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

Six New Faculty Named

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

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

We welcome:

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

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

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

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

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

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

2012 Family Weekend & Homecoming

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

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

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

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

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

Mix 2012

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

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

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

The plan is to make this symposium an annual event.

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

Teaching Award Winner Connects Art to Literature

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

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

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

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

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

Ten to Watch

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

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

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

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

A few teasers to think about in the meantime:

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

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

CCAD Discussed on Shanghai TV

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

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

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

Glass Alumna Helps Cruise Line Fight Cancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Family Weekend & Homecoming was Oct. 7 & 8, 2011

First we combined Family Weekend & Homecoming. Next we decided to host Start Up Weekend Columbus, and then we opened a fall exhibition—and we did it all on one spectacular weekend.

Oct. 7-9 brought hundreds of people to campus. Some were new and some hadn’t been back to visit for a while, and others were slated to spend their weekend in whirlwind entrepreneurial enterprise that launches the next great idea or business.

While our Startup Weekend guests were hard at work in the Loann Crane Center for design, families and alumni joined students for a slew of activities—many of them outside in the perfect Indian-summer weather.

The weekend kicked off Friday with dinner in the market, followed by an opening reception for CCAD’s latest exhibition Supply & Demand. Later in the evening, guests were treated to a performance by the improve troupe the Dixie Cups.

Saturday started bright and sunny with a free breakfast in the Market. Alumni, parents, grandparents, siblings, nieces, nephews, faculty, staff, students—OK, basically everyone—showed up to eat and mingle.

The kick-off/welcome assembly after breakfast gave parents and alumni a chance to hear from the president and vice presidents about exciting new initiatives coming up for CCAD. They were followed by a panel discussion with recent CCAD grads who talked about what life is like for them post-graduation. A common theme: everyone seemed to appreciate that they get more sleep now then when they were students.

The rest of the afternoon, was basically a big party. Gay street was blocked off and food trucks were brought in. The quad was filled with inflatables and tables that had everything from face painting and henna tattoos to caricature artists and people making balloon animals. About 50 plus people joined the campus tour, and an alumni presentation in the auditorium gave some a chance to take a little break and hear about the professional journey of three successful CCAD alumni.

The Family Weekend &  Homecoming wrapped up with an alumni reception, where Nathan Greno (CCAD 1993-1996) was honored with the Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence. Following the alumni reception the class of 1974 hosted a reunion and honored beloved, former faculty Billie Ingram by establishing a scholarship in her honor.

Startup Weekend Columbus continued through Sunday. Read about the project proposals that came out of the weekend & more at http://columbus.startupweekend.org/ For a great article about the weekend and the value of having creative thinkers as part of the process check out the TechLounge blog.

Check the CCAD & Alumni Facebook pages for tons of photos.

Family Weekend 2010

October 7 and 8 will combine two popular events on the CCAD campus, Family Weekend & Homecoming.

Family Weekend is a chance for student’s families to come check out what their students and CCAD have creatively stirred up.

“When parents initially drop off their kids at school they don’t get to witness all the hustle and bustle of campus,” said Erica Ott, residence hall director and assistant director of student activities.

It has been close to a month since the students arrived on campus, and they have had time to become completely integrated into the CCAD community.

Blake Roberts, a third year Advertising & Graphic Design major, shares his enthusiasm, “it is the easiest, most exciting and inviting way to show my family how I live in Columbus, I can call and tell them about my day, but the only way for them to experience my life is to see it first hand and Family Weekend makes that happen.”

Roberts has been attending family weekend for three consecutive years and is even on the Student Programming Board, which actively makes the Family Weekend what it is and helps plan for the event.

“Coming to a college is a physical and emotional transition for both the parents and students, we want this event to be a time when students can brag about their time here and parents can be reassured,” said Jason Bowser, director of student activities and orientation.

This is the first year both events have been combined and the excitement is building on campus. Last year approximately 400-500 individuals participated in family weekend and more are expected this year with the addition of homecoming.

“Family Weekend has always been successful from its planning to its execution. We have had this event for the last 10 years and every year it gets bigger and better,” Bowser said.

There will not be a shortage of activities during the weekend. The Dixie Cups, an all-female improve group, will be performing Friday night. Saturday will be kicked off with a breakfast featuring CCAD faculty and of course you can’t forget the carnival.

The carnival will host an array of inflatables, games, music, and crafts all in the Quad, the open area in front of the Loann Crane Center for Design.

“It is nice to walk out and see the Quad filled with color and activities and see not only our students and their families, but also the faculty and staff with theirs,” Bowser said.

This event has transformed over the years and with Homecoming being joined into this event, it will bring new people out for the festivities. Current students can learn from alumni and everyone can get a chance to reconnect.

“CCAD is one giant family—alumni, students, parents, etc., so it just made sense to merge the two events,” Stephanie Stover, development and alumni relations coordinator, said.

“We wanted to give our alumni multiple reasons to come back to campus—opportunities to catch up, meet with faculty members, and see all of the recent campus improvements,” Stover said.

In addition to Family Weekend & Homecoming CCAD will be opening its latest exhibition, Supply & Demand on Friday, Oct. 7 and hosting Columbus Startup Weekend Oct. 7-9.

For a full schedule of  the Family Weekend & Homecoming event, click here.

President Griffith presents the 2010 Alumni Award for Excellence to Rosanne Percival.

Each year, we ask our alumni to nominate their classmates for the Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence (AAE). It’s a way for us to acknowledge not only the success and contributions of one very deserving graduate, but also the impact CCAD alumni have all over the world.

AAE nominees must be an alum or associate alum of CCAD who has not previously received the award. Finalists are chosen based upon their accomplishments related to artistic excellence, the impact they have had on a broad spectrum of people, the significant advancements they’ve made in their art or design field, and their exemplification of CCAD’s ideals.

The award is presented during our annual Homecoming celebration. This year’s event has been completely redesigned to include an entire weekend of events for the whole CCAD family—alumni, students, parents, and faculty and staff. Save the date: Family Weekend & Homecoming is October 7-9.

To nominate the alum you think is most worthy of the award, click here.

Want to size up the AAE competition? Click here to read about 2010 award winner Rosanne Percival (CCAD 1980).