Part of Colleen Clark’s comic featured in “Huffington Post”

On April 24, Illustration student Colleen Clark and her comic on body issues were featured in the Huffington Post.

It all started during earlier this year, when she made the comic for a class project and uploaded it to her tumblr.

“There’s a really big body awareness and feminist community on tumblr,” Clark said. “I guess it was just the right audience and time for me to put that up there because it blew up—I was really lucky.”

Nina Bahadur, the author of the Huffington Post article, contacted Clark after spotting the comic and asked to feature it in the women’s section of the online news source.

After what Clark said was three pages of responses to Bahadur’s questions, she sat on pins and needles waiting for the story to be published.

“I was freaking out as I read it, crying, and calling my mom and dad,” Clark said. “I was overwhelmed, flattered, and surprised—all of these emotions—and was really, really grateful that people were noticing my work and it was affecting them in the right way.”

Responses continued many days after the article was published.

“It is really kind of scary and gratifying how many responses I have gotten from women telling me that it changed how they felt or that they could relate to it,” Clark said.

Clark shared one response that she received at a time that she was feeling down about herself and lacking motivation. It was an email from a stranger who confessed that she had been bingeing on food, but that upon reading Clark’s comic she had been able to stop and feel better about herself and her body issues.

“I immediately felt better then. I just couldn’t believe she sat down and took the time out her life to send me that,” Clark said. “I am dumbfounded every single time someone says ‘I’ve felt better about my body after reading your comic.’ I can’t even process that because it is so hard for me to feel better about my body and it’s so flattering that I can have that effect on someone else. If I can even do that for one person it is worth all the work.”

Her comic didn’t come from a moment of insecurity, but from a battle most women face with body issues. She struggled drawing the original comic, having to pull from her own insecurities. One of the main images is an exaggerated sketch of how she views her body.

“What I have realized throughout my career at CCAD and this experience is that I want to continue this and I want to create stories for women,” Clark said. “In comics, there is nothing for young adult women and if there is, it is unrealistic and not relatable.”

“I think that the huge response to this comic shows that there is a need for this idea and this role model,” Clark said. “I want to stay doing these comics because it is a great way to express yourself and marry narrative and illustration.”

To keep up with Clark and her drawings, visit her tumblr.

Clark is from Gaithersburg, MD, and attended Colonel Zadok Magruder High School.

From left, Animation Chair Charlotte Beland, Toon Boom CEO Joan Vogelesang, CCAD President Dennison Griffith, Cinematic Arts Chair Ron Saks, and Toon Boom Market Development Director Mark MacLellan,
photo by Katlin McNally

This morning Columbus College of Art & Design was officially declared a Center of Excellence by Toon Boom, a global leader in digital content and animation software. CCAD is the first college or university in the U. S. to receive such an honor.

The announcement was made, fittingly, in the college’s labs for Animation and Cinematic Arts. Toon Boom CEO and President Joan Vogelesang flew in from Montreal (where the company is based) to celebrate CCAD’s selection with faculty, staff, students, guests, and media including WCMH-NBC4, WBNS-10TV, and WSYX . As CCAD was honored, a moment was taken to give a special thanks Cinematic Arts Chair Ron Saks for his ongoing commitment to the industry

“CCAD has been a long-standing customer and supporter of Toon Boom. We are thrilled to see them become the first Center of Excellence in the U.S. and prepare students for the marketplace. CCAD will be highly recommended to all our customers as a prime source of talents for their productions,” Vogelesang said.

Dana Turtle (right) interviews Don Yoakam while a few feet away Angela An interviews Andrea Rawson and Emma Pennington, photo by Katlin McNally

When asked why Columbus was chosen for the site of their first U.S. Center of Excellence, Vogelesang noted that in addition to Columbus having a solid reputation, CCAD was an early adopter of the technology. Toon Boom began changing how animation was produced 14 years ago. They not only sought to create paperless methods of production, but to utilize technology in a way that allowed for more creative flexibility. CCAD was among the first institutions to embrace these advances in the industry.

“Being a Center of Excellence provides CCAD students with the opportunity to test and use the latest versions of this industry-leading software and maximize their value among film and animation employers,” said Dennison Griffith, president of CCAD. “Employment opportunities in this field are growing significantly with the use of animation not just in the entertainment industry, but in the development of apps, software, and gaming technology.”

Rather than explain the value of Toon Boom software in Animation and Cinematic Arts work, CCAD chose to show how students work with the product. A team of three Animation students worked together to animat three local television anchors.

Juniors Andrea Rawson and Don Yoakam along with sophomore Emma Pennington turned Angela An (WBNS-10TV), Monica Day (WCHM-NBC4), and Dana Turtle (WSYX) into animated characters.

Juniors Andrea Rawson and Don Yoakam along with sophomore Emma Pennington turned Angela An (WBNS-10TV), Monica Day (WCHM-NBC4), and Dana Turtle (WSYX) into animated characters—which were shared to the delight of the gathered audience, which included An and Turtle.

The audience also viewed a live demonstration, thanks to senior Alan Backer, who showed how the software works through each phase of concepting and producing animation.

The audience was also shown a trailer for the student-made film Lumin, which utilized Toon Boom software in its production. Lumin has been submitted to more than 30 festivals internationally and nationally and it has already been accepted into several, including Chile Monos, Leeds Young Film Festival, Ohio Shorts, taafi Official Selection, and Sff International Film Festival.

To cap off the event, CCAD announced a storyboard contest for high school students with a prize worth nearly $3,000. Students are invited to create and submit a storyboard for a short film (not to exceed one minute of screen time). The winner will receive a full-ride scholarship to attend CCAD’s three-week residential summer program College PreView, where they will be able to focus on Animation and Cinematic Arts and work with Toon Boom production suite software. Details on the contest can be found here.

The choice of CCAD as the first American Center of Excellence follows Toon Boom’s selection as an official educational resource and curriculum to support development of 21st century skills among Canadian students by the Information and Communications Technology Council in Canada.

Becker is from Columbus, OH, and graduated from Dublin High School; Rawson is a from Buffalo, NY, and graduated from Williamsville East High School; Yoakam is from Delaware, OH, and graduated from Bishop Watterson High School; and Pennington is from Hilliard, OH, and graduated from Hilliard Bradley High School.

FORTHMADE is a pop-up store created by CCAD students; click above to watch the video.

Last semester, CCAD honors students created One, a one-day pop-up store on campus. This semester the students are at it again with FORTHMADE and they are partnering with Easton Town Center to bring the one-day store to the outdoor shopping center located in Columbus, OH.

The honors Developing Retail class is a project-based class led by adjunct faculty Marcia Tabler.

“It has been really interesting to watch the creative juices flow,” Tabler said. “There is so much satisfaction in seeing these students create something of their own from the ground up, and watching the natural ebb and flow of designers as they work as part of a team.”

The nine students handled everything from the marketing strategy, including the promotional photography and video, to the store design. Details such as branding the shopping bags, price tags, and even hangers were not overlooked.

Students involved in the execution of FORTHMADE are Advertising & Graphic Design seniors Alex Laniosz and Lillie Templeton, junior Haley Fischer, and sophomore Qisha Kendy; Cinematic Arts juniors Amanda Hess and Richard Smith; Fashion Design senior Ryun Harrison and junior Lauren Colbert; Illustration sophomore Phong Nguyen; and Industrial Design senior Meara Swiler.

The class sent a request campuswide for students to submit their work to be judged and possibly sold in the store. The response was overwhelming, which wasn’t surprising considering last semester’s store sold more than 70 percent of its inventory. Submissions ranged from clothing to jewelry to prints and everything in between. One thing that is certain is that the products available will all be CCAD-designed, handcrafted, and one-of-a-kind.

“Our ultimate goal is to have this project be self-funded,” Tabler said. “All the profits from this store will go to the next class’s retail store project, and hopefully this can become an ongoing tradition here at CCAD.”

Easton Town Center generously donated space for the store. The class will take advantage of the large theater that once housed Shadowbox Live.

“At Easton, we’re always looking to present new ideas,” said Beau Anderson, the executive vice president for asset performance of Steiner + Associates. “We’ve enjoyed a wonderful relationship with CCAD, and the pop-up shop seemed like a logical way to extend our partnership while offering our customers unique, locally designed apparel and accessories. This will be a shop of discovery, and we cannot wait to see what the students offer in this space and how they will approach the visual merchandising.”

FORTHMADE will be in business May 4, 1–9 p.m., at 160 Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH.

Colbert is from Westerville, OH, and attended Saint Francis De Sales High School; Fischer is from Lawrence, KS, and attended Lawrence High School; Harrison is from Alpharetta, GA, and attended Alpharetta High School; Hess is from Columbus, OH, and attended American School of Technology; Kendy is from Jakarta, Indonesia, and attended Jakarta International School; Laniosz is from Willowbrook, IL, and attended Hinsdale South High School; Nguyen is from Germantown, MD, and attended Mansfield High School; Smith is from Blacklick, OH, and attended Licking Heights High School; Swiler is from Maumee, OH, and attended Trinity High School; and Templeton is from Wadesboro, NC, and was home schooled.

Liz Trapp’s “Orifice Installation”

Adjunct faculty Andrea Myers and MFA candidate Liz Trapp will have work in Tell/Tale, a one-day exhibition on May 18.

Myers curated the exhibition, which will feature her work alongside that of Trapp and another local artist, Josh Welker. The show is part of the Rooms to Let Temporary Art Space program.

Tell/Tale refers to Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” bringing attention to the internal life and space of the architecture with a parallel interest in the formal space between painting and sculpture.

Rooms to Let was founded in 2010 by adjunct faculty Melissa Vogley Woods. It allows artists to show their work in diverse environments by staging exhibitions in empty houses, lots, and warehouses.

Tell/Tale will take place in a vacant house at 219 N. 22nd St., in Columbus, OH. The house was provided by Homeport.

Still from the animated film “Lumin”

An advanced animation class at CCAD has just completed a project that is now being entered in national festivals. The Advanced Time-Based Projects class, taught by Associate Professor Tom Richner, created an animated short named Lumin.

Lumin tells the story of a young boy and his escape from dozens of monsters who pursue him for one thing, his light.

The 17 students in the class spent four months creating the film from start to finish, working on all aspects from script writing and sound development to animation and final editing.

“We [the Animation faculty] have been talking about working on complete films during the course of a class,” Richner said. “When we saw the talent that was in this past fall’s class we knew we had to make a film with this group.”

The class included Animation seniors Christopher Campbell, Tyler Crowley, David King, Arianni Kurniawati, Laura Maue, Bekah Nunn, Jonathan Pezzatta, and David T. Reed; Animation junior Kelly Cumpson; Cinematic Arts seniors Alan Becker, Patrick Kain, Lauren Thornberry, and Mariah Ward; Cinematic Arts juniors Grace Kim and Aaron Zawisa; and recent Animation graduate Victor Dearing (CCAD 2012) and Cinematic Arts graduate Alex Trimpe (CCAD 2012).

“I was really impressed about how all the students handled the whole semester,” Richner said. “There was never a point where we got behind schedule. They all bought into the project and took ownership and worked very hard.”

“A lot of these students have aspirations to go work in studios, big and small, and the nature of animated films is that you need a lot of bodies to get these projects done. Working in a studio environment means that they are going to be collaborating with people, so I think giving them that chance to do it here gives them the opportunity to fine tune those skills they’ll need in the real world.”

The class had to make some decisions in order to finish the project on time, such as creating it in black and white instead of color and keeping the length of the video managable.

“Even though we did do some things on the design end to make it easier, we didn’t cut any corners in terms of the story we wanted to tell; we did what we set out to do,” Richner said.

Character line-up from the animated film “Lumin”

To complete the project, the class used Toon Boom, animation software package.

“It is a great thing for students to be exposed to this software in school since a lot of studios are currently using it,” Richner said. “We’ve had it in our classrooms here CCAD for more than 10 years now, and we were some of the early adopters of it.”

Alumni have said that their experience with Toon Boom in CCAD classrooms was beneficial as they began their careers.

“We have heard from animation alumni who have been able to stand above their peers when they can express to directors that they know how to use the software,” Richner said.

The class’ work isn’t done yet. They have submitted the film to more than 30 festivals internationally and nationally and have already been accepted into festivals including  Chile Monos, Leeds Young Film Festival, Ohio Shorts, taafi Official Selection, and Sff International Film Festival.

The spring Advanced Time-Based Projects class has a new group of students; they’re developing an animated film called Aria, which they plan on entering into festivals and contests as well.

Lumin will be shown during CCAD’s animation screenings at the opening reception of the 134th Annual Student Exhibition on May 10.

Becker is from Dublin, OH, and graduated from Dublin Scioto High School; Campbell is from Worthington, OH; Crowley is from Milford, NH, and attended Milford High School; Cumpson is from Chesterland, OH, and attended West Geauga High School; Dearing is from Westerville, OH, and attended Saint Francis De Sales High School; Kain is from Kettering, OH, and attended Kettering Fairmont High School; Kim is from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and attended North Surrey Senior Secondary School; King is from Hamilton, OH, and graduated from Ross Senior High School; Kurniawati is from Salatiga, Indonesia, and graduated from Loyola Catholic Secondary School; Maue is from Bellbrook, OH, and attended Bellbrook High School; Nunn is from Wilmington, OH, and graduated from Wilmington High School; Pezzatta is from Columbus, OH, and graduated from Fort Hayes Metro Education Center; Reed is from Ashland, OH, and attended Ashland High School; Trimpe is from Cincinnati, and attended Elder High School; Thornberry is from Cambridge, OH, and attended Cambridge High School; Ward is from Cincinnati, and attended the School for Creative & Performing Arts; and Zawisa is from Columbus, OH, and attended Grandview Heights High School.

Update on April 25:  Lumin won a Telly Award in the “use of animation” category.

Derick Whitson’s photograph, part of the “Family Portrait” series

Junior Photography major Derick Whitson was selected as a finalist for Photographer’s Forum magazine’s Best of Photography 2012.

The hardcover book was released in December 2012 and features all winners, honorable mentions, and finalists for the magazine’s 32^nd Annual Spring Photography Contest for high school and college students.

Whitson’s image is part of his Family Portrait series, which explores memories of his childhood in Mansfield, OH.

“I was really excited about being chosen as a finalist,” Whitson said. “I knew finalists were published, and when I got the book in the mail it was so surreal.”

This year’s judges were Ann Cutting, Art Center College of Design; Gene Strickland, Columbus State Community College; and Sherri Taylor, Syracuse University.

Whitson is a native of Mansfield, OH, and attended Mansfield Christian School.

CCAD students look over design options

The 2013 Arnold Sports Festival is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in Columbus this weekend and it turned to students at Columbus College of Art & Design to design merchandise for the event.

Eight students participated in the 72-hour charrette through the CCAD MindMarket’s DesignLab.

Participating students included: Advertising & Graphic Design juniors Evan Symonds, Ian Li Cissel Tan, and Jonathan Yukek; seniors Ezra Hone, Nicole Londeree, and Trevor Payne; Illustration junior Alexis Schuknecht; and senior Dylan Shuman.

“We all worked in the same room within the MindMarket,” Schuknecht said. “It was nice since we were able to bounce ideas off each other and hang our designs up around the room and get feedback as we worked. It truly mimicked a professional, real-world challenge.”

After finishing the designs students presented to Tom Sabatino, a representative from the Arnold Festival, CCAD MindMarket Director Cynthia Gravino, and instructor Jim Johnson.

Awards were originally given to Payne for first place, Schuknecht for second, and Hone and Tan tied for third place.

The four award-winning designs will be developed to go on T-shirts to sell at the expo and possibly be placed on other merchandise including stickers and posters.

Sabatino enjoyed the designs so much he decided he reward the students’ work by offering additional prizes for the design that receives the most orders from vendors and the design that sells the most overall during the festival.

“This is the fourth year we have worked with CCAD to design merchandise and the competitiveness of the students is what really impresses me every year,” Sabatino said. “We hope to continue to grow this relationship and work with the MindMarket again in the future.”

The students will also get a chance to meet with Arnold Schwarzenegger during a legends breakfast this weekend and will receive a letter of recommendation for their design work to put in their portfolios.

The CCAD MindMarket offers several creative services formats through the DesignLab, from charrettes, which are intense 54-to-72 hour design challenges, to class projects lasting 16 weeks, to partnerships, which can be longer and recruit the broadest variety of CCAD students, faculty, and staff.

Hone is a native of Columbus, OH and attended Groveport Madison High School; Howard is from Mount Vernon, OH and attended Mount Vernon High School; Londeree is from Columbus, OH and attended Worthington Kilbourne High School; Payne is from Cincinnati and attended Princeton High School; Schuknecht is a native of Saginaw, MI and attended Heritage High School; Symonds is from Lima, Ohio and attended Shawnee Senior High School; Tan is from Singapore; and Yukek is from Cleveland and attended Valley Forge High School.

“This is a great opportunity for beginning filmmakers to see their work on the ‘big screen’ with an audience made up of other filmmakers, artists, and enthusiasts,” said Philip R. Garrett, visiting faculty in Cinematic Arts, who showed his short experimental/quasi-documentary The Astronomer at the event.

CMIAR is a quarterly screening that includes works from local artists. This December marked the 13^th event.

Videos by CCAD students featured in CMIAR included:

• Great Destroyer by Advertising & Graphic Design and Cinematic Arts sophomore Hunter Preston
• Violent Bliss by Cinematic Arts sophomore Tom Lepley
• I love BMX by Cinematic Arts sophomore Brant Moore
• Video 1 Project by Cinematic Arts sophomore Yazmin Ruiz
• Tattoo Taboo and Self Portrait Stop Animation by Cinematic Arts junior Amanda Hess
• Paralyzed by Photography sophomore Karl Allsop
• See Birds and Imperfect from Photography sophomore Sarah Brevick
• One Day by graduate student Yang Wu

Andrew Peña, photo courtesy Danielle Ford (2013)

By Kristen M. Foley

As CCAD’s Annual Fund Drive kicks off, you might be wondering if anyone really notices when you make your contribution. Short answer? Yes. Long answer: The scholarships that your gift supports can be one of the most profound elements of a student’s education.

Please meet Andrew Peña, a junior Illustration major who’s also pursuing a minor in Writing.

IMAGE: When was the first time you knew you wanted to study illustration?

Andrew: I was always into drawing ever since I was little. As I got older I started thinking that I wouldn’t mind studying [art] and possibly making a career out of it. I looked into different programs and majors, but after taking illustration classes in CCAD’s summer programs, I knew for certain that this was what I wanted to do.

IMAGE: Who/what are your inspirations?

Andrew: The people who are around me who support me. I never start a project without trying to include someone I know and love.

IMAGE: What’s your favorite part about being an Illustration major?

Andrew: I love the whole process of making an illustration—from brainstorming and sketching for hours to putting the final touches on a piece. It’s always nice when you’re finally finished with something and you can’t stop admiring it, but you have to put it to the side so you can start your next best project. Also, being surrounded by a lot of really good artists here at CCAD motivates me to improve and learn from them. It’s like an endless lesson; you never stop learning!

Andrew Peña, photo courtesy of Danielle Ford (2013)

IMAGE: How did your scholarship affect your life and your education?

Andrew: It has really removed a lot of stress from my parents, who are helping fund my college career. I remember telling them about receiving my scholarship—they were overwhelmed with emotion. My mom actually began to cry while I was telling her on the phone.

IMAGE: What would you like to say to CCAD donors about the impact of their support?

Andrew: I can’t thank you enough. You’re giving dedicated students a chance to really shine and pursue their dreams. I feel blessed to have this opportunity and won’t let your support go unappreciated.

IMAGE: What excites you about your future?

Andrew: The fact that I’ll be doing what I love for work is pretty exciting. With the knowledge I’m gaining from CCAD I feel like I can take on the world. It’s a great feeling.

IMAGE: What else would you like to add?

Andrew: My experience at CCAD has been very special. It has introduced me to some awesome people and has made me grow into a better artist. Thank you to all of the professors I’ve had so far at CCAD. I’ve learned so much these past two years and can’t wait to see what else is in store.

To check out the online print version of IMAGE, click here.
To make a donation to student scholarships, click here.

Lian Dziura in front of her work at the Thunderdome awards reception at Clifton Cultural Arts Center.

FOTOFOCUS is a monthlong celebration in Cincinnati, OH that combines exhibitions, conferences, presentations, and other special events to honor the art of photography. Many CCAD alumni, students, faculty, and staff were involved with various exhibitions around the city in October.

Professor and Illustration alumna Helen Hoffelt (CCAD 1982) showed work in the Midwest Society for Photographic Education Members Exhibition at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, KY, Sept. 28–Oct. 31. Hoffelt also had work in Images of the Great Depression: A Documentary Portrait of Ohio 1935-2010 at the University of Cincinnati’s Sycamore Gallery, Oct. 1–Oct. 27.

Henry Scott with his work at the Thunderdome awards reception at Clifton Cultural Arts Center.

Media Studies alumna Rachel Girard Reisert (CCAD 2002) had a solo exhibition Tropism at 1305 Gallery, Sept. 28–Nov. 11. Reisert also presented during the Midwest Regional Society for Photographic Education Conference on Oct. 13.

A senior in Photography, Kayla Holdgreve, exhibited two of her pieces in Current: MW Society of Photographic Education Student Juried Exhibition at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Oct. 4–31.

Photography alumna Lian Dziura (CCAD 2012), Junior in Cinematic Arts Tom Hoying, MFA alumnus Cosby Lindquist (CCAD 2012), Photography alumnus Marcus Morris (CCAD 2012), junior in Photography Henry Scott, and MFA alumna Crystal Tursich (CCAD 2012) participated in the juried invitational exhibition Thunderdome, at Clifton Cultural Arts Center in Cincinnati, OH, Oct.13–14. Lindquist was one of three award winners and Dziura received an honorable mention.

CCAD students drop off materials at ZeroLandfill

The Interior Design program at CCAD helped this year with a national environmental and recycling cause called ZeroLandfill™ .

Held seasonally, ZeroLandfill™ is an award-winning reuse program that reduces pressure on local landfills by allowing companies in the architectural and interior design industries to drop off unwanted materials for local artists and art educators to reuse.

Interior Design juniors Carolyn Zurawka and Courtney Gula culled CCAD’s materials library and brought all unwanted or outdated materials to the drop location.

“ZeroLandfill is an opportunity for our students to give back,” said faculty Kelly DeVore. “They get to practice environmental stewardship for a space like the materials library that evolves and is constantly updated.”

ZeroLandfill™ has been recognized by Contract Design Magazines with an Inspiration Award for socially responsible innovation in the interior design industry. Since 2006, the program has recycled more than 300,000 pounds of materials.

Designers choose condoms at first meeting for condom couture fashion show

CCAD students often work with a variety of unusual material and face multiple design challenges and for 14 students participating in Planned Parenthood’s Condom Couture Fashion Show this latest project is no different.

Each students was given 800 condoms to use in an original clothing design that will be modeled by a community leader in a fashion show on Oct. 17.

During the show the designers will be judged by local boutique owner Maren Roth, menswear designer David Swetman, and CCAD instructor Esther Chung. The garments and designs will be graded on theme, color, creativity, attractiveness, originality, technique, and concept.

The top three winners will receive scholarship money; first place is awarded $1000, and second and third $500.

This will be the second year Bridgette Stevens a junior in Fashion Design, has competed in the fashion show.

Last year Stevens designed a truly couture one-of-a-kind dress that included a matching umbrella. The ensemble incorporated hot pink, black, and white condoms, creating a zebra print pattern.

Student Bridgette Stevens structure for a hat as part of the condom couture fashion show

“Last year I spent way too much time perfecting my garment,” Stevens said. “This year I will again have a very couture garment. I am doing a hot pink gown in organza, so it will be transparent. I will hand-stitch the condoms on and gather them across the dress, it will be very sexy. I am also going to have a couture hat to complete the look.”

Although Stevens has her plan all worked out, she remembers, from last year, that condoms are not an easy material to work with by any means.

“The hardest part about working with this material is thinking through how you want your design to come across,” Stevens said. “Second is the application; it is really difficult to work with these latex critters—they don’t always want to cooperate.”

Competing along with Stevens will be freshmen Katherine Benson, Kaylene  Biddle, Diana Chung, and Kailey Rinder; Fashion Design sophomores Elaine Hunt and Caroll Kern; Illustration sophomore Samantha Russel; Fashion Design juniors Kristain England, Marquis Engle, and Julie Ward; Fashion Design seniors Leah Kennedy and Krista Sison; and Interior Design senior Jocelyn Williams.

“We’re thrilled to host such a creative way to raise awareness about prevention,” said Stephanie Kight, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. “Previous years’ designs have been stunning…It’s exciting to see designers transform condoms into wearable art.”

Read about last year’s event here, and find out more information about the event and how to attend here.

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

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

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

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

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

Photo from last year’s Family Weekend & Homecoming

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

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

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

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

A few that warmed our cold hearts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Part of Sean Elliott’s mural in Frazeysburg, OH

Media Studies student Sean Elliott (CCAD 2014) is painting a mural on the outside of a municipal/police department building in Frazeysburg, OH.

The 15-by-10 foot mural is in commemoration of veterans, featuring a Purple Heart medal with World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, and Iraq and Afghan soldiers. Elliott himself is a veteran of the US Air Force and has worked on two other memorials. He completed a World War II memorial at the Newark American Legion, post 85 in Ohio and is currently finishing up work on a granite design that will be placed in a cemetery in Toboso, OH.

“The best part of the [American Legion] project was meeting a World War II veteran,” Elliott said. “He had tears in his eyes and said ‘I see all of my buddies, and a lot of them never made it home.’”

The mural in Frazeysburg was unveiled Saturday, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m., with a military ceremony.

Student looks at work

Each semester, the Honors Program at CCAD hosts a symposium where students and faculty present their semester’s work. This year it took place on May 7, starting with a reception for all CCAD faculty, staff, and students.

Work ranged from puppets to glass installations, and the projects came from two honors classes: Associate Professor Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis’ Ekphrasis: Art Begets Art and MFA student Elena Harvey Collins’ Art as Social Practice.

The following students showed their projects: Fine Arts seniors Jack Ramunni, Alejandro Bellizi, Krista Sison, Yezen Abusharkh, and Mary Nemeth; Media Studies senior Brian Liston; Fine Arts junior Eric Sherwood; Advertising & Graphic Design junior Danielle Williams; Photography junior Derrick Whitson; Industrial Design sophomore Kelly Lee; and Fine Arts sophomores Esteban Gonzalez, Nicole Santos, and Hannah Mason-Macklin.

ID sophomores in the Cardboard Regatta, photo by Katlin McNally

On a cloudy but warm Saturday in May, teams raced in cardboard boats through rough pond waters, paddling around obstacles, and trying to remain afloat.  It was the annual Cardboard Regatta held for sophomores in CCAD’s Industrial Design department.

In its eighth year, The Cardboard Regatta pits professor and alumnus Joel Gundlach’s class against a class led by adjunct faculty Greg Thune.

“This is a great tradition that the department has,” Gundlach said. “The students work hard all year, and now it’s time for them to apply their skills in an entertaining and fun way.”

The two teams each have to construct three different water vessels in three hours using only cardboard, plastic sheet, PVC pipe, and duct tape. Students then compete on the water in three timed events featuring one-, two-, and three-person boats.

Congrats go to team Gundlach, which claimed this year’s Cardboard Regatta trophy.

2012 Finalists, top left to right: Taylor Hawkins (CCAD), Erin McKenna (CCAD), Kristy Kemper (AAC); bottom left to right: Mayumi Kiefer (ONU), Brittany Kunkel (Dennison), Julio Labra (AAC)

Fine Arts senior Erin McKenna was awarded the Association of Independent Colleges & Universities of Ohio (AICUO) Excellence in Visual Art Grand Award.

The AICUO recognized McKenna with a $2,500 cash prize and purchased one of her pieces to be displayed in the governor’s office for the next year.

Held at Otterbein University on April 6, the reception honored seniors from independent colleges throughout Ohio. Six students were AICUO finalists, competing for the Grand Award. Fine Arts senior Taylor Hawkins was also a finalist.

McKenna and Hawkins were not the only two bringing CCAD presence to the awards. Fine Arts sophomore Hannah Mason-Macklin was the sculptural design contest winner and designed the physical awards presented to the winners. Advertising & Graphic Design senior Cynthia Ellis was an intern for this year’s award and helped organize the program.

McKenna, Hawkins, and the other four finalists will have their work displayed at Grid Furnishings, a store in Columbus’ Short North district on May 5, 2012.

Founded in 1969, AICUO represents privately supported, nonprofit colleges and universities in Ohio, conducting public relations, research and government relations for its members. The awards program is a statewide intercollegiate arts competition for senior students from Ohio’s independent colleges.

CCAD has had seven finalists in the last five years, with two Grand Award winners, including last year’s winner, Ken Aschliman.

First-place winner for TDAC, Evan Thomas' illustration "Past Spa"

Studio SSS, founder of the popular websites They Draw and Travel (TDAT) and They Draw and Cook (TDAC) recently announced the winners of their CCAD student competition for Illustration majors.

TDAT and TDAC were created by a brother/sister design team of Fashion Design alumna Salli Swindell (CCAD 1981) and Nate Padavick.

Swindell came to CCAD in February 2012 to lecture as part of the Visiting Artists Series. While here, she announced a competition. Students were encouraged to enter their illustrations into one or both of the sites; the top three designs would receive a cash prize.

First-place winner for TDAT, Emily Lockwood's illustration "A Climbers Guide: Red River Gorge, Kentucky"

“Not only is it a great exercise for people who enjoy drawing, but it is also a career opportunity, since we have had many professionals contact [our sites'] illustrators to do freelance work,” Swindell said during her visit.

The company received more than 70 entries for the contest and had an outside judge to choose three winners and three runners-ups. They Draw and Travel was judged by illustrator Steve Mack, who blogs regularly for Illustration Friday. Sophomore Emily Lockwood took first place, junior Jesus Walle took second, and junior Cody Hanes took third. The three runner-ups were sophomore Andrew Pena, freshman Sichong Xie, and junior Melissa Hiat.

They Cook and Draw was judged by the CEO of Flourish Agency, Inc., Christopher Ferranti, and his team. First place went to junior Evan Thomas, second place went to senior Isuri Merenchi Hewage, and third place went to senior Monica Cronin. Runner-ups were included sophomores Samuel Veirs, Alesha Williams, and Sherlann Lewandowski.

Artists from around the world have submitted their illustrated recipes and/or maps to the TDAC and TDAT sites. After receiving hundreds of submissions, the design team published their first cookbook last year, which includes illustrations from artists around the world.

They Draw and Travel winning entries can be viewed here and They Draw and Cook entries here.

Jeff Ockerse's cover illustration

Last year Illustration major Jeff Ockerse decided to add a personal project to an already rigorous year—illustrating a cover for his grandfather’s memoirs.

The recently published book, Our Childhood in the Former Colonial Dutch East Indies: Recollections Before and During Our Wartime Internment by the Japanese, is a memoir byRalph Ockerse about he and his sister Evelijn Blaney. It describes their life growing up in the former Dutch East Indies during World War II. Their family spent three-and-a-half years in an internment camp during the Japanese occupation.

Ockerse, a CCAD sophomore, sat down with his grandfather Ralph and listened to his depictions of the internment camp and the guards. Ockerse was also able to look over rough sketches that his family made to illustrate their experiences.

“My grandpa described the look of the officers to me, and I was able to see sketches of trenches and the people they worked with to get an idea of how I wanted to bring these memories to life,” Ockerse said.

His goal was to interpret and represent the struggle for survival. The illustration features a Japanese soldier walking among captured youths. Ockerse painted a large red sun, which is a symbol of Japan’s flag, as a looming presence.

“I am excited to see the published book; it will be neat to finally see it in print,” said Ockerse.

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.

FLIP logo

Seven students in an experimental animation class at CCAD recently showed their work at the Flip Animation Festival, held in the United Kingdom at the end of October.

Established in 2004, Flip is a mix of all things animation. The festival provides educational workshops, feature film screenings, and spotlights on animation studios.

Tracy Robbins, associate professor of Animation, gave the assignment for her students to enter the festival’s Flippin’ Stings competition, which called for a 1o-second “animated sting” that had to use one of the festivals sound bites and the word “flip” or the festival logo.

“This was an amazing experience for the experimental animation class, where students incorporate a variety of materials such as small objects, clay, sand, collage, traditional drawing materials and digital tools into their work,” explained Robbins.

“I presented the competition the week it was due, so they didn’t have time to over think it.,” she added.  “They had one class to work on the 10-second animation, then it had to be posted to the competition site within three days. They were able to use any style or technique and could even incorporate clips of animation that they had been working on. The students did a remarkable job with the challenge, especially considering that, for many of them, this was their first animation class. It allowed them to use the same process of many independent animators, who will incorporate the ideas, techniques and experiments from their personal work into professional projects. It drove home the fact, that, as animators, we can say something in 10 seconds, which is great to understand. As well, it was just exciting for all of us to know that the stings were being used in between sessions featuring Aardman Animation, Bill Plympton and many other inspirational animators at a festival in the UK.”

The students’ stings were  shown at the festival between workshops, panels, and screenings. The students whose work was shown include sophomores in Animation Zach Brown, Xuan Shang, and Scott Ciprian; sophomores in Cinematic Arts Elizabeth Mort and Matt O’Grady; junior in Illustration Colleen McDonnell; and senior in Animation Shannon Beech.

Follow the links to view the students’ work. Xuan Shang, Colleen McDonnell, Zach Brown, Shannon Beech, Scott Ciprian, Elizabeth Mort, and Matt O’Grady.

Members of the 1492 project sit to discuss project goals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Designed by CCAD students, Taylor Hicks and Danielle Williams

As fall semester gets into full swing, CCAD students will start seeing the fruits of some labors that began last year. The Market (CCAD’s dining hall) is going green.

“It began with a zero landfill concept,” said Dwayne Todd, vice president of student affairs and dean of students about the Student Government’s work to turn the Market into a sustainable dining center.

“Before we went ahead with any decision about sustainability within the Market we discussed the idea in an open forum with the Student Government last spring,” Todd said.

Danielle Williams, a sophomore Advertising & Graphic Design major and member of the Student Government, was involved with the committee that helped initiate the program.

“I see friends who are at universities that have all these sustainable options and to-go containers, so I figured it was time for our school to initiate a program,” Williams said.

Last year CCAD diners threw out roughly 250 to-go containers a day. This year the Styrofoam to-go containers and wax-lined paper cups are gone and the dining area is trayless and using china plates. The Market has also adopted biodegradable to-go products made out of plant materials instead of synthetics.

CCAD’s dining services recycle cardboard, aluminum, glass, and even grease. The dining service also uses biodegradable trash bags. This means that the trash bags will open and breakdown in a landfill, allowing the contents inside to break down sooner.

“It is great that we had an idea and and presented our feedback and research to Dwayne Todd and he ran with it and helped our idea become a reality,” Williams said.

But the process wasn’t all smooth sailing when they had to reach a decision about funding the project, in particular the to-go containers. A higher level of sustainability comes at a higher cost for the college. So how did they compromise?

The student government worked out a plan for the students. Instead of charging every student a higher fee for their meal plans, they decided to charge 25 cents per to-go container. The extra cost of the new containers is a total of 50 cents per container, so the college is covering half of the cost. In addition, each diner, upon purchase of a meal plan, is offered five free to-go containers.

“The Market was designed to be a social environment and this charge encourages the students to interact in the dining hall, but does not punish those who may need to take their meals with them,” Todd said.

“As a freshman, I remember our trash cans in our dorm would overflow with the old to-go-containers because everyone would just go back to their room to eat their food. With the new facilitates and initiative it will hopefully help foster interactions within our student body and college community,” Williams said.

“I am really excited to watch this initiative progress; we will continue to gather feedback from the program and make adjustments where need be. As a long-term goal, I hope to work towards gaining appropriate recycle bins in the dorms and work study areas,” Williams said.

The green initiative for the Market hopes to be completely rolled out by the end of September. The final piece is the composting dumpster. Then, student-created marketing materials will go up around campus to help explain the new sustainable changes.

So keep your eyes peeled and those sustainable minds conscious!

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.

Rapping Vikings.

Nicole Gibbs had two criteria for her Foundation Studies design class’s final project: she wanted it to involve a performance, and she wanted it to engage her students in the community beyond the CCAD campus.

The result?  A Mother’s Day puppet show performed at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) on Sunday, May 8 at 2:30 p.m.

Bryston Walters, a Fashion Design Sophomore who worked as an oncology lab technician at NCH, is a member of Gibbs’ class. He suggested performing the show at the hospital and put Gibbs in contact with the Family and Volunteer Services department at NCH.

“When I proposed the puppet show performance to Donna Trentl (at Nationwide Children’s Hospital), she was very receptive to the idea,” said Gibbs. “The staff made it very easy for us to collaborate on this project.”

The students created every aspect of the performances, from storyline to character design and set construction to marketing.  The 4-act puppet show includes a slew of characters including rapping Vikings, fluffy sea monsters, know-it-all owls, mischievous unicorns, wish-granting stars, gregarious mice, and two chatty mermaids from Jersey.

“We decided to do the performance on Mother’s Day to be a treat for families who are spending the day with loved ones who are in the hospital,” Gibbs said.

The class chronicled the entire process of the project on a blog. You can check it out at http://ccadpuppetshow.wordpress.com. Video from the performance is at http://www.youtube.com/user/CCADpuppetshow2011.

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.

Students working at the phonathon.

By  Kyle Franklin, Advertising & Graphic Design and Media Studies Freshman

If every student got to experience what I did through the phonathon, they could learn so much about our school. It fits in right between taking a class and doing an internship: because you’re talking to alumni, they’re providing you with something personal about this school, and because they’ve found a lot of success in their careers, they give you tons of advice. Here’s what I learned:

1. I made the right choice in coming here. Hearing about the alumni’s success and stories from being a student hit really close to home for me. Someday I will find the same success—and I’ll get to have the same amount of fun along the way.
2. You can never know enough about what classes to take and what professors to take them with. The alumni offered me so much advice about their majors, down to recommending classes and teachers. So I’d sit their writing down a bunch of things—pretty much everything they said. (Side note: I got three internship offers!)
3. The hard work pays off. A lot of them said that they have people who apply for jobs who don’t know how to work the Adobe programs, and their portfolios are just, uggh. I spoke with one alumna who does a lot of hiring at Limited Brands, and she said she can always tell when someone is a CCAD student because there is a certain work ethic and talent level that is so identifiable.
4. Giving back means paying it forward. A lot of our alumni received scholarships while they were here, so that’s why they give back. They even said that they couldn’t have done what they had without the scholarship they received. I’m the same way, so that’s why I’ll give back once I graduate.
5. We’re a part of one great big, growing family. Some people go to college strictly to get an education, but here it feels a lot more personal, like you and CCAD chose each other. I don’t know one student here who isn’t passionate about what they do, and when I talked to the alumni they were exactly the same way. It’s pretty cool to know that there are thousands of people in the world who have the same experience I do.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The student callers’ efforts paid off in a big way: in 2010, giving from alumni who graduated within the last 10 years increased by more than 1,000 percent.

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.

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.

The winning T-shirt design by Danielle Williams

Danielle Williams, a freshman majoring in Advertising & Graphic Design, recently received recognition for her winning submission to Faith Mission’s “A T-Shirt to Change the World” design contest.

In the presence of hundreds on Nov. 21, Faith Mission, which serves the homeless community, announced Williams as the winner at its annual “Come Together in Unity” celebration.

As a student, Williams not only excels in the classroom but also works hard to give back to the community. From the small town of North Star, this Ohio-native loves volunteering and saw the contest as a perfect opportunity to use her artistic skills to help the shelter.

In conjunction with Firm 27 and FthreeO talent agency, Faith Mission kicked off its design contest in September to get the community more involved in helping the shelter. The challenge was to design a socially-conscious logo that focuses on any of Faith Mission’s four “h” goals: eliminating hunger, ending homelessness, providing healing, or inspiring hope. The winning design is featured on T-shirts that are to be sold to raise support for the homeless shelter.

The celebration coordinator, Julian Simmons, said the winning design by Williams “is beautiful and really embodies our mission.” Faith Mission revealed the winning design by having all of the event volunteers wear the design at its largest community program to commemorate all the donors and volunteers who support the shelter and help fulfill its mission of creating a better world by serving people in need.

“Winning the contest was completely unexpected,” Williams said. “Who would have thought that I could help Faith Mission by doing something I’m passionate about—art.”

Located in downtown Columbus near CCAD’s campus, Faith Mission is known by many as not only a place for a hot meal and a warm bed, but a haven of hope as well. Since 1966, Faith Mission has served the homeless community by offering a secure, Christian-based environment for homeless men and women on an emergency walk-in basis. The agency provides shelter, food and clothing, while helping individuals with access to longer term solutions such as housing, employment assistance, medical, dental and vision care, counseling and support groups.

Image of Animal Collective shoes from guiceman.com

Charlie Malta’s grade-school shoe collection took him more than a few steps in the direction of art school; it launched the possibility of a full-time fashion business. The freshmen’s creative journey is highlighted in a recent article in Columbus Underground.

With a penchant for drawing and shoes, the carrot-topped “Guice Mann” creates custom shoes, shirts, bags and bracelets. He eventually wants to have his own line of apparel. He also can imagine an all-white car as the perfect inspirational canvas.

To read more about Malta’s creative outlets go to the article on Columbus Underground’s website.

For more about Malta go to http://guicemann.com.

Charlie Malta's website guicemann.com

Incoming freshman Charlie Malta (AKA the Guice Mann) got a shout out in the NYLON Guys magazine September issue. The Guice Man creates what the magazine’s writer, Jay Buim, describes as the “best custom sneakers we’ve seen.” The much-loved sneaks start as generic white canvas shoes and are transformed with Malta’s custom artwork. According to the article, he’s created 600 pairs so far. NYLON Guys is  a supplement to NYLON magazine, which focuses on fashion and pop culture.

Check out more of Malta’s original designs at guicemann.com.