KCAD Viewbook

A line on a page. That’s how it all begins. From the phone in your pocket to the masterpiece on the museum wall to the chair you’re sitting in, everything around you was imagined, sketched, built, refined, and created. Design and creativity are everywhere. And they move us all forward. That very first line is like the opening of a door, the crossing of a threshold. It’s the path you take out of curiosity ... and follow toward possibility.

At KCAD—the school for forward-thinking creatives at Ferris State University—you'll learn how to design what's next. Through real-world projects. 1-on-1 training. Making in state-of-the-art studios. All fueled by the support of our close-knit community.

Come make the move from creative potential to creative professional. And turn your talent in to a future-proof career.

Designed to move you forward.

KCAD + FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY

KCAD offers a world-class art and design education complemented by Ferris State University resources and support systems. And while Ferris is known for it's careeroriented majors, at KCAD you’ll find that the career-oriented and the creative intersect in powerful ways.

KCAD’s immersive creative learning environment offers a wide range of specialized degree programs in design, fine art, and art history. Students in these programs receive a quality Ferris education while getting the expert instruction and personalized support they need to transform their creativity into a marketable skill set— and from there, a dynamic career.

In the heart of downtown Grand Rapids on a resource-rich campus, KCAD students enjoy educational experiences that are more hands-on and immersive than those typically found in creative degree programs within other larger universities.

At KCAD, we know that creativity is a vital part of the educational experience. Beyond making, our students learn to think creatively, communicate clearly, and approach complex problems with empathy and a human-centered perspective— essential 21st century skills that are increasingly in demand from employers around the globe.

WHERE CREATIVITY AND CRITICAL THINKING WORK TOGETHER

At KCAD, we balance form with function, passion with motivation, and quality with quantity. We fiercely protect time for brainstorming and inspiration, and know when to buckle down. We ask the hard questions, like “How?” and “Why?” knowing there’s a world of possibility inside each one.

From product design to painting, every art and design practice involves aspects of both creative inspiration and focused problem solving. KCAD helps equip you for both. It’s the balance that can transform artful curiosity into a powerful new ways of seeing, thinking, making, and connecting. We give structure to inspiration and the creative process. We’ll teach you how to create your best work, and then we’ll teach you how to build your career.

Matt VanSweden

EXPERIENCES THAT MATTER

Creativity and community intertwined: Students creating a mural reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Grandville Avenue neighborhood in collaboration with the Cook Arts Center, the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, and local youths

ENGAGEMENT = INSPIRATION

Your classroom extends beyond campus into West Michigan’s thriving art and design community, where our strong relationships with arts organizations, industry-leading companies, and nonprofits help provide students with transformative real-world learning experiences and invaluable professional network connections.

Envision the future of health care

in collaboration with Spectrum Health Innovations LLC, an entrepreneurial incubator powered by one of the top health care networks in the country. Meet and learn from internationally renowned artists exhibiting at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Design solutions that help startups take their next step forward. Explore new ways of thinking, working, and meeting the challenges of tomorrow alongside global corporations like Whirlpool, Bissell, and Steelcase. Bring stories to life onstage by creating costumes for the Grand Rapids Opera and the Grand Rapids Ballet. Whoever and whatever you want to impact with your creativity, KCAD is here to support you.

Design in motion: Grand Rapids Ballet dancers performing in costumes created and designed by students in KCAD’s Pamella Roland DeVos School of Fashion

Fresh perspective: Product Design students helping Tiara Yachts envision a new line of luxury watercraft

Seeking solutions: KCAD students working with Spectrum Health Innovations LLC to redesign facilities and care models for patients with epilepsy

KCAD Study Away trips, like this excursion to Scotland, provide transformational learning experiences around the globe. photo credit: Hwa-Jeen Na

A beloved KCAD tradition, the annual Halloween party and costume contest put students' outrageous creative talents on full display

CO-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

Classwork isn’t your only source of creative stimulation. Life at KCAD is rich with cocurricular activities that will enhance your education and expand your perspective. Through internal initiatives and relationships with area organizations, the college brings you up close and personal with artists and designers from around the world who are doing work that matters, like TED founder Richard Saul Wurman, artist/illustrator Sue Coe, fashion maverick Matt Baldwin, and WIRED design director Claudia de Almedia. Build creative community with your peers and join a student organization like the Green Council student sustainability club or the Illustration Club, or one of a number of professional organizations like the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) or the Interaction Design Association (IxDA). Showcase your work in one of several student-focused exhibition spaces on campus, or venture out to explore other venues in Grand Rapids and beyond on KCAD-organized excursions. A lifetime of learning starts here.

STUDY AWAY

It’s a big world out there. KCAD offers a number of study away experiences that expose students to cultures and creative expressions from around the globe. Trips to places like Italy, Sweden, Scotland, New York, and Portland blend place-based exploration and cultural immersion with focused learning experiences, inspiring students to make meaningful connections between their own creative process and the world around them.

Each Valentine's Day, student organizations gather to offer handmade creative gifts for sale to the KCAD Community

Renowned contemporary artist Sue Coe demonstrates her illustration technique in an on-campus workshop

MEET YOUR MENTORS

Fashion Studies Professor Lori Faulkner gives students feedback on their design sketches

EXPERT GUIDANCE + PERSONAL ATTENTION

KCAD faculty are also expert artists, designers, and scholars who leverage their deep professional experience to help students make the most of their education. Their artwork is featured in galleries and permanent collections throughout the U.S. and abroad. Their designs win awards and fuel the success of companies large and small. Their scholarship places them center stage at prestigious international conferences and connects them to the best and brightest in their field. They are experimenters uncovering new techniques and processes in their own studios, and they are entrepreneurs building brands and running successful businesses. Most important, everything they learn through their own professional pursuits feeds back into the classroom.

Our faculty are as passionate about your learning and growth as they are about their own. At KCAD, small class sizes enable faculty to engage students on an individual level. They become mentors and role models, motivating you to reach your potential while also providing a safe and supportive environment for you to try new things and forge your own identity and path to professional success. Here, you won’t feel like you’re getting lost in the crowd; you’ll develop close relationships that will remain long after you graduate.

Collaborative Design Professor Gayle DeBruyn with students on a site visit

Installation by Studio Arts

Associate Professor Danielle Wyckoff

"Impact" by Dean of Academic Affairs Stephen Halko

Clockwise from left: 1 Studio Arts Associate Professor Danielle Wyckoff in the KCAD printmaking studio. 2 “Reuptake Inhibitors” by Painting Professor Diane Zeeuw. 3 Digital Art and Design Assistant Professor Mike Dollar guides a student in the audio lab. 4 Graphic Design Professor Jason Alger provides a look inside his design practice as part of KCAD's Focus On Faculty exhibition series 5 Children’s book illustration by Illustration Professor Molly Alicki Corriveau. 6 “Flame” by Product Design Professor Phillip Renato. 7 Art History Professor Anne Norcross helps a student explore the archives

Photography Darkroom

Dow Center FlexLab

ON CAMPUS, YOU’LL HAVE ACCESS TO:

The Dow Center FlexLab, KCAD’s state-of-the-art digital fabrication facility, features 3D printers and scanners, laser and vinyl-cutting machines, wideformat printers, and more.

The Baker Furniture Collection provides hands-on access to 1,500 square feet of period furniture and decorative arts from around the world; ancient, modern, and everything in between.

The Photography Darkrooms offer students from all programs access to separate fully equipped darkrooms— one for processing black and white film/prints and another for processing color film/prints. Both darkrooms feature 15 enlargers with negative carriers and filters.

The KCAD Library enables access to millions of books through the MeLCat shared library catalog, as well as access—both on and off campus—to over 180 specialized research databases of scholarly publications and a wealth of digital images through ARTstor and CAMIO. Professional academic librarians provide on-site reference services and research guidance.

The Galleries @ 17 Fountain feature student, faculty, and community exhibitions. And with its countless walls and hallways constantly filled with an impressive array of student work, the 17 Fountain St. NW building as a whole is a living, breathing embodiment of the creative spirit that makes KCAD such a special place.

Gallery Spaces include Spark Gallery, Atrium, the Art[ery], and Gallery 602.

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

3D design studio / Audio lab / Ceramics studio

Computer labs / Darkrooms / Drawing studios

Functional Art studio / Furniture Design studios

Metals and Jewelry studio / On-campus store

Painting studios /Woodshop / Resource rooms

Sculpture studios ... and much more

Audio lab

Baker Furniture Collection

Atrium

Spark Gallery

The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia

The Office of Multicultural Student Services

ON THE BIG RAPIDS CAMPUS, YOU’LL HAVE ACCESS TO*:

The Career Center provides opportunities for students to discover their career interests, articulate their skills, and locate internships and employment.

The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia is on a mission to use objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote social justice. The Museum features six exhibit areas — Who and What is Jim Crow, Jim Crow Violence, Jim Crow and Anti-Black Imagery, Battling Jim Crow Imagery, Attacking Jim Crow Segregation, and Beyond Jim Crow.

Center for Latin@ Studies is a statewide leader in innovative and culturally responsive pre-college through post-secondary education for Latinx student success that creates a seamless connection between the University and Latinx communities.

The LGBTQ+ Resource Center serves to foster a supportive environment that is open, safe, and inclusive for students of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.

The Veteran Resource Center at Ferris State University is run by Veterans for Veterans. The VRC is a centralized resource department, easily accessible and widely available to all veterans: active duty, reserve guard, separated, retired and their dependents.

The Office of Multicultural Student Services (OMSS) promotes the intellectual understanding and appreciation of diversity, inclusion, and social justice by creating opportunities for learning and leadership development for our campus community. In addition, OMSS provides meaningful support to assist in the transition, retention, and graduation of our underrepresented student populations.

*Representatives from these offices are often on campus during the academic year to connect directly with KCAD students.

LGBTQ+ Resource Center

The University Center

Center for Latin@ Studies

Promesa Summer Success

Like the Grand River itself, life in Grand Rapids is a constant flow of energy

LIFE IS GRAND

What better environment for your creative education than a city driven by creativity?

KCAD lives in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second-largest city and a thriving cultural haven for makers, innovators, and creative visionaries. From art galleries, museums, makerspaces, sculpture parks, theaters, and concert venues to institutions like the Grand Rapids Ballet, Opera, and Symphony, the city is bursting with places and spaces that will invigorate your senses and inspire your own creative process. There are also citywide events like ArtPrize, the world’s most-attended public art event, and Confluence Fest, a multimedia forum uniting creativity and technology and showcasing the innovative, world-class design work happening in the region.

What’s more, Grand Rapids’ creative community is committed to growing and changing for the better. Local initiatives provide exposure for independent galleries, exhibition and networking opportunities for emerging artists, and career development sessions and public forums that connect creative professionals to the world around them. Meanwhile, organizations like Creative Mornings Grand Rapids give artists and designers working in a variety of different spaces a powerful platform for sharing their perspective with others.

Here, whether you’re working or playing, you’re always surrounded by the transformative power of creativity.

Alexander Calder’s iconic “La Grande Vitesse”

KCAD students receive free membership to the Grand Rapids Art Museum

Grand Rapids Ballet

Ah-Nab-Awen Park

Gab Schwall

Min Lee

UNDERGRADUATE VISITS TO KCAD

Your education is an investment in your future. With a decision this important, it takes more than reading about a college to truly know if it’s the right fit for you. Let us show you around our campus, introduce you to our facilities and studios, and give you a taste of what makes life in our creative community so special.

Learn more at kcad.edu/visit

CAMPUS TOUR

Come on your own or bring a friend or parent. Register for one of our upcoming guided tours and get an in-depth tour of the campus and the resources available to our students. Tours are geared toward undergraduate programs.

OPEN HOUSE

The Open House provides prospective students to KCAD undergraduate and graduate programs the opportunity to explore campus and get in-depth information about the admissions process, including key details about scholarships and financial aid.

ADMISSIONS APPOINTMENT

Meet with an Admissions counselor in person at KCAD or virtually. Ask questions about the admissions process, get feedback on your portfolio, and more!

Email kcadadmissions@ferris.edu to set up an appointment.

Allison Jenkins

UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS

Our undergraduate programs are designed around traditional and emerging opportunities in the professional world. We emphasize the work patterns, technologies, tools, and techniques that will prepare graduates for a seamless transition to their lives as working artists and designers.

APPLYING TO KCAD

Our Admissions team is here to support you through every step of the process, so if you have questions along the way, call us, and we’ll walk you through it. Your application must be completed at least one month before the start of the semester in which you want to begin taking classes, but remember—it’s best to submit as soon as possible.

Get started at kcad.edu/admissions

UNDERGRADUATE PORTFOLIO REVIEW

The majority of KCAD programs require a portfolio review (except those entering Art History with an Academic Focus).

The portfolio is your opportunity to show us your strengths and interests. Your work reflects your ability to express yourself, articulate your ideas, and demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and creativity. We understand that students come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds and we want to meet you where you are. We will consider your portfolio in the context of your prior experiences.

Your portfolio should include 8-10 pieces of your best, most recent work that reflect your interests and creative potential. This collection of work could include 2D or 3D artwork, such as drawings, paintings, design, photography, sketches, animation, typography, videos, collages, ceramics, sculpture, sewn garments or other forms of creativity.

Our definition of creative output is broad. Wherever your strengths and interests lie—robotics, broadcast journalism, performance, yearbook, creative writing, etc.—we’ll consider any form of creative expression that showcases your execution and thought.

We want to better understand your work, so when we review your portfolio, tell us where your ideas come from, how you’ve developed your skills, and what interests you are exploring.

If you have questions or concerns about putting together a portfolio of work, contact a KCAD Admissions counselor—we’re here to help!

Katie Rellinger

TRANSFER STUDENTS

KCAD values the prior experiences and insights of transfer students and we are committed to making your transition to KCAD as smooth as possible.

If you are an early middle college student, you are considered a first-year student rather than a transfer student, however your college credits will be evaluated for transferability in accordance with our Transfer Credit Policy.

ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS

KCAD has a number of articulation agreements with local and regional community colleges. Talk to an Admissions counselor to find out if there are agreements you can take advantage of.

William Andrews

Kennis Chen

Briana Garza

Juan Martinez

Grace Fetzer

Andy Shaw

Liz Baker

Abby Ziolkowski

VETERANS

KCAD is dedicated to supporting service members and their families in their educational and career goals. Veterans and military service members bring unique experiences and valuable perspectives to our campus and community.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

KCAD is committed to supporting international students throughout the application process and helping them make an easy transition to life on campus and in the city of Grand Rapids. If you’re an international student, we highly encourage you to apply six months before the start of the semester in which you want to begin taking classes.

GUEST STUDENTS

We may call you "guest students," but we treat you like family!

Some people want to take a few courses at KCAD without seeking a degree. Guest students can take up to nine credits before applying as degree-seeking students. Please note, students seeking graduate level courses are ineligible to apply as a guest student.

Alyssa Natoci

HIGH SCHOOL DUAL ENROLLMENT

Dual enrollment at KCAD is a great way for students to get a head start by taking college courses while still in high school. These courses can be used for both high school and college credit at a reduced tuition rate.

Dual enrollment courses may be offered at a high school location, on the KCAD campus, or online.

Talk with an Admissions counselor to learn more, or visit kcad.edu/dualenroll.

Ally Wass

Sarah Lewis

Aaron Covrett

YOUR EDUCATION: EXPANDED

KCAD seeks to graduate curious, driven, and versatile leaders who can contribute to and shape the future. That’s why, in addition to their major coursework, all students take a wide range of immersive courses that broaden their skills, enlarge their perspective, and help them connect their individual creativity to the world around them.

FOUNDATIONS

The Foundations First Year Experience program unites first-year KCAD students in a shared experience that strengthens their core creative skills and fosters community on campus.

The program propels all first-year students toward a deeper understanding of how their individual creativity relates to the world at large, helping connect their passion for making to career opportunities from the moment they arrive on campus. Within this shared learning experience, students freely blend traditional, current, and experimental approaches to art and design, giving them agency to build skills and knowledge that are personally and professionally meaningful.

At the same time, they interrogate accepted standards and link history to contemporary practice, exploring how creativity has continually shaped the human experience and imagining what possibilities lie ahead. Students emerge from the program with an enlarged field of vision, a thirst for critical thinking, and a versatile set of tools and experiences to design their future with agility.

SUPPORTIVE ART HISTORY COURSES

KCAD students in all majors take Art History courses that foster a deep understanding of visual creativity and invite exploration of the historical, political, social, and personal forces that influence artists and designers.

UNDERGRADUATE MINORS

Expand your creativity and enlarge your perspective through an abridged course of study, generally totaling 15 semester credit hours, in a discipline outside of your major.

GENERAL EDUCATION PATHWAYS: CHART NEW, CREATIVE PATHS FORWARD

Pathways is the name of KCAD's model for general education courses. It's based on the understanding that the most successful artists, designers, and art historians, are those who stay broadly and endlessly interested in the world around them. That's why our Pathways model gives you the freedom to pursue an education that sparks your curiosity and stimulates your creativity. Wherever your exploration leads, you'll emerge as a critical and analytical thinker who can both adapt to change and chart new, creative paths forward.

HOW DOES THE PATHWAYS MODEL WORK?

The Pathways model blends 30 credits of broad, integrative study with a deep dive into a focus area of your choice. First, you'll take five foundational courses (15 credits)—Writing, Intro to Narrative Studies, Intro to Cultural Studies, Intro to Philosophy, and a Math or Science Elective—that will set the stage for you to immerse yourself in your interests. You'll then select one of three pathways in which you'll take four classes (12 credits) in an area of focus. Each pathway culminates in a capstone course (3 credits) that encourages you to make powerful connections between all that you've learned and experienced along the way.

Andrea Hines

Hannah Snyder

Andy Shaw

FINANCIAL AID

At KCAD, we believe anyone who seeks a college education should have the opportunity to earn a degree, regardless of personal finances. We’ll do everything we can to help you figure out how to best fund your education. In fact, over 75% of our students receive some sort of financial aid.

Find out more at kcad.edu/fundingyoureducation

HOW TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID:

1. Get a copy of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Fill it out online at studentaid.gov/h/ apply-for-aid/fafsa or get a copy from our Financial Aid office or your high school counselor’s office.

2. Fill out the FAFSA, making sure to include the Ferris/KCAD federal school code number (002260).

3. Submit your FAFSA as early as possible to be considered for the maximum aid available. FAFSA forms are available on October 1 of each year. The university will not award financial aid until you’ve completed the FAFSA and have been accepted to KCAD

SCHOLARSHIPS

Every year, KCAD awards numerous scholarships and grants. For more information on scholarship opportunities and application details, check out kcad.edu/scholarships

Matt Johnson

Andrew Taylor, Audrey Langejans & Scott Vogel

MISSION

As a college within Ferris State University, Kendall College of Art and Design prepares students for leadership in design, fine arts, and art history; provides innovative, collaborative education that fosters intellectual growth and individual creativity; and promotes the ethical and civic responsibilities of artists and designers, locally and globally.

VISION

As an innovator in art and design education, KCAD will cultivate a student-centered learning community that fuels the regional economy with creative leaders and critical thinkers with global perspectives.

VALUES

Student-Centeredness

Diversity and Inclusion

Academic Excellence

Collaboration

Sustainability

Michael Kramer

Jesse Clevenger

Dayna Walton Madison May

Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University is authorized under the laws of the State of  Michigan to grant Associate of Arts, Associate of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, and Master of Arts degrees.

As part of Ferris State University, Kendall College of Art and Design is accredited by The Higher Learning  Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604 / 800.621.7440.

Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University is an accredited institutional member of The National Association of Schools of Art and Design, 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA 20190-5248 / 703.437.0700.

Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s Interior Design program is accredited by The Council for Interior Design Accreditation, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 / 616.458.0440.

Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s Master of Architecture Program has been granted initial accreditation by: The National Architectural Accrediting Board, 735 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20006 / 202.783.2007.

Ferris State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran or military status, height, weight, protected disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable State or federal laws or regulations in education, employment, housing, public services, or other University operations, including, but not limited to, admissions, programs, activities, hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, or retention. Retaliation against any person making a charge, filing a legitimate complaint, testifying, or participating in any discrimination investigation or proceeding is prohibited.

Students with disabilities requiring assistance or accommodation may contact Educational Counseling & Disabilities Services at (231) 591-3057 ecds@ferris.edu in Big Rapids (including statewide students) or the Director of Counseling and Disability Services for Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) at (616) 451-2787 ext. 1136 MarieYowtz@ferris.edu in Grand Rapids. Employees and other members of the University community with disabilities requiring assistance or accommodation may contact the Human Resources Department, 420 Oak St., Big Rapids, MI 49307 or call (231) 591- 2150 Humanresources@ferris.edu.

Inquiries and complaints of disability discrimination may be addressed to the Director of Accessibility, Arts, Sciences and Education Commons 1017, 820 Campus Dr., Big Rapids, MI 49307 or by telephone/email at (231) 591-3057 JulieAlexander@ferris.edu or to the Director of Equal Opportunity, 120 East Cedar St., Big Rapids, MI 49307 or by telephone/email at (231) 591- 2152 EqualOpportunity@ferris.edu.

Individuals with complaints of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, may address those complaints to the Title IX Coordinator, 805 Campus Dr., Big Rapids, MI 49307 or by telephone/email at (231) 591-2088 KaitlinZies@ferris.edu or to a Deputy Title IX Coordinator, including the Director of Equal Opportunity, as above or the Extended and International Operations Director of Student Services, 151 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or by telephone/email at (616) 643-5741 JocelynGoheen@ferris.edu.

KCAD reserves the right to make changes and revisions to this publication. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website, www.kcad.edu.