NE
T
THE MAGAZINE OF THE MINNEAPOLIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
NEXT
MINNEAPOLIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
NEXT is a magazine for the alumni and friends of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Through this publication, we aspire to share the realization of our mission through stories of alumni who are transforming the world through creativity and purpose, of faculty members who are delivering world-class education to tomorrow's creative leaders, and of supporters who are generously believing in and supporting the mission of MCAD.
Recognized nationally and internationally for its innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to visual arts education, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design is home to more than 700 students and offers professional certificates, bachelor of fine arts and bachelor of science degrees, and graduate degrees. The campus is located just south of downtown Minneapolis and is composed of eight buildings and three acres of lawn and gardens. College facilities contain the latest in technology, with multiple studios and labs open 24/7.
PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jay Coogan President
Brian Adducci ’92 Ta-coumba Aiken ’74 Kevin Bennett Leslie Berkshire Susan Calmenson Uri Camarena Anne Cashill ’83 Cinda Collins Andrew Dayton Miles Q. Fiterman Jay Jackley Susan Kelly
Melissa Huybrecht Associate Vice President, Enrollment Management Pamela Newsome-Prochniak Vice President, Administration Cindy Theis Associate Vice President, Institutional Advancement
B. John Lindahl Peter Lindahl Mitzi Magid Betsy Massie David Moore Clinton H. Morrison Mary (Mimi) Bowman Rae Howard Rubin Boriana M. Strzok ’08 Donald Robert Teslow II Bill Thorburn ’84
Karen Wirth Vice President, Academic Affairs LIFE TRUSTEES Jen Zuccola Dean, Student Affairs
MINNEAPOLIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
Bruce W. Bean Cy DeCosse '52
FRONT COVER Left to Right:
2501 STEVENS AVENUE MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404 MCAD.EDU P: 612.874.3700
Bobby Rogers ’14 Jennifer Bowman ’14 Jared Tuttle ’14 Parker Sprout ’15 Leah Zobott ’14 Front cover, back cover, and facing photos by Nich Thomas ’14
CONTENTS
THE MAGAZINE OF THE MINNEAPOLIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC NEWS INSIDE M/LAB
1 2–3 4–10
FACULTY PERSPECTIVE 11 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
12–14 15
OPENINGS AND EVENTS
16–17
M/LAB SUPPORTER PROFILES
18–19
ALUMNI NOTES
20–21
UPCOMING EVENTS
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A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Moving MCAD Forward Dear Friends of MCAD, Welcome to NEXT, a publication for the MCAD community. With this publication we intend to keep you informed of what is new and what is next for MCAD as well as what is currently going on at the college. We want to connect you to the stories of MCAD alumni, faculty, staff, students, and donors. As I start my sixth year as MCAD’s president, my two key goals for MCAD and its students are to create access and opportunity. How can we make sure an MCAD education is available to talented students who have a passion for art and design? And, how can we continue to provide a fresh, vibrant, and relevant educational opportunity for students who choose to come to MCAD?
“My two key goals are to create access and opportunity.” To create access to an MCAD education, I have focused on increasing financial support for students. Funded scholarships awarded to students have grown 77 percent since I came to the college. We have attracted more top-ranked students every year for the last three years. One-third of our incoming class received the highest admissions ranking. This year, we had our largest incoming MFA class ever with 33 students choosing MCAD for their graduate program. MCAD’s commitment to financial aid has grown immensely over the five years of my tenure. Our student loan debt has dropped by 20 percent over the last three years and we have a loan default rate that is half the national average. I am very proud of this progress in making MCAD more accessible. Students are leaving school with less debt and are working and able to pay back their student loans. And then there is opportunity. We are very proud to showcase, here, our first fully donor-funded enhancement to the facilities of the college, M/LAB. This media laboratory opened its doors at the start of this school year as one of the most comprehensive educational media arts facilities in the region. The excitement about the facility on campus is palpable. This project began as a conversation three years ago with former Vice President of Academic Affairs Vince Leo. During the last two years the project has progressed under the leadership of Karen Wirth, the current vice president of academic affairs. Media Arts Chair Stevie Rexroth and her faculty, as well as our facilities and IT teams, have made this project a reality. This reality has exceeded everyone’s expectations.
The space was designed by James Dayton Design and provides students with a cutting-edge facility, equipped with the latest media arts tools and offering spaces that invite students from all disciplines to get involved in creative collaborations using digital technologies. MCAD has always been a pioneer in technology, being one of the first art and design colleges to be wired for the Internet and one of the first to require and provide laptops for all students as an essential tool for learning. M/LAB builds out from our core of smart classrooms with expanded space for teaching. It builds out the third floor as a home for web and multimedia, photography, and animation, film, and video students. It also includes the Black Box experimental viewing space to accommodate a range of moving image and installation work by our students and gallery artists. This magazine also features big changes in liberal arts with retirements of some of our most beloved faculty and welcomes new faculty members who replace them—including a new chair and four new faculty members. We are also creating new opportunities for student minors, most recently art history and teaching artist minors to be followed by three new minors planned in writing, product design, and public practice. These add immeasurably to the richness of the MCAD educational experience. And lastly there are stories of our alumni. They populate the world of media arts and beyond and are doing great things to transform the worlds of art and design. We have award-winning alumni working across the country in various media arts areas that are profiled in NEXT. As always, MCAD works together as a community to help our students. I am proud of how we have done that by helping our students with greater financial support and by giving them the spaces and equipment to support their creative aspirations. Thank you to all of you who have made this possible and for helping MCAD to move forward. Sincerely,
Jay Coogan President
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ACADEMIC NEWS
Gerald Ronning
A New Chair MCAD’s inspiring faculty bring a wealth of talent and experience to their studios and classrooms. As thought leaders in their fields, many come from the world’s top art and design venues, including the new chair of the liberal arts department, Gerald Ronning, PhD. Most recently, Ronning was the chair of history at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. His research areas include cultural history, labor and working class history, American Indian history, and the U.S. West. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Colorado-Boulder, an MA from New York University, and a BA from Carleton College. Ronning’s teaching philosophy states, “History and the liberal arts can be taught in a way that challenges, engages, and empowers students of all majors, and transcends disciplinary foundations. My goal is to enable students to understand history as a means of
approaching life with a keener sense of the sources of our beliefs, as a way of understanding how people like themselves, both powerful and ordinary, have played a role in creating the world they live in. For artists, especially, a broad yet substantial background can render their work sharper, more meaningful, and more rewarding to both the creator and the audience.” When not teaching or thinking about history, Ronning can be found playing with his very artistic daughters (Frances, 9 and Lola, 6), riding his bicycle (he is a former bicycle road racer and an avid bicycle commuter), or playing in the roadhouse band Cloud Party with his singer/piano player/ anthropologist wife, Evelyn (new CD “The Dying Art of Living” released in 2013, available on iTunes and Amazon.com).
New Faculty World-class art and design education begins with world-class
•
Jennifer Caruso, Liberal Arts
educators. MCAD faculty members are renowned for their
•
Gretchen Gasterland-Gustafsson, Liberal Arts
ingenuity, expertise, and commitment as instructors. Each year, they
•
George Mahoney, Furniture Design
inspire new generations of creative thinkers to make the successful
•
Benjamin Moren, Media Arts
transition from students into professional artists and designers. Welcome to our newest faculty members!
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Photos by Rik Sferra
ACADEMIC NEWS
Student Opportunities Where Training Meets Triumph MCAD has been a national leader in undergraduate and graduate art and design education for well over one hundred years. The MCAD curriculum combines a rigorous foundation of fundamental skills with dedication to interdisciplinary knowledge. The results— generations of successful alumni, setting new standards across the broadest range of creative careers—attest to the potency of MCAD’s academic formula. In professional and artistic circles across the globe, word about MCAD is spreading. It’s one of America’s most important crossroads for excellence and experimentation. MCAD is poised to launch the next generation of creative thought leaders whose vision will bring tomorrow’s promises to life. The Specifics MCAD offers 14 undergraduate majors through two degree programs: a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) and a bachelor of science (BSc). In addition, a master of fine arts (MFA) program and a masters in sustainable design. post-baccalaureate certificates in graphic design and interactive design and marketing are offered and recently, two new minors were added: art history and teaching artist.
Art History Minor The art history minor provides students with expanded knowledge of the research and methods used in the discipline of art history. These studies develop skills of visual interpretation that are transferable to a wide variety of creative and scholarly practices. Teaching Artist Minor The teaching artist minor provides the skills and sensibilities to foster art-filled learning experiences in K-12 schools and community settings. A teaching artist is an artist/designer with the complementary skills of an educator who can effectively engage a wide range of people in learning experiences in and through the arts. Master of Fine Arts in Visual Studies The MCAD MFA program is a community of makers, thinkers, theorists, researchers, and creative professionals working in a mentorbased, interdisciplinary environment. Our diverse student body—one with a robust international presence—explores and fulfills social, cultural, and professional needs, as well as entrepreneurial opportunities stretching across art and design practices.
Master of Arts in Sustainable Design The high-caliber master of arts degree in sustainable design is pushing the sustainability envelope with its innovative design and rigorous course work. The MA program integrates the themes of systems thinking, life-cycle analysis, and biomimicry—blending theory, practice, and leadership courses into holistic and hands-on training and experience. Professional Post-Baccalaureate Certificates in Graphic Design and Interactive Design and Marketing These professional programs are built for working professionals—those who want to expand their studies beyond stand-alone classes but don't have the time to pursue a degree. Courses provide access to MCAD's renowned facilities, coursework, and faculty. Continuing Education MCAD offers an array of night, weekend, and online art and design classes and professional programs designed to match the personal and career interests of students of all ages, levels, and backgrounds. For more detailed information about MCAD’s academic programs, visit mcad.edu.
Photo by Erin Smith ’08
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Inside the New /LAB
INSIDE M/LAB
MCAD, meet M/LAB, a transformative space as ambitious, creative, progressive, and impressive as the students and community it now serves. Last summer, the college reconfigured the third floor of its 1974 Main Building into a twenty-first century media laboratory. M/LAB, the region’s finest educational production facility, equips students with the hands-on experience they need to produce professionalcaliber work in film, animation, photography, web, and multimedia. This technologically advanced educational space prepares students for a journey of creative self-exploration while they develop valuable skills that will help launch them toward careers in the media arts. Designed by the award-winning Minneapolis architectural firm of James Dayton Design, the 13,000-plus square-foot M/LAB houses expanded film and animation studios; four e-classrooms that allow users to work on collaborative, multidisciplinary projects; a stateof-the-art sound-mixing studio; digital and analog photography labs;
and a dramatic “black box” experimental exhibition and performance space that appears to float above the MCAD Main Gallery. A striking, new glass bridge connects the Black Box, the third-story public spaces, and the rest of M/LAB. Plus, the facility meets 21stcentury standards for environmentally efficient buildings. Funding for the $3.2 million M/LAB has come from generous donors who recognize the value of staying atop the latest tools and technology—today and into the future. That’s why many have contributed funds specifically to construct, equip, and maintain the space through future technology upgrades. Dedicated to M/LAB construction, these forward-looking funds complement numerous other contributions toward scholarships and other college initiatives. Mary Lazarus, the former chair of MCAD’s board of trustees, says she’s proud to have made a major financial commitment to push (continued on next page)
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INSIDE M/LAB
Gray Studio
(continued from previous page)
the college to the forefront of technology in arts education. She says its M/LAB project “will also help us continue to live up to our reputation as being on the cutting edge.” Bruce Bean, a longtime MCAD board member and also a supporter, says M/LAB is evidence of MCAD’s commitment to “adapt to the world of design and art.” Bean appreciates how M/LAB funds have been invested—not on the creation of expensive new buildings, but on adapting the current campus footprint while securing the latest infrastructure for a multimedia curriculum. Today, M/LAB is a tangible embodiment of MCAD’s longstanding commitment to making available the industry’s latest technological tools and opportunities for students and the community.
innovative visual artists explore new ideas, practices, and technologies. With our bustling urban campus situated in the diverse, historic Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, MCAD serves as both a prestigious college and an important community resource for arts education. Here, degree-seeking students and community artists have access to studios, cameras, and computers loaded with the latest design and editing software. Indeed, technology has always been part of MCAD’s DNA. In addition to its renowned faculty and innovative curriculum, the college has been a pioneer in making accessible the technological tools that shape the artist and designers of tomorrow. Graduates of the media arts program, many of whom have gone on to successful careers, have credited the technical skills and intellectual foundations they received at MCAD with giving them a competitive edge. Integral to any educational facility is intellectual exchange—between
It’s no surprise: For more than 125 years, MCAD has been the Twin Cities’ leading incubator of creative talent, a place where
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(continued on next page)
INSIDE M/LAB
Black Box Experimental Gallery
Media Center
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INSIDE M/LAB
Sound Recording and Mixing Studio
Gray Studio
(continued from previous page)
educator and student and among student peers. As part of the new M/LAB facility, additional spaces have been created for critique and individual lab work, and technologically advanced e-classrooms allow students to easily design, create, and edit interdisciplinary projects. Without a doubt, a majority of students today arrive at MCAD already tech-savvy. Passionate about the arts and motivated by their creative pursuits, these digital natives demonstrate an astonishing aptitude and are daring, employing a wide range of technology to spur and express their creativity. Now, M/LAB boosts students to the next level. With access to M/LAB, coupled with MCAD’s accomplished faculty, students develop sophisticated skills with the industry-standard
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equipment in use in their post-graduation environments. What’s more, M/LAB gives them fertile opportunities to work in interdisciplinary teams on collaborative projects, experiences that will also serve them in their developing careers.
“M/LAB boosts students to the next level.” Finally, it positions students for an array of roles in the robust media sector, providing professional-tier tools to hone and showcase their creative abilities. An impressive portfolio is the calling card students will use to distinguish their skills in a competitive employment market. M/LAB, a professional production and performance environment without equal in the Upper Midwest, is the educational media facility all eyes are on. And it’s only at MCAD.
INSIDE M/LAB
Black Studio
Film and Video Hybrid Studio and E-Classroom
M/LAB’s Technology and Tools Thanks to M/LAB, for the first time in MCAD’s history: •
The web and multimedia environments program will have a dedicated studio/lab space.
• A sound recording and mixing studio allows for 5.1 surround sound production and mixing.
• A Black Box experimental gallery now provides a malleable
• Black and Gray Studios boast professional cyclorama
light-controlled space for projection, interactive installations, film
sweeps, including a new core cyclorama and a chroma
and animation screenings, photo and 3D installations, and more.
green screen.
•
Studios are now illuminated with high-efficiency LED lights.
All M/LAB photos by Ben Innes ’09
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INSIDE M/LAB
M/LAB Creates Opportunity Amazing how a project spanning three and a half years can be concluded with the instantaneous scissors snip of a ribbon. On August 25, 2014, M/LAB at MCAD was thus launched. Stevie Rexroth, chair of the media arts department at MCAD, reflected on the project that taught her much, took her blueprint-reading skills far, and has positioned MCAD for a new day of digital arts excellence.
How did you get involved in M/LAB? By default. I’m an artist. All of a sudden I was learning to read blueprints. There’s a lot of pressure there. But it was a great internal team, and the architecture firm [James Dayton Design] was just so fabulous and patient. What was your guiding vision for M/LAB? It was always about being forward thinking about technology and facilities for our students. And we knew we were getting crunchy in terms of space. We have 14 majors and space was getting tight.
got on board. Time was also an issue. Academia has a very specific calendar. We had summer to complete the project. Commencement was a week and a half early to accommodate the construction and we started this semester a week later to make sure construction was complete. What about creating spaces within an existing building? Was that a challenge? We planned very well. Every single person at MCAD played some role in making this happen. I think it was flawless, actually.
How closely did you achieve it?
What surprised you the most during the process?
I think we met our initial goals. Everyone is super excited about it. The seniors who graduated in May were depressed [laughs]. And for new and incoming students it’s going to be fantastic.
It was pretty profound when the space was empty of its original walls, and I tried to orient myself within the space. It took full shape just several weeks before school started. Seeing that physically is exciting.
What was the biggest hurdle in fulfilling the project?
How important is it that MCAD students have access to a facility like M/LAB?
in what’s happening in media. Until M/LAB came along, the media students didn’t have a communal space. Having a sense of community, having a space to create dialogue, is really powerful. Before, when Admissions gave web and multimedia students tours, there was never a “there” there. We couldn’t talk about that opportunity. Now there’s going to be a space for that conversation to take place. Recruiting will be enhanced by this space, for sure. What detail do you take the most satisfaction in? The Black Box, just because it’s a space we desperately needed. It’s available to all students. It also provides a space for visiting artists. It enhances the students’ experience and informs the community about activities that are happening at MCAD. We want it to be inclusive to every student at MCAD. Does it live up to what you expected? It’s even more exciting than we imagined.
Money. That was a challenge. I’m grateful that we have an amazing team to take care of fundraising. MCAD supporters and donors
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Illustration by Allegra Lockstadt ’09
It’s crucial for an art and design school to stay relevant and vital and stimulating for students. It’s crucial to moving us forward
FACULTY PERSPECTIVE
E panding Vision Craig Rice ’76 is a long-established educator, dynamic entertainment executive, producer, and director whose work has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards, an NAACP Award, and several other honors. His impressive resume includes directing music videos for Prince, documentaries for HBO, and commercials for Nike. Today, he shares his knowledge and experience with MCAD students as an adjunct faculty member in the media arts department, home to the brand-new M/LAB. Despite not being able to enter his office without a hardhat throughout the summer construction, Rice is a proponent of the new facility and the impact it will have on his department, the college, and the Twin Cities community. “I’m somebody who’s always believed in the expansion of MCAD, specifically in the media arts, because I strongly believe media arts is going to be the power player of the future art world. M/LAB is a significant step in the expansion of the school’s offerings in this area, which I find to be really important as we explore the connection
Craig Rice ’76
between art and commerce and creativity—and diversification of those forms—in media arts.”
Leading With Technology A note from Piotr Szyhalski, professor of web and multimedia M/LAB is an expression of MCAD’s ongoing commitment to technology, art, and design. Due to the antisocial effects of social media, students immersed in virtual work are even less likely to spend time together. Therefore, as the presence of computers and the Internet has expanded in our lives, it has become more apparent that personal contact, close physical proximity, and a sense of collective adventure will become even more important in art and design education. For students, M/LAB is a space of opportunity, a place of growth. This new shared space will organically encourage students to spend more time working together. I want students to look at it more like a studio. I want students to take ownership of it. When I walk into the room, I want to feel like I am visiting a studio bustling with activity and creative energy, where work is being done. M/LAB has the potential to become the hub of activities that ultimately foster a true community of artists and designers, connected through their passion for creative work and technology.
Piotr Szyhalski
The new Black Box experimental gallery will also bring students together as they exhibit work outside of the classroom. It provides students an opportunity to engage in active critical dialogue with not just their audience but also each other. For work that recognizes
It is exciting and impressive to see these new ways in which MCAD is assuring its vitality and relevance in this fast changing cultural and technological landscape. There is a spirit of engagement, life, and truly infectious energy here. It is truly unique.
Photos by Rik Sferra
interaction as one of the fundamental ingredients of art and design practice, this dialogue is essential. As we engage with some of the work made in the recent past, I am excited for future projects. I know this beautiful exhibition space will embolden and inspire our students, and M/LAB will provide a new space and amazing tools to make new work, in turn inspiring us!
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Media Arts Visionaries CAD media arts alumni include award-winners of all scales and M ages. Some are seasoned by Hollywood or the networks, and others are independently made—and are making their mark. Profiled here are just a few of the many talented media artists who have launched their careers at MCAD.
Ari Fishman ’97
Helen Greene ’92
“My four years at MCAD were easily the best years of my life,” says Ari Fishman ’97. “The door was open to do whatever we wanted and we spent day and night working on stuff. It was insane in an amazing way.” He drew inspiration from classmates, including filmmakers Bill Rude ’96 and Ben Conrad ’94.
Having close access to other creatives is vitally important in the eyes of Helen Greene ’92, president and executive creative director of Greenhaus GFX. “One of my fondest memories from my time at MCAD was working in a great studio space that was one block off campus,” says Greene. “Everybody had their own sectioned off area to paint and illustrate, yet there was access to a community of artists who provided constant inspiration.” It’s this same concept, says Greene, that’s a driving force for MCAD’s new media lab (M/LAB).
After graduating, Fishman moved to New York, starting his career as an intern at Nickelodeon. He’s since been a producer at Charlie Rose and The Daily Show, and currently produces HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. “If you have a vision, an idea of what you want to do, pursue it, and stick with it,” advises Fishman. “There is more opportunity in film and television now than ever before.”
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Illustrations by Allegra Lockstadt ’09
Greene, who originally intended to become an illustrator and follow the path of her idol, illustrator Philip Burke, was instead lured into the enticing world of motion graphics and started Greenhaus GFX in 2009. GFX is a motion graphics and visual effects agency that works closely with entertainment powerhouses, such as Disney, Sony, HBO, Paramount, Warner Bros., Universal, Starz, and Marvel.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Catherine Apple ’92
Danny Robashkin ’05
Catherine Apple ’92 is last year’s recipient of the MCAD Alumni Achievement Award. This honor is presented to an MCAD alum, distinguished in his or her field, who has made lasting and significant contributions to the world of art and design.
Danny Robashkin ’05, creative director at MAKE, a design studio specializing in the art of storytelling through motion graphics, visual effects and animation, is driven by diversity of experience, something he first embraced as a student at MCAD. “I took a range of classes, including photography, drawing, sculpture, and illustration, exposing me to areas I might not have otherwise taken an interest in,” says Robashkin. “I wouldn’t do my job as well today without the foundation I received at MCAD.”
Apple is an editor at Sony Pictures Imageworks and has been the lead animator on projects such as Chicken Little, Hotel Transylvania, and Gnomeo and Juliet. Currently, she is the editor for Hotel Transylvania 2, to be released later this year. Apple lives in Burbank, CA, with husband Richard Isanove, also a major artist, and their children. Apple received her BFA in film and photography from MCAD and her MFA in film from California Institute of the Arts.
Robashkin sees great opportunity for new graduates in today's job market. “There are more ways than ever to have animation, motion graphics, and film in advertising and games,” says Robashkin. “With access to advanced software and hardware at MCAD, today’s students have the opportunity to refine what they do and enhance the professionalism of their portfolio, demonstrating their ability and potential to future employers.”
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Animated Artists Four of MCAD’s media arts alumni, Andrew Chesworth ’07, Dan Lund ’89, Matthew Meyer ’01, and Justin Weber ’08, were part of the team of animators who created the blockbuster Disney film Frozen, which won a 2014 Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.
Below is an excerpt from a recent interview with Chesworth, who is profiled in MCAD’s newest student recruitment Viewbook.
Within ten days, I went from working at MAKE and teaching at MCAD to working my first day at Disney. My move from Minneapolis to Disney was sudden and surprising.
Where do you work?
loved the campus. I visited and loved the feel of the place, the quad, and the Main Building. Everything seemed very clean, slick, and modern. I liked the people I met on campus. And I liked the culture. It just felt right.
What were your first projects at Disney? I’m an animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios in California. How did you end up working at Disney? I first applied to Disney in 2009, and I got a rejection letter. I sent a reel to Disney and to Pixar’s training program. I didn’t hear back from Pixar, so I just went back to work. I applied again in March 2011, and months went by. During that time, I was teaching at MCAD, doing freelance work at MAKE, and getting into the groove of working on my own stuff. On September 30, while I was at work, I got a phone call from Matt at Disney. He asked me, “How would you like to work at Disney Animation? I was like, “Hold on. Let me step out of my office for a minute.” I stepped out of my office, then said, “Yes, I would love to work for Disney. Thank you for calling.” He said, “Great, Well, here’s the thing—can you start on October 10? I said, “That’s ten days from now!” He said, “Can you make it?” I said, “Yes.”
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Who was your favorite instructor? It was a training assignment. My third week on the job, I got to work on a test with Flynn Rider from Tangled. And by the end of the year, we were moving on to crowds for Wreck-It Ralph, animating the background. What was the biggest takeaway from MCAD? MCAD is really great at insisting that you find your own voice. Instead of just turning you into a cog in the wheel of a larger machine, MCAD makes you into an artist and teaches you to embrace that. Why did you choose MCAD? I went to MCAD for the animation program. An admissions counselor told me that graduates had gone on to Blue Sky in New York and a few people went on to work at Pixar. I applied and got offers from some great animations schools, and MCAD was the best deal. I
Frozen image copyright Walt Disney Animation Studios
Tom Schroeder was my first animation teacher. He has a way of bonding with and understanding his students really quickly. He’s good at identifying students’ strengths. He could tell from very early on that I liked drawing and animating in the Disney style, and so the instructions he gave me were along that front. He didn’t try to mold me into the type of student he wanted me to be—he just saw who I was and gave instructions based on that.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Phil Anderson
Mary McDunn
Ruth Voights
Lions of Liberal Arts A note from Frenchy Lunning, professor of liberal arts. Last spring marked a milestone in the MCAD liberal arts department, as we had three incredible, long-time faculty members retire in the spring of 2014: Phil Anderson, Mary McDunn, and Ruth Voights. These outstanding teachers had nearly 100 years of combined time educating young artists and designers at MCAD. It was my absolute pride and pleasure to have taught alongside them and to have witnessed the impact that they have had on the countless students in their classrooms and beyond. Phil Anderson had long been a mainstay in the liberal arts department, with his wide-ranging knowledge, subtle humor, and his long position as a critic of the arts and culture in the Twin Cities area. Phil ushered so many students into an intimate appreciation and investigation of culture, especially in his knowledge of the history of animation. Phil also helped MCAD in various self-studies for accreditation over the years, taking on the thankless job of tracking academic progress and programs. He is well loved and respected by students and faculty alike. Mary McDunn established the Learning Center in its current form many years ago, and as chair of the liberal arts department for decades, led the faculty and drove the curriculum ever forward. Her teaching of writing and literature influenced many students and alumni, nurturing their abilities to express themselves and consequently, influencing the scholarly outcomes across the MCAD curriculum. As a leader of the liberal arts department, she confidently— and with much of her unique sense of humor—steered the work of
Photos by Erin Nicole Johnson ’07
faculty in a positive and productive direction, setting up a tradition of academic excellence and rigor for which we are recognized. Ruth Voights, a dear friend and colleague, taught various anthropological courses on societies, cultures, and characters for many years. As a Native American, she brought a unique and informed knowledge to MCAD students about the long-neglected rich cultural history of native peoples, their struggles and many achievements. Ruth has always been one of the most popular teachers, whose classes were always full and closed quickly at course registration time.
“We honor and thank these friends and faculty members” Students tried to take her classes as her time at MCAD dwindled down, in an attempt to learn from an “elder,” whose knowledge we all admired and deeply respected. To pay tribute to these “Lions of Liberal Arts,” student scholarships have been established in the names of these legendary faculty members. We honor and thank these friends and faculty members who helped launch so many creative careers and enhanced the intellectual lives of many.
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OPENINGS AND EVENTS
16a The Auction at MCAD 2014
16b The Auction at MCAD 2014
16c The Auction at MCAD 2014
16d The Auction at MCAD 2014
FPO 16e MCAD Art Sale 2014
16g MCAD Art Sale 2014
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16f MCAD Art Sale 2014
16h MCAD Art Sale 2014
FPO
OPENINGS AND EVENTS
17a Xu Bing Lecture at the MIA
17b Greg Hoffman ’92 Visiting-Artist Lecture
17c M/LAB Ribbon Cutting
17d Scholarship Luncheon
All names listed left to right
17e Scholarship Luncheon
16f. Art Sale Opening Night 16g. Lars Mason
17c. Robert Dayton, Mitzi Magid, Brent Magid, Bruce W. Bean, Jay Coogan, and James Dayton
16c. Ana Laura Jaurez ’14
17a. Xu Bing, Jay Coogan, and Tom Rose
17d. Jamie Thomas ’14 and Dean Wilson
16d. Bruce Boettcher, Brooke Boettcher,
17b. Joseph Cecere ’92, Jay Coogan, Greg
17e. Clinton H. Morrison (Trustee, Board
and Kevin Bennett (Trustee)
Hoffman ’92, and Erik Brandt
Chair) and Dawson Walker ’14
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M/LAB SUPPORTER PROFILES
Best Buy Gives the Gift of Technology MCAD is fortunate to be the recipient of Best Buy’s support, which allows the college to provide students with the best media arts facility of its type in the region. The opportunity to learn and experiment in a media laboratory equipped with the finest equipment empowers students to compete in the marketplace. At Best Buy, giving back to the community is central to how they do business. For decades people have turned to Best Buy for answers to their technology questions. As a company, Best Buy aims to ignite human potential. To support these efforts, the Best Buy Foundation provides teens with access to technology that build 21st century skills and bridge the digital divide. As technology becomes more ingrained in society, it is critical for youth to develop the necessary skills for future college and career success. As experts in technology, Best Buy leverages their knowledge, resources, and talented employees to empower youth and prepare them for the future.
Ways to Create Opportunities There are many ways to support the Minneapolis College of Art and
Bequests
Design (MCAD), each with its own advantages to you and to the
You may choose to include MCAD in your will, either by naming a
college. Your financial adviser should be consulted as to the best
specific bequest or naming the college as your residual beneficiary.
plan of action for you.
A bequest is an excellent tool for helping to provide for the future of the college.
Cash Gifts Most of the gifts MCAD receives are gifts of cash. A gift of cash is
Matching Gifts
immediately available for MCAD’s use and provides tax benefits to
Matching gifts are an easy way to enhance your gift and many
you, as well.
corporations will match gifts made by employees, family members, and directors to charitable institutions. Contact your human resources
Gifts of Securities
department for additional details.
There are significant tax benefits for donating appreciated stock held longer than a year. Generally, you are entitled to a tax deduction
To discuss giving options, contact Cindy Theis at 612.874.3777
based on the full fair market value of the stock at the time the gift is
or ctheis@mcad.edu.
made, not just the original cost. Donors do not incur any capital gains tax when stock is given away rather than sold.
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M/LAB SUPPORTER PROFILES
Ron Hubbard, Virginia Hubbard Morris, Stanley E. Hubbard II, Kathryn Hubbard Rominski, and Stanley S. Hubbard, from Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
Fostering a Creative Economy The entrepreneurial spirit runs deep in a family that’s fostered creative technological breakthroughs for the better part of a century. “My father really enjoys talking with smart, young people who are working hard to be successful. Everyone in our family is happy when we are able to lend a hand to enterprising people who are striving to make their dreams come true,” says Kathryn Hubbard Rominski, pictured above second from right, director of the Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation.
“We know that the media lab will develop talent to help Minnesota stay on the cutting edge of
The Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation supports a wide range of nonprofit endeavors, and investment in education is an important part of the foundation’s mission. In addition to the family’s longstanding support of MCAD students through annual scholarships, the foundation recently provided a gift to MCAD’s new media lab (M/LAB) which opened last fall. “The vision of the media lab—to foster innovation and creativity in animation, film, multimedia, photography, and digital mediums—really resonated with us,” says Kathryn. “We know that the media lab will develop talent to help Minnesota stay on the cutting edge of communication technology. MCAD encourages the kind of vibrant creativity and innovation that will keep Minnesota’s economic engine thriving. That’s good for all of us, and we are happy to support that.”
communication technology.” Her father, Stanley S. Hubbard, visited with students on the MCAD campus on a spring day in 2013. He observed their work, noted their creative talent, and posed the same question to nearly everyone he met: “What will you be doing to launch your career after you graduate?”
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ALUMNI NOTES
Alumni Notes MCAD alumni are setting new standards across the broadest range of creative careers and include independent business owners, global marketing directors, award-winning animators, photographers, illustrators, and designers. Listed below is a sampling of recent alumni highlights. Additional MCAD news and updates can be found online at mcad.edu/news.
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Steven Vander Meer ’85 [21e) Alum Steven Vander Meer’s short film Salmon Deadly Sins was screened in July at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The seven-minute film about, you guessed it, the seven deadly sins, consists of no less than 5,040 drawings on three-by-five-inch salmon-colored index cards. The Saturday program was curated in collaboration with National Gallery Film Curator Peggy Parsons, the Thomas Edison Media Arts Consortium, and Black Maria Film Festival.
Nick Schenk ’89 [21f) Nick Schenk wrote the screenplay for The Judge, a movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall that opened in theaters in October. This achievement comes after a string of major writing credits for Schenk, who also wrote the screenplay for Gran Torino and the RoboCop remake released in early 2014.
Renda Morton ’03 [21c) The latest New York Times website redesign was led by Renda Morton, production design lead on the project. This is the first full-site redesign the organization has had since 2006. The sleek new story page and “light reskinning” of other pages are just the first steps of a number of updates that will be made to the website over time. In a statement about the redesign process, Morton
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emphasizes that the website redesign will never be complete; rather, it will continually be evolving. “We’ll still continue work on the story page. We don’t want to just let it sit and rot on the internet, and end up right back at this point again where we had no choice but to do a major overhaul,” Morton said.
Joe Sinness, ’05 Joe Sinness’s still life drawings are visual narratives of desire. Through the process of selecting and arranging objects and subjects that he adores and then re-presenting them in colored pencil on paper, the drawings become yet another type of fetishized commodity. The seductive beauty of Sinness’s photorealistic drawing style imbues these staged still lifes with a metaphoric presence that he characterizes as “melancholic tributes to queer performance.” Sinness received his BA in studio art and English literature from St. John’s University before heading to MCAD for his MFA. His work has been widely exhibited around Minnesota and Wisconsin, and this year he will have his first international solo show in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The artist is also a 2013 recipient of an Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and a 2013/14 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Visual Artists.
Jake Yuzna ’05 [21d) After graduating from MCAD, Jake Yuzna ’05 spent a year working in Minneapolis before he moved to New York and started a job managing film and multimedia at the New Museum. After his time at
the museum, a fellowship opportunity brought him to Creative Time, a nonprofit that coordinates largescale, public art projects, such as the Twin Towers light beams. Yuzna then switched to manager of public programs at the Museum of Arts and Design where he is the director of programming. Yuzna founded, and still curates, the museum’s cinema, performance, and nightlife programs. He is also currently curating their first biennial, the NYC Makers Open, which opens in July of this year. Yuzna’s first book, The Fun: The Social Practice of Nightlife in NYC, was published last fall. Also a filmmaker, Yuzna’s 2011 film Open received a jury award at the Berlin Film Festival, and in 2012 he received a Creative Capital grant in film and video. He has always been interested in the methodology of the artists whose work he admires, and he noticed that they all went to art school rather than film school. Of all the art schools Yuzna looked at when applying to college, MCAD felt the most right, and ended up being life-changing for him. Looking back now, he appreciates that he received a more in-depth and expansive education than many other arts programs would have provided.
Teresa Holm ’06 [21b) Teresa Holm, marketing director for August Schell Brewing Company, gave Grain Belt bottles and cans a new look in 2014. The new packaging, which hit shelves spring 2014, features the diamond pattern logo that has marked the company over its 121year history and is the first redesign of Grain Belt Premium since the early 1970s.
ALUMNI NOTES
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Bryan Ische ’09, Ben Johnson ’11, and Taylor Snyder ’09 Of 164 nominees, Bryan Ische, Ben Johnson, and Taylor Snyder were named winners at the AdFed & Ad2 32 Under 32 awards held in late June. The award recognizes the thirty-two best and brightest young advertising, marketing, PR, and creative professionals in the Twin Cities. Ische is a designer, art director, and developerhobbyist with a unique perspective on how to go about his work. He believes every design decision should have a reason behind it. Johnson (aka benjayway) specializes in typography, branding, print collateral, illustration, and identity systems. He has worked with LifeTime, Caribou, and Starbucks. Snyder describes himself as a “hybrid creative.” He has impressive design experience, having worked with the likes of MRM Worldwide and Target’s Creative Agency. Faculty member Nancy Rice ’70 served as one of the five judges.
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balance when creating their piece. The resulting skeletal, wooden structure (which features playground-style teeter-totters), has been described as “both a playful space and a vibrant sculpture” that will have an element of interactivity.
Emily Reile ’11 Previously a North Dakotan. Often a graphic designer. Always a corn dog connoisseur. Emily Reile goes by many titles, all of which she wears proudly. Reile transferred to MCAD at the start of her sophomore year. Three years later, she was working at MCAD DesignWorks—MCAD’s in-house design studio—and graduating. (Did we mention she was even part of the duo who designed the 2011 commencement identity?) She went on to take up a list of freelance projects, including designing MCAD’s 2013–2014 Viewbook and branding a North Dakota-based mobile fashion boutique named Koo Koo’s Nest. Reile’s talents soon led her to Target, where she added the title of associate art director to her résumé. Her projects have dealt with a range of topics, from Shaun White to Valentine’s Day, with responsibilities including both art direction and design.
Amanda Lovelee ’10 [21a) Congratulations to Amanda Lovelee, MFA, and the rest of her team, Balancing Ground, for being chosen as the winners of the Creative City Challenge!
From working on campus with ten designers at DesignWorks to joining a team of 200+ at Target Creative, Reile has appreciated the variety.
Earlier in 2014, three teams were selected as finalists to create and install a destination artwork at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Balancing Ground was deemed the best by a public vote. The team focused heavily on the topics of community and
Teagan White ’12 [20a) Adventures with Barefoot Critters by illustrator Teagan White is featured on Amazon as one of “the best picture books of June.”
Adventures with Barefoot Critters teaches readers the alphabet through the seasons with adorable animal characters gathering honey in spring or building cozy campfires in fall. This is White’s first picture book, but she also recently illustrated Taxidermy Art: A Rogue’s Guide to the Work, the Culture, and How to Do It Yourself by Robert Marbury ’04. “Learning the alphabet is fun when adventuring with these critters, and children and adults alike will delight in Teagan White’s sweet, nostalgic illustrations,” according to Amazon.com.
Alea Toussaint ’13 During her time at MCAD, Alea Toussaint learned from outstanding visiting professors and instructors who worked in the field. Industry professionals— including the founder of Good Magazine and a design lead at the New York Times—were brought in to critique her work. Through the post-baccalaureate program’s rigorous curriculum, she honed her design and typography skills. Art became more than just a job; it became her career. Toussaint landed an internship at Colle+McVoy and then worked her way up to a full-time associate designer. In her current role, she works on everything from augmented reality apps to package design to logos and identities to posters.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
The Auction at MCAD Mark Your Calendars! Bid, buy, and collect is the mantra for The Auction at MCAD on Friday, May 29, 2015. Passionate art collectors, young art enthusiasts, and loyal supporters have the opportunity to purchase art from distinguished MCAD alumni and faculty from the past several decades. All proceeds support MCAD’s Student Scholarship Fund. “If MCAD is a laboratory for developing artists,” says MCAD President Jay Coogan, “The Auction at MCAD showcases what happens ten, twenty, thirty years out. The Twin Cities pride themselves on being a creative community, and attending this auction is about being a part of this vibrant art and design community, and supporting the next generation of artists.”
MCAD Art Sale Thursday, November 19, 2015 Friday, November 20, 2015 Saturday, November 21, 2015 Always the weekend before Thanksgiving. A note from L’etoile staff, Fall 2013 Contrary to popular belief, the holiday shopping season opener is not, in fact, Black Friday…it’s MCAD Art Sale Weekend! The massive annual showcase/sale is a fantastic place to stock up on original artwork and prints by emerging student artists and established MCAD alums alike. Of course, we tend to think art is the best gift you could possibly give to others…or yourself. Traversing the colorful, hallowed halls of one of the country’s top art schools while competitive art shopping is a sport in itself–a sport hundreds of collectors clamor to participate in each year. See paintings, illustration, photography, sculpture, prints and more, of all skill levels, styles and price points. Drop $10 on a screen-printed piece or $1,000 on a large-scale oil painting…the MCAD art world is your oyster.
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WHO WE ARE 700+ students 85% undergraduate, 15% graduate and post-baccalaureate 60% female, 40% male 29% of undergraduates are students of color 75% of undergraduates graduate from public high schools 25% of undergraduates from private, parochial, and homeschools 95% of students receive some form of financial aid 90% of first-year students live on campus 100% of all undergraduates complete at least one internship in their fields of study Approximately 65% come from the Midwest, and the remaining 35% are from across the country, including California, Colorado, Maryland, Montana, New York, and Texas, from around the world, including Chile, China, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Korea, and Taiwan.
CREDITS
DESIGNER
Managing Editor Ann Benrud, Director of Communications and External Relations
James Dolence ’14
Contributing Writers Josie Keifenheim, Diane Richard, Bill Stein Copy Editor Sherri Hildebrandt Designed at MCAD's on-campus design studio, DesignWorks Director Brent Meyers ’97 Project Manager Aimee Gauthier ’09
We welcome your ideas and feedback. Please email communications@mcad.edu
James Dolence graduated with a BFA in graphic design and currently is a designer for MCAD DesignWorks where he is NEXT's primary designer and lead designer of MCAD's new identity system. He has also studied graphic design at the Royal Academy of Art, the Hague, in the Netherlands, and has designed for Hot Sundae, Studium Generale, and the Walker Art Center. For this issue of NEXT, Dolence designed a custom display typeface called Mag Light. Based on the right angles of MCAD's logo, Mag Light is a hyper-geometric display face, meant to convey the technicality of M/LAB. Mag Light's geometry serves as a dynamic contrast to the elegance of Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk, the primary typeface of NEXT.
MINNEAPOLIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN 2501 STEVENS AVENUE MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404 MCAD.EDU
The Minneapolis College of Art and Design educates individuals to be professional artists and designers, pioneering thinkers, creative leaders, and engaged global citizens.