isn’t working for them.

“The symposium offers students the formal opportunity to tell us the positive and negative things about CCAD,” said Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Dwayne Todd. “It helps us [the administration] identify issues that need to be addressed and those that have primary importance to students.”

So what was on the docket during today’s meeting? Safety and security, facilities, and printing. What wasn’t? Sustainability—yet every concern had a hint of it in there (these are some seriously eco-conscious students we have on our campus).

Want #1: Maintain safety on campus.
The plan: Since the beginning of the academic year, access to many on-campus buildings has only been available through the “swiping” of a valid CCAD ID card through magnetic card readers at select building entrances. By the end of the summer, virtually all buildings on campus will have “proximity card” readers, which will open a door simply by waiving a card over the reader.
The results: “I feel incredibly safe on campus,” said advertising & graphic design sophomore Lillie Templeton. “I don’t have to worry about anyone following me into the building, or anyone being in the building who shouldn’t be.”

Want #2: Reduce waste caused by to-go containers in dining hall.
The numbers: The student heading up the facilities committee said that, on average, 250 Styrofoam to-go containers are used ever day in the dining hall. (So what’s that mean big picture? More than 90,000 to-go containers are sent to the landfill each year courtesy of CCAD.)
The ideas: Promote the social experience of the dining hall by switching to a biodegradable to-go container that has to be purchased (say, $0.25). It will promote students actually sitting down to have a meal together and reduce the waste—which is pretty much the definition of a win-win.

Want #3: Free color printing.
The catch: “I’m afraid that a lot of people would abuse color printing if it were free,” said Student Government President David Merz. “People would print everything in color, which means a lot of paper would be wasted and ink would need to be changed more often.”
The ideas: Remove the change from the equation. Find some way of paying with the students’ ID card. The direct cost associated with printing will continue to promote responsible use of the on-campus printing equipment.

Other topics discussed included the possibility to have an on-campus composting option; having an all-you-can-eat versus a la carte dining hall (my favorite quote came from advertising & graphic design senior David Merz, “I personally love all you can eat”); adding more microwaves to campus; and the paperwork that goes along with internships.

“Keep in mind that making the changes you want to see is like turning a great big ship,” said faculty member Duncan Snyder. “Because you all have expressed the need, they’ll happen, but it takes time.”

Meet the members of CCAD’s Student Government here.

To see more pictures from the event, “like” us on Facebook.

Teresa Hummel

Today’s house of Dior remains a major player in the fashion industry, but it’s the brand’s namesake, Christian Dior, and the “new look” he launched just after World War II that inspires Teresa Hummel.

The classic look that included a cinched, corseted waist and voluminous skirts, which is so iconic of ’50s fashion, was introduced by Dior in 1947. After years of hardship and rationing, the world of fashion was hungry for something new, and Paris’s fashion industry had taken a hard hit. Dior brought the major shift that was needed to resuscitate the French fashion industry. Gone were the knee-length fitted skirts and dresses that had become the trend to accommodate fabric rationing. Dior’s voluminous skirts were long and decadent in their use of yardage, and, when combined with a cinched waist, brought back the hourglass looks of the Belle Époque.

Teresa’s looks easily nod to Dior’s “new look” but she adds some elements that are all her own.

Teresa's third look for the exhibition.

“I took some of Dior’s key looks and made them modern,” she explained. “I tried to incorporate the bustier, which Dior was known for. I also added hats to all of the dresses. My color palette is more modern and has a splash of color. I wanted to mix classic Dior with my modern style.”

For Teresa the real homage to Dior is in the details. When adding the corseting to the bodice of her runway dress, she took the boning out of the casing it came in and custom-sewed casing into the dress to create a smoother fit against the body.

The dress’s full skirt has kick pleats and is made of more than 14 panels, which combine gray Italian cashmere and a sheer floral print. For the kick pleat to open correctly when the model moves each panel must be precisely sewn. If one panel is off the whole effect is ruined. Adding to that pressure, Teresa could not afford to waste an inch of the costly cashmere.

Vintage Dior

Teresa took similar care with her suit look. The jacket’s tiny waist is exaggerated by the way the bottom flairs. She got this look not with boning, but by adding an interfacing of canvas with synthetic wiring between the lining and the wool flannel top cloth. She practiced several times with the interface, sewing it between muslin pieces until she was comfortable with the technique.

Despite all the time and details that have gone into her runways looks, it is the piece she is finishing now that Teresa is particularly proud of: A long, cream-colored evening gown with a jacquard print and sheer neck, which will be on display in the 132^nd Annual Student Exhibition, which opens the same night that Teresa’s other looks come down the runway—May 13.

You’ll need a ticket to see the runway show. If you already have your tickets, be sure to come early for the opening of the 132nd Annual Student Exhibition.

Tickets are still available at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Sarah Rowe

Laura Ashley is an unexpected Masters of Design choice for a designer who describes Rock & Roll/Punk style as some of her earliest fashion influences.

“I wanted to do something that was less obvious,” explained CCAD senior Sarah Rowe. “I wanted to push myself, and I felt that Laura Ashley was a totally untapped resource. She’s slightly looked over for being a little old-fashioned. I liked the challenge of reinventing her name into something young and bright.”

Ashley is almost as well known for her interior designs as her fashion work. She began her business at home making scarves, tea towels, table mats, aprons and the like. She designed the prints and her husband printed them on a machine he had created.

Laura Ashley showing swatches for her fabric designs.

The 19^th-century influence on her designs is easily seen in everything from her dresses to her wallpaper. High necks, full sleeves and ruffles are hallmarks of her fashion designs, and her soft floral prints are, perhaps, the most widely known look associated with the Laura Ashley name.

Sarah pulled in ruffles and pops of color in reference to Ashley, but she countered the sweetness of her looks with subtle, edgier elements—e.g. a little hint of midriff showing between cream denim pants and a ruffled summer top and a very mini dress over bicycle-style shorts.

Eschewing the obvious floral, Sarah instead brought in polka-dot prints—which Ashley only occasionally used. While Ashley’s looks seem to be either for someone more mature or very, very young, Sarah’s collection is more teen friendly.

Sarah did a lot of sketching and planning before building her collection.

“My collection is bright and youthful with a punch of sportswear in easy daytime designs,” she described. “The fabrics are light with pops of color and with simple closures for a girl on the go. The pieces look simple and are worn with ease but tiny details are what makes them so special.”

Sarah is proud of the construction on her garments, taking special care that the stitching on each piece was exact.

“I want my work to be that perfect,” she emphasized.

It wasn’t construction or technique that challenged Sarah, who has been sewing since she was a teen. For her, being able to stay focused on a few looks with one theme, one collection, for an entire year was the challenge. She noted that shorter assignments in other classes were helpful because they gave her a creative break.

Sarah is now making cloth purses to go with her looks.

Like many designers, Sarah also spent the year developing the ability to edit her own work. Some of her initial concepts were more complicated then they needed to be, but feedback from instructors helped her adjust and make changes that simplified her process.

Sarah spent the summer sketching ideas and by the time she started fall semester had a wealth of concepts to pull from. In the end it boils down to four meticulously constructed looks for her final collection, two of which will come down the runway on May 13.

Tickets to the event are available at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Jennifer Sands

As Jennifer Sands began to conceptualize her collection, she took a slightly different approach with her Masters of Design muse Katharine Hamnett.

“I chose to embrace her use of political themes in her work rather than replicate her specific looks,” Jennifer noted.

Jennifer doesn’t take a fine arts approach to fashion design, it might be fairer to say that the double major takes a fashion approach to fine arts.

As a fine artist Jennifer is drawn to fiber arts and surface design, so she added a Fashion Design major to her curriculum to gain a better mastery of working with fabrics and sewing.

Jennifer handmade rope from fair-trade yarns.

Her Fine Arts senior thesis exhibition (displayed in fall 2010) explored themes of consumerism and its influence on young girls. She created mixed-media pieces that also included jewelry and fiber arts. For her Fashion Design collection, she is exploring similar themes.

With one piece she developed ropes out of yarn into a top.

“The ropes are symbolic of being bound to a profession,” Jennifer explained. “People in sweatshops are bound to their work and don’t have professional choices.”

Another look is more high-end and incorporates metallics to represent the abundance that Americans enjoy.

In developing her collection she was less concerned with creating something that could be mass produced, and more concerned with creating wearable fiber arts pieces that conveyed a message.

In addition to approaching her work with a message, she chose materials that reflected her views. The yarns and wools she used for her rope and crocheted pieces are fair trade and hand dyed and spun. The use of fair-trade materials is parallel to Katharine Hamnett’s crusade to encourage more designers and manufacturers to use organic cotton and fair-trade practices.

Katharine Hamnett is known for her block letter Ts with political messages.

Hamnett has long used fashion to convey a political message. Most famously she launched popular block letter, oversized T-shirts with messages like “Peace” and “I Use a Condom.” The 1980s British pop duo Wham was seen wearing her CHOOSE LIFE shirts in their Wake Me Up Before You Go Go video (the reference was directed at the issues of drug abuse and suicide). Her popular style was also famously “borrowed” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood with their “Frankie Says …” T-shirts.

Jennifer’s choice in Masters of Design muse was a good mesh with her artistic voice, but she still had the challenge of creating a fashion collection—combining her fine arts point of view with a fashion design perspective to create something that is wearable.

Jennifer's collection illustrations.

“My collection is avant garde and conceptual. It is for someone that is not afraid to wear something a little crazy,” explained Jennifer.

On May 13 Jennifer will see her second thesis of the academic year come down the runway.

Following her runway show, Jennifer will continue her fine arts pursuits through an artist’s residency in Iceland http://www.nordanbal.is/en/hrisey/old-school-art-house-in-hry.html

Tickets to CCAD’s May 13 Fashion Show event can be purchased online at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

First place entry by Alejandro Bellizzi

Winners and finalists of the eighth annual Lowell Tolstedt Drawing Prize recently were announced after being presented for judging by visiting artist Nora Sturges.

The quality and variety of the final 23 entries were commended by Sturges, head of Towson University’s painting department.

Winners include Alejandro Bellizzi, a sophomore majoring in Fine Arts (first prize of $500 cash), Fine Arts junior Shawn McBride (second prize of $250 cash), and Amanda Thompson, a sophomore Illustration major (third prize, $100 CCAD Supply Store gift certificate).

Honorable mention awards were extended to Taylor Hawkins, a junior studying Fine Arts, and sophomore Illustration student Alex Rupert.

Other drawing prize finalists include seniors Jon Guinn, Nathan Moser, Brianne Schulze and Alexis Warnock; junior Jonathan Hodge; and sophomores Thomas Johnson, Alexander Klein, Katherine Langford, Alex Laniosz, Erik Probst, Alex Rupert, Hillary Sroufe, and Sarah Tanner.

An ad hoc committee of drawing faculty members and Gordon Lee, chair of Drawing and Printmaking in the Fine Arts division, narrowed all the submissions to 17 entries prior to final judging.

Tolstedt, Fine Arts professor emeritus, retired from CCAD after more than 35 years and serving as dean of the division of Fine Arts since 1981. He has work in a number of collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institute, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Evansville Museum of Art, and the Minnesota Museum of Art.

Marie Hutton

Sometimes you don’t know what you can do until someone encourages you to try. Marie Hutton didn’t intend to do all menswear for her collection. Her initial concept was one men’s look and three women’s looks. But at the urging of her instructors, she changed direction and tackled the challenge.

“I didn’t know anything about men’s wear,” admitted Marie. “I wasn’t as familiar with how to approach the fit, and women’s wear offers more choices for a designer.”

Fortunately, Ralph Lauren, a designer that has always inspired Marie, is also a perfect inspiration for creating a collection for men.

Today Ralph Lauren is practically synonymous with classic American sportswear. He began his career in the late ’60s designing ties and menswear. He launched women’s wear and his iconic Polo line in the early ’70s.

Screenshot from Ralph Lauren's homepage

Ralph Lauren was already a household name when Marie, as a small child, first showed an interest in fashion design.

“As a little girl I would set up a ‘design station’ in my basement and pretend I was a famous designer,” she shared. She always knew she wanted to be a fashion designer and she was just as focused when looking at colleges—CCAD was the only school she applied to.

Despite knowing that she wanted to go into fashion design from a young age, Marie did not know how to sew when she came to CCAD. But she learned, and she said that getting through her sophomore year, while challenging, left her with the realization: “This isn’t impossible. I can do it.”

A sheer textured shirt and a silk tweed are included in one of Marie's looks.

That attitude served her well as she learned to pattern and fit for men. And, it helped her as she chose to do a few particularly hard pieces, including a winter coat with a quilted lining and a sheer, textured dress shirt—the fabric of which was delicate and difficult to sew.

With her runway looks, Marie references two of Lauren’s more enduring signatures, the tweed jacket and preppy aesthetic. She brought her own touches, however, with unusual fabric choices. For example, she pairs the sheer textured dress shirt with a silk-tweed jacket, and a vest. The effect is subtle, but provides a nice juxtaposition of textures. For a blazer, she ignored tweed altogether and chose a blue corduroy.

While Marie found several creative ways to develop a collection that represented her voice while acknowledging her muse, it was her love of patternmaking that helped her overcome the challenge of menswear.

Two of Marie's looks being photographed.

“Without patternmaking I couldn’t have done it,” Marie declared.

Fortunately, patternmaking is Marie’s favorite part of the discipline of fashion design.

“I love problem solving and all of the technical aspects of fashion design,” she explained. “Pattermaking just relaxes me, and I love being able to see an idea become reality.”

The ‘reality’ walks down the runway on May 13 at the CCAD Fashion Show Event. Get tickets at www.ccad.edu/fashion.



Sung Kim

Hand-knitted pieces dominate Sung Kim’s Sonia Rykiel-inspired collection. It’s a fitting nod to the Master of Design muse who is known as the “Queen of Knits.”

One of Sung’s runway looks is a hand-knit dress, while the other includes a knitted top and machine-knit bottom. Her other two looks also have hand-knit features. For Sung, who has been knitting since she was 14 years old, the knit pieces were always part of her final collection plan.

“I wanted to do something that separated me from everyone else,” she explained.

Apparently hand making more than half of her textiles wasn’t quite enough of a challenge, because Sung also chose to make quilted leather, tote-style handbags to go with her looks.

Handmade, quilted, lambskin bag.

To make the two bags, she hand-quilted lambskin, then added custom zippers and handmade rivets and fringe. What made this challenge particularly attractive to Sung was its difficulty.

“When you quilt the leather and then sew the seams, and all the lines match up, it is a great feeling of satisfaction,” said Sung.

Sonia Rykiel built her design reputation on knits, and in particular sweaters. She began by designing sweaters that she wanted to wear while pregnant and grew from there. Sung’s knits reflect the color palette that Rykiel is known for, but the silhouettes and detailing are all Sung Kim. Sung worked in blends of alpaca and cotton, and acrylic and wool. She also combined yarns to create a chunkier texture, which can be seen at the necklines of her runway looks. Like Rykiel, Sung has created a collection that she wants to wear.

“It’s comfortable and soft. I followed my instincts and am really happy with the results,” she shared.

Careful planning

While building her collection, Sung was pleased to find that for the most part the concepts developed the way she expected.  She noted that one of her runway looks—of which she is especially proud—did not change from concept through construction. From the hand-knit top to the grey leather bag, it turned out exactly as planned. Sung noted, however, that there were times during the year when she needed to step back and edit to keep from over-designing.

She also said that critiques helped.

“You can’t help but be inspired by critiques,” Sung noted. “You are so close to your work for so long. Critiques help keep you from being too set in your ways.”

Screen shot from Sonia Rykiel's 2008 Paris show

Sung definitely does not like to rest on her laurels and sees the constantly changing canvas of fashion design as a good fit for her.

“I’ve always been a three-dimensional artist,” said Sung. “Growing up, I found expression through clothing fascinating and liberating. Also, I’ve always had a restless disposition, so I’m drawn to how fast fashion changes.”

Her “restless spirit” may have led her to tackle the challenge of accessory making, but despite her success with the leather bags, she says apparel is still her first love.

Her apparel and accessories will come down the runway May 13. If you don’t have your tickets yet, they are running out. Purchase online at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Ryan Richmond

Paul Poiret, Ryan Richmond’s Masters of Design muse, was a hugely influential early-20^th century Parisian designer. His looks are now icons of fashion history, so much so that a modern designer who looks to Poiret for inspiration must be careful not to inadvertently create a collection of period costumes.

Ryan has managed to create a collection that is modern, fun, wearable and, with a few carefully chosen elements, pays homage to Poiret without mimicking the master.

Poiret is credited with several design trends, but probably the most lasting is introducing the brassiere and moving style away from the corset—ironically he is also credited with creating the “hobble skirt,” which forced women to take itsy-bitsy steps. He is quoted saying: “I freed the bust, and I shackled the legs.”

Poiret is noted for lush fabrics, beading, bringing an oriental influence to European fashion, and for a theatrical and romantic aesthetic.

Masters of Design inspiration Paul Poiret.

While Ryan’s looks are contemporary, there is a hint of the roaring ’20s reflected in a fringed tunic top that is part of one of his runway looks. He uses velvets, laces, and beading in a rich color palette—all of which provides a mix of textures that nod to Poiret’s era.

“I looked at how he combined materials into a successful design, rather than interpreting silhouettes,” said Ryan about how he was inspired by Poiret.

Ryan was interested in Poiret’s approach to construction, which was more based on draping then tailoring—a dramatic shift in Poiret’s time and from Ryan’s own approach.

Ryan likes patternmaking. He likes the puzzle of getting all the pieces to work together. Ryan purposely chose a designer who worked off the form, however, and used both approaches in his work.

“To get something to drape well, you need to start with a flat pattern,” Ryan noted.

Illustrations

Patternmaking can be viewed as a planning stage of the design process, and planning is definitely a strength of Ryan’s. Knowing he had to create rich, expensive looks on a strict budget, Ryan was meticulous in his planning to ensure that he bought only what he absolutely needed and that he did not waste precious yardage. One of his favorite fabric finds is an embroidered tulle that he ran across at Virginia Marti Fabrics in Cleveland.

But even with careful planning there are still surprises. As Ryan built his collection, he was playing with a look that strongly referenced a look that Poiret had done. He tested the piece with a denser (less expensive) fabric than was planned for the final construction. As he reviewed his test garment he was concerned about how the fabric was draping on the form (it had a bit of a diaper effect). Fortunately he took a chance and continued on. Once the piece was made with the lighter, final fabric, the look was completely different than the test run and more in line with Ryan’s original concept.

In the end he can be proud that he accomplished all of his design goals and stayed in budget. And, as his collection comes down the runway he can enjoy the show knowing he has already been asked to join the Abercrombie & Fitch team as a technical designer.

For the latest updates on CCAD’s fashion event, follow us on twitter. Get tickets online at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Makayla Cook

Rather than build her collection based on inspiration from her muse, Makayla Cook chose her muse based on inspiration from her collection. Makayla started her collection with an idea for a dress, or more precisely a silhouette that she had had in her mind’s-eye (and in her sketchbook) for a while.

As she began sketching out her ideas, then exploring fabric options, she was able to relate to a designer, and began building from there.

Makayla is bringing a men’s look and a women’s look to the runway. And while the clean lines, wearablity, palette, and use of knits can easily be associated with Karan, they are also very much Makayla.

“I am inspired by clothing that is beautiful, but comfortable,” shared Makayla. “My collection is knitwear inspired by elegance and comfort.”

One of Makayla's looks being photographed.

Makayla also likes layering clothes, and appreciates the final look that can come with layering items that do not have an obvious connection.

“I love layers and things that you don’t think go together but then you put them together and they work.”

While working on the original dress that inspired her collection; she noticed, on the dress form next to her, a men’s jacket she had made earlier. Inspired, she pulled the jacket off the form and placed it over her dress. The end result is a long sleek knitwear dress topped by a men’s inspired, belted jacket. It is unique and urban.

“It’s an indie way of dressing up,” explains Makayla.

Another design element Makayla likes to play with is the use of line to accentuate the body. She adds extra seams to create a line effect that adds another texture of design. The use of lines ties back to Makayla’s approach to drawing and fine art. She has always seen and drawn in lines rather than the light and dark shadowing that other artists employ. Coming to CCAD meant she had to learn to see the shading and colors that were necessary in her painting and color concept classes. But she still loves clean lines and brings them back in her fashion work.

Screenshot of DK website showing sp 2011 "Casual Luxe" collection.

While making her collection, Makayla did not follow the design process in the same step by step manner as some of her peers, but her path to CCAD was a little more straight forward. A Columbus native, Makayla went to the Northeast Career Center during high school with a focus on fashion—but they focused more on the business side then the design side. She was encouraged by CCAD faculty member Ron Anderson to take some classes in the college’s Saturday Morning Art Classes and to consider getting her BFA from CCAD.

Four years later, she is ready to graduate. But first she will see her collection walk down the runway on May 13.

Get your tickets now before they run out  www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Irina Burdak

Irina Burdak designed a collection for a young urban, chic woman. Mary Quant, Irina’s Master of Design muse, started her fashion career doing the same thing.

For anyone not familiar with Mary Quant all you need to do is think 1960s, mod, and miniskirt. She began her career at the age of 21 when she opened her own boutique with a particular client in mind: the Chelsea Set. The girls (close in age to Quant) of Chelsea, London, which was the pop-culture hub of 1960s London. The only problem was, as she set out to buy merchandise for her store, she found the kinds of clothes she wanted were not available. So, working from home, she began to create a look for the Chelsea girl.

Her approach was based on simple shapes and bold fashion statements. The looks took off and soon Americans were clamoring for the “London look,” which by 1965 included the miniskirt.

Mary Quant and the mod mini.

One of Irina’s looks certainly nods to the mod look, and Mary Quant would approve of the young fresh color palette Irina uses. But, her pieces are not period costumes for another Austin Powers flick. The Quant influence is there, but these looks are for today’s twenty-something client.

“My collection is for a woman in her mid to late ’20s,” notes Irina. “She’s a successful business woman, she’s very classy and chic, and she lives in the city.”

One look could easily go from office to happy hour, while another suggests the urban woman on a Saturday.

Irina brought a modern feel to her garments both in her silhouette and fabric choices, mixing some metallic fabrics with the corals and creams.

Irina used some metallic fabric for a more modern look.

While the clean lines and easy fit of her garments suggest Irina’s skill at construction, she says she enjoys each step of the design process, from concept through construction.

“There’s a great feeling when the patterns are done, and you pick your fabric, and then start to construct,” she explains, obviously relishing the journey.

While Irina now embraces patternmaking and construction, she didn’t’ come to CCAD knowing how to sew. She didn’t come to CCAD expecting to be a Fashion Design major.

A Columbus native since she was 11-years old (when her family moved to Ohio from the Ukraine), Irina started out at Columbus State Community College with an eye on a profession in medicine. With encouragement from a high school art instructor ( she had received a silver award medal from the Scholastic Arts Awards) she applied to CCAD. She came to CCAD thinking she would major in Fine Arts, but after attending a major selection session her sophomore year and visiting Fashion Design, she changed directions, again.

Illustrations & fabric swatches.

“I liked the idea of being able to construct my own clothing,” Irina said when asked why she wanted to study Fashion Design. And now she has a collection to send down the runway May 13.

Want to see the show? Go to www.ccad.edu/fashion to get your tickets.

More designer stories are coming. Follow us on twitter for blog updates and other fashion event news, join the conversation by adding #ccadfs.

Addie Cheges

Addie Cheges likes to take a fine arts approach to fashion design; a trait she shares with her Masters of Design muse Elsa Schiaparelli.

Schiaparelli opened her first shop in Paris in the mid 1920s and retired from fashion design in the mid 1950s. During her reign as a designer she earned a reputation for bringing the extraordinary and unusual to fashion.

Influenced by futurists, cubists, New York Dadaism, Parisian surrealists, and art deco, Schiaparelli was well known for collaborating with contemporary artists such as Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, and Christian Bérard. Some of her most famous looks came about through collaborations with Dali, including the lobster dress, the skeleton dress and the shoe hat.

Elsa Schiaparelli's Skeleton Dress

“Her collaborations with fine artists like Salvador Dali give humor and lightness to the often serious world of fashion,” Addie noted when explaining her choice of muse.

In creating her own looks, Addie nodded to Schiaparelli in several ways, including, designing clothes that, while avant-garde, are still easy to wear; mixing unusual fabrics; and using surface design techniques to customize her fabrics.

However, Addie’s looks are clearly for a 21^st century client.

“The shapes of the garments are a bit unusual, but still wearable,” explains Addie. “They are more like art pieces or special occasion pieces than every-day wear.”

Addie is, not surprisingly, drawn to the illustration and design process parts of creating a collection. But, she says that her four finished looks have evolved a lot since her original sketches.

“I get tired of things easily,” she admits. “I sometimes struggle staying on the same track.” But, Addie added that building this collection provided her with an opportunity to learn to stay focused on a garment (and a collection) and see it through to the end.

Detail image of Addie's leather vest.

The detailing in her finished pieces is a testament to the fact that she found her focus and put in the time and perseverance to see her looks through.

One piece that she is particularly proud of is a pair of devore fabric pants. She started with white satin, died it black, and then spent six painstaking hours on the devore, a burnout technique to create a patterned partially sheer fabric. Once the fabric was created she was able to use her pattern to cut and sew a pair of harem-style pants.

The delicate pants are paired with a leather vest. Though she had never worked in leather before, her end result is a well-tailored cropped vest with a weaving detail at the shoulders.

Elsa Schiaparelli's shoe hat.

For Addie, The looks are a culmination of a journey that started before she came to CCAD.

“When I was young, my mom would always make me dresses,” she said. “I started illustrating and making them on my own, and love it” (although she added that her first clients were her dolls).

It will be fun to see where she lands next.

There is still time to get fashion show tickets, but they are selling quickly. Buy online at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

The CCAD Spring Art Sale is Saturday, April 16 in the Loann Crane Center for Design.

Twice a year, the CCAD art sales are, in a word, successful: in three words, really, really successful. The 2010 Spring Art Sale brought 1,125 guests through the doors, raised more than $8,600 for scholarships, and meant more than $40,000 in earnings to our 100+ student and alumni vendors. Those are some big numbers.

So why do Columbus’s most enthusiastic art patrons come to these events year after year? Maybe it’s because the work of more than 100  artists, working in a wide range of media, is for sale in one place. Or maybe people come out by the hundreds to support the future education of CCAD students—and the success of those who have already graduated. We like to think it’s a little bit of both. We also believe it’s because the work created by our students, alumni, and faculty/staff is just that good.

Selling at the April 16 Art Sale is a huge cast of characters whose work goes well beyond the CCAD campus. We’ve got Fine Arts Senior Jerrica A. Fields (CCAD 2011) selling her jewelry designs at the Art Sale and at the Diamond Cellar’s 2011 Designer’s Gala. Works by Fine Arts professor Ernie Viveiros are available here as well as in New York, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Massachusetts to name a few. And Fine Arts alumna Chelstin Ross (CCAD 2009) will take a break from selling work at Columbus’s Gallery 831 and Voda Emporium to sell her abstract watercolor landscapes to art sale guests.

Admission is $5 for general admission (10:30 a.m.) or $50 for first choice (get in early at 9 a.m.). Admission is taken at the door.

For more information, visit the Art Sale event page.

Singing on the Great Day by Matthew Houston

Three CCAD students were announced as winners of the Forever Free Emancipation Poster contest, held in conjunction with an Abraham Lincoln exhibition at the State Library of Ohio.

First place was awarded to Matthew Houston, a junior majoring in Illustration, for his digital print Singing on the Great Day. A mixed media piece, Freedom Quilt, by Fine Arts senior Jerrica Fields claimed second place and Joshua Kingsbury, a freshman studying Animation, placed third with his New Day digital print entry.

CCAD students were invited to submit posters that would visually communicate emancipation to a slave in 1863 unable to read. The contest was held in conjunction with the Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to Emancipation exhibit at the State Library of Ohio from March 7 through April 15, 2011. The winning entries were announced at the exhibit’s recent opening program and reception.

Houston’s poster will be on display at Hammond Harkin Galleries in Bexley for a short time following the conclusion of the exhibition. All three artists will have their posters on permanent display at the State Library of Ohio and received gift cards to Utrecht Art Supplies.

“Matthew, Jerrica, and Joshua each expressed visions of survival and hope in their work,” said Marsha McDevitt-Stredney, director of marketing & communications at the state library. “The students researched slavery, the Civil War, and the Emancipation Proclamation. Their work clearly communicates an understanding of the objective of the contest and compassion for those that suffered during that oppressive time in our history.”

Read the full press release announcing the contest winners.

Jordan Jones

Jordan Jones is not afraid of a challenge.

“Challenges are good,” he notes, “because you learn by doing. Hard work pays off.”

He certainly didn’t back down from a challenge when he chose to do two couture gowns inspired by the iconic Givenchy.

Givenchy is perhaps best known for creating many of the designs worn by Audrey Hepburn in her movies—including Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. He was also patronized by other high-profile clients, including Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—women well known for having impeccable taste in fashion.

“Fashion isn’t just about creating clothes, but creating a look, a style, and telling a story,” says Jordan, who particularly appreciates couture and the idea of creating a one-of-a-kind look for one person. “Couture deals with a lot of hands-on sewing. It takes a lot of time for just one garment to be made. To me fashion is all about individuality and couture is just that.”

While Jordan’s collection references the clean lines and sheer elegance one associates with his Masters of Design muse, there are edgier touches that are all his.

Jordan hand painted & layered silk organza and charmeuse

One gown, which very subtly references the gown made famous by Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, features layers of hand-painted fabric. Jordan used multiple layers of silk organza and charmeuse, which are difficult to sew but take paint better than synthetic fabrics. Jordan’s vision uses the layering of the delicate fabric and surface design to give an almost 3D painterly effect to the gown.

“Fashion,” he notes, “gives the creative drive to be expressive in a way that can be worn.”

While Jordan has certainly brought creativity and drive to his designs, he has embraced every aspect of fashion design both technical and imaginative. He notes patternmaking as a skill that was a particularly challenging accomplishment, and one that has served him well. Jordon is currently working as in intern at Abercrombie & Fitch, where he is getting more hands-on experience in technical design.

Jordan came to CCAD ready to study fashion.

“It’s not that I wanted to study fashion,” Jordan explains. “I had to study fashion.”

This Givenchy gown was worn by Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina

He was attracted to CCAD’s reputation, but he also was inspired when he came to visit the college and heard alumna Nancy Binger (CCAD 1986) speak. As she describe the work she was doing (at the time with Limited Brands) he realized it was possible to find work in the fashion industry.

Though he admits that he knew little, as a freshman, about the work that goes into creating a collection; he has been a very willing student. He credits his instructors, in particular Richard Hurley, for being such a huge part of his learning experience. Jordan also looked at every critique (whether from peers, instructors, or the jury panel for the show) as an opportunity to learn.

And the final result? Well, that can be seen on May 13 when his gowns come down the runway.

There is still time to get tickets to see Jordan’s collection along with 24 of his classmates, but they are selling out, buy online now at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

Chrissy Buskirk

The fact that Chrissy Buskirk finds inspiration from ’40s and ’50s era garments, films, and music is only one reason Claire McCardell is such a fitting Masters of Design muse for her.

MCardell, a popular designer in the ’40s and ’50s, is best known for American women’s sportswear and has been called the founder of American ready-to-wear fashion. Staying away from the tradition of looking to French designers for inspiration, she created clothes that were functional and flattered the female form without artificial understructures. Designing under the label Claire McCardell Clothes by Townley, she was one of the first American designers to have name recognition.

There is an interesting parallel between the two. McCardell was forced to design around the challenges of fabric rationing during WWII—an issue that only strengthened a design aesthetic that would lead her to be referred to as the creator of the “American look.” Chrissy has worked with a sort of self-imposed fabric rationing, as she began her collection with a singular goal—to use only recycled fabric. While this approach led to some of her greatest challenges, it also supported a larger philosophy that Chrissy embraces: that fashion can be good and good for the environment.

Chrissy's illustrations (right) show influence by Claire McCardell's designs (left)

“I want to make people aware that you can do good things with fashion without hurting the environment or taking advantage of cheap labor,” Chrissy explained.

While there’s a serious mission behind her work, the clothes themselves are playful and bright. Some of the separates, including a romper and puffy shorts, reference pieces McCardell introduced to American sportswear. The mix of patterns and colors speak both to Chrissy’s creative mind and her fabric recycling endeavor.

While Chrissy would not allow herself the luxury of going to a fabric store and simply choosing a new textile that would perfectly suit her needs, she did make a trip to Chicago to shop the ample number of vintage and thrift stores. She also perused ebay and bid on a ’70s-era bed sheet for her romper—a piece she is particularly proud of due to the technical difficulty involved in constructing it.

Claire McCardell Time Magazien cover (screen shot).

Chrissy’s journey with CCAD began young when the Sunbury, OH native enrolled in Saturday Morning Art Classes while still in middle school. Later, with encouragement from her AP art instructors, Chrissy applied to CCAD with her eye on Fashion Design.

As her educational journey comes to fruition, Chrissy already has plans for her next step. Staying true to her social-good philosophies, Chrissy will be joining a group from her church on a six-month trip to Birmingham, England where she will teach sewing to individuals looking to learn an income-earning trade.

Mea Adams

Mea Adams chose Betsey Johnson as her muse because: “Her designs are so fun and energetic. Every garment that comes down the runway has its own personality. I am always inspired by people who are never afraid to stand out.”

It’s a fitting description for a designer who ran with the likes of Andy Warhol, was married (for a minute) to a member of the Velvet Underground, and whose look is still wowing the runways. New York Magazine says it best in Johnson’s online bio:

“Decades later, she’s still producing frilly retro dresses and kooky-sexy separates. While countless brands describe themselves as “flirty” or “sassy,” Betsey exemplifies both.”

A screen shot from the Betsey Johnson website.

Mea (pronounced May and short for Meagan) has captured Johnson’s energy, whimsy and youthfulness with her collection. Like her muse, Mea was daring enough to mix colors and patterns that others may have shied away from. She also likes to layer fabrics, using the palettes and textures of two pieces to create one textile.

“What I really took from Betsey Johnson,” Mea explains, “was to show my outgoing and fun personality into each of my outfits. My collection is for anyone who loves to follow trends, but is not afraid to step out of the box.”

While her illustrations gave her a jumping off point, fabric choice has been a driving force for Mea in the design process.

“I’m the kind of person who changes my mind every two seconds,” Mea said with a smile. “I design as I go. I look for fabrics and let the material inform the direction I’m going.”

a sneak peak at a garment that shows Mea's use of layering fabrics.

This same willingness to explore and change, led Mea to fashion design. Though she knew she wanted to attend CCAD since she was in middle school, she did not know she wanted to study fashion design—in fact she had done mostly painting and did not know how to sew.

“Fashion design was an unexpected decision. I had always liked fashion and expressing myself through fashion, but hadn’t thought of making clothes,” said Mea. She went on to explain that she likes the hands on aspect of making things. She applied herself to learning to sew, drape, make patterns, and all of the other hands-on training that goes into becoming a fashion designer.

When it came time to do her collection, Mea embraced the challenge and even took on doing two rompers despite being advised against it. The seemingly simple one piece outfits are actually quite difficult, and if a designer gets one element wrong during construction the entire piece can be ruined.

Starting with a sketch.

But Mea stuck with it and is pleased with the end result.

“Don’t make something simple because you don’t have time or you think you can’t do something.” Mea advised.

She certainly didn’t go “simple” with her energetic looks.

The only question left is, will she do a cartwheel down the runway?

Find the answer May 13. Buy tickets at www.ccad.edu/fashion (prices go up March 15).

Diana Velika Banas

It is fitting, on many levels, that Diana Velika Banas chose Vivienne Westwood as her Masters of Design muse.

Let’s start with music. Diana references music, in particular old-school punk, as a major influence on her life and work—The Clash, the Ramones, X, Black Flag, the Germs … to name a few. The genre is clear in Diana’s designs and a direct nod to Westwood’s early years as THE forerunner in punk-rock fashion.

Westwood built her design aesthetic and career on bucking existing fashion trends. When she and boyfriend Malcom McLaren (perhaps best known for managing punk bands the Sex Pistols and New York Dolls) opened their store at 430 Kings Road in 1971 they were more interested in 50s’-inspired “Teddy Boy” fashions then the hippie-inspired looks that were the current trend. Within five years the store changed names and looks.

Ms. Vivienne Westwood

“In 1976 the Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen, managed by McLaren, went to number one and was refused air time by the BBC. The shop reopened as Seditionaires transforming the straps and zips of obscure sexual fetishism into fashion and inspiring a D.I.Y. aesthetic. The media called it ‘Punk Rock’.” (Excerpt from http://www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/w/the-story/kings-road]

The DIY aesthetic is something else Diana references often. “I’ve had a long history (from the age of five) of cutting ugly materials up and trying to piece them back together in a way I deemed more aesthetically pleasing,” she says.

She continues this trend of deconstruction and reconstruction in her current collection. The plaids used throughout her looks are actually constructed from several plaid garments purchased at thrift stores. She took apart several shirts, died them and pieced together the material to construct new textiles.

Painted vinyl

She also repurposes  material used in her faux leather pieces, where she took vinyl (the kind developed to be used outdoors) and painted it to give it a texture reminiscent of worn, aged leather (no animals were harmed in the making of Diana’s collection).

While Diana’s garments are clearly inspired by Vivienne Westwood, they are focused on a particular time in Westwood’s 40-year career and on one particular aesthetic of a designer whose looks are varied even from one 2011 red carpet event to another. This focus is one way in which the collection is true to Diana’s voice. Diana’s handmade textiles are another. They reflect her first year in college in Maryland where she studied fiber arts in addition to foundation classes. “There was a lot of developing the textiles,” explains Diana when talking about her decision to transfer to CCAD. “I wanted to learn how to make the clothes. I ended up with the best of both worlds.”

In the end Diana’s voice is best conveyed by the fact that she has created a collection that she wants to wear, rather than focusing on what could be mass produced—the epitome of DIY fashion.

After graduation Diana will spend the summer doing costume design for a repertory theater in California, a job she did last summer. She has an interest in costume design, and would love to do costuming for music acts, videos or TV—in particular she loves costuming modern characters and is fascinated by what clothing can do for a character and how it adds to the story.

Tickets to the show (which includes a pre-runway party and an after-runway party) are available at www.ccad.edu/fashion and if you get them before March 15 you get the advance purchase price.

Olivia VanScoyoc

Do a Google image search for Calvin Klein. You might notice that more than half the images don’t include clothes, or at least not outerwear. But the images that do show Klein’s impeccable sportswear, present a distinct sense of brand, and this brand is beautifully referenced by Olivia VanScoyoc who chose Calvin Klein as her Masters of Design muse.

“Calvin Klein’s early work served as the inspiration for my collection,” noted Olivia. “I appreciate his clean tailored lines and limited color palette. I also connect with the ease associated with American sportswear.”

An appreciation for clean lines is not surprising from a designer who included architecture among the list of things that inspire her.

screen shot from CK runway

Getting that clean, deceptively simple look, however, is anything but clean and simple.

Olivia came to CCAD with no sewing experience, so when she started learning to sew during her sophomore year, she describes it as a struggle at first.

“I broke needles got bobbins stuck in the machines. I couldn’t do a fly front when we first learned them. Now I do them all the time.”

She mastered the sewing, but discovered new hurdles as she worked on her collection.

“The jeans were a challenge,” she explained. “Getting the fit and the little details—rivets, pocket stitching, linings. The industry has machines to age jeans. I did it by hand with sandpaper, bleach, and washing.”

Olivia's menswear look at the Feb. 17 jurying.

Another unexpected hurdle involved fabrics. Olivia purchased a lot of fabric online and was surprised at how often she would be sent damaged merchandise or the wrong color.

Overcoming challenges is a natural part of the learning process. But Olivia found that some lessons, some discoveries, are a positive part of the creative process. She describes the evolution of her women’s wear garment, and how it changed multiple times as she worked from illustration to actual, wearable pieces. “Each step took me closer to what it should have been,” she said. This willingness to adapt and constantly re-evaluate her work, led her to pieces that are fitted and well finished.

While her looks clearly nod to the CK brand, she pulled her own voice in with finishes such as rib-knit cuffs and edgier zipper and rivet choices.

Olivia’s open engaging attitude was clear when she was asked to describe the most important thing she learned at CCAD: “Have integrity,” she wrote. “Listen to criticism and don’t disregard others’ interpretations of your work. Your greatest influences are the creative people you surround yourself with.”

As she finishes up her collection, she is getting ready for graduation—working on her portfolio, setting up interviews, and keeping her options open.

Carolyn Martin

Getting to the runway hasn’t been a point A to point B journey for Carolyn Martin. Actually, she started as pre-veterinary medicine major at The Ohio State University.

Fortunately Carolyn learned a lesson early that many of us come to later in life—find your passion.

“After many sleepless nights and countless hours with my face in a textbook and still no gratification, I decided to put all these efforts (plus a little sweat and blood) into something I was more passionate about,” explained Carolyn.

With some guidance from friends and family, she realized that what had always been a hobby for her, sewing, was also what inspired her.

She transferred majors within OSU, but was soon advised that if she really wanted to dive deep into the design facet of fashion design she needed to transfer to CCAD.

Chanel used refined touches like bias bindings and hand-sewn hems.

But even after starting at CCAD, her path took a turn. To help pay for her education, Carolyn joined the National Guard while still a senior in high school. In the final year of her six-year contract; Carolyn, a human resources sergeant, was transferred to another unit and deployed to Iraq—with two weeks’ notice.

“I went overseas with an aviation unit that flew Blackhawks, probably one of the best deals to score if you are going overseas,” Carolyn shared.

“I was so afraid I would lose my skills and come back feeling lost,” said Carolyn who was out for the entire year in 2009. But instead she came back even more focused, motivated, and with a clear image of what she wanted to accomplish at CCAD. Her collection reflects that tenacity.

Inspired by Coco Chanel, Carolyn has brought to her collection many of the refined, hand finishes that Chanel was so well known for—including quilted jacket linings, bias bindings, and hand-sewn hems. Her lines are clean and neither of her runway looks are dresses—another homage to a designer who crossed gender boundaries with fashion.

Marlene Dietrich modeling a masculine-styled pant suit designed by Coco Chanel, 1933. © AP/Wide World Photos.

While her inspiration is Chanel, Carolyn points out that “Your chosen designer is inspiring you, you are not to replicate or create their collection.”

Carolyn brings her own whimsical touch to her pieces including bold colors and trims. One unexpected favorite touch to her collection is a tassel trim she used.

“I was wary about how the tassels on the shorts would turn out,” Carolyn said. “I didn’t want them to look crafty. But I love how they look. They add a playfulness and touch of humor.”

While the extra touches are playful, Carolyn notes that she also sees a military influence in some of her choices. She also credits her time with the military for enhancing her attention to detail and perfection, a quality that was noted by the fashion show jury.

“I want my designs to be beautiful, not just from the runway, but even down to the linings, hems, button holes, etc. For example I fully lined the pants  because I wanted the interior to be just as well made as the outside—even though no one is going to see the lining from the runway or even know that it’s there, I will know and I will be satisfied.

To see the Chanel-inspired collection up close on May 13, you’ll need to get your tickets—and FYI, ticket prices go up March 15.

Image by Ken Aschliman

A Fine Arts senior from CCAD has been selected as a grand prize finalist in the 2011 Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts (EVA).

Ken Aschliman is one of six Ohio students competing for the grand award in the EVA competition. The winning finalist will receive $2,500 and will be announced April 13 at a reception at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Aschliman’s competition portfolio is available for online viewing. He joins alumni Heather Lynn Kyle (CCAD, ’08), Kyle McMahon (CCAD, ’09), Mark Bush (CCAD, ’09), and Erica Podwoiski (CCAD, ’10) as EVA award winners.

CCAD is one of only two colleges with students being awarded an EVA each year of the competition, which recognizes outstanding senior artists from Ohio’s independent colleges.

Pierre Cardin home page

What first struck me, when I started looking into Lisa Vogel’s Masters of Design muse Pierre Cardin, was how quickly I could see the connection between his aesthetic and her garments.

When describing why she chose Cardin, Lisa wrote “I was impressed by how he incorporated geometry [especially the circle] into his work.” Lisa also noted that she used the circle and a 60s mod aesthetic in her designs.

A quick trip to Cardin’s website shows exactly what she described—circles and a mod look.

Some Cardin highlights include introducing the “bubble dress” in 1954, designing the stylish suites worn by the pristine Mr. John Steed in the British TV series The Avengers, and proposing the collarless button jackets favored by the Beatles. He was also known for exploring space-age and unisex designs.

In addition to his use of geometric shapes, Lisa noted that she appreciated the way Cardin ignores the shape of the body and takes a more sculptural approach to design.

While inspired by Cardin, Lisa has certainly brought her own vision to her collection, including a more modern silhouette, embroidery and other hand stitching details, and using natural fabrics rather than the synthetic fabrics that were popularized by Cardin in the 60s.

Lisa Vogel 2011 Senior Fashion Design Major

One piece that she is particularly proud of is a black, boiled-wool cape.

“I hadn’t worked in boiled wool before,” Lisa said. “It draped even better than I anticipated.”

Also apparent in her collection is Lisa’s interest in construction.

“I love pattern making and construction,” she noted. “To me, these two disciplines are like solving a puzzle. All the pieces have to fit together just perfectly.”

Lisa, who hopes to build on her appreciation for the art of construction by working in technical design, has been getting a lot of hands-on experience interning with Lane Bryant. She adds that she could see herself staying in Columbus after graduation.

“A lot of people don’t realize that Ohio is such a hub for fashion,” she said. “Lots of companies are here.”

Stay tuned this spring as we check in with all 26 designers in the 2011 CCAD Senior Fashion Show. Don’t miss seeing their work in person. Get tickets at www.ccad.edu/fashion.

2011 Class President David Merz interviews classmates for commemorative DVD.

The Class of 2011 is making plans to refresh their memories years down the road via a DVD compilation of their favorite CCAD memories.

Today, senior students met in the Loann Crane Center for Design to be interviewed by class president and Advertising & Graphic Design major David Merz. In a Facebook message to classmates, Merz asked them to reflect upon even the smallest details about their time at CCAD.

“Think of your time in the dorms. You’re time in figure drawing class when you saw your first nude model and you weren’t sure what to draw first without raising questions. Think of the times when you were standing in Design Hall, wondering why such an ugly building existed, but then they knocked it down after our freshmen year, and you thought maybe you’d miss it. Think of those times when you and your friends went down to the old cafeteria and couldn’t find a place to sit, and you always had to listen to the crappy radio rock that the cashier wanted to listen to. “

Merz continued, “Think of [this], then come talk about it with me, and let me record it. I’m not doing this for me; I’m doing this for us, and for the future us who will shed a tear when we pop this DVD into an old Macbook someday.”

For more on what else the senior class is doing in its final days, read Merz’s blog, The Final Semester.

AOI poster by Graham Erwin

CCAD’s  annual Art of Illustration exhibition, now in its 14th year, is spreading its wings and leaving the nest for a Short North gallery.

The popular exhibition, featuring the best of CCAD student illustrations, is organized entirely by students—from designing promotional posters and selecting jurors to securing sponsors and notifying participants from all nine CCAD majors.

Art of Illustration, opens March 5 at Rivet Gallery, 1200 N. High St. in Columbus, and continues through March 25. An opening awards presentation and reception begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5.

This year’s show is organized by five Illustration majors: seniors Alex Alvarado and Noel Ang, juniors Lexie Holliday and Brianne Schulze, and sophomore Andrew Thompson. They secured a panel of professional alumni jurors—Linda Bittner (CCAD, ’88), Tim Bowers (CCAD, ’79), Eric Fortune (CCAD, ’99), and Scott Hull (CCAD, ’77)—as well as Illustration Chair C. F. Payne to winnow the 164 entries down to 38. Per tradition, judging took place in Payne’s home.

“Our main focus this year was to get the community more involved,” Schulze said. “In the past, the show was held in one of CCAD’s galleries, so we figured the most obvious solution was to find a gallery off campus.”  The Illustration department is excited about the gallery’s involvement because the student work, opening reception, and awards presentation will be showcased during Columbus’ popular monthly Gallery Hop.

Payne describes the jurying progress as “very regimented and very tough once selections get down to the final level.” All students submit their entries in a digital format. For jurying, the student organizers project the images for the judges to see, then track each round’s selections and tally the overall winners, a process that lasts several hours.

Awards, including prizes from various sponsors, will be presented for best of show as well as first, second and third place. Additionally, five selections identified as “judges favorites” will receive an original work of art from the respective judge.

This year’s sponsors include Chipotle, Cameron Mitchell, Kroger, and R Designs and Printing. CCAD student, a senior majoring in Illustration, designed the 2011 AOI poster.

Payne is pleased that the student-led tradition continues to grow and sees the move to an off-campus gallery as a positive development. “Having AOI in a gallery adds some prestige,” he said.

(click on thumbnail to see full image)

2011 AICUO Scultpure Design Contest Winner

Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD)  junior Caleb Boller is the winner of the 2011 AICUO Sculpture Design Contest. The design contest is hosted by the Association for Independent Colleges & Universities of Ohio (AICUO) as a supplement to the organization’s Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts. The winning design is used to make the awards presented at the awards reception.

For the next step of the Sculpture Design Competition, Caleb will be working with a professional local sculptor (to be announced) to bring his pieces to life. Attend the 2011 AICUO Awards Reception on April 13 for the unveiling of the final sculptures.

Boller is an  Industrial Design major and focuses much of his energy on ceramics. Ever since a high school program that he took in his hometown of Roanoke, IN, Caleb has had an interest in all things 3D. A renowned CCAD ceramics instructor, Bill Hunt, drew Caleb to the college. Boller is the recipient of a silver portfolio Scholastics scholarship and a CCAD scholarship.

View more of Caleb’s work on his Coroflot account.

Three CCAD students are nominated for an Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts.

NOTE: this news was first announced in the blog post written for AICUO by Noel Ang, a CCAD senior majoring in Illustration, who is an AICUO intern and art awards coordinator.

Poster designed by Class of 2011 President David Merz.

CCAD’s Class of 2011 kicked-off their last 100 days at CCAD with a fundraising concert in the Loann Crane Center for Design Thursday evening. All funds raised during the event will go toward the senior class gift.

This marks the first senior class gift in CCAD’s history. Seniors will raise funds during the remainder of their time here and donate all proceeds to the school’s general scholarship fund.

“Giving the gift of a scholarship was pretty much a no-brainer,” said Class President David Merz a senior majoring in Advertising & Graphic Design. “And getting to spend time with our classmates during our last days on campus makes giving back totally worth it.”

Emceed by Merz, the event opened with sets from local band Good Buddy and CCAD Advertising & Graphic Design senior Steven VanScoy. Columbus-based, nationally-touring band Yellow Light Maybe rounded out the evening.

Want more? Check out photos by emcee Merz on his very cool “the final semester” blog.

Make a donation toward the Senior Class Gift here. Include the words “Senior Class Gift” in the comment box.

Katherine Adkins and Ken Aschliman, both seniors majoring in Fine Arts, and Pei Yin Chen, a senior majoring in Photography, are nominees for the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO) Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts.

In addition to competing for a grand award, including a cash prize of $2,500, the students also are eligible to win a People’s Choice Award. Online voting opens to the general public at the end of February.

The competition recognizes outstanding senior artists from Ohio’s independent colleges. Portfolios of all artwork submitted by the student nominees are judged by independent college faculty, community artists, art journalists, and state legislators to determine Grand Award finalists. All nominees’ art portfolios are available for online viewing.

In addition to the Grand Award and the People’s Choice Award, five student nominees will receive awards as competition finalists at a public reception on April 13th at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Left to Right: Instructor Kelly Malec-Kosak, Senior Jerrica Fields,alumna Christine Cooper Hill, and Diamond Cellar Marketing Director Jen Walker.

Senior Fine Arts major Jerrica A. Fields was announced as the winner of the Diamond Cellar’s jewelry design competition today. She will receive $1,000 towards the manufacture of her submitted design, which will be showcased at the 2011 CCAD Fashion Show and at the 2011 Designer’s Gala at the Diamond Cellar’s Sawmill Road store. The competition was developed as a result of a longstanding relationship between CCAD and the Diamond Cellar.

Fields’ “Signature” bracelet design, along with the designs by her fourteen classmates in instructor Kelly Malec-Kosak’s jewelry design course, was critiqued by world-famous designers Michael Bondanza, Steven Lagos, Charles Krypell and Christopher Slowinski of Christopher Designs as well as by the Diamond Cellar’s in-house staff of designers.

“Overall, our judges were all very impressed with the presentations the students put together,” said Jen Walker, marketing director of the Diamond Cellar Companies. “They loved the creativity and were very impressed with the level of talent shown in the renderings. Our judges looked for a level of ‘wear-ability’ or ‘sale-ability,’ asking themselves, ‘would someone want to buy this piece?’ We are thrilled to have been able to bring this real-world experience to the jewelry design students at CCAD.”

As part of their ongoing relationship with the college, The Diamond Cellar has brought world-renowned designers David Yurman and Stephen Webster to CCAD’s campus, where they offered career advice to students and critiqued their designs. The company also provided jewelry for the raffle at the 2010 Senior Fashion Show.

“The Diamond Cellar continues to provide our students with the opportunity to meet and learn from experienced professionals who are not only fantastic mentors but giants in the world of jewelry,” said CCAD Vice President for Institutional Advancement Stephanie Hightower. “In return, we offer them a first-hand look at the up-and-coming talent that comes from CCAD. This competition is yet another testament to the success of our relationship.”

This competition is a component of CCAD’s Business Partnership Program, which allows business leaders to share their unique expertise, time, and financial resources with students through real-world classroom projects. Students teams conduct market research and analysis, then work to create design solutions. Previous projects include the redesign of a newspaper masthead, package design for a new fragrance, and creation of fashion swimwear.

Find out how CCAD alumna and Diamond Cellar jeweler Christine Cooper Hill helped make this opportunity possible in our News Blog. Want to catch a glimpse at Fields’ design in person? Check out the 2011 Senior Fashion Show.

Third Eye image from ryansablogspot.com

A photography exhibition curated by CCAD student Ryan Walters has been extended through March 25 at OSU’s Urban Arts Space in downtown Columbus.

Third Eye, a collection of 10 artists’ work, includes CCAD alumni and students who question, revolt against, and embrace photography’s impact on perception within contemporary culture. The artists reveal photography’s capacity to illustrate the relationship between artist, subject, and viewer, and explore its constructs and limitations.

The exhibition is in the City Center Gallery, where a free reception will be 5-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28.

Walters, a senior majoring in Fine Arts, organized the grant proposal to secure funding for the exhibition after he and Christopher Von Holle, a senior majoring in Photography, took a class with John Fergus-Jean, professor, Photography and Graduate Studies.Curatorial assistance was provided by Fine Arts sophomore Alejandro Bellizzi.

Participating alumni and students include Frank Castanien (CCAD ’07), Pei Yin Chen, a senior in Photography, Evan Eisel, a sophomore majoring in Photography, Fine Arts senior Elina Khachaturyan, Eric Sherwood, a freshman in Media Studies, Clifton Stommel (CCAD ’10), Miles Tsang, a senior majoring in Illustration, and VonHolle.

Sherwood also will offer a special one-time performance just prior to the Jan. 28 reception.

Castanien majored in Fine Arts and Stommel majored in Photography at CCAD.

Image from www.kaylarischdesign.com

Materials created by CCAD students, staff and alumni fetched nine awards of merit and excellence at Creative Best 2010, an annual recognition of outstanding communication arts in central Ohio.

Works lauded by three judges for Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA) include CCAD’s Viewbook, produced by the college’s student Design Group and creative director Lindsay Kronmiller with Ologie, the branding agency founded by alumna Bev Bethge (CCAD, ’82-’86), and Think.Do., a short video created by Oligie for the college. Both pieces earned awards of merit.

Merit awards in the professional category went to two CCAD students. Danielle Deley, a senior in Advertising & Graphic Design, was recognized for the t-shirts series she created to promote CCAD’s Saturday Morning Art Classes program. Abeer Sleiman, a Media Studies senior, was honored for the campaign Those Picked Last. Sleiman also received an award of excellence for an identity campaign (be thirty six) and an award of merit for an AMC Romance Channel bumper.

Other students who left CSCA’s party with awards of merit include Emily Shirk, a senior in Advertising & Graphic Design, for branding work for Cutler’s; Jordan Edwards, an Ad & Graphic Design senior, for Oreck: Listen to your Floors; and alumna Kayla Risch (CCAD, ’10) for Pets Without Parents.

Justine Arreche (Advertising & Graphic Design, ’11) and Molly Savage (Fine Arts, ’12) have filled the rental property with their own creations, collections and friends’ artwork. The roommates have even transformed one of the exposed brick walls that are iconic in German Village architecture into a brick-lined photo gallery.

Their creative work is featured in a recent newspaper article. To see their do-it-yourself style and to read the full article go to www.columbusalive.com.

Go to Arreche’s website to learn more about her art and design.

When Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis, assistant professor, Liberal Arts and Graduate Studies, learned of the challenge she assigned students in Contemporary Literature, Writing Poetry, and Writing Fiction classes to send in a manifesto that addressed a social issue or concern or to find ways to broadly share literature.

Bolden was “absolutely ecstatic” to receive “a slew of Yawp offerings from some bright and brilliant students at CCAD.” She wrote, “I’ve been absolutely blown away with their work, which is sophisticated and shows a sense of honesty and dedication to art and truth-speaking and sooth-saying.”

The first CCAD response that Bolden received was from Katherine Adkins. The Fine Arts senior’s work is posted online at The Yawp, a public poetry project. To read it and to understand more about “yawp” go to http://theyawp.com.

Bolden also was impressed and appreciative that Kartsonis decided to incorporate the assignment into her teaching. A thank-you note she sent to the professor said, “I’ve been so very impressed with your students’ work — they’re a wonderful group, and they’re lucky to have you as a teacher. I wish I could take your class!”

Go to CCAD faculty bios to learn more about Kartsonis.

Image from www.bikethecbus.com

As an intern with Fulcrum Creatives, Sami Nummi, a senior majoring in Ad & Graphic Design, produced a t-shirt in support of a Columbus bike tour and local charities.

Created as a fun way to get fit and check out a few neighborhoods in and around Columbus, the 2010 Bike the Cbus covered approximately 30 miles in early September. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the event’s t-shirt benefited local charities.

Nummi interns with alumnus Jason Moore (CCAD ’96), principal + creative of the firm. Her work on behalf of Bike the Cbus fits Fulcrum Creative’s double bottom line / convergence philosophy to benefit clients and the community. To learn more go to the firm’s website.

Students receiving award certificates from the visual communications magazine are Erich Burchfield, project director (Animation, ’10), Greg Browe, lead story artist (Media Studies, ’11), Meghann Pearson, director of photography (Photography, ’10), Jennifer Stefanski, head of animation (Animation, ’10), and Dan Zimmer, head of technical direction (Animation, ’10). Their project was inspired by the college’s recent branding initiative and resulted in a 24-minute video about CCAD from the students’ perspective.

To see some footage produced through the award-winning project click here.  Frame grabbed images of the project will be printed in Applied Arts annual publication and put on display at the Applied Arts awards exhibit, which will be held in November in Toronto at Artscape Wychwood Barns.

Mark Hall and Bernard R. Stockwell

Mark Hall, a junior majoring in Industrial Design, is the newest recipient of the Bernard R. Stockwell Industrial Design Scholarship.

Stockwell, a former department dean, and Hall recently met for lunch. Joined by Carl Garant, CCAD’s current dean of Industrial Design, and department Chair Tom Kier, Hall enjoyed the unique opportunity to tap into the experience and knowledge of three seasoned professionals. The Stockwell scholarship was established in 2006 thanks to a generous donation by Howard D. LeFevre.

To contribute to this scholarship fund, contact the Development office at 614.222.3268 or via email.