The ROI

By Dennison W. Griffith

The term “ROI” (return on investment) has entered the realm of higher education with a vengeance.

You can’t have missed it: As U.S. public funding for college education has contracted, students and families are shouldering a much higher portion of the cost — and they’re seeking reassurance that their sacrifice will be worth it.

It’s an eminently reasonable concern. Unfortunately, the recent tsunami of articles, reports, and online discussions has often lost a key nuance: How does one effectively evaluate the value of preparation for careers in professions that have radically different starting salaries?

While some fields—like engineering or finance—traditionally have high starting salaries, others—like education or law—do not, or may require extended internships or education after the bachelor’s degree.

Starting salary is simply a very limited indicator of a field’s ultimate value both to society and to the individual pursuing it.

At the Center

Creative education is a great example of this. The new app you just downloaded on your smartphone required a designer or illustrator and an animator along with the programmers. And a creative promotional campaign spurred you to download it.

What would the team that launched that new app say to school rankings that advise prospective college students that only the programmer’s future prospects are worth pursuing? The programmer may deliver the content — but artists and designers bring it to life and deliver the customer.

Who’s Got Answers?

As CCAD president, I led a national-level conversation on this question when I co-chaired a panel discussion at the 2012 annual meeting of NASAD (the National Association of Schools of Art and Design).

And as schools outside the United States start to field similar questions from their students, we’re there, too. I was one of just 15 leaders who met last fall in Hangzhou, China, for a conference of the International Art Presidents Network, where I was proud to contribute CCAD’s experiences to the international conversation about global best practices in the constantly changing realm of art and design education.

The good news that we share everywhere we go: there are plenty of data-based ways to describe the value of higher education in the creative fields.

Working—and Happy

The arts compare favorably to other majors in employability and job satisfaction:

• Even during the recent recession, creative professions have been adding jobs.
• Arts-related college graduates are finding work in their fields at higher rates than graduates in many science-related fields. Their unemployment rate is a third less than the national average. (And contrary to what Aunt Jackie might predict, only 3% are working in food service!)
• A recent national study found that 9 of 10 arts graduates were satisfied with the job in which they spend the majority of their work time. And 82% were satisfied with their ability to be creative in their current work.

Private creative education is a powerful investment that pays off.

• The average three-year loan default rate for private art and design schools is barely half of the national average for all colleges.
• 80% of undergrad alumni from private art and design schools are now working or have worked in their professional fields after graduation, compared to only 64% from multidisciplinary schools.
• 71% of graduates from private art and design schools say their college education is relevant to their current work, compared to only 59% of alumni from multidisciplinary schools.

Staying on Target

But value is, by necessity, a moving target. We listen closely to our students and their families. Our partners in the creative economy also help us keep our curriculum in tune with what hiring managers are looking for.

At CCAD we’re leading other art schools by

• Providing real-life art, design, and entrepreneurship opportunities through the CCAD MindMarket’s DesignLab and the college’s Entrepreneurship Club. (20% of CCAD graduates will launch their own small businesses.)
• Infusing business knowledge throughout our curriculum. It’s not just important for those who start their own companies — even creative employees need to understand the bottom-line component of their work.
• Reworking our freshman year to allow broad, accurate exposure to different majors — ensuring right fit between student and his/her specialized training.

More about Careers

Want to read more about the creative economy and what it means for graduates in the arts? Take a look at Columbus College of Loving What You Do, our newest publication at issuu.com.

CCAD President Denny Griffith writes a note on a student’s drawing during the IAPN conference

A boardroom in Hangzhou, China was filled in November with presidents from the top 15 art and design schools from around the world and Denny Griffith, president of Columbus College of Art & Design, was among them.

“It was a little surreal when we got there,” Griffith said. “We all convened in a formal boardroom with interpreters and more than 50 reporters and photographers. It was invigorating for me to sit next to these people from around the world that I admire, and talk on a higher level about some of the philosophical challenges we face, as art and design colleges and universities.”

The leaders gathered as part of the International Art Presidents Network (IAPN), which launched four years ago by Tony Jones from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Xu Jiang from the China Academy of Art, and Pan Gongkai from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts.

The goal of the conference and committee meeting was to foster conversations about global best-practices and the changing nature of art and design students. Discussions circled around how colleges and universities must be nimble in managing change, especially when concerning the roles of media and technology.

“We talked a lot about experimentation as it relates to how we are handling change in our institutions and the pressures that are on our institutions to perform in the digital era,” Griffith said. “The root reason for gathering these presidents and college leaders together is that, from an art and design perspective, we really are a part of a global village. We are living in an age where multi-national corporations are hiring our students and they are looking at us to prepare them for both the cultural and business sectors.”

The 15 schools participating in the conference included California College of the Arts, California Institute of the Arts, China Academy of Art, China Central Academy of Fine Arts, College of Fine Arts UNSW, Columbus College of Art & Design, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris, The Glasgow School of Art, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Royal Academy of Art in UK, School of Culture and Creative Expressions at Ambedkar University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Tokyo University of the Arts, University of Art and Design Helsinki, and the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg.

CCAD President Denny Griffith writes a note on a student’s drawing during the IAPN conference

Mutual Challenges, Opportunities

Although Griffith notes the similarities between these international institutions, it was also fascinating to him how wildly different the colleges and presidents were. Most of the institutions, outside of the United States, are completely subsidized by their governments. This creates drastically different goals from those who are tuition dependent.

“In some ways we were comparing apples to two-by-fours because of the economics of our institutions,” Griffith said. “Still the challenges and opportunities for us to learn from one another were exceptional. As colleges of art and design, whether we are in Ohio, Beijing, or Hamburg, we have these complicated relationships with the cultures we live in and the responsibilities we have to the students that we bring on board.”

“At this conference we were able to stop all the frantic work we do day after day and think about the nature of experimentation—and how to become the kind of places that nurture the kind of thinking and critical art process that helps generate the next cultural critics and also people who will bring significant contributions to today’s businesses,” Griffith continued.

Provocateur in a Creative Economy

Griffith said CCAD has duel and contrasting roles. On one side CCAD must be a provocateur, and on the other side it must fuel the creative economy and workforce. Both of these roles have to be congruent and work seamlessly together.

“The things CCAD is doing to infuse business education into our curriculum were really of interest to the colleges and other institutions,” Griffith said.

Often Griffith found himself talking to his colleagues about the need to not only have our students dream big dreams and set out and do visionary work, but they also need to spend time cultivating relationships to the students’ parents to help their kids become well-rounded citizens and have high employability.

“It became a real affirmation to me on all the things we, at CCAD, have going on,” Griffith said. “I remember thinking, after a very long day, that we are absolutely on the right track in terms of our focus on developing curriculum and hiring the best faculty. I feel really proud of our school and the people that are helping to progress it.”

To Griffith, simplifying the administrative structure by dividing into a two school format (School of Studio Arts and School of Design Arts) along with having a strong focus on business education will truly drive CCAD to function at a world-class level, and stand on a competitive edge with these schools from around the world.

“We are nimble, we are managing change as a team,” Griffith said. “I am so proud of our people here at the college, from staff to faculty and everyone in between. We have people that recognize that a lively, vital, progressive, powerful institution has to have many voices at the table that will work together and that is the exact culture we have going on here.”

Building the CCAD Network

Griffith was also able to explore museums and galleries during his time in China. He was able to see the Sun Dynasty scroll come to life as a series of animations, he witnessed an old power station become a contemporary art center, and saw mind blowing architecture that we, in Columbus, could only dream of having.

He was accompanied on these excursions by Leah Wong, who has taught at CCAD and is now assisting the college with a teaching exchange with the China Academy of Art. They visited and networked with local China art academies to help strengthen CCAD’s partnership with them and their students; hoping to strengthen the bond between global art and design schools and educational opportunities.

“Even with all the cultural differences and economic difference CCAD was like most everyone there,” Griffith said. “We are concerned about the success of our students and are balancing the ideal of being idea and also market driven. We are both a college and a crusader.”

Dennison W. Griffith

With students and faculty returning to campus refreshed from summer and ready for new challenges, fall is always an exciting time to be at CCAD. This year, our curriculum and facilities are reenergized, too, as the two-school administrative structure and the new CCAD MindMarket take their first steps.

CCAD’s role as the critical link between raw creative talent and the ever-growing, ever-changing creative economy is clearer and more vital than ever. We continue to focus on artistic and design excellence, but with an increased emphasis on the kinds of skills that can only be developed with a healthy dose of business education. We know this will be a key differentiator for CCAD graduates in the years ahead, and we’re on it!

Just look at the stories in this issue:

• Project-based education, where students work with clients to formulate real-life creative solutions outside the classroom, is a big part of a CCAD education—and getting bigger. Read more here.
• Photography alumna Anna Dickson (CCAD 2004) demonstrates how today’s economy is offering more and more avenues to creative professionals who keep their eyes open and their skills current. Read more here.
• Well-loved (and well-respected) faculty member emeritus Curtis Benzle is using his retirement to find new outlets for his teaching and new directions for his art. Read more here.

One last thing. Each fall, the worldwide CCAD community comes together to support students with our annual fund drive. Every single dollar you invest in our mission has real impact—for today’s CCAD students and tomorrow’s creative world. I hope you’ll join us. Please use the online donation form to make your investment today.

Warm regards,

Dennison W. Griffith

President

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

An opening reception for Griffith’s exhibition is set for Oct. 26

CCAD President Denny Griffith has a solo exhibition, The Power of the Mark: 2011-2012, at Hammond Harkins Galleries, Oct. 26–Nov. 25 in Bexley, OH.

The exhibition combines encaustic paintings, works on paper, and photographs. Griffith has also installed a snow fence across the street from the gallery.

Griffith’s work has been shown in more than 90 group and solo exhibitions domestically and abroad, and he is represented by Hammond Harkins Gallery. His work is also in the collections of public institutions including, The Butler Institute of American Art, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, and the China Academy of Art.

Click here to watch an invitation from Griffith.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

President Denny Griffith with the 2012 Senior Gift Committee

When searching for a gift to leave behind to the college, the 2012 Senior Class Gift Committee decided to start from what everyone of its peers does best, their art.

The committee decided to complete a project called Epilogue. Their members collected works from their fellow students and silent auctioned them at the CCAD Spring Art Sale. All of the proceeds were then donated to the CCAD scholarship fund.

At the senior picnic, hosted by President Denny Griffith, Chavilah Bennett, the chair of the committee, and 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 2012 and featuring the class’s slogan (go amaze), the banner will hang at all of the group’s future alumni gatherings.

“Not only is this a representation of our gift, but it is also a signed promise to keep in touch with our peers and with the school,” Bennett said.

“I repeat this message a lot, but donating to the scholarship fund is vital for our creative community,” Griffith said. He asked students to raise their hands if they received a scholarship and look around. The students were able to see, that the majority of students in attendance received support from previous donations.

The 2012 Senior Gift Committee included, Sean Gorant (Advertising & Graphic Design), Natelise Loeb (Advertising & Graphic Design and Illustration), Aaron Roberts (Advertising & Graphic Design) Mark St. Romain (Advertising & Graphic Design), Nicky Smith (Advertising & Graphic Design), and Dion Utt (Fine Arts)

The 2012 graduating class will be accepting their diplomas on May 12 at the Ohio Theatre, and from there on they will truly go and amaze!

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

Griffith's tiny ceramic mug

Of course, our first stop was CCAD President Dennison W. Griffith. He’s a regular attendee who has been coming for the past 23 years (which is way before he was our president).

“I love seeing our students and returning alumni,” Griffith said. “It is always great to see exceptional art and I am always on the lookout for really distinctive and unusual photography, which my wife Beth and I collect.”

Griffith’s most memorable purchase, so far: a tiny ceramic mug that stands nearly one-and-a-half inches tall.

Mayor Michael Coleman, a well known face in the community, can often be spotted roaming the tables at the CCAD Art Sales.

Last spring he picked up a couple of beautiful paintings from CCAD student artists. He has attended the show six times, and this year he hopes to get in early for a first look at the unique treasures the Art Sale boasts.

“I will definitely be attending and look forward to seeing the marvelous creativity of our artists,” Coleman said.

CCAD faculty and staff know what to expect from the art sale and take full advantage of it. CCAD web manager Lacey Luce has been coming for more than 10 years.

“I always find something unexpected and there is always an impulse buy. Last spring I went for jewelry, which I got and love, but I also stumbled upon a zombie tote bag. Of course I had to buy it—who wouldn’t.”

Whether you walk away with a mug, painting, jewelry, or a zombie tote, the CCAD Holiday Art Sale will have plenty of treasures waiting to be found!

The CCAD Art Sale is Saturday, Dec. 3, in CCAD’s Loann Crane Center for Design. Doors open at 9 a.m. with first choice admission ($50). General admission ($5) starts at 10:30. The sale is open until 2 p.m. All sales proceeds go directly to the artists, admissions fees fund student scholarships. Parking is free in CCAD lots.

Gov. John Kasich and CCAD senior Aaron Roberts

Surrounded by reporters on a rainy Monday morning, CCAD President Dennison W. Griffith and Ohio Governor John Kasich along with a CCAD senior design student, Aaron Roberts,  unveiled the new designs for Ohio’s license plate and driver’s license—the results of a four-month collaboration between the college and the state.

The project started with an invitation by Mark Kvamme, interim chief investment officer and president of JobsOhio, to redesign the state’s most visible moving moniker and the identification card carried by millions across the state.

Griffith said CCAD’s Design Group, led by Creative Director Lindsay Kronmiller, researched every plate in Ohio history and reviewed samples from across the country and around the world to identify the elements that meet the requirements of safety and law enforcement officials, while at the same time creating a vibrant and memorable image for the state.

From left, Aaron Roberts, Gov. John Kasich, Walker MacKenzie Crane, Mark Kvamme, Isuri Merrnchi Hewage, Katlyn Westbrook, and Taylor Hicks

The five members of the CCAD team on the license plate project included: Aaron Roberts; Walker MacKenzie Crane, Granville, Ohio; Isuri Merenchi Hewage, Colombo, Sri Lanka; Taylor Hicks, Columbus, Ohio; Katlyn Westbrook, Pataskala, Ohio. The student designers brainstormed more than 100 concepts and toured the production plant in an Ohio prison to see the parameters of the presses where their designs would be fabricated. The team selected five final concepts to present to their clients, Public Safety department and BMV administrators. And, finally, a choice was made:  Aaron Roberts’ aviation-inspired theme, which features an aviation wing shape embedded with an outline of the state, along with a series of phrases from Ohio’s history screened in gray on the white background area.

“This partnership has provided our students with opportunities to manage client relationships and design challenges,” said Griffith. “In today’s economic climate, where creativity is key to solving business problems, projects such as this one give our students the experience they need to transition from the classroom to the job market.”

During the press event, the Governor announced an interactive twist to the project. The public will get to vote on the phrases and words from Ohio’s history that will be used on the plates, which range from “The Buckeye State” to “Home of Astronauts.”  Voting will take place online until Jan. 8, 2012, at http://myplate.ohio.gov.

“To see something that you designed shared every day, with everyone in Ohio and that represents the pride of our state, is really sublime,” said Roberts, a senior majoring in Advertising & Graphic Design .

After the voting is completed the new designs will go into production, a process that can take six to nine months. The new plates and licenses are expected to be available in December 2012, after the current inventory has been used.

Check out video about the project here: Meet the Designer & See the Design Process, and read the related press release online.

Dennison W. Griffith

Be honest. If I asked you to picture an artist at work, what would come into your mind?

Whether you imagine a man or a woman, using a camera or a paintbrush or a computer stylus, I’ll bet you five bucks that I can name one component of your vision: the artist is alone in the room.

If I’m right, I hope you’re ready to refresh your thinking. Maybe it’s just because it’s getting cooler outside in the Midwest and we’re all huddling together for warmth, but lately it seems particularly clear how false it is to think of artists simply as solitary and self-focused. We speak for others, lend our talents to others, and participate in networks that reach worldwide. Just look at the stories in this issue:

• CCAD alumna Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson has earned national prominence for her lifelong embodiment of the artist as a community voice.
• Whether with puppets or video, CCAD students are finding vital roles as community resources, even as freshmen.
• Christopher Maslon (CCAD 1996) is expanding CCAD’s reach in northeast Asia with an almost 10-year teaching career in South Korea.

There’s one last aspect of community that I want to remind you about, and that’s how every fall the worldwide CCAD community comes together to support students with our annual fund drive. Every single dollar has real impact—first helping a current CCAD student, then flowing back out and contributing to the larger creative community when that student graduates. Please visit www.ccad.edu/support and give today.

Warm regards,

Dennison W. Griffith
President

Denny Griffith

TEDx is hosting its third event on Nov. 11, 2011; and, true to the national TED mission, the event has a stellar line up of people with ideas worth sharing—including CCAD President Denny Griffith.

The TEDx 2011 event, A Moment in Time, is an all-day experience for attendees and will include 18 speakers and performers presenting their discoveries and observations to spark discussion and interest within the group and community. TEDx speakers come from all walks of life ranging from poets to entomologists, and, yes, college presidents.

Griffith’s speech, “Personas in Balance,” will reveal his insights on balancing his public and private personas.

In the short video preview of his speech, Griffith commented on how he will explain the tension and balance between his workplace and studio—his life as an artist and his life as an administrator.

“I hope participants will get a sense of their own inner/outer balance and the way that the things of our lives tend to carry us forward in unexpected and happy ways,” he said in the video.

CCAD students will not have to go far to hear their president and the rest of the line up speak. The college will be hosting a live stream of the event in the Canzani Center multipurpose room from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. the day of the event.

For more information on the TEDx Columbus event click here.

Michael Goodson, director of exhibitions

Just as CCAD gears up for fall semester, the college will get an extra creative boost with a new exhibitions director and faculty member. CCAD recently announced the appointment of Michael Goodson as the  new director of exhibitions who will join the college in August and  be teaching in the sculpture department starting in fall.

“Michael has a sophisticated grasp of contemporary developments in diverse fields of visual creativity,” President Denny Griffith remarked. “His fresh and inspiring ways of contextualizing contemporary art and design through exhibitions and programming will be key to the continued prominence of the college’s exhibitions program.”

Since 2006, Goodson has been the exhibitions director at the James Cohan Gallery, New York, NY, where he was active in the selection of works for group and solo shows and art fairs.

“As the exhibition director of the James Cohan Gallery, Michael has traveled the world. His global perspective, strong ties to the art world, and his desire to return to Ohio made him the best candidate,” said Faculty Council Chair Tim Rietenbach, who was on the search committee for the position and is the chair of student exhibitions.

In addition to his curatorial experience, Goodson has also maintained a diverse teaching practice at several institutions of higher learning, starting in 1998. He has been adjunct professor of art at Hunter College and Wright State University. He earned a BFA in sculpture from Wright State University and an MFA in sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Goodson will develop a rolling two-year calendar of exhibitions and related activities. He says he wants “to use this position to connect with students and faculty, and to get a feel for what will work best to create an exhibition program that will integrate with the college’s academic program in a lively and engaging way.”

Of his new job Goodson adds wryly, “I’d actually like to find it ill fitting at first, allowing a bit of room to grow.”

Read the full press release.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Kevin J. Conlon

Columbus College of Art & Design recently announced that Kevin J. Conlon will become the new vice president of academic affairs (VPAA) at CCAD, effective June 23, 2011.

“Kevin has a keen grasp of contemporary academic challenges and trends, rich experience in the nurturing and development of art and design faculty and students, and a clear love affair with our distinctive kind of higher education,” said President Dennison W. Griffith. “As both artist and administrator, he brings the sensibilities and sensitivities we need to continue to sharpen our work and elevate our quality. I couldn’t be happier about his appointment and am very eager to have him join the CCAD family.”

Conlon most recently served as the associate vice president for academic affairs atRingling College of Art and Design. Previously, he served as dean of undergraduate studies at Savannah College of Art and Design. Conlon earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of South Alabama and his Master of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University.

In addition to his administrative positions, Conlon also works as a writer and consultant in the fields of interaction design, architectural restoration, foundry work, curriculum design and institutional effectiveness. He has maintained his studio practice for more than 25 years. His distinctive sculptural works in bronze, cast resin, clay, and fiberglass, as well as oil paintings and works on paper have won many awards and honorariums, and have been exhibited widely.

Conlon is looking forward to working with faculty and staff. “I feel that CCAD is perfectly poised to take advantage of unique synergies being developed around the idea of creativity and creative thinking as a force for change,” he said. “You see, the kind of thinking that artists and designers do every day is not only being realized in today’s very powerful creative economy, but also being recognized as a potent way to seek and solve today’s problems.  This means that CCAD students are going to remain well-poised to become not only the next generation of visual communicators, but also the next generation of global leadership.”

As the college’s chief academic officer Conlon is expected to lead the continuous improvement of academic programs by shaping the academic and cultural tone of the institution. He will perform an essential role in orchestrating faculty and academic leadership’s creation of a coherent and forward-looking platform for design-based, cross-disciplinary education and will assist Griffith in formulating policy and in strengthening and developing partnerships with other academic institutions.

Dean of Fine Arts and Foundation Studies Julie Taggart was on the search committee for the position. “I was looking for an individual with creative vision and leadership experience within an institution like CCAD,” Dean Taggart said. “I feel confident that Kevin’s ideas, energy and enthusiasm will accelerate the progression of innovative concepts that fuel a dynamic curriculum.”

Read the full press release.

The Creative Excellence Fund was established in 2010 with a visionary leadership gift from the Davis Foundation as a last-dollar scholarship fund to help students who are short on cash—but not on hard work—look forward to graduating from CCAD and contributing their talent and intellect to the creative economy.

“In this period of unprecedented economic uncertainty, CCAD has found that there is a vulnerable point between the junior and senior years in students’ paths toward graduation,” said CCAD President Dennison W. Griffith. “Severe challenges can result from changes in families’ financial situations and increases in the annual cost of studio materials for higher-level classes. The Creative Excellence Fund directly addresses this need.”

Specifically, the endowed fund generates need-based scholarships to support CCAD juniors and seniors with excellent academic records who have fallen short of funding for their education despite having applied for all available aid. The first scholarships will be distributed in the 2011-2012 school year.

“Last-dollar scholarships like these can be the difference between educational success and failure for students at CCAD,” Griffith continued. “The Davis Foundation grant means that some of our best students will be able to continue their education and graduate.”

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.

Provost Anedith Nash (left) & President Dennison W. Griffith (middle) present Kelly Malec-Kosak with the CCAD Award for Teaching Excellence.

Kelly Malec-Kosak, was presented with the fifth annual Award for Teaching Excellence during a ceremony in the Canzani Center, April 21. The event, which was attended by faculty, staff, and members of the board of trustees, also honored Provost Anedith Nash, who is retiring this year along with faculty Susan Josephson and Peter Rasmussen.

The Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes the exemplary efforts of CCAD’s faculty, their overall contributions to the college as a whole, and use of classroom settings to engage and enhance student experiences. Nominations are submitted by current CCAD students, faculty and alumni.

Malec-Kosak is an associate professor in Fine Arts and Graduate Studies and the chair of Dimensional Studies, teaching jewelry/small metals and studio professions.  She has been the recipient of Cincinnati’s Individual Artist Grant and an Individual Excellence Award from Ohio Arts Council. She exhibits throughout the U.S. and her work has been featured in Metalsmith magazine.

One nominator wrote the following of Ms. Malec-Kosak: “She has taught me about current issues in the art world, how to write about my work, how to step out and become a visible artist, and how to have confidence in and speak about my work”

After the teaching award was presented, attention was turned to the faculty who, after decades of service, are retiring from CCAD. Dean Julie Taggart honored Fine Arts professor Peter Rasmussen, who teaches sculpture. His work has been exhibited in group and juried shows, and is included in a number of public and private collections, including Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, Bank One, and the Builders’ Exchange.

Liberal Arts Dean Ed Lathy honored Professor Susan Jospheson, who teaches introduction to philosophy, philosophy of visual art, and philosophy of media. She is the author of the book From Idolatry to Advertising: Visual Art and Contemporary Culture, and co-editor of a book on artificial intelligence research, Abductive Inference; Computation, Philosophy, Technology. BA, MA and Ph.D, The Ohio State University.

Dennison W. Griffith

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

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

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

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

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

Warm regards,

Dennison W. Griffith

President

President Griffith will narrate the event, "Birth of the Cool" April 29-30 at the Lincoln Theatre.

Just how cool is CCAD President Denny Griffith? So cool that he is narrating an event titled Birth of the Cool , April 29-30 at Columbus’s historic Lincoln Theatre.

Birth of the Cool is a recreation of the iconic 1949-50 Miles Davis recording sessions that remains one of the defining, pivotal moments in jazz. The event features Mark Flugge (music director) and Jim Powell (trumpet) and a multi-media retrospective of mid-century art and design narrated by President Griffith.

Single tickets are on sale now for $25 (orchestra) and $30 (loge) and are available by phone at 614.469.0939 and through all Ticketmaster outlets. Student tickets are also available for $15 with student ID at the door only. Call 614.294.5200 or visit www.jazzartsgroup.org for more information.

Columbus Alive will host a post-concert happy hour event on Saturday, April 30 at Black Creek Bistro (51 Parsons Avenue in Olde Towne East) featuring dinner and drink specials including a signature drink created especially for the Birth of the Cool concert.

In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month and in partnership with the Jazz Arts Group, the Columbus Museum of Art has developed a special Guide-by-Cell tour inspired by the Birth of the Cool. Audiences can be moved by music and art while discovering the works of artists Man Ray, Rosemare Bearden, Stephen Longstreet and more. Free with museum admission during the month of April.

The Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) is America’s oldest not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to producing, performing and promoting jazz. JAG is the third largest performing arts organization in Columbus and consists of four focus areas: the Columbus Jazz Orchestra (CJO), one of the world’s finest professional jazz orchestras; the Jazz Academy, JAG’s extensive instructional programs educating both students and adults about jazz and American music; Inside Track, a new jazz and blues performance series produced at the historic Lincoln Theatre; and Affiliate Musicians, a program providing employment opportunities for professional musicians.

President Dennison W. Griffith welcomes Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman to the Art Sale.

More than 1,100 guests packed the Loann Crane Center for Design on Saturday, April 16, searching for their next piece of art, stunning new purse, or custom made creatures—which works out great for the students, alumni, and faculty and staff who sold their work at the biannual show but even better for future CCAD students who will benefit in one of the most valuable ways—scholarships.

The entrance fee from guests raised more than $9,000 to support the CCAD General Scholarship Fund, which means that the attendees aren’t just art enthusiasts; they’re philanthropists.

“Community members consistently come out to our art sales for two reasons,” said Vice President for Institutional Advancement Stephanie Hightower. “They know they will find some of the best artwork Columbus has to offer, but more importantly, they want to support the future of CCAD.”

Read more about the event’s previous success in our blog, CCAD’s Spring Art Sale: Success in Numbers.

"Botanica 3.1" by President Dennison W. Griffith is on display in "Blossom!" an exhibition at Hammond Harkins Gallery.

Blossom!, The Art of Fruit and Flower, an exhibition featuring the works of CCAD President Dennision W. Griffith and numerous alumni, opens Friday, April 15, from 5–8 p.m. at Hammond Harkins Galleries in Bexley, Ohio. Showing alongside President Griffith are Fine Arts alumnus Mark Bush (CCAD 2009), Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus James Mason (CCAD 1971), and Illustration alumnus Paul Hamilton (CCAD 1988).

Besides being our fearless leader, President Griffith  is the recipient of artists fellowships for painting from the Greater Columbus Arts Council (1996), the Ohio Arts Council (1987-88 and 1989-90), and an Arts Midwest/NEA Regional Fellowship in 1990-91. His work has been included in more than 80 solo and group exhibitions and is represented in the collections of such institutions as the Butler Institute of American Art, the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center, and the Columbus Metropolitan Library as well as corporate collections ranging from Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City to ARCO in Los Angeles.

Bush has received numerous scholarships and awards from Ohio and across the country. After placing second for the nation in a painting contest for the National Society of Arts and Letters, Mark was featured in the fall 2007 edition of American Artist Watercolor magazine as an emerging artist.

Mason is best known for the topiary interpretation of  Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Ile de la Grande Jatte that he created at the Columbus Deaf School Park. His work can be seen in private and public collections throughout North America. In addition to creating exquisite topiaries and wooden figures, Mason has been an instructor at Columbus’ Cultural Arts Center from 1978 to present.

Hamilton’s resume includes a long list of gallery and museum shows for his painting, sculpture and installation media. A few of these locations include the Franklin Park Conservatory, the Decorative Arts Center, as well as three exhibitions with David Findlay Galleries in New York. Paul’s work is also in private collections throughout the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, and Great Britain.

Hammond Harkins Galleries is located at 2264 East Main Street in Bexley. More information about the gallery can be found on its website.

“The BIT arose from the global reality that some students now come to college with pre-existing mental issues and histories of concerning behaviors,” said Chris Mundell, assistant dean of students and chair of the BIT. “Instead of reacting to the situations that may arise due to these issues, we have adopted a community approach to awareness. All members of the CCAD family are invested in identifying students who may be in distress and getting them the help they need.”

CCAD President Dennison W. Griffith recently issued a reminder that awareness and intervention are key to maintaining safety on campus.

“The continued success of CCAD’s Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) is imperative in maintaining the safety and well-being of our students and community,” Griffith said. “With classes resuming Tuesday, Jan. 18, and in light of the recent events in Arizona, we all are reminded of the importance of identifying and assisting individuals who exhibit high-risk behaviors as early as possible.”

At the beginning of each semester, the BIT reminds faculty, staff, and parents to contact them if concerned about potentially harmful, threatening, or disruptive behavior of a student. Depending on the nature of the behavior, the severity of the safety risk, and the needs of the student, the BIT may respond with a behavioral contract, parental notification, a student conduct response from Judicial Affairs, a psychological assessment, or mandated medical leave.

Mundell holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University and serves as president-elect of the Ohio College Personnel Association, a state division of the American College Personnel Association. He has worked as a student affairs administrator for seven years and contributed to an upcoming book, Contested Issues in Student Affairs by Peter M. and Marcia Baxter Magolda, which is due out in July.

Read the full press release.