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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Videographers, from left, Alex Trimpe and Tom Hoying

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

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

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

Nathan Moser (center) with band, The Bare Feats

As if CCAD didn’t already have talent enough, on Thursday Sept 15, 2011, the Student Programming Board put on their first talent show: CCAD’s Got Talent. Finally! A chance for us to see what else our crazy-talented artist friends and classmates have going for them. When students aren’t pulling all-nighters trying to get that homework done, it turns out they’re practicing some other extra-curricular talents. What don’t CCAD students do? Seriously.

We all knew that CCAD has painting, drawing, and designing. But did you know that we also have bare-footed banjo players (The Bare Feat); singing sensations (Julie Ward and Beth DuBoe); tap, hip hop, ballet, and Indian classical dancers (Mary Mauger, Marcos Castillo, Da’Niro Brown, and Zaria Ahmed); singer/songwriters (Patrick Thomas and Taylor Repuano); cello and piano players (Stephanie Berrie and Michael Young); stand-up comedians (Zayne Parmiter); a bass-slapping beast (Alejandro Bellizzi); and even our very own Lady Gaga (Christian Cimoroni)? Yeah. Just saying.

We all voted by texting the number of our favorite performers (insert boast about how tech-savvy our school is), and then a panel of faculty judges picked a winner out of the crowd’s favorite four. At the end of the evening, hip hop dancer, Mr. Marcos Castillo ( a junior in Illustration) took home the grand prize of $200, but all the other performers took home something too: the admiration of their fellow student body.

As for me, I’m still trying to find my talent. I guess pulling 17-hour workdays will have to be it for now. If you need me, I’ll be sleeping. Over and out.

First place entry by Alejandro Bellizzi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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