CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS
CALARTS 2009–2011
MISSION
California Institute of the Arts educates artists in a learning environment founded on artmaking excellence, creative experimentation, critical reflection and the diversity of voices. To advance the exploration of new forms and expressions, CalArts urges collaboration and reciprocity among artists, artistic disciplines and cultural traditions—both on campus and in ongoing engagement with communities near and far.
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT S T E V E N D . L AV I N E
California Institute of the Arts is widely recognized as the most forward-looking college of the arts in the United States and, perhaps, in the world. Through the extraordinarily talented artists we employ as faculty and educate as students, CalArts strives to advance the role of the arts as an integral part of our social fabric—a powerful catalyst in shaping the life of our local, national and global communities. Our endeavor here is to nurture artists whose work matters, and our goal is nothing less than to shape the future of the arts.
Steven D. Lavine has been president of CalArts since 1988. Previously, he served as associate director for Arts and Humanities at the Rockefeller Foundation and as assistant professor of English Literature at the University of Michigan. Dr. Lavine serves on the boards of directors of Endowments Inc., National Public Radio station KCRW, Cotsen Family Foundation and Villa Aurora. He is co-chair of the Arts Coalition for
Academic Progress for the Los Angeles Unified School District and a member of the advisory committees for the Asia Society California Center and the Cultural Policy Network Project of the Center for Arts and Culture. He has co-edited, with Ivan Karp, the collections Exhibiting Cultures: The Poetics and Politics of Museum Display and Museums and Communities: The Politics of Public Culture.
The original vision for CalArts was to bring different art forms together under one roof and allow them to commingle and cross-pollinate in an intense, free-spirited laboratory for the arts. We stand by this vision now more than ever. The work being carried forward on our campus encompasses an exhilarating breadth of artistic practices and cultures as our students expand the enduring forms and traditions of each discipline— and go on to chart innovative new paths through bold experimental and interdisciplinary art that surpasses conventional boundaries. Our greatest strength is a diverse mix of exceptional students and a faculty comprising internationally renowned professional artists and distinguished scholars.
THE FACULTY REGARD EVERY INCOMING STUDENT AS A GIFTED, CAPABLE AND UNIQUE ARTIST IN HIS OR HER OWN RIGHT, AND THESE CLOSE COLLEGIAL COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS—IN CLASS, IN PRODUCTION AND IN ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING—ARE AT THE HEART OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY. This approach combines rigorous instruction with careful guidance and individualized attention, a process that empowers students to define their own personal objectives—and to develop and refine their own distinctive artistic voices. There has not been a more exciting period during my tenure at CalArts. In recent years, we have moved to dramatically expand the range of resources and opportunities that go above and beyond our already comprehensive curricular offerings. We are diligently working to build new connections with the broader professional artistic community as well as with audiences outside of campus. Our students can now further enrich their educational experiences through the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), our venue for experimental art in downtown Los Angeles; the Center for New Performance, our professional producing arm; The Wild Beast, our brand-new music pavilion on campus; and acclaimed publications of international stature such as the art magazine Afterall and the literary journal Black Clock. And linking the accumulated talents of CalArts with the local community arts organizations and public schools is the award-winning Community Arts Partnership (CAP). Not least, we are expanding the global reach of our artistic and educational collaborations with numerous partners across Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
CalArts is now making the most thoroughgoing attempt of any arts college to place the education of artists in a mutually strengthening ecology that links campus, community and the broader world. We are striving toward a new synthesis of student and professional, learning and creating, local and global. What we begin at CalArts, our alumni will complete— shaping and reshaping arts and institutions in a way that is responsive to the real conditions of life around the globe.
President Steven D. Lavine addresses the graduating class of 2008.
Nancy J. Uscher was appointed provost of CalArts in 2004. She was formerly associate provost of the University of New Mexico, where she also served as professor of music. A distinguished violist, Dr. Uscher has performed with various ensembles and orchestras,
including the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the American Composers Orchestra. She has authored The Schirmer Guide to Schools of Music and Conservatories Throughout the World and Your Own Way in Music: A Career and Resource Guide.
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PROVOST NA NCY J. USCH ER
How can CalArts empower its students to be visionary artists, resourceful thinkers and attentive citizens? As part of the our fiveyear strategic plan, we have fashioned a set of curricular and coping tools to help students to imagine not only where in the art world they might “fit in,” but also what new horizons they might create for themselves. CalArts is committed to developing each student’s artistry and technique; the ability to contextualize his or her world within a large and diverse societal framework; and the flexibility to adapt and flourish within an evolving global landscape. Learning, experimenting, failing and then starting all over again with the help and support of a professional faculty of working artists is the key to success after school.
AS PROVOST, I AM DEDICATED TO PROVIDING THE RESOURCES, FACILITIES, FACULTY AND FRIENDSHIPS THAT LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR A SELF-SUFFICIENT, CUTTING-EDGE ARTIST AND A SMART, CARING AND ABLE INDIVIDUAL WHO MAY ACTUALLY CHANGE THE WORLD.
CONTENTS
The information contained in this publication is subject to change. For the most up-to-date information about CalArts, see calarts.edu.
01 02 04 08 10 12 14 19 22 31 32 33 34 36 38
MISSION FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PROVOST CALARTS AT A GLANCE HISTORY CAMPUS ADMISSIONS STUDENT SERVICES ACADEMICS ROY AND EDNA DISNEY/CALARTS THEATER (REDCAT) COMMUNITY ARTS PARTNERSHIP (CAP) CENTER FOR NEW PERFORMANCE (CNP) AT CALARTS STUDENT POPULATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND EXECUTIVE STAFF ACCREDITATION
CALARTS AT A GLANCE STUDENTS RECEIVE INTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING UNDER THE DIRECTION OF AN EXCEPTIONAL FACULTY OF EXPERIENCED WORKING ARTISTS.
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CALARTS— A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT DESIGNED FOR ARTISTS BY ARTISTS.
ARTISTIC ABILITY IS THE MAIN CRITERION FOR ADMISSION.
AN INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED
SMALL CLASSES AND A LOW STUDENT-
LEADER AND INNOVATOR IN THE
FACULTY RATIO ALLOW INSTRUCTORS
EDUCATION OF PROFESSIONAL
TO GIVE AMPLE PERSONAL ATTENTION
ARTISTS, CALARTS REPRESENTS THE
TO THEIR STUDENTS. EVERY STUDENT
LEADING EDGE OF CONTEMPORARY
WORKS CLOSELY WITH AN ASSIGNED
CREATIVE PRACTICE.
FACULTY MENTOR.
Six schools for the visual, performing and writing arts converge under one roof to form a creative community that is as dynamic as it is diverse.
All programs strongly support progressive and experimental work—new forms and expressions developed from a foundation of advanced skills and time-proven techniques.
EACH STUDENT IS URGED TO DEVELOP A DISTINCTIVE VISION—HIS OR HER PERSONAL VOICE. CROSS-POLLINATION AMONG DIFFERENT ART FORMS AND DISCIPLINES AT CALARTS HELPS TO SURPASS CONVENTIONAL DIVISIONS AND BOUNDARIES. THIS
THE ROY AND EDNA DISNEY/CALARTS THEATER (REDCAT) IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND VENUE FOR NEW WORKS FROM AN ECLECTIC MIX OF EMERGING ARTISTS AND INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED PRACTITIONERS.
PARTICIPATING CALARTS STUDENTS GAIN VALUABLE TEACHING EXPERIENCE THROUGH COMMUNITY ARTS PARTNERSHIP (CAP) PROGRAMS
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH SPARKS
AT LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND
CREATIVE INNOVATION.
HIGH SCHOOLS.
PROGRAMS PROMOTE INDEPENDENT ARTISTIC AND INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY WITHIN A BROAD SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT.
Los Angeles, the second-largest city in
ENGAGING WITH THE WORLD NEAR AND FAR, CALARTS PARTNERS WITH ARTISTS, INSTITUTIONS AND AUDIENCES ACROSS BOUNDARIES.
the United States and an increasingly important international hub for the arts, offers a vast array of professional and cultural resources.
calarts.edu
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HISTORY California Institute of the Arts is the first institution of higher education in the United States to have offered undergraduate and graduate degrees in both visual and performing arts. It was established in 1961 by Walt and Roy Disney through the merger of two professional schools: the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, founded in 1883, and the Chouinard Art Institute, founded in 1921. CalArts moved to its permanent home in Valencia in 1971 and added degree programs in dance, film and theater to those in art and music. Later additions included a graduate writing program and, most recently, in 2008, a graduate program exploring the intersection of aesthetics and politics. By allowing different branches of the arts to closely inform and enrich one another in a mercurial environment of freewheeling experimentalism, artists from CalArts have been able to not only speed beyond traditional barriers in form and content, but also help to influence and shape many different lines of contemporary creative practice as we know them today.
William Moritz
ON T HE CUSP OF T HE SECOND DEC ADE OF T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y, C A L A R T S I S H A I L E D I N T E R N AT I O N A L LY A S A L E A D E R I N T H E ARTS ON THE MERITS OF SOME 40 YEARS O F B O L D A R T I S T I C R I S K-TA K I N G . And the wide-ranging work that is now being carried forward, on our campus and beyond, is a direct extension of this legacy.
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Allan Kaprow Morton Subotnick
Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, John Lasseter
Wadada Leo Smith
Douglas Huebler, Tim Silverlake, Mike Kelley
Allen Ginsberg*
Dawn Stoppiello, Mark Coniglio
John Cage*
Werner Herzog*
Jules Engel
Mel Powell, Elliott Carter*, Morton Subotnick
* Visiting Artists
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CAMPUS
Located 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, CalArts occupies 60 acres on hills overlooking the incorporated city of Santa Clarita, which encompasses the towns of Valencia, Newhall, Saugus and Canyon Country. Historically, the Santa Clarita Valley has been devoted to agriculture and cattle ranching, but the last four decades have seen a dramatic northward expansion of metropolitan Los Angeles. This ongoing development has resulted in new residential and commercial districts and an ever-growing population of more than 150,000.
AT T H E C E N T E R O F T H E C A L A R T S C A M P U S I S A S P R A W L I N G F I V E- L E V E L , 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 -S Q U A R E- F O O T B U I L D I N G , W H E R E , A C C O R D I N G T O W A LT D I S N E Y ’ S ORIGINAL VISION, DIFFERENT ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES S H A R E S PA C E A N D C O M M I N G L E U N D E R O N E R O O F. Open 24 hours a day, this structure houses classrooms, art studios, animation studios, music rehearsal rooms and dance studios; galleries, theaters for drama, dance and film, and a music performance hall; costume, scenery and machine shops; photo labs, computer and media labs, editing suites for film and video, and a digital recording studio; a cafeteria and a coffee shop; and the CalArts Library. Other buildings on the CalArts campus include the Chouinard Hall dormitory, the Ahmanson Hall apartment complex, The Wild Beast music pavilion, the Eli and Edythe Broad graduate art studios, and several annexes containing additional studios and classrooms.
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Out of doors, tennis courts and a swimming pool are available to students throughout the academic year, while spacious lawns dotted with shade trees, open fields and sloping hillsides allow for quiet reading or casual sports. Students have around-the-clock access to facilities, including studios, shops, labs, editing and media suites, throughout the academic year. Lab and shop directors, aided by student staff, provide instruction and guidance, ensuring that all facilities are used effectively and safely.
VISITING CALARTS
METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES The city of Los Angeles offers CalArts students access to the vast cultural and professional resources of the secondlargest metropolis in the United States. A cosmopolitan crossroads for a diverse array of cultures and traditions, the city has become an increasingly important world hub in a variety of artmaking disciplines and a key gateway to Latin America and Asia. Los Angeles features an abundance of performing arts organizations and venues, museums, galleries, libraries and research institutions. The metropolitan region also contains numerous educational and professional resources in all branches of the arts. The rich cultural life of the city allows CalArts students to experience artmaking at the highest levels and to pursue future professional opportunities in the area.
We invite all prospective applicants to visit CalArts in person to observe the full range of activities on campus. Guided tours allow visitors to see faculty and students at work, survey the facilities and production tools available to students, and take in the unique creative environment of CalArts. In addition, all concerts, gallery openings, film screenings, theater productions and dance performances are open to visitors. We also urge prospective applicants and their families to attend a performance, screening or gallery exhibition at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), located in the famous Walt Disney Concert Hall complex in downtown Los Angeles.
Tours and information sessions are scheduled throughout the year. To schedule a visit, contact the Office of Admissions at 661 255-1050 or 800 545-ARTS, or write to admiss@calarts.edu.
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ADMISSIONS CalArts welcomes applications for admission from any individual engaged in visual, performing or literary arts. The main criterion for admission is artistic merit, as assessed by the faculty of the individual programs. Other important considerations include the applicant’s school records, recommendations and artist’s statement. The respective programs ask applicants to demonstrate their abilities and levels of training in their chosen fields through live auditions, portfolio submissions, and any other relevant evidence of creative achievement and promise. All applicants are required to submit a completed CalArts Application for Admission, the application fee, transcripts, two letters of recommendation and an artist’s statement prior to the artistic review of their work. All application requirements and audition and portfolio guidelines are listed at calarts.edu/apply. Applicants cannot be accepted into undergraduate programs unless they have obtained a high school diploma or an equivalent or are working toward a diploma or equivalent. Those applying to graduate programs cannot be admitted to CalArts unless they have earned an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution or are working toward such a degree. All accepted students must obtain the relevant diploma or degree before they can enroll at CalArts.
FINANCIAL AID The Office of Financial Aid helps students to meet the costs of a CalArts education. All applicants to CalArts automatically receive materials on the financial aid process and requirements, as well as additional information on grants, scholarships, loans, work-study programs and other forms of aid. The Office of Financial Aid subsequently makes offers of aid to accepted students on the basis of eligibility and financial need. To learn more about financial aid, go to calarts.edu/financialaid. To contact the Office of Financial Aid directly, call 661 253-7869 or 800 443-0480.
To apply online, go to calarts.edu/apply and complete the Application for Admission. You may also print out the application and send the completed form via mail. RIGHT: MFA candidate Anne-Marie Jetter at a
CalArts Writing Program showcase reading held at Skylight Books in Los Angeles FOLLOWING SPREAD : DJing at CalArts’ annual Fashion Show (LEFT) and the exacting process of stop-motion animation, one of the many animation techniques practiced at the School of Film/Video
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STUDENT SERVICES OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS The Office of Student Affairs delivers a wide variety of services to help students to meet the challenges of a fast-paced undergraduate or graduate education in the arts. The primary aim of the office is to improve the quality of student life by addressing issues such as adjusting to college and graduate school, being a member of the CalArts community, and preparing for the transition from CalArts.
S T U D E N T A F FA I R S P R O V I D E S C A R E E R DE VELOPMENT SERVICES TO AID S TUDENTS I N P R E PA R I N G F O R E M P L O Y M E N T I N T H E A R T S F O L L O W I N G G R A D U AT I O N . The resident career counselor helps students to obtain internships, both paid and unpaid, as part of extending their education and professional training. Other career development services include frequent workshops to cover topics such as rĂŠsumĂŠ preparation, interviewing techniques, grant writing, contracts and copyright law. In addition, Student Affairs offers free and confidential counseling services to all students. Two licensed therapists provide short-term solution-based counseling, crisis intervention and referrals to off-campus mental health services, while other services include workshops on subjects such as smoking cessation, stress reduction and the cultivation of healthy habits. This office also serves as a resource center for peer tutoring, disability services and club support.
OPPOSITE: S O A N D S O. T H E AT R E S T U D EN T D O I N G T H I S A N D T H AT FO R S O M E OT H ER T H I N G O R OT H ER LEFT: Yoga in the Main Gallery
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ON-CAMPUS HOUSING
HEALTH SERVICES
CalArts has two residence halls: Chouinard Hall and Ahmanson Hall. The four-story Chouinard Hall houses approximately 340 students in double-occupancy dormitory rooms and is open to all students. Each room is furnished with twin beds, desks, chairs, dressers and a closet. For every two rooms there is a shared bathroom. Cooking pantries are located on each floor. Ahmanson Hall features 17 suites housing a total of 99 students. It is open to all graduate students, third- and fourth-year undergraduate students, and students over the age of 30. Each suite features five or six private bedrooms, a common living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. On-campus housing applications are available upon request from the Housing Office. Students who wish to live on campus should contact the Housing Office immediately after being accepted by CalArts.
A registered nurse is available on campus on weekdays to give first aid for minor injuries, perform some diagnostic tests and advise students who need more specialized care. All other medical matters are referred to appropriate physicians. Students are required to purchase basic medical insurance through CalArts for a minimal fee, which is added to their tuition. Students who are already covered by an existing policy may waive this insurance.
Please see calarts.edu/housing for more information. If you have questions regarding housing, write to oncampushousing@calarts.edu.
FOOD SERVICES The Café@CalArts is the primary food service option for students living on campus. All first-year undergraduate students living on campus are required to enroll in a meal plan. In addition to The Café@CalArts, there is a coffee shop located in the Donn B. Tatum Lounge and a student-run café, Mom’s, in Chouinard Hall.
ABOVE : Ahmanson Hall INSET: Chouinard Hall and the CalArts Pool
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LIBRARY AND INFORMATION RESOURCES The Division of Library and Information Resources provides an array of collections, programs, services and study spaces to support and encourage intellectual growth and artistic expression. The division manages the CalArts Library and the CalArts computer network, which includes campus-wide access to the Internet and e-mail accounts for all students, faculty and alumni. It also operates the 120-seat Bijou Theater. The CalArts Library is a central location for study, research and leisure. It offers students individual attention from professional librarians in the areas of research assistance and wireless network access drawing on
worldwide information resources. The Library holds unique collections of books, films, videos, exhibition catalogues, music scores, sound recordings, scholarly and trade periodicals, electronic journals, photographic slides, digital images and computer software. Open every day during academic sessions, this facility is equipped with public workstations, a computer lab for multimedia applications, audio and video playback equipment, and printers.
For more information about the Library and its resources, see calarts.edu/library.
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ACADEMICS CalArts houses six separate schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater—and offers programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduate programs lead to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. All but one of the graduate programs culminate with the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree, with the remaining program leading to a Master of Arts (MA) degree. Prospective students are invited to apply to one of the programs listed here:
SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS
School of Art Program in Art (BFA, MFA)
School of Critical Studies
Program in Graphic Design (BFA, MFA)
Writing Program (MFA ONLY)
Program in Photography and Media (BFA, MFA)
Aesthetics and Politics Program (MA ONLY)
The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance Program in Dance (BFA, MFA)
School of Film/Video Program in Film and Video (BFA, MFA) Program in Experimental Animation (BFA, MFA) Program in Character Animation (BFA ONLY) Film Directing Program (MFA ONLY)
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The Herb Alpert School of Music
Performer-Composer Program
PROGRAMS IN PERFORMANCE:
(UPPER-DIVISION BFA, MFA)
African Music and Dance Program
With a specialization available in:
(MFA ONLY)
Balinese and Javanese Music and Dance Program (MFA ONLY) Brass Program (BFA, MFA) Guitar Program (BFA, MFA) Harp Program (BFA, MFA) North Indian Music Program (MFA ONLY) Percussion Program (BFA, MFA) Piano/Keyboard Program (BFA, MFA)
African American Improvisational Music (MFA LEVEL ONLY) Composition Program (BFA, MFA) With a specialization available in:
Experimental Sound Practices (MFA LEVEL ONLY)
Jazz Program (BFA, MFA)
With a specialization available in:
Collaborative Keyboard (MFA LEVEL ONLY) Strings Program (BFA, MFA) Voice Program (BFA, MFA) Winds Program (BFA, MFA) World Music Program (BFA ONLY) World Percussion Program (MFA ONLY)
Music Technology Program: Interaction, Intelligence and Design (BFA ONLY)
Musical Arts Program (BFA ONLY)
School of Theater PROGRAMS IN PERFORMANCE:
Acting Program (BFA, MFA) Directing Program (MFA ONLY) Writing for Performance Program (MFA ONLY) With a specialization available in:
Puppetry—Center for Puppetry and the Arts (BFA, MFA levels)
PROGRAMS IN DESIGN AND PRODUCTION :
Scene Design Program (BFA, MFA) With a specialization available in:
Puppetry—Center for Puppetry and the Arts (BFA, MFA levels)
Scene Painting (MFA ONLY) Video for Performance (MFA LEVEL ONLY) Costume Design Program (BFA, MFA) Lighting Design Program (BFA, MFA) Sound Design Program (BFA, MFA) Technical Direction Program (BFA, MFA) Management Program (BFA, MFA) With specializations available in:
Producing (MFA LEVEL ONLY) Production Management (MFA LEVEL ONLY) Stage Management (BFA, MFA LEVELS)
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BFA, MFA AND MA DEGREES Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) programs take four years, or eight semesters, and a minimum of 120 semester units to complete. To obtain the BFA degree, candidates must fulfill all of the course requirements of their programs, including 46 Critical Studies units, and pass faculty reviews of their work. In some programs, BFA candidates are required to complete a final project.
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Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs take either two or three years to complete, depending on the individual program. To receive the MFA degree, students must fulfill all program unit requirements and pass at least two faculty reviews—once at mid-residency and again prior to graduation. MFA students are further required to spend their final semester in residence at CalArts and complete a final project of professional quality.
The sole Master of Arts (MA) program, the School of Critical Studies’ Aesthetics and Politics Program, is a one-year course of study. To obtain the MA degree, students must complete all program and course requirements, successfully carry out a thesis project during the summer following the second semester, and pass two faculty reviews of their work.
INTERSCHOOL DEGREES
CERTIFICATES OF FINE ARTS
Interschool degrees, or double majors, are available to a small number of advanced thirdand fourth-year undergraduates and graduate students whose skills, previous training and artistic interests warrant pursuing a degree in more than one school at CalArts. Such specialized courses of study must set clearly defined objectives and have the approval of the deans of the participating schools. Only highly qualified students who have already completed at least one year of residency at CalArts may submit a petition to design their own Interschool degree programs.
Students who are not pursuing a BFA degree may obtain a Certificate of Fine Arts as the culmination of a course of study that does not require Critical Studies credits. Students who are qualified at the MFA level in their chosen field but do not hold an undergraduate degree may work toward an Advanced Certificate of Fine Arts. Generally, very few applicants are admitted to CalArts to pursue such courses of study.
CRITICAL STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE REQUIREMENTS A CalArts education is based on both artistic and intellectual rigor. To ensure that every undergraduate has the broad knowledge and cultural sophistication needed for successful arts careers in today’s world, all candidates for the BFA degree must complete the Critical Studies Undergraduate Requirements in addition to coursework in their individual programs. Designed to broaden vision and encourage well-informed, innovative artmaking, the Critical Studies Undergraduate Requirements help students to develop analytical, writing and research skills, and to learn about a broad range of topics in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and cultural studies. The Critical Studies curriculum also includes many courses directly related to each student’s own métier— his or her chosen art form. All BFA candidates are expected to take a total of 46 units in Critical Studies by the time of graduation. This amounts to two to three courses per semester and represents about 40 percent of each student’s overall course load. Students also have the option of pursuing a Minor in Critical Studies by concentrating their Critical Studies courses in one of four areas: Humanities, Social Sciences, Cultural Studies or Natural Sciences. Students working toward the Minor in Critical Studies must accumulate 18 credits in their chosen area but are not required to complete any additional classes above and beyond the 46 Critical Studies units needed for the BFA degree. Students with previous bachelor’s degrees do not have to fulfill the full 46-unit Critical Studies Undergraduate Requirements. They are required, however, to complete at least 12 Critical Studies units in order to obtain a BFA degree from CalArts. Those students working toward a Certificate of Fine Arts are not subject to Critical Studies Undergraduate Requirements.
MENTORS Made possible by low student-faculty ratios and small class sizes, close faculty-student working relationships are absolutely central to the learning experience at CalArts. Every student works with a mentor, a faculty member who serves as that student’s main artistic advisor.
EVALUATIONS The artistic and academic progress of every student is assessed through a combination of course evaluations, which follow a nontraditional grading system, and faculty reviews, which take a broader view of a student’s overall work. Faculty assessments of student work are documented through review reports, annual mentor’s reports and, if applicable, Critical Studies reports.
TOP : At the beginning of each semester,
students consult with faculty during Registration before signing up for classes.
For more details, see calarts.edu/undergrad.
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CENTER FOR INTEGRATED MEDIA Integrated Media (IM) is a supplemental concentration offered by many MFA programs at CalArts. IM is designed specifically for advanced students whose creative use of technology—in particular digital media—goes beyond their primary areas of study, or métiers, in art, dance, film/video, music, theater and writing. The Center for Integrated Media supports all IM students across CalArts, enabling them to apply new technologies and integrate multiple media and disciplines into new forms of expression. IM work encompasses a wide range of projects involving performative and environmental installations, video, sound, music, robotics, gaming, programming, interactivity, computer graphics, and the Internet. Prospective graduate students who are interested in IM as a supplemental concentration apply to the relevant métier MFA program and ask to be considered for IM. These applications are reviewed jointly by MFA program faculty and IM faculty. Applicants are expected to show the level of artistic ability required for the métier program and, at the same time, demonstrate significant previous experience with digital technologies and interdisciplinary work.
For more information about IM, see the Center for Integrated Media brochure or visit calarts.edu/cim.
R I G H T: S O A N D S O. T H E AT R E S T U D EN T D O I N G T H I S A N D THIS PAGE : Performances featured T H AT FO R S O M E OT H ER in the Center for Integrated Media’s T H I N G O R OT H ER annual exhibition OPPOSITE : An installation entitled The Wumbrine by the School of Art BFA candidate Chelsea Bayouth
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FOLLOWING SPREAD, FROM LEFT:
A performance by the CalArts Javanese gamelan Kyai Doro Dasih (“The Honorable Dream Come True”) at the Roy and Edna Disney/ CalArts Theater (REDCAT); and a production still from Etsa y Nantu, F O L L O W I N G P A G E S : a film by School of Film/Video MFA S O A N D S O. T H E AT R E S T U D EN T D O I N G T H I S A N D T H AT FO R S O M E OT H ER T H I N G O R OT H ER candidate Sandra Powers S O A N D S O. T H E AT R E S T U D EN T D O I N G T H I S A N D T H AT FO R S O M E OT H ER T H I N G O R OT H ER S O A N D S O. T H E AT R E S T U D EN T D O I N G T H I S A N D T H AT FO R S O M E OT H ER T H I N G O R OT H ER
THIS PAGE : The exhibition Two Lines Align:
Drawings and Graphic Design by Ed Fella and Geoff McFetridge at the Gallery at REDCAT OPPOSITE, INSET: A performance at REDCAT by the Seattle experimental performance group Degenerate Art Ensemble BOTTOM RIGHT: A dance theater work entitled Alaska, by award-winning Argentine choreographer Diana Szeinblum
ROY AND EDNA DISNEY/ CALARTS THEATER (REDCAT) The Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater is CalArts’ center for innovative visual, performing, media and literary arts in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Housed as a separate entity in the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall complex, REDCAT provides a unique platform for experimental and interdisciplinary work in music, dance, theater, art, film/video and literature—and a new laboratory and gathering place for artists and audiences throughout the Los Angeles area. As one of the most adaptable and comprehensively outfitted performance and art venues in the United States, REDCAT features modular seating for as many as 250 people, flexible acoustics, stage width and depth for dance and multidisciplinary performance, and a 3,000-square-foot exhibition space. Its lobby contains a lounge and a small bookstore. REDCAT offers a lively and ever-changing range of programs that are designed to enrich the artistic and cultural conversation in Southern California. These programs are drawn from CalArts as well as from a diverse blend of local, national and international artists. REDCAT events are made available to students through discounted tickets, and many of the artists who present their work at REDCAT come to the CalArts campus for lectures, workshops and meetings with students. REDCAT hosts more than 150 public events each year, drawing tens of thousands of residents and visitors to downtown Los Angeles to experience and reflect on some of the most daring and innovative art produced today.
To see the latest programs at REDCAT, go to redcat.org. 31
COMMUNITY ARTS PARTNERSHIP (CAP) Established in 1990 as the first program of its kind in the United States, the award-winning Community Arts Partnership links CalArts to community art centers, youth organizations and public schools throughout Los Angeles County as part of an expanding collaborative endeavor to provide free college-level arts education to middle and high school students. CAP courses are designed to mirror the pedagogical approaches used at CalArts. These courses cover art, animation, digital media, dance, drawing, chamber music, jazz, world music, graphic design, printmaking, photography, public art, puppetry, theater, video, and writing. All CAP classes and workshops culminate in performances, exhibitions, concerts and screenings. To date, these public events have been held at more than 250 community venues throughout Los Angeles County, including the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT). CAP students who are admitted to CalArts after completing high school may qualify for CAP scholarships.
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Additionally, CAP creates model arts education curricula for middle and high schools. Designed to be responsive to the culturally diverse communities of Southern California, these curricula are based on low student-teacher ratios and feature individualized arts training and mentoring. CAP forms a bridge between the talents and resources of CalArts and those of its community partners in order to train promising young artists. At the same time, CAP affords CalArts students the opportunity to share their knowledge and abilities with teenagers, and work directly with faculty artists to create innovative pedagogical approaches. More than that, CalArts students involved in CAP gain valuable life, teaching and artmaking experience, and benefit from real-world engagement across a wide range of diverse Los Angeles communities.
To learn more about CAP and its programs, go to cap.calarts.edu.
CENTER FOR NEW PERFORMANCE (CNP) AT CALARTS The Center for New Performance is the professional producing arm of CalArts, established to provide a unique artist- and project-driven framework for the development and realization of innovative theater, music, dance and interdisciplinary projects. Extending the forward-looking work carried out at CalArts into a direct dialogue with professional communities at the local, national and international levels, the CNP offers an alternative model for the support of emerging voices and directions in the performing arts. It also enables CalArts students to work shoulder-to-shoulder with celebrated artists and acquire a level of experience that goes beyond the curriculum at each CalArts school. The CNP plays an integral role in CalArts’ ongoing efforts to provide an enduring home for alternative performance and cross-disciplinary work, both on campus and at REDCAT. CNP guest artists have included directors Robert Cantarella and Chen Shi-Zheng, composers Vinny Golia and Stephin Merritt, and actor Stephen Dillane, among others. Recent CNP productions have included the world premieres of What to Wear, an opera written and directed by avant-garde theater icon Richard Foreman and scored by composer Michael Gordon, cofounder of the Bang on a Can Festival, and Vineland Stelae, a full-length structured improvisation for 30 musicians created by boundary-defying composer Sandeep Bhagwati and staged by director Chi-wang Yang. Both works were developed and rehearsed on the CalArts campus and formally presented at REDCAT. Among the slate of upcoming CNP projects is the world premiere of Smoke, Lillies, and Jade, written by Carl Hancock Rux and directed by Nataki Garrett.
OPPOSITE : High school and junior high school students
in the CAP/Plaza de la Raza Modern Dance Program, led by faculty and students from The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts THIS PAGE : CNP productions of What to Wear (TOP) and Vineland Stelae presented at REDCAT
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STUDENT POPULATION 2007–08
62% BFA Students: 820
ENROLLMENT Total Enrollment: 1324
38%
MFA Students: 504
GENDER
49% Female
GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 31 countries
89%
U.S. Students
11% International Students
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22% 3%
School of Art
19%
School of Critical Studies
6%
The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance
The Herb Alpert School of Music
RETENTION
22%
School of Theater
28%
School of Film/Video
AREAS OF STUDY
92%
32%
ACCEPTANCE
51% Male
9%
10%
Asian American
African American
2% Other
1%
66%
Native American
12%
Caucasian
Latino
U.S. STUDENTS’ DIVERSITY 35
BOARD AND EXECUTIVE STAFF
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Austin M. Beutner Chair
Roy E. Disney
Araceli Ruano
Tim Disney
David L. Schiff
Vice Chair
Janet Dreisen
Joe Smith
James B. Lovelace
Robert B. Egelston
Whitney Smith
Thomas L. Lee
Vice Chair
Peter Norton
Michael D. Eisner
Vice Chair
David I. Fisher
Joan Abrahamson
Harriett F. Gold
Aileen Adams
Leo F. Hobaica Jr.
William H. Ahmanson David A. Bossert Jacqueline B. Brandwynne Kevin R. Brine Manuel O. Castells
Thomas E. Unterman Roger Wacker Elliot D. Webb
Faculty Trustee
Luanne C. Wells
Charmaine Jefferson
Kenneth P. Wong
Peter S. Kraus Chair, Board of Overseers, Ex Officio
Steven D. Lavine
TRUSTEES EMERITI George N. Boone
Ex Officio
Douglas K. Freeman
Edwin E. Catmull
Michelle Lund
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Don Cheadle
Jamie Alter Lynton
Jon B. Lovelace
Joseph M. Cohen
James McCoy
William S. Lund
Richard W. Cook
Staff Trustee
Timothy P. Corrigan
Willem Mesdag
Robert J. Denison
Colleen Morrissey Lawrence J. Ramer
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Student Trustee
C. Roderick O’Neil Michael Pressman Harrison Price
ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS Steven D. Lavine
Jeffrey Gatten
President
Dean, Division of Library and Information Resources
Nancy J. Uscher Provost
R. John Bache Associate Provost
William Schaeffer Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Karla Talavera Controller
Lynn R. Rosenfeld Vice President, Special Projects
Arwen Duffy Vice President, Advancement
Thomas Lawson Dean, School of Art
Nancy Wood
Yvonne Guy Dean of Students
Carol Kim Dean, Enrollment Management
Glenna Avila Wallis Annenberg Director, Community Arts Partnership
Bobbi Heuer Director, Financial Aid
Molly Ryan Director, Admissions
Charmagne Shearrill Director, Human Resources
Nancy Whittemore Registrar
Dean, School of Critical Studies
Stephan Koplowitz Dean, The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance
Steve Anker Dean, School of Film/Video
David Rosenboom Dean, The Herb Alpert School of Music
Erik Ehn Dean, School of Theater
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ACCREDITATION California Institute of the Arts is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The School of Art is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). The School of Theater is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theater (NAST).
For information about WASC and its accrediting process, contact: WASC 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100 Alameda, CA 94501 510 748-9001 wascsr@wascsenior.org For information about NASAD, NASD, NASM and NAST, see arts-accredit.org. For additional information about CalArts’ accreditation, contact the Office of the Provost at 661 255-1050.
PGS. 42–43, FROM LEFT:
ABOVE : Registration kicks off
the new semester. OPPOSITE : Eat My Vowels, a work by School of Art MFA candidate Clarissa Tossin PGS. 40–41, FROM LEFT: Music
faculty member Ulrich Krieger leads a class called Sonic Boom; and BFA candidate Jon Nai Russell in the 2008 Spring Dance Concert
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A reenactment of Allan Kaprow’s 1970 Happening Publicity; and a joint MusicTheater production of JeanPhilippe Rameau’s comédie lyrique Platée PGS. 44–45, FROM LEFT:
Giovanni Allen and Erika Marosi performing in the 2008 Spring Dance Concert; and the School of Theater production of That Untravelled World, written by MFA candidate Jane Pickett
Design: Counterspace: Yasmin Khan (ART MFA 05), Michael Worthington (ART MFA 95) Design Assistant: Cassandra Chae (ART MFA 07) Design Interns: Megan Lynch (ART MFA1), Hye Jin Lee (ART MFA1) Freelance Designers: Erin Hauber, Silas Munro (ART MFA 08) Type Design: Roletta Sans and Roletta Serif by Andrea Tinnes (ART MFA 98) License provided courtesy of Primetype.
The CalArts Admissions Bulletin is published by Carol Kim, dean, Enrollment Management. Photography: Scott Groller, Steven A. Gunther Editorial: Stuart I. Frolick, Freddie Sharmini Printed by Blanchette Press CalArts 24700 McBean Parkway Valencia, CA 91355-2340 USA Office of Admissions 661 255–1050 or 800 545–ARTS (toll-free) calarts.edu The information contained in this publication is subject to change. For the most up-to-date information about CalArts, see calarts.edu.