Marquee at 134th spring commencement

Nearly 250 Columbus College of Art & Design students graced the stage of the historic Ohio Theatre to receive their diplomas on Saturday, May 11, 2013.

The 134^th annual commencement in downtown Columbus included an address by nationally renowned artist Mel Chin, who was also awarded an honorary degree by the college.

James E. Kunk, vice chair of CCAD’s board of trustees; Dennison W. Griffith, CCAD president; Kevin J. Conlon, vice president for academic affairs; and director of graduate studies and professor Ric Petry conferred the nine master of fine arts degrees and the bachelor of fine arts.

Student government president and Advertising & Graphic Design major Cailyn Driscoll addressed the audience of peers and family, followed by recognition of the nine outstanding seniors:

• Lillie Templeton, Advertising & Graphic Design
• Tyler Crowley, Animation
• Patrick Kain, Cinematic Arts
• Katharine Hire, Fashion Design
• Stefanie Cook, Fine Arts
• Wesley Talbott, Illustration
• Justin Brown, Industrial Design
• Katelyn Venia, Interior Design
• Kayla Holdgreve, Photography

President Griffith introduced the 2013 class valedictorian, Advertising & Graphic Design major Lillie Templeton.

Following the valedictorian’s address, Griffith spoke to the graduating class. He offered them a heartfelt farewell and encouraged them to spread their talent and the message of love across the world.

Check out a video from the 2013 commencement here.

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.

Part of Andrew J. McCauley’s final thesis

On April 12, CCAD will open the exhibition Trace of a Moving Point, which is the culmination of two years of intense study for nine MFA candidates.

The exhibition in the Canzani Center Gallery will showcase the graduating MFA students’ innovative work, ranging from glass, installation, video, and photography to illustration, painting, and digital media.

The artists are Kristin Baird, Amy Cubberly-Yeager, Linda T. Diec, Laurie Ihlenfield, Mike Laughead, Andrew J. McCauley, Liz Morrison, Amy Lynn Schweizer, and Pamela I. Theodotou.

“My work revolves around the effects that diseases like multiple sclerosis have on the body and mind,” Andrew J. McCauley says in his artist statement.

McCauley’s multimedia paintings incorporate the human figure into a narrative landscape that acts as a metaphor for memory loss.

Photograph by Amy Schweizer

He creates his work by carving into the surface, adding a mixture of gasoline and paint pigments to the panels, and then igniting them. The stains left on the surface call to mind blood vessels and neurons underneath the skin.

Another MFA candidate, Amy Lynn Schweizer, also relates her work to illness. “Illness is a common thread that connects all people to one another. And as changes in health occur, one’s sense of self can change as well,” she says in her artist statement.

Schweizer photographs in black and white, capturing the subjects as they are moving, to create a ghostlike appearance.

Still from Pamela I. Theodotou’s “Pandora”

Pamela I. Theodotou’s final thesis also explores the world through a lens.

During her time at CCAD, Theodotou created three “cinemagraphic novels,” which combines words, images, video, and motion graphics. According to her artist statement, the final one, Pandora, looks at “confrontations created when beauty and the grotesque are brought into the philosophiocal dualities of truth and immortality.”

Theodotou was the writer, producer, cinematographer, artistic director, and production designer for the project. The second film in her series, Stark Justice, will appear in film festivals in Columbus, OH, and Los Angeles this year.

The cover of Mike Laughead’s graphic novel

While Theodotou uses moving pictures for her “novels,” Mike Laughead takes a more classic illustration approach with his thesis project. The Legend of Acornhead is a fantasy-genre graphic novel about a teenage girl leaving her religious commune to seek a husband.

Laughead collaborated with an inker and colorist to develop the story, for which he drew inspiration from his experiences as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and, in particular, his time as a missionary in Argentina. The graphic novel addresses themes of acceptance between people with different points of view, but with a sense of humor to appeal to a younger audience.

Amy Cubberly-Yeager’s multiple self-portraits

The idea of identity is explored in Amy Cubberly-Yeager’s final thesis. Her work explores portraiture and self-portraiture in materials such as oil, charcoal, wood, wool, coffee, and beans.

Cubberly-Yeager uses repeated self-portraits to reveal her true identity through repetition and redundancy. This process, according to her artist statement, is similar to when a word is repeated over and over again and begins to sound bizarre and lose its meaning.

Kristin Baird’s paintings deal with repetition—in her case, the patterns of “the urban core, be they structures that make up the urban environment, the footprint on which the city is built, or the human interactions and relationships occuring within the city,” as noted in her artist statement.

Detail of Kristin Baird’s “Tracing 1″

Her two- and three-dimensional works showcase layers of patterns and elements found in her urban surroundings and her movements within them.

Another MFA candidate that explores repetition and order is Laurie Ihlenfield. Her work considers the idea that order is consistently being challenged by nature and time and that man has no control over this.

“We find comfort in order, but our push toward order is constantly challenged by nature and time,” Ihlenfield said in her artist statement. “Nature is a force that can be altered, but not ignored.”

Detail shot of Laurie Ihlenfield’s work

Her large-scale embroidered drawings have a sense of grandeur, but at the same time are delicate and precise.

Her inspiration comes from the the cities, cultures, and landscapes she has viewed in her lifetime and her observation of how humans arrange and react those environments.

Linda T. Diec is similarly inspired by her culture and environment. A first-generation American born to Vietnamese refugees, she grew up in a home where her parents were pressured to stop speaking their native language. This led Diec to look at the meaning and origins of language and translate that investigation into her work.

Linda Diec in her studio

Diec’s final project, Halo, “illustrates the ego and futility of the human desire for perfection with poetic environments rich in cultural, spatial, and theoretical irony.” Her artist statement also describes her desire to create something extraordinary out of common materials.

Liz Morrison’s final thesis derives from something that is certainly not a common material— the night sky and the chaos and beauty in its constellations.

Her original poetry is presented visually as though it were a constellation—with clusters of words and connecting lines highlighted against deeply colored backgrounds.

Detail of one of Liz Morrison’s works

“The setting for the stories is a quiet, personal cosmos, an intimate experience of the infinite created through scale and construction,” she says in her statement. “Whereas the expansive night sky overhead is overpowering, these modestly sized pieces are approachable.”

Check out all nine candidates’ work in Trace of a Moving Point, April 12–May 3 in the Canzani Center Gallery. There will be an opening reception April 12, 6 p.m.

CCAD’s MFA in Visual Arts is a project-based, non-media-specific curriculum that focuses on individual artistic/design development and creative leadership. It brings together talented individuals from a variety of different media to build a community that fosters exploration, professionalism, and creative success.

Classnotes, March 2013

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

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

Now, without further ado, your classnotes from December, January, and February!

Tim Rietenbach ’77, Joel Gundlach ’86, David Burghy ’89, and Danielle Julian Norton ’99 showed their work in a CCAD faculty exhibition at Columbus’ Cultural Arts Center. Read more here.

Jamie Berger ’78 curated PUSH Print, a book on contemporary printmaking published by Lark Crafts. Read more here.

Paul Emory ’78, Ellen O’Connell Bazzoli ’83, Alex Conrad MFA ’12, Nicole Crock MFA ’12, and Virginia Kistler MFA ’12 showed their work in the Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition, presented at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery. Read more here.

Richard Cowdrey ’81 illustrated the re-released children’s book The Legend of the Candy Cane. Read more here.

Joel Gundlach ’86 designed new starting blocks for New Albany High School’s natatorium. Read more here.

Ed Valentine ’91 and Michael Stillion ’02 had exhibitions at Linda Warren Projects in Chicago. Read more here.

Julie Abijanac ’92 had her piece Disease Mapping selected for the Fiberart International 2013 exhibition. Read more here.

Anthony Weiler ’94, Annie Weihrauch ’03, Hazel Tarr ’07, and Maggy O’Reilly VanOrder ’09 are participants in CCAD’s MindMarket Incubator. Read more here.

Benjamin Lane ’96 is now a story artist at Disney Feature Animation Studio in Burbank, CA.

Daniel King ’00 was featured in Temporary Art Review discussing his artistic career and inspiration. Read more here.

Anne Holman ’02 had a busy winter full of exhibitions and art sales. Read more here.

Mariana Smith ’02 showed work in exhibitions from the East Coast to the West Coast. Read more here.  She also had her piece Untitled (After Tarkousky Stalker) in the 34th Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition, hosted by Bradley University, Peoria, IL. Read more here.

Brian Williams ’03 had an illustration featured in ARTnews. Read more here.

Lea Gray ’04 and Eric Jefferson ’04 were featured in Alive!, a weekly magazine that covers events and culture in Columbus, OH. Read more on Gray here and Jefferson here.

Sean Conner ’05, Nate Reese ’05, Chris Meister ’06, Andrew Mark ’07, Scott Ulliman ’10, and Chavilah Bennett ’12 took home Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA) Creative Best Awards for their work with S77, a motion graphics company in Columbus, OH. Read more here.

Joaquin Baldwin ’06 was a juror for the 40^th Annual Annie Awards. Read more here.

Andrew Ina ’06 received a Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) Individual Art Fellowship in Media Arts this year. Read more here.

Boryana Rusenova Ina ’06 was in two group exhibitions in Michigan. Read more here.

Brent Payne ’06 was included in two juried exhibitions in Ohio. Read more here. He was also had work in an exhibition hosted by Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, TX. Read more here.

Michelle Dick ’08 is now working as an interior designer with Organized Home Remodeling, in Columbus, OH.

Brian Uhl ’08 had a solo exhibition at Static Age Gallery in Cincinnati. Read more here.

Steve Hubbard ’10 worked on animations for the movie Life of Pi. Read more here.

John Malta ’10 had his third illustration published in The New York Times. Read more here.

Kerry Kunze ’11 showed work in a group exhibition at Mount Vernon University. Read more here.

Alex Conrad MFA ’12, Nicole Crock MFA ’12, Leah Fisher ’12, and Crystal Tursich MFA ’12 had work included in the 13^th annual ImageOhio exhibition organized by Roy G Biv Gallery. Read more here.

Amanda Rouse MFA ’12 had a busy exhibition schedule including three juried and two group exhibitions. Read more here.

Leah Fisher’s “Parsons Avenue, 04/01/12″

Four CCAD alumni have their work included in the 13^th annual ImageOhio exhibition organized by Roy G Biv Gallery and on view at The Shot Tower Gallery at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Educational Center, Jan. 18–Feb. 15.

The exhibition is juried by Bill Horrigan, curator at large for the Wexner Center for the Arts. Work includes photographs, projections, and video.

Although there is no official theme, much of the work focuses on observations of the changing world.

There are 27 artists in the exhibition; CCAD alumni include 2012 MFA alumni Alex Conrad, Nicole Crock, and Crystal Tursich, as well as Photography alumna and library archivist Leah Fisher (CCAD 2012).

Ellen O’Connell Bazzoli’s “Spring 1104″

CCAD alumni and faculty will show their work in the Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition, presented by the Ohio Arts Council at the Riffe Gallery, Jan. 31–April 14.

The Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition contains work from 18 artists chosen by curator Dennis Harrington, director of the Weston Art Gallery in Cincinnati, OH. The work in the exhibition features seasoned and emerging artists, and explores a dialogue of visual connections created by assembling a group of eclectic and inspired works in one place.

CCAD artists include associate alumna Ellen O’Connell Bazzoli (CCAD 1983), MFA alumni Alex Conrad and Nicole Crock (CCAD 2012), Assistant Professor Steven Elbert, associate alumnus Paul Emory (CCAD 1978), adjunct faculty and MFA alumna Virginia Kistler (CCAD 2012), and coordinator of printmaking Kathy McGhee.

There will be an opening reception Jan. 31, 5–7 p.m., and a tour with the curator Feb. 1, noon–1 p.m.

The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

Nari Ward’s “We the People.” Photo credit: Will Brown

Looking to add some color to Ohio’s long, grey winter months? Well, look no further then CCAD’s packed exhibitions line-up.

The seven exhibitions planned for this winter and spring will spur conversations ranging from the limits limits of a gallery wall, perceptions of reality, and the battle between good and evil.

“We have been expanding the reach of the gallery and increasing the variety of artists and topics we explore,” said Michael Goodson, director of exhibitions at CCAD. “Additionally, we expanded our hours for the Canzani Center Gallery and Room to provide more options for the community to view the exhibits and to join the conversation at no cost.”

The new year got a quick start with Sam Martineau’s Fair Touching, which is on view in Room, CCAD’s new project space. Martineau’s exhibition will run through Feb.1.

The Scholastic Art Awards 2013 Central Ohio Regional Competition opens January 18 and will be on view through Feb. 2 in the Canzani Center Gallery.

This is CCAD’s 26^th year hosting the Scholastic Awards exhibition, which features a  juried selection of work from students grades seven through 12.

“Guilty” by Fred Tomaselli

“CCAD’s investment in the local community is critical as we aim to support the development and enrichment of the creative community in which we reside,” said Densil R. R. Porteous II, CCAD’s director of admissions. “This event presents a great opportunity to recognize and nurture the creative talents of students in our area and to further encourage students to pursue their creativity.”

Room will next host the work of Trenton Doyle Hancock, who is internationally known for his evolving, absurdist narrative of the battle between good and evil. His work will be up Feb. 4–March 14.

WALL will be in the Canzani Center Gallery Feb. 21–April 4 and will show work from 11 artists. On Feb. 21 there will be a sneak preview, an artist talk by Trenton Doyle Hancock, and a reception.

WALL will push the limits of the gallery’s walls, perhaps even encouraging visitors to view the artists as unruly tenants who leave indelible marks on the space that acts as their host. Artists include A. Balasubramaniam, Sarah Cain, Sean Foley, Jim Hodges, Sol LeWitt, Karin Sander, Jennifer Steinkamp, Mary Temple, and Nari Ward.

Painter Fred Tomaselli’s New York Times will take over Room, March 18–April 8, with a sneak preview, artist talk, and reception on April 4.

Tomaselli’s exhibition shows a series of vividly altered front pages of the New York Times.

The MFA Thesis Exhibition, April 12–May 3, will feature the culminating achievements of CCAD’s 2013 class of MFA candidates. Work ranges from glass, installation, video, and photography to illustration, painting, and digital media.

A second student exhibition will follow right on its heels— CCAD’s 134^th Annual Student Exhibition will run May 10–June 28.

This exhibition is one of the college’s longest-running traditions and will draw work from all nine undergraduate programs.

CCAD also has a summer exhibition in the wings featuring artist Leonardo Drew, which is schedule to open Aug. 29.

Exhibitions at CCAD are presented with the support of the Ohio Arts Council, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and CD102.5. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. and closed on Mondays. Parking is free in CCAD lots.

“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

Alumna Amanda Rouse in front of some of her artwork

MFA alumna Amanda Rouse (CCAD 2012) has had a busy exhibition schedule including three juried and two group exhibitions.

Rouse currently has work in the group exhibition Taking Home with You, which originated in New Orleans, LA, and is now traveling to cities in Ireland including Belfast, Bangor, and Limerick. She also had two prints exhibited at the Artist’s Alley in San Francisco, CA.

She has successfully entered three juried exhibitions, including Boundless: New Work in Contemporary Printmaking in New Haven, CT; Hand-Pulled: Ohio Printmakers at Art Space in Lima, OH; and Movements an exhibition at the Tuska Museum in Lexington, KY.

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.

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

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

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

The exhibition includes the work of 22 artists and will be shown in two different locations. Part of the exhibit will be at the Aggregate Space in Oakland, CA, running through Oct. 20, and the other part will be at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco, running through Nov. 10.

OFF Space describes itself as a gallery without walls, a nomadic venture exploring real-world site-specificity. Their aim is to raise the level of public discourse around contemporary art by staging aesthetically engaging and thought-provoking exhibitions in traditional and nontraditional spaces.

Shot from Pamela Theodotou’s film “Stark Justice”

MFA candidate Pamela Theodotou’s film project Stark Justice made the first cut in The Columbus International Film + Video Festival (CIF+VF) Experimental Shorts Division.

The film is a neo-noir cinemagraphic novel following a main character, Tom Stark, who is an assassin hired by the government.

“One of the goals of the project was to explore new media options in presenting narrative,” Theodotou said. “I wanted to create a work that visually reads like a novel but uses video, art, and special effects to enhance the experience. There are no vocals—just music and sound effects and written dialogue in the form of kinetic text.”

CIF+VF, now in its 60^th year, is Nov. 13–18.

To watch Theodotou’s Stark Justice, click here.

Screenshot from Elena Harvey Collins’ film “When They’re Gone, They’re Gone”

MFA alumna Elena Harvey Collins’ film “When They’re Gone, They’re Gone” is playing at Roy G Biv gallery this month and opened during September’s Gallery Hop, a monthly art event in the Short North, Columbus’ arts district.

The film is a narrative of abandoned parking lots and shopping plazas across the city. The 2012 graduate moved to Ohio five years ago from London, England, and decided to pursue this project after being shocked by the amount of unused, deserted space in Columbus.

“It’s a profoundly different landscape,” Harvey-Collins said in a Columbus Alive interview. “To see these spaces that are devalued to the point they’re not even for sale, they’re just left, they’re like monuments. I became really interested in finding out more about those spaces.”

Collins spent six months and many hours filming the happenings in these empty locations and captured anything from driving lessons to trash blowing in the wind. The film will be on display until Sept. 29 at Roy G Biv, 997 N. High St., Columbus, OH.

To read the full interview from Columbus Alive, click here.

Alex Conrad with his work

MFA alumnus Alex Conrad (CCAD 2012) will be showing his work in the First Street Gallery’s 2012 MFA National Competition in New York City.

The annual exhibition is open exclusively to MFA students throughout the United States. Juried by John Yau, art critic, poet, and professor at Rutgers University, the exhibition features paintings, drawings, prints, mixed media, and sculpture.

Conrad’s final thesis project involved embedding X-ray and MRI films in resin. Inspiration was pulled from his childhood. His father was a radiologist, and when he was on call Conrad would often play with his X-ray films and their backlighting.

Kayane Kouzoujian in her studio

The end of spring is always an exciting time around CCAD’s campus. Although we have to say farewell to another group of graduating students, we also get to welcome them all into our talented group of alumni.

This year, there was something different about our new alumni, a new breed you could say; we had the first students graduate from our multidisciplinary MFA program.

Our 11 candidates came from all over—some local, some out of state, and some international.

Kayane Kouzoujian traveled the farthest to attend CCAD, coming from her home of Qatar in the Middle East. She was able to not only enhance her artistic skills, but also experience a completely different culture.

Elena Harvey Collins in her studio

“I am surrounded by people who are not only practicing, but living art,” Kouzoujian said. “This program exceeded all expectations. I was able to have creative freedom with my work and really prove to myself that I can do anything.”

For her final thesis, Kouzoujian compiled a video piece that broke down memories and other moments in her life into short narratives.

Elena Harvey Collins did not travel as far, but she had specific reasons for choosing CCAD.

“I came to CCAD because I wanted and needed to be able to work on a wide range of projects and mediums,” Harvey Collins said. “I liked the multidisciplinary element. I had no limitations, and this group has been very supportive. I have two kids and the program understood that; I was able to have a comfortable and safe environment for them and a flexible program for me.”

Nicole Crock in her studio

Like Kouzoujian, Harvey Collins also made a video installation. She documented everyday occurrences in an abandoned parking lot—everything from driving lessons to trash blowing in the wind.

During her time at CCAD, Harvey Collins taught an honors course on art and social practice. She is now applying for residences, fellowships, and exhibitions.

“I just want to get out and continue to learn and teach,” she said.

Nicole Crock pulls her inspiration from moving around a lot during her childhood, having never experienced the feeling of having permanent roots.

Nathan Gorgen working in his studio

“I gained a lot of confidence during my time here,” Crock said. “Art is a way of communicating an idea and I was able to voice my ideas here at CCAD and really grow as an artist.”

Crock works in a range of mediums, so the multidisciplinary aspect of the program was key to her completing her MFA.

“All of us in the program worked very closely with one another, and we were able to pull knowledge not only from our professors, but also each other,” Crock said.

She plans to stay in Columbus for the time being and wants to focus on being a full-time artist, finding studio space, and enjoying the city.

Nathan Gorgen was unsure about Columbus and what the artistic environment would consist of outside CCAD. Having lived in lively cities such as New York and Baltimore, he was used to the constant creative energy in a bustling city. He decided to study at CCAD and see what Columbus had in store—and he was impressed.

Cosby Lindquist in front of his work

“The Short North area and everything around here is focused toward the creative community, and CCAD is somewhat the epicenter of it all,” Gorgen said. “The support you have throughout this program is truly amazing. I was able to tackle ambitious projects and get a better conceptual understanding of art.”

For his final thesis, Gorgen completed an installation structure that demonstrates his combined interests in architecture and painting.

Cosby Lindquist’s final thesis project was a series of collages that wove together landscape images of Columbus and New Mexico, where he plans to move after graduation.

“Over the summer I will be teaching art classes to children at the Fuller Lodge Art Center in Los Alamos,” Lindquist said. “I will then look for adjunct teaching positions and galleries to show my work—it’s a very exciting time.”

Lindquist told himself throughout the program that he would not limit himself. He knew he had to take risks and possibly make mistakes in order to break out of his comfort zone and make the most of his MFA experience.

Woodrow Hinton III

Lindquist wasn’t the only one who thought big when it came to the program. Being part of the first graduating MFA class, Chris Harman, a Columbus native, knew he had to step it up.

“I liked being the first of this program; we set the bar high and I think that was our job,” Harman said. “We were supposed to be an example of the best artist that CCAD can produce, and I think we did that.”

Harman embraced the multidisciplinary nature of the program in his thesis project, in which he combined his glasswork with a social experiment. Glass vases and bowls were displayed in rows. Harman invited gallery visitors to step up on a podium and smash one with a gold hammer, all while being filmed.

“I really want to see how many heartstrings I can pull before one snaps,” he said. “Is the art the act of smashing the glass or the result of smashing it? That is something I want to explore and answer.”

Woodrow Hinton III agrees, believing that the overall question that an artist is always trying to answer “what is art?”

“I really enjoyed not only working alongside my peers, but also learning a lot from them and showing them my art skills and illustration niche,” Hinton said.

Amanda Rouse in her studio

His final project was a graphic novel he wrote and illustrated based on Shakespeare’s play As You Like It.

“I was able to learn so much during my time here,” Hinton said. “Even though my final thesis didn’t incorporate screen printing or photography, like my classmates, I enjoyed spending time and learning alongside them. There is something to say about a learning environment when you are with artists and people who have the same interests and passions and help drive you to succeed.”

Amanda Rouse spent her time at CCAD fine-tuning her work in printmaking.

Crystal Tursich in her studio

“I actually heard about CCAD while studying abroad in Italy,” Rouse said. “A couple of my friends had either visited or attended here, and I loved the entrepreneurial aspect of the school. I wanted to step up my skills and not only focus on my work, but teach and really get involved with pumping up my resume.”

Rouse will be venturing off to the west coast after graduation, planning to teach and continue her own work—and eventually hoping to open her own printmaking shop.

Crystal Tursich focused on photography for her final thesis, exploring the emotions that she has dealt with as a result of growing up as the child of an alcoholic.

“The biggest reason I chose CCAD was so I could be a part of this new MFA class,” Tursich said. “It is something to say when you can be the first of something as great as this, and you can come in on a clean slate and help build the program.”

Virginia Kistler in front of her installation

Tursich’s time here in Columbus left an impact, and she plans to stay in the city for a while, ultimately wanting to teach at the collegiate level.

Virginia Kistler has lived in Columbus for the last 13 years, and her final thesis project reflected her time in Columbus quite literally.

Kistler’s project was centered around a light impression taken of Columbus that she expanded into a large installation piece.

Alex Conrad in front of his final thesis project

“I liked that the program at CCAD was project based, and I had an overall good vibe about my decision when I came and visited campus,” Kistler said. “During my time here I was able to get a better understanding of where I would like my work to go and develop a more contemporary feel to it.”

Inspiration can also be pulled from childhood memories, as in Alex Conrad’s case. His father was a radiologist, so Conrad would often play with X-rays and their backlighting while his father was on call. For his final project he took X-rays and MRIs of himself and embedded them in resin.

“I not only got to focus solely on my work while here, but I also was able to fine-tune how to talk, present, and write about my work, which are all important aspects in becoming a successful artist,” Conrad said.

As our new MFA graduates join the already strong group of CCAD alumni, we know they will be heading in different directions—but what will always tie them together is that CCAD was a key part of their artistic journey.

Congratulations Graduates!

More than 200 Columbus College of Art & Design students graced the stage of the historic Ohio Theatre to receive their diplomas on Saturday, May 12, 2012. The 133^rd annual spring commencement, in downtown Columbus, included an address by commencement speaker Mark Kvamme of JobsOhio.

The ceremony awarded four honorary degrees including, Beverly Bethge founder and creative officer of Ologie, Richard Aschenbrand dean of Visual Communications, Carl Garant dean of Industrial and Interior Design, and Edward Lathy dean of Liberal Arts.

Robert P Restrepo Jr., vice chair of CCAD’s board of trustees; President Dennison W. Griffith; Kevin J. Conlon, vice president for academic affairs, and Ric Petry, director of graduate studies and professor; conferred 11 master of fine arts degrees. Restrepo, Griffith, Conlon, and Faculty Council President and Professor Tim Rietenbach conferred 228 bachelor of fine arts degrees.

The students returned the recognition giving a standing ovation to all faculty and staff that assisted them along their journey. President Dennison W. Griffith gave the students a farewell message that earned a spontaneous round of applause when he encouraged graduates to be nuanced, and spread love in the world.

Family and friends greet the class of 2012 after commencement.

The 2012 class valedictorian is Industrial Design major Joel Van Gilder and the college honored the following 10 students with the distinction of Outstanding Senior in their area of study.

Kattie Baker, Advertising & Graphic Design

Chavilah Bennett, Advertising & Graphic Design

Rachel Cass, Fashion Design

Sara Diesel, Illustration

Lian Dziura, Photography

Christopher Ryan Evans, Media Studies

Leah Fisher, Photography

Jake LaBombarbe, Industrial Design

Sarah McCance, Interior Design

Erin McKenna, Fine Arts

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

Crystal Turisch in her studio

The first of anything is always exciting and our first MFA class is no different. CCAD’s inaugural master of fine arts class will be graduating this spring, but not before they exhibit their work in First: The 2012 New Projects MFA Thesis Exhibition.

Eleven graduating MFA students will display their final theses March 30–April 27. Works in the exhibition will range from glass, installation, social practice, and photography to fabric design, illustration, painting, and digital media.

CCAD’s two-year MFA program is project-based. The non-media-specific curriculum focuses on individual artistic/design development and creative leadership. It brings together talented individuals from a variety of different media to build a community that fosters exploration, professionalism, and creative success.

Cystal Turisch, one of the graduating students, will show photographs that explores the anxieties and insecurities that result from growing up with an alcoholic mother. Her work is divided into different photographic series focusing on obstacles and emotions that have affected her throughout her adult life.

Nathan Gorgen's studio, featuring his main thesis project

“I wanted to be a part of the first MFA class at CCAD,” Turisch said. “I wanted to be able to work with a small, close group of artists and receive a lot of one-on-one attention from professors, mentors, and peers within the school.”

Nathan Gorgen was excited about CCAD’s MFA program because of its location. He had never been to Columbus and was pleased with the amount of artistic opportunities the city holds for his professional career.

“Columbus wasn’t really on my map before I came here, now I realize what an amazing city it is,” exclaimed Gorgen. “I’m so impressed with the professors, the local art scene, and the whole environment that is in Columbus.”

Gorgen’s final piece is a large installation that combines painting and architectural elements.

“I had a lot of time and support throughout this program. I was able to tackle more ambitious projects and get a better conceptual understanding of art and the art I produce,” Gorgen said.

Nicole Crock has found the support in the program unlike that of other schools she researched. Crock decided to attend CCAD because the program was based on a multidisciplinary foundation. The MFA candidate works in mixed media. By working with an array of artists in close proximity, she was able to explore more artistic mediums and learn from her peers’ expertise.

“I hate to say such a cliché phrase, but I really have blossomed here. I needed this program,” Crock said.

Her final thesis project is a multimedia installation that explores the emotions connected with moving from place to place.

Nicole Crock in her studio

“Moving has been the inspiration for my art. A lot of people think it is glamorous that I have been able to travel, but I always longed for the feeling of home and to not feel as though I am rootless,” said Crock.

Following graduation, Crock plans to stay in Columbus and continue focusing on her work. She wants to find a studio space and start connecting with artists within the community.

“I think it is important to make art with the purpose of communicating with people, and that is what I want to do,” Crock said. “I want to learn to be able to seek change, and do it gracefully throughout my life.”

First: The 2012 New Projects MFA Thesis Exhibition opens March 30 and will run through April 27 with an opening reception March 30, 6–8 p.m. CCAD’s first MFA class includes Elena Harvey Collins, Alex Conrad, Nicole Crock, Nathan Gorgen, Chris Harman, Woodrow Hinton III, Virginia Kistler, Kayane Kouzoujian, Cosby Lindquist, Amanda Rouse and Crystal Turisch.

To learn more about CCAD’s MFA program click here.

Left to Right: Molly Burke, "Untitled (Body Forms)" and Virginia Kistler, "Untitled"

The Sculpture X Symposium and its 2011 fall juried exhibition will play host to Molly Burke (CCAD 2006), fine arts alumna and graduate admissions officer, and Virginia Kistler, current CCAD MFA student.

“Out of 60 applicants from 20 different institutions, Virginia and I were chosen, I think that speaks highly of the talent at CCAD,” Burke said.

The After the Pedestal, the 7^th Annual of Small Sculpture from the Region exhibition will host 14 artists, all current MFA students or recent graduates of programs in the Midwest.

Molly Burke has two pieces in the show. Her first piece, We’re Not Broken, is a sculpture featuring egg forms.

The sculpture has various broken, cracked, and whole egg shells. The work plays with shadows and light within an open, white palate.

“I am attracted to the overall smooth form and the balance that is apparent. The piece also has the representation of people, having each person showing different cracks or experiences in their shells,” said Burke.

Her second piece, Untitled which is subtitled Body Forms, pulls inspiration on a microscopic scale. It looks at organic cells and their idea of movement and health.

“I create artwork that a person wants to look out and touch, they want to interact with my pieces,” Burke said.

This piece features bright colored, sandblasted glass orbs, tucked inside a nylon sack which is hung from the ceiling, dangling at eye level.

Kistler will be showing her piece, Untitled, in the exhibition. Her work incorporates acrylic, tar, and found objects. It is a mounted wall piece that represents a biological growth out of control.

“The inspiration for the piece comes from images of cities at night taken from the International Space Station.  The piece is about the expansion of urban areas and the reasons for the growth,” said Kristler.

Kistler will complete her MFA at CCAD in spring 2012. The sculpture that is being shown was her spring 2011 semester project at CCAD.

The juror, Barbara Hunt McLanahan is the executive director of the Judd Foundation and a board member of the Jerome Foundation.

She chose work that “urges us to certainly be concerned, literally, about the dark—we should be more mindful of mankind’s depletion of the earth’s natural resource, and planning a future that has found more sustainable forms or energy or safer agriculture,” McLanahan said.

The juried exhibition is put on by the Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Ohio and is on display Sept. 16–Oct. 22, 2011. SculptureX Symposium #2: The State of the MFA will be on Oct. 15, 2011 at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Utilizing a structure rare in the United States, the multidisciplinary, project-based program is designed to develop not just a candidate’s artistic skills, but also skills in planning, communications, and leadership.

“Our new program will encourage focused theoretical and practical inquiry, complemented by an expectation of entrepreneurship. It’s designed to help artists achieve not only a more mature level of work but also the ability to successfully deliver the work to its audience,” said CCAD President Denny Griffith. “The project-based nature of this new MFA is a point of differentiation for us. I believe we will incubate some prodigious new talent here in Columbus, Ohio.”

Visit the MFA Web pages for more information. Applications are due April 15, 2010.

See full press release.