Viewbook 2011-12

Otis 2011-12 View Book vol. 1 no. 1

As seen on facebook & YouTube!

Meet Mr. Unicorn

In This Issue

Wood for Good

Designing for a Sustainable Future

Life After Otis Proof that investment in Art and Design Education Pays Off

Rise Above Plastics

“

Otis is training us to be superheroes and to use the skills they have taught us to solve the world’s problems. We work together and learn from each other, because we can’t save the world on our own.

— Tianna Poanessa

”

letter from the dean

letter from the president

Why Otis?

Yvette Sobky-Shaffer Dean of Admissions

This view book answers the question.

In the first year, we teach the First, read skills that allow you to take about our Foundation your concept and make it into program an object (that actually looks (pg. 8) like what you imagined!). We take teaching seriously, and we apply that learning to teaching you. Along the way, you will find challenges, triumphs, friendships, sleepless nights, hidden corners of L.A., food from every part of the world, and more museums and theaters than any other American city.

Our students engage with the local community and the world to create a sustainable, Community engagement is a globally conscious society. cornerstone of They participate in Integrated professional practice Learning courses with peers from all disciplines, engaging community site partners to identify, research, and propose design solutions. Read about the program (pg. 47) and one team’s summer trip to Palau (pg. 34) to design the national war memorial.

Students can minor in sustainability and study in a green building, Sustainable the Galef Center for Fine Arts. We design is do the little things, like recycling everywhere all of the trash on campus. We do at Otis the big things as well. Read about some examples, like the sustainable fashion design project with Nike and Hurley (pg. 30) and Ryan Robinson’s recycled product designs for amputees in underdeveloped countries (pg. 31).

From winning Oscars to design- We educate ing the places we live, the prod- artists who work in their fields. Develop ucts we use, and the media we your career as a watch, our graduates create creative professional all the things they studied (pg. 53) in the classroom. Across the world, these cross-disciplinary thinkers leap across vocational borders: fine artists become special effects wizards, and interior designers become theme park builders. Their creativity, their skills, and their vision empower them to build successful careers and satisfying lives. Ultimately, our core value is to develop each student’s personal vision and creativity for a lifelong career in art and design.

The creative economy is our future, and an Otis education prepares students for thriving roles within it.

But don’t just take my word for it. Check out our website. Open this view book. Visit us and let us show you why Otis should be your first choice.

Otis College of Art and Design is ideally located in Los Angeles. Both are fertile grounds for artists, innovators, and achievers. Otis has charted the development of art and design in Los Angeles and radiated its influence from this Southern California epicenter.

At Otis, professional practices, social engagement, and the creative economy converge with new ideas, diversity, and a concern for sustainability. Otis is a forward-looking art and design college with a real-world orientation.

Realize your dreams

The future is bright for our graduates. In the 21st century, creativity is a force as important in shaping culture as in economic and social development. The 2010 Otis Report on the Creative Economy reveals that one of six jobs in the Los Angeles region is supported by the arts, design, and entertainment industries, and these jobs generate $127 billion in sales revenue. Otis’s unique mix of majors offers pathways for young talents to develop their creative best while linking them to careers in this powerful creative economy, and to opportunities in bettering our world. Our alumni surveys consistently evidence the success of Otis graduates as creative professionals and their satisfaction in college and career choices.

An Otis education is an investment in your personal and professional development. I hope you will join us to realize your dreams.

Samuel Hoi, President

vol. 1

september

no. 1

Otis 11–12 contents Make an appointment for a campus tour.

5 The Choice is Yours What majors and minors are offered at Otis?

Find out about Liberal Arts and Sciences.

310 665 6800 800 527 OTIS (6847) admissions@otis.edu otis.edu

8 Foundation

What you’ll experience during your first year at Otis

11 Major Match Guess which desk belongs to which major 13 Thumbs Up Check out the latest exhibitions,books, movies and videos, sports and games

“

19 How Was This Made?

Discover the secrets behind the great work

From the Sustainability Desk

25 Future Stock How do we envision the future?

30 Regeneration Revolution 31 Wood for Good

Welcome

32 Global Adventures

In Paris, Palau, and China

36 Marketplace For the Home, For Play, and For the Street

Editors in Chief Yvette Sobky-Shaffer, Dean of Admissoins Margaret Reeve, Director of Communications

Preparing for Profesional Life

Creative Direction and Design Anne Swett-Predock, Senior Graphic Designer Design Assistance and Production Davis Ngarupe (‘12) Writing Contributors Alexandra Pollyea, Media Relations Manager Margaret Reeve Yvette Sobky-Shaffer Anne Swett-Predock

41 Countdown toLaunch The End of Year Exhibition 45 Design>Build Architecture/Landscape/Interiors Installations

47 Change Agents

Design in the Community

49 Los Angeles as a Laboratory

Photography Kelly Akashi (’07) Kristy Campbell, Tom Carey, Jessica Fleischmann, Holly Tempo, Ana Llorente-Thurik, Ari Marcopoulos, Wayne McCall, Anne Swett-Predock

Life After Otis

51 It’s a Bright Future Facts about the Creative Economy, Otis in the Biz, and Career Services 53 Alumni Success

59 Where in the World?

— Kay Hymowitz in an NPR interview with Kai Ryssdal

”

FAQs

60 FAQs Interview with an Admissions Counselor 61 Preparing a Portfolio 62 Five Easy Steps to Apply 63 Otis at a Glance

Right out of School, Moving up the Ladder, and Running the Show

Printing Typecraft, Wood & Jones, Inc. Fonts “Gustan” designed by Communication Arts faculty member Greg Lindy “Newsald” by Kris Sowersby

39 Runway Project Fashion Show from start to finish

If you’re a young doodler and tinkerer, take heart.

You’re living in a career candy store, filled with cool jobs your parents and career counselors probably don’t even know exist.

Where are Otis students from? Where do they go?

©2010 Text, illustrations, and photographs may not be reproduced or utilized in any form without the written permission of Otis College of Art and Design. Information in this publication is subject to change without notice.

5

the choice is yours

the choice is yours

The choice is yours...

Advertising Design

2

1

Photography

Illustration

7

8

Painting

4

Product Design 9

Toy Design 11

5

3

6

Fashion Design

The four-year BFA degree curriculum promotes flexible, adaptive, and entrepreneurial thinking.

After completing 1st Year Foundation, students select one of eleven majors.

Digital Media

Architecture/ Landscape/ Interiors

Graphic Design

Sculpture/ New Genres 10

but wait... there’s more! you can also minor in Sustainability Artists Community Teaching (ACT) Interdisciplinary Studies Creative Writing Cultural Studies Art History

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7

what’s your major?

&

Liberal Arts

“

foundation

8

Theory is not a dirty word anymore.

Theory is Communicate a tool, its practice is complex ideas a craft.

Sciences

clearly

”

Forge interdisciplinary connections

Use analysis, reflection, and Develop synthesis to information express ideas literacy skills

Expand cultural awareness

“

I learned things I never thought I’d have an opportunity to, I tried things that I never thought I would, and honestly, I’ve turned into someone I never thought I’d be. I went from being a distant wallflower to being a bold, confident nutcase. The people I’ve met along the way have been incredibly inspiring, unbelievably annoying, simply beautiful, and everything in between.

Creativity, Identity, Diversity, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability

Students Say...

“LAS courses have expanded my lexicon of art and design lingo so that I am more confident in speaking with other professional designers and artists. I know how to see the “Visual Culture was the world in the context of visual language, culture, propafirst class that changed my ganda, and symbols.” perspective on how I see the world. I enjoyed it because I “I have the power to be an educated designer because I can totally relate to what know about the beliefs, practices, relationships, ideals, and I see on media every day: T.V, history of artists and designers of the past and present.” billboards, and magazines!”

“The Semiotics class has changed the way I look at my “Field trips are a great built environment. I learned to articulate the things I didn’t way to learn. It’s one thing to pay attention to before. Going to the mall hasn’t been the learn about art in a class- same since.” room, but it’s a completely different experience being “I loved talking about different cultures, historical events, able to have discussions in and so on. In fact, a lot of my interests and hobbies have front of the waork.” developed from LAS classes. Part of why I use to wheat paste and tag was because I met people in these classes and began to practice these ‘urban’ arts with them.”

“English class readings like Eats, Shoots, and Leaves were great. I love that teachers are using technology, such as blogging, YouTube, and O-space.”

”

FoundAtion

Fast-track creativity, forge friendships, and have fun!

9

foundation

Journey to creating your unique voice

foundation

Learn aesthetic fundamentals

D

sharpen visual acuity

uring Foundation year, you will critique your own work and pursue a spirit of investigation.

In Liberal Arts and Sciences courses, you will examine how meaning is constructed during the creative process. You will learn both to question everything and to see that everything is connected. The skills you

develop cultural and information engage literacy the larger

community

acquire during Foundation year will allow you to focus on WHAT to make during your next three years at Otis, not HOW. These skills will allow you to express your concepts clearly and effectively.

hone the essential thinking and making skills

“ Enjoy collaboration

10

I am not the observer I used to be; things I usually glanced over once, I now look at more than once trying to break down, digest, and synthesize the qualities that make them stand out from their surroundings.

�

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major match

major match

Hi. So what's your major?

multiple matching drawings

interesting typographic sample glitter to colorful add design 5 paper sparkle samples neatly aligned posters

6

curious characters

thick pad of sketch paper

Wizard of Oz references

charcoal sketch on canvas

1

clever combination of imagery

large stack of mags

Student desks reveal all.

Follow the hints and match the desk to the major

major hint Is that an isometric lava section? lamp for all-nighter 2 “atmosphere” gridded cutting mat rolled sheets of drawings

need we say more?

many applications open at once

3

very large monitor

paint brushes of all sizes

20’ high ceilinged studio with green screen loads of gear!

paint covered chair 7

protective floor covering

color and more color

8

models and assistants wide assortment of materials 10

big jug of glue

storyboard sequence for reference

open, airy, light-filled studio

9

safety goggles

croquis on the walls

mini mannequin

1 Advertising Design 2 Architecture/Landscape/Interiors 3 Digital Media (Video Game Design, Animation, Motion Graphics, Visual Effects) 4 Fashion Design 5 Graphic Design 6 Illustration 7 Painting 8 Photography 9 Product Design 10 Sculpture/New Genres 11 Toy Design

felt-tipped pens

4

piles of materials

latte set aside safe from spilling

power cord and neatly arranged tools

cleverly recycled materials

reference library

colorful expressive characters clay model super hero 11 handsculpted figurine

largescaled work occupies floor space

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thumbs up

thumbs up

Anomie, 2009 Freak Show, 2010

Show Your Stuff

Unknown Knowing, 2011

Fine Arts students curate and exhibit their work at Otis, as well as in galleries throughout L.A.

“

Fine Arts is visual art created for the purpose of adding the poetry, the beauty, and the meaning that people need to live life more fully.

L.A. is probably the best place in the world to study art. It’s a dynamic, varied environment, and a place where, after graduation, students can become involved in a community.

—Meg Cranston, Chair, Fine Arts

”

Wavelength, 2010 Green-themed Exhibition

Metrosexual, 2010

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thumbs up

Digital Peek Scenes and Stories for the Screen

“

I feel like I am part of a gumbo rather than part of a salad bar.

—Derek Thompson (‘94) Storyboard artist at Pixar

Books The Craft of the Letterform and the Page

”

Animation The old cameras resent the appearance of a new camera in the store.

Book Design Contest

Mr. Unicorn aka C.W. Moss (‘11), leads a full life. When he isn’t collecting tie-clips, he maintains his status as the most macaroni and cheese eating-est person west of the Colorado River.

So where does Mr. Unicorn like to spend time in L.A.?

The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills (ah, there’s that cheese again), has his stomach; the Natural History Museum has his eyes, and his other parts are undeclared.

Originally from Joplin, Missouri, Mr. Unicorn has helped his native city recover from its devastating tornado by creating a series of videos to inspire donations and volunteers. Defying expectations, Mr. Unicorn proved to be a model citizen, acting as Commencement Class Marshall (below).

“Carmageddon,” traffic caused frustration among drivers, but their road rage was nothing compared to the freeways’ pent-up ire. Not even public transportation patrons were spared.

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All Communication Arts students are invited to submit work to the annual contest that is judged by their peers.

Did going to Otis change his life?

You betcha. Four years ago, Mr. Unicorn would never have imagined how important words and language would be to his success as a designer and communications arts professional.

Concept Design

thumbs up

Unicorn Feeding Bacon to the Pigs Unicorn Being a Jerk, a book of comic illustrations, documents the antics of Mr. Unicorn (Jon Stewart in disguise?).

See Mr. Unicorn in action at misterunicorn.com.

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thumbs up

thumbs up

18

Baldy the Eagle This handsome Tlingit-inspired book was hand bound and printed at Otis in the letterpress and printmaking lab.

Sports and

Games Imagination = Play

Who Will Win? The Chronic Crybaby?

The Angry Seether?

Or the Joyful Cheerleader?

This graphic design piece explores the Emotional Olympics.

We’ve all been in training our whole lives, but who surpasses their peers and wins gold in Love, Sadness, or Joy?

reset This magazine explores the (anti) meaning of gay male identification.

Passions in the Sand Using the graphic language of romance comics, this episode from “A Terrorist Romance” takes place in the Middle East.

Three D Game The 3D excitement of Killer Swamp Trees! Ordinary willows morph into murderous bark monsters when the full moon is high.

Building Blocks for Young Astronomers Find your favorite constellation or create your own by rearranging the starry blue and white blocks.

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how was this made?

Interstellar Telescope 555

Simplicity of Material: A video monitor behind a wall projects light through rolled mylar

Mylar tubes burst from a wall, like projectiles from space

Hidden video monitor creates holographic prismatic patterns

Tubular!

Kaleidoscopic wonder!

A

A new generation of artists and designers effortlessly makes the transition from low to high tech. Replacing “recycle, reclaim, reuse” with “sustainable innovation,” they evaluate every aspect of the creative process from initial concept to fabrication, packaging, delivery, and retail. Global manufacturing requires that a product’s environmental life cycle or footprint be measured — from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling.

how was this made?

Global Warming Campaign from Sang Youb Shin (‘11) and Wu Hyun Lew (‘11)

The team combined elements from After Effects, Photoshop, Maya, Illustrator, and Cinema 4d to create the movie.

?

HOW was this made?

“

Otis students use technology, but are not technicians or engineers: they are creators, artists, and makers who thrive on diversity and engaging design challenges.

— Steve McAdam, Chair, Product Design

”

Band It! The image of randomly placed bands was transformed into a model.

Two halves of the image were printed in a 3D milling machine and glued together.

After the rough seams were sanded, the bowl was ready for casting.

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21

how was this made?

how was this made?

“

A chair from shredded plastic

Title: Midsummer Nightmare

Found Caribou Antlers

Spotlight casts dramatic shadows

Sculpted and cast snake heads have goldleafed eyes Snake heads fixed to painted antlers, mounted and chained to wall

Midsummer New Mexico Nightmare

A native Hawaiian turtle became the model for a character in an animated piece

A sampling of materials: Sculpey, styrofoam, fabric, train model pieces, doll parts, magnets

The bent sheet was placed onto a welded metal frame

Flakes of landfill plastic were melted and pressed into a flat sheet then bent into a chair shape

This book, made from wood bark, presents advice about living green

22

The world is changing as organizations and institutions look to creative people for answers to small and large problems.

Designers are invited to the table in this great global initiative. —Kali Nikitas, Chair, Communication Arts

�

23

how was this made?

how was this made?

A virtuoso drawing can bring any creature to life Anatomy studies, concept and character motion sketches were made

amazing drawing skills Historical and visual research are key elements in creating detailed, credible environments

Digital modeling starts with a wireframe And is then layered with texture and color

Making a model for digitization

Oldfashioned sculpting tools serve the purpose for carving

Bringing clay to life

Sculpey is the material of choice.

Soft and malleable but sturdy Physical model is scanned and digitized using 3D software

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from the sustainability desk

“ ”

The student repurposed everyday materials to create an innovative and sustainable product.

from the sustainability desk

Imagination: Where would we be without it? Would we even exist?

—Tuna Tarugno

Sustainably Sourced Fur? This handmade ceramic vessel blends the natural form of a stone with the element of fire

Future Stock

Rocks on Fire?

How would you envision the Future?

“

No More Texting? :-0

Walking toolboxes?

While in the Air Force, I was an airplane mechanic. I had to carry an enormous and heavy toolbox with me everywhere across long tarmacs, and huge hangars.

I wished the toolbox could sprout legs and walk itself.

So that is what I built— a walking toolbox.

Insect Transportation?

”

26

27

from the sustainability desk

Claustrophoria: The Ecstasy of Spatial Thinness

from the sustainability desk

In downtown L.A., a fabric awning stretches across a very long and narrow building to allow rooftop access and a communal space for all residents.

Danny Phillips (‘08)

Shards of Space

“ ”

The world can keep changing. The world cannot flatten as long as we exist to change it. Bring it on, world!

—George Peaslee (‘11)

Blade Runner Living?

Closer Than You Think.

Digital Media Bromance Five students envisioned future worlds with different cultures and environments.

“

Designers not only ‘solve’ problems but frame – and even invent – them.

— Linda Pollari, Chair Architecture/Landscape/Interiors Department

”

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29

“

from the sustainability desk

The new “triple bottom line” is profit, people, and the planet. If you take care of people and the planet, profit will follow.

— Rosemary Brantley, Chair, Fashion Design Department

”

Water-Saving Buildings?

Regeneration Revolution

I

Slices/gaps in building sections facilitate water collection and the flow of natural light. Exhibited at Go Green Expo 2011.

Ban the Bottle, Abolish the Bag Working with Surfrider Foundation, this student campaign raised awareness of single-use plastic consumption, particularly at SoCal beaches.

Will Nature Win?

30

Sustainability is the New Now. Get With The Program

Seattle Health Academy

Nature Will Win

from the sustainability desk

Rise Above Plastics

n this collaboration with Nike and Hurley, students created designs that reduce waste, use fewer resources, and are more respectful of human life. Their goal was to design for the global context, thinking differently about the fashion cycle of Paris-Milan-London-N.Y. and Tokyo-L.A., in which too much is produced for too many seasons. They focused on personalization, self-expression, consumer participation and input; reversible fabrics and clean stitching for a “second life”; unisex tailoring;

season-agnostic looks; wrapping, tying, and folding; detachable collars and cuffs, educational care labels, and repair kits. Some were inspired by the web-based experiment “Six items, 31 days” in which participants selected six garments to wear for a month, and blogged about their experiences.

The average American has 35 T-shirts and 4 pairs of jeans, which are washed four times a week. Convinced that consumer habits are changing, students designed garments that educated consumers about washing, excessive consumption of low-priced clothing, and the value of ‘heirloom” and multipurpose clothing. Youth leads the way, as Hurley’s tag line “microphone for youth” states. Fashion designers are doing it now rather than thinking about what to do next.

Trash Chic!

A bold, new classic made from newspaper, chicken wire, glass, foil, pencils and plastic (Communication Arts).

31

from the sustainability desk

travel

Global Adventures

“ ”

I love computer modeling, but nothing helps you understand a form better than actually making something that you can hold in your hands.

—Ryan Robinson (‘11)

Ryan Robinson (‘11) This senior thesis showed how elegant furniture can be made from felled trees.

Wood for Good

Last spring, Ryan heard about the hundreds of 300-year-old oaks and sycamores that were felled in Arcadia, California, and decided to do something to save them from mulching. He created a plan to use this wood from trees on government land that are cut down for development as a resource. His plan was to allow artists and designers to transform the valuable hardwood into furniture and other useful objects. “What I set out to do was create and outline for how this system could work, and to create an example of what can become of the beautiful materials. That’s where my furniture comes to play.”

“I focus on human-centered design problems, but physical making is a huge part of my process. My design for a prosthetic leg for underserved economies uses found materials. Because users assemble it themselves and maintain it throughout their lifetime, they aren’t just receiving a new leg, they’re receiving the tools to be self-sufficient.”

Interview from Ready Made blog

Paris in Spring

“

It’s so valuable to get outside of Otis. Those experiences become some of the greatest memories of school — opportunities to be immersed in the world.

—Danny Phillips (‘08)

During spring break, students have the opportunity to travel to Paris, where they encounter European design, culture, and sensibilities, while visiting great museums and seeing outstanding architecture.

”

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travel

“

Spending time immersed in a culture rather than having a distinct line drawn between us and the people we were trying to get to know helped me practice some of the skills that I will be using throughout my career, especially in the realm of ethnography and research.

travel

“ ”

What is the purpose of a monument?

What do the people of Palau want?

What materials will hold up to the climate?

Jellyfish Lake, the only place on earth where the jellyfish do not sting

”

This design uses Palauan carved wooden boards that tell the story of creation and other myths

Presenting projects to Palau’s civic leaders The Bilung (Queen of Palau) considers the proposals for the monument

International

The people suggested that our designs incorporate their symbols: a turtle shell (women) and an axe (men).

I

In June, a group of Integrated Learning students spent almost two weeks in the Republic of Palau as the first phase in a three-year initiative to design and build a memorial for Palauans who have lost their lives serving in the US military since World War II. Visiting faculty members Jeffrey Vallance (‘81) and May Sun (‘79), and cultural anthropologist Cindi Alvitre, worked with the students to transform creative ideas into a built reality in cooperation and consultation with the people of Palau.

“At the completion of the presentation, President Toribiong had been literally left speechless. Palau had their first Memorial Day celebration the weekend before our arrival in Palau, and very recently they also lost another Palauan in combat, so our proposals for the freedom memorial are quite timely and meaningful to the Palauan people.”

Otis women attended the extraordinary first childbirth ceremony for a relative of the Bilung (Queen of Palau). “When we got our first glimpses of the new mother, a hush fell over the group; she was simply stunning; the contrast of the bright yellow skin [she is painted in a mixture of turmeric and ginger] against the blue and red skirt was amazing.”

Freedom Memorial Project Spell it loud, we’re Otis and proud!

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35

travel

marketplace

36

marketplace For the Home 1

Students address real-world issues of engineering, production, and market appeal when designing for the home, for play, and for transportation.

4

toys For all the

in China

On a Mattel-sponsored trip to China students toured design facilities and factories in Hong Kong and other cities for a rare peek into the vast inner workings of toy production.

3

5

1 Felt Chair Folded layers of colored felt wrapped in an outer quilted shell connected with rope 2 Side Table with glass top and painted steel legs 3 Leather Chair Slitted leather reinforced with bolts 4 Teapot Chrome pot cradled in ceramic structure For Your Ears 5 Electrical Adapter Little helper for all your electronic needs 6 Coffee Table Table can double as a lamp 7 Barbe-Que Stylish grill and accessories 8 Table made with bent plywood 9 Cat Jars Glazes are informed by a variety of cat colors

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8

9

4

2

7

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marketplace

marketplace

38

2 1

1

2

Attack of the Lowrider Bikes Beach Cruising will never be the same.

1 & 2 Using CAD Design, metal work, upholstering, painting and finishing and outsourcing specialty fabricating, students designed Lowrider Bikes.

3

(Product Design)

For Play

1 Viking Ship and action figures (Toy Design) 2 Skootle plays music as it scoots (Toy Design) 3 Spin Words Toddlers build vocabulary by spinning the cat’s arms to match symbols and words (Toy Design) 4 Banjouke This hybrid instrument has a banjo construction, but plays like a ukulele (Product Design) 5 Uniforms for 2010 Brazilian World Cup Soccer Team (Fashion) 6 Puzzle Plush Blocks in a variety of shapes for kids to build (Toy) 7 “Jacks” Speaker An omnidirectional speaker system designed after the star-shaped “jack” from the childhood game.

3

4 5

5

(Product Design) 6

7

3 Outerwear, mentored by Kaufman Franco (Fashion) 4 Sportswear mentored by Hurley (Fashion) 5 Tote Bag (Product Design) 6 Design for City Parkway (A/L/I) 7 Enabled, the three-wheel design allows for easier maneuverability vehicle disabled individuals (Product Design) 8 Sandals made out of recycled materials (Integrated Learning) 9 Platform Shoes, Product Design (Product Design)

6

4

7

For the Street 9 8

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fashion show start to finish

Runway Project The birth of a fashion collection

“In a nature-themed collection for men and women of all ages, incorporate three elements: vintageinspired textiles; hand-crafted detail; and a recycled or reused item.”

—Todd Oldham, Mentor

Under the guidance of the professional design mentors and the Otis fashion design faculty, teams of juniors and seniors work through the design process—researching, sketching, draping, fitting, and accessorizing the final garment. This year, mentors included Bob Mackie, Cynthia Rowley, Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco, Cosabella, Juicy Couture, Hurley and NIKE, Sean John, MAX STUDIO.COM, Bleu by Rod Beattie, MAX AZRIA, Diesel, Forever 21, and Old Navy.

Mentor presents project direction and inspiration boards

2

Students develop sketches, known in fashion as “croquis”

Students collect material samples, and assemble textures and colors

4

1

3

Students draw and cut patterns Students accessorize with hand-crafted trims and details

6

5 Working with runway models, students fit their designs, revise, and fit again

“

To see them run with it, and do such a beautiful work is very impressive....The excitement of seeing it all come together is like a gift.

(At Otis) the students almost do it for real before they hit the market, and they’re feeling their way, but this school is really, really good.

—Bob Mackie, Mentor, Fashion Design

”

fashion show start to finish

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countdown to launch

countdown to launch

Getting ready for life’s next chapter At the year-end exhibition, seniors show their professional work to future employers, gallery owners, alumni, and friends and family. This is an occasion to both celebrate graduation with friends and family, and at the same time, join the alumni community.

to Launch

“

-1 »

th

on

Fine-tune production issues

M

s»

th

on

M

Develop a body of work or complete a senior thesis project.

-3

r»

a Ye

”

-1

It gives me goose bumps to think about graduating and becoming a working artist/designer

Review final work with faculty advisor.

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countdown to launch

countdown to launch

44

“

After all of the work and effort, you go public and become part of the art and design world.

”

»

r»

ou

H

rs

ou

H

Put work up on your prepared space.

Drink lots of coffee

-1

-3 » ys Da

Paint the walls of your display space

-1

» ys Da

Work out unforeseen snags

-3

» ys Da

Finishing touches (details, details!)

-4

» ys Da

» ks

» ks

ee W

ee W

-5

-2

-3 Plan the presentation

Create display materials

Assemble art/design costume.

Drink more coffee

Pig Check!

Last-minute adjustments

Meet employers, curators, gallery owners!

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design>build 2004

A continuous vertical surface of backlit acrylic panels, plus a “lounge” with hot pink pillows

design>build

46

Architecture/Landscape/Interiors design>build

A/L/I

2008

An array of seven very large objects (approximately 8’ x 8’ x 16’ each) with apertures through which student work is viewed.

Detail: Seniors posing with their apertures.

2005

Landscape Extrusion 2010

A permanent outdoor social space, constructed of steel tubes and wood decking.

Detail: Senior, Stella Yoo, welding a steel profile.

A

rchitecture/Landscape/Interiors seniors design and build a full-scale spatial environment as their final projects. These installations are sited and built in exterior and interior spaces, and students verbally present their work via a Pecha Kucha (rapid-fire presentation, see pecha-kucha.org) at the public year-end exhibition. Interior installations include physical and digital displays of drawings and/or models, which further highlight the students’ cumulative work.

Design and construction are modeled after professional practice, and proceed sequentially with a fixed budget and deadline. Students act as the design and documentation team under the direction of an instructor who is the project architect, and then fabricate and install components as directed by a different instructor, who is the contractor.

This process mirrors how they will work professionally when they graduate, providing vital real world experience.

An interior-ized environment of 490 circular “igloo”-like rooms, constructed in three different sizes and hues.

A continuous, triangulated landscape.

2006

2009

An homage to the work of Dan Graham, four steel-framed walls feature alternating mirrors and open panels to both deconstruct and multiply space.

A single object (8’ x 8’ x 73’) consisting of 12 modules.

Winner of an I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review 2004 Honorable Mention

2003

Big Bang Barcode 2007

A three-dimensional field of 74 different shapes installed within 15,000 cubic-feet of space.

2011

Alternating opaque and backlit panels, were arranged in a continuous line and connected at various oblique angles to resemble a room-sized barcode.

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in the community

in the community

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In IL courses, students are introduced to the way the real world works, and where they can really start to define their role—who they are as a creative people in the context of a world that needs a lot of creative responses.

Compassionate Response’s Art Therapy Program Students designed knapsacks for Haitian children, filled them with donated books, and shipped them to survivors of the earthquake. The project “became an inclusive neighborhood model of designing and sharing locally in order to help those in need globally.” Students from Otis and Loyola Village Elementary School, and Westchester Senior Center members, used “yarn” made of hundreds of discarded T-shirts to weave knapsacks.

Color, Motion, Magic!

Collaborative mural project with students at La Tijera Elementary School

Change O Agents Design in the Community

ver the last five years, Integrated Learning (IL) has worked with more than thirty-five different community partners— researching, investigating, and designing solutions for a range of issues. Students from different majors work as a team, applying their particular skill sets to devise solutions that can bring about change for a site partner. They develop solutions to some very serious problems, such as the environment, health care, and education, by working for a real client and learning from community leaders, and experts, who become part of the team. They will use these skills every day in the workplace— communication, collaboration, research, presentations and critiques, and adapting to different cultures. Their awareness of ecological and social issues leads them to use design as a real change agent.

Planetary Solutions Collaborating with fifth graders, students designed sixteen projects, including gray water systems, gardening tools, a sustainability manual, and a shade trellis.

IL gives our students very concrete and real skills to enable them to make a difference right now, in the workplace and in society.

Activism in the Oil Fields Working in cooperation with the social and arts collaborative Third Rail, students explored the politics and environmental impact of an active two-square mile oil field, in which the oil company planned to drill an additional 600 wells over the next 20 years.

Their site-specific installations highlighted the dangers to the hummingbird, grey fox population, and local residents.

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los angeles as a laboratory

los angeles as a laboratory

LOS ANGELES

A/L/I students visit the Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A.

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L.A. is the best place in the world to study art. It’s a dynamic, varied environment, and a place where graduates can stay and become involved in a community.

Landscape drawing along the L.A. River

2 Theme Parks + A Sign + A Beach WHERE TO GO

0

5

10

15

20

— Meg Cranston, Chair, Fine Arts

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Westchester Farmers’ Market: 0.10 Coffee Bean: 0.23 LAX Airport: 2.31 TBWA\Chiat\Day: 2.60 Mattel, Inc.: 3.06 Venice Beach: 4.73 Bergamot Station: 10.22 Santa Monica Museum of Art: 10.22 Hammer Museum: 10.34 Museum of Jurassic Technology: 10.43 Fowler Museum at UCLA: 10.84 Santa Monica Pier: 11.91 The Paley Center for Media: 12.25] Little Ethiopia: 12.27 3rd Street Promenade: 12.55 Watts Towers: 12.78 Getty Center: 12.94 Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA): 13.69 The Pacific Coast Highway: 13.65 Craft and Folk Art Museum: 13.85 Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust: 13.87 Doughboys (West Hollywood): 14.25 Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA): 14.40 MAK Center for Art and Architecture: 14.76 California Science Center: 15.88 Getty Villa: 16.66 Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: 16.76 Staples Center: 17.19 Clockwork Orange at The Ruby:17.62 Karaoke (Korea Town): 17.63 Amoeba Music (Hollywood): 17.84 Fashion District: 18.54 Mulholland Drive: 18.56 Museum of Neon Art: 18.64 Los Angeles Central Public Library: 19.50 MOCA Geffen: 19.57 Olvera Street: 19.58 Walt Disney Concert Hall: 20.20 Dodger Stadium: 20.50 Chinatown, L.A.:20.82 Traxx (inside Union Station): 21.17 Museum of Latin American Art: 24.15 Rudy’s Barbershop: 24.16 Capital Records Building: 24.08 Hollywood Bowl Museum: 25.00

Fashion design student work on display at Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills

Learning from the masters at L.A. County Museum of Art

Toy Design students at Disney Animation, Burbank

Riders ready for their trip to the Playa del Rey beach clean-up Painting in Griffith Park

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The Long Beach aquarium is a great place to draw “Movies That Matter” poolside nighttime screening

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it’s a bright future

hollywood heroes

creativity can’t be outsourced, innovation stays onshore

Our Hollywood Heroes Alice in Wonderland Daphne Yap (’04) Concept Designer

Biz Otis in the

Avatar Daphne Yap (’04) Concept Designer and Lindsay Thompson (’07) Animator Bambi Tyrus Wong (’35) Concept Painter Harold and Kumar go to White Castle Chevon Hicks (’95) Animator Kung Fu Panda

Alumni have enriched the entertainment industry since Wilfred Jackson’s (‘28) animations for Disney’s Silly Symphony (1935) and Thomas McKimson’s (‘25) concept for Tweety Bird for Warner Brothers in the 1930s.

An art and design education pays off!

It’s a DIY world.

Creativity is serious business.

74% of Otis grads are employed as creative professionals either before or within three months of graduating, and 82% What are a few occupy a position that things that were “born” in L.A.? is closely related to their major.

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2009–2014 Job Growth Creative Economy

The modern bathing suit The fortune cookie The B-2 “stealth” bomber (a flying wing) The Space Shuttle The Internet The Mars Rovers The Mazda Miata Talking movies Barbie The first commercially successful TV station (now KTLA, Channel 5) Valet parking Tooth-whitening toothpaste The concept of modern make-up (Max Factor’s pancake make-up) Celebrity PR The skateboard (Venice) The Cobb salad The electric guitar And so much more!

Other Sectors

Between 2009 and 2014, Creative Economy jobs are projected to grow 6.7% faster than jobs in other sectors.

The Creative Economy is the second largest business sector in Southern California, generating $127 billion in sales.

Raymond Zibach (’90) Production Designer

Career Services annual internship fair

portfolio reviews

workshops alumni mixer

on resume and cover letter writing

End-Of-Year Preview preparing students for their careers as creative professionals

online job board

Lord of the Rings, Trilogy Jim Rygiel (’80) (Oscar Winner) Visual Effects Supervisor Silence of the Lambs Dawn (Teitelbaum) Baillie (’86) Poster Designer The Ten Commandments William Major (’52) Production Illustrator Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobbie Susan Matheson (’92) Costume Designer

The Sound of Music Dorothy Jeakins (’36) Costume Designer

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life after otis

life after otis

Right Out of School

Many students find jobs before graduating, and within three months of graduation, more than 74% are employed.

Graduate Study Abroad

Charged with energy, experience, skill, and entrepreneurial spirit, Otis alumni are well prepared to enter the world as creative professionals.

Deborah Sabet (‘05) Fashion Design

Scott Derman (’05) Toy Design

Kelly Akashi (‘06) Fine Arts

Designing for Stars

Designed the suit worn by Glee star Darren Criss at the 2011 Grammy Awards.

Did graduate studies in Germany at the prestigious Stadelschule, Frankfurt, and is now in L.A. pursuing her photography career.

“I now have a clear and confident understanding of what I want from life and why make art.”

Daniel Phillips (‘08) Architecture/Landscape/ Interiors, and Kim Karlsrud (‘07) Product Design

Seed Bombs

Phillips and Karlsrud met when they were students, and started their Greenaid project, Guerilla Gardening, while they were still studying at Otis. “Johnny Appleseeds for the 21st Century” is how Fast Company described their seed bomb project, a grassroots campaign intended to raise public awareness as well as reveal and remedy issues of spatial inequity. Across Los Angeles are repurposed gumball machines that dispense seed bombs, a mixture of clay, compost, and seeds, for 25 cents.

Residents toss them into derelict urban spaces such as vacant lots and median strips to create instant wildflower gardens.

Danny and Kim returned to Otis to teach “Design for Social Impact,” a course in which students sourced local materials and industrial scraps, conducted lifecycle analyses, and creatively employed the ethics and aesthetics of “doing more with less.” Site partners included TOMS Shoes “In the 20th century, designers were mainly conand the Boys and Girls Club in East L.A. cerned with form and function. Today designers Students used reclaimed materials from are not only dealing with objects but also with the garment district or bike shop inner tubes, and transformed them functionsystems and tools. Oftentimes, systems and tools ally and aesthetically. can be intangible, but designers can use them to

produce very real and useful solutions.”

— Daniel Phillips

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To Infinity and Beyond!

Derman collected toys and action figures while he was growing up, and learned about Otis from his AP art teacher.

While at Otis, he interned at Art Asylum in New York, and at Lego in Denmark. He made lifelong friends at Lego, and was offered a job after graduation, but Scott wanted to live and work in L.A. In his senior year and meet the filmmakers. As he he interned for Mattel’s Games explains, “When you work with division, and began working the filmmakers, you get to see there after graduation. their inspiration.”

Derman currently designs toys When he was twelve, Derman based on movie licenses for Mattel’s Entertainment Brands. had a Buzz Lightyear but as lead designer for Toy Story 3, he creTwo recent projects are Green ated a new version. “The one I Lantern and the new Batman made was a little cooler. I had 14 movie, Dark Knight Rises.

Recently, he traveled to London years to get this right.” where Dark Knight Rises was being filmed, to see the sets

It got easier when I got out of school.

When you’re in school working on projects, you’re not part of a team. You have to do it all. Working with a team makes it easier, more fun. It only helps you be a better designer when you know what each team member does.

—Scott Derman

Organic Style

Kirk von Heifner (‘06) Fashion Design Von Heifner moved to New York after graduating to work for John Varvatos.

After several years, he moved back to Manhattan Beach to be Design Director for the eco-conscious brand Vicarious by Nature. Combining fashion-forward design for men and women with a commitment to environmental issues, the company uses organic raw materials and methods.

Their proactive mission includes educational initiatives with local and global communities, and partnerships with organizations such as Tree People and the Ocean Conservation Society.

“From the time you wake to the time you go to sleep, it’s important to eat organic, conserve, recycle, reduce plastic, and wear organic.

It becomes your lifestyle. We are just trying to provide cool clothing for the organic sector and use any influence we might have to persuade our followers to join us during beach clean ups or planting a few trees.”

—Kirk Von Heifner

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life after otis

life after otis

Creative Warriors

“

Hunt, Gunn and Rasoli met at Otis where they started their business. Named by L.A. Business Journal as one of “20 in Their Twenties,” they have crafted animations, visual effects, and narratives for creative agencies and well-known brands, bringing their style to advertising.

Ad Men

Ben Go (‘00) and Dennis Go (‘01) Digital Media Creative Directors, Brand New School L.A. and N.Y. One in N.Y. and one in L.A., brothers Dennis and Ben Go are the creative visionaries for Brand New School. The firm’s commercial directors, designers, animators and illustrators use an idiosyncratic visual style and witty conceptual approach in creating work for MTV, Fox Fuel, VH1, and Cartoon Network, as well as Apple, Nike, Pepsi, and Jeep.

Top: Animation for Honda CRV Ad Above: Animation for OfficeMax Ad

Through a collective vision, 3LL seeks to banish clichéd ideas with an unmerciful vengeance: sometimes scary, often exciting, always in the greater service of the project. While their ideas are edgy and often fiercely different, they’re pretty good guys to work with

Gajin Fujita (‘97) Fine Arts Born in 1972 to Japanese parents, Fujita honed his unique style as a graffiti artist on the streets of East Los Angeles, and later displayed his work on the walls of cultural institutions such as L.A. Louver gallery, LACMA, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (Kansas City), and several international venues in Switzerland, Greece, and Belgium.

Derek Thompson (‘94) Since the age of five, Thompson has been obsessed with drawing dinosaurs and monsters. He first learned to tell stories in his major, Illustration. Many years later, as storyboardist for Pixar’s WALL-E, he and his team turned out more than 157,00 drawings.

His early career included stints as a freelancer at Electronic Arts, Dark Horse Comics, and Maverick Studios before he joined Industrial Light and Magic, and then Pixar in 2005.

–3LL Website

”

Tofer Chin (‘02) After producing several site-specific works on the streets in Spain, Chin continued the public art projects he had started at Otis in São Paolo, Brazil. Inspired by the murals done by Os Gemeos, he designed murals throughout the city. He also created an installation for Rio’s Museum of Image and Sound in 2010. More recently, in June 2011, Chin returned to Rio to install Fourteen Black, acrylic and wood installations throughout the Parque Lage gardens, which have been described as “stalagmites—living and breathing souls, ghosts, spirits, voids, shadows.”

Moving Up the Ladder

Casey Hunt (‘06), Greg Gunn (‘06), and Reza Rasoli (’06), Digital Media Three Legged Legs: Commercial Directors

Left: Scenes from Virgin Atlantic and Method “We’re all in This Together” Below: Still from Wrigley’s “Evolution” commercial.

“The afternoon after I graduated from Otis, I booked a flight to Barcelona. This journey would transform my life forever. Upon arrival, I was greeted by David Quiles Guillo, who had published my work in his magazine, ROJO.” —Tofer Chin

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“The storyboard artist has to wear a lot of hats, thinking like a director, actor, editor, cinematographer, production designer, art director, and more. Then you have to be able to draw your ideas to communicate them.”

—Derek Thomson

Pied Piper for Pixar

Fujita blends Eastern techniques (ukiyo-e, animé, split screens), and elements (geishas, warriors, demons), with Western, urban imagery (Latino graffiti, tattoo art, and pop culture imagery) to create work that surfaces the cultural and class distinctions of urban L.A. Above: Getting Harey, 2011 white gold and gold leaf, acrylic, spray paint and paintmarker, and mean streak on two wood panels 48 x 32 in. (121.9 x 81.3 cm) Courtesy of L.A. Louver, Venice, CA

Above: On a recent visit to Otis, Thomson gave a workshop on character development and the psychology of fear, beginning by having them sketch aliens, bugs, and dark closets.

“

I kind of look at myself as a hip-hopper, the way a DJ would sample all sorts of great music from the past— sounds and beats. I’m just doing it with visuals.

—Gajin Fujita

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“

life after otis

Amy McFarland (’85) Communication Design Associate Director, Head of Graphic Design, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Amy McFarland decided to major in graphic design after receiving her first “C” ever as a student in a communication design class.

That “C” inspired her to figure out what graphic design was all about. Two years after graduation, Amy began her design career at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art after showing her portfolio to an Otis faculty member who headed the museum’s graphic design department. Fourteen years later, as Associate Director, Head of Graphic Design, she oversees nine designers who create 800– 1,000 projects per year for thirty curators and the museum’s development and marking teams—everything from print to gallery labels to store merchandise and web banners.

McFarland’s department is currently working on designs for eighteen exhibitions including Ellsworth Kelly, Glenn Ligon, and the Chicano performance and conceptual art group Asco, which includes McFarland’s classmate, Patssi Valdez.

Running the Show Tim Burton at the entrance to the LACMA exhibition, designed

by McFarland and her team

Muse(eum) Work

—Ruben Ochoa

”

The Interventionist Ruben Ochoa (‘97) Fine Arts

Cynthia Vincent (‘88) Fashion Design Vincent received Otis’s Silver Thimble Award from Ann Cole upon graduation.

Early in her career, she worked at Jane Ong & Co., London, where she rose to become head designer. She launched her first company in L.A. in 1993, and, ten years later, introduced Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent. Celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Kate Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, and Ashley Tisdale are seen in her silk crepe de chine slips, velvet boudoir jackets, and luxurious sweaters.

Shoe Queen

“I’ve enjoyed drawing and making art since I was a kid but I didn’t know what it meant to be an artist, what it entailed, or how one sustains oneself. My family didn’t either, but as long as I wasn’t getting into any trouble they were okay.

To get them to understand, I started incorporating them into my practice and into the work...It’s a push-pull relationship. Same with friends.

It becomes like a community.”

“

I always knew that I wanted to go into fashion, as I told my mom when I was six. Otis was great for me. I did the high school summer program. I was rebellious, and wanted to go more towards the creative end. Otis definitely prepared me for the real world of fashion. At my first job in London, there were a lot of incredibly talented designers, but when it came to knowing the calendar and how to put garments together, and their functionality and wearability, I realized how much I had learned.

—Cynthia Vincent

Ochoa works in an East L.A. studio, housed in a nursery that’s been vacant for years, next to a Mexican restaurant. He makes art that questions boundaries and intersections, echoing the Chicano experience of his community. One of his first projects was converting his family’s tortilla delivery truck into a mobile art gallery.

Later, in a large-scale sculpture installation, he transformed a section of L.A. freeway by extracting a section of the wall and replacing it with a photo-realistic mural of the landscape that might be hidden behind it.

Ochoa learned by trial and error how to build things. “I tell people I went to art school to be a construction worker,” he jokes. Several years later, after winning a Guggenheim Fellowship and exhibiting at the Whitney Biennial and Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, he continues to explore the tension among social class, urban architecture, and nature, examining cultural politics through conceptual art.

life after otis

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where in the world

faqs

Where in the World?

“ ”

Give a call!—Contact the Admissions Office. We would be happy to meet with you and give you a tour.

LOS ANGELES, CA

Interview with an Admissions Counselor How do you apply?

It’s as simple as going to our Website­—otis.edu/apply, where you will find our online application and detailed instructions.

What do you look for?

Where our students come from Argentina Brazil Canada China, People’s Republic of Denmark Dominican Republic Estonia Guatemala Hong Kong Indonesia Italy Japan Kazakhstan Kenya Malaysia Mexico Nepal Nigeria Norway Poland

Russia Singapore South Korea Spain Taiwan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Venezuela Vietnam Zimbabwe

Where our graduates go Austria Australia Bangladesh Belgium Brazil Cambodia Canada Colombia Croatia Denmark Doha Dubai Fiji France Germany Hong Kong Iceland Indonesia Israel Italy

Japan London Macau Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Peru Philippines Singapore South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey Venezuela

We look at both academic and artistic preparation. We will review your grades and classes from the schools you have attended, before, SAT or ACT scores (if you are applying in your senior year of high school), an essay, and a portfolio of your original artwork. Additional details are at otis.edu/admissions

How big are classes?

Otis has approximately 1,100 BFA students. You will never find a “big” class with a hundred (or even 40 or 50) students. Studio sections are generally taught in groups of 20 or fewer, and the same is true for Liberal Arts and Sciences courses.

Is financial aid available?

Yes! If you are a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, after you are admitted, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Our Financial Aid Office will put together an offer for you.

Otis will award $10.4 million in scholarship funds this year. To learn more, contact otisaid@otis.edu or (310) 665-6880.

What if I am an international student?

Admitted international students are automatically considered for scholarships.

These awards are based on academic and artistic merit.

The amounts vary but even the most substantial award will not cover all, or even most of the cost, so you will need access to other resources.

admissions office 800 527 OTIS (6847) admissions@otis.edu apply online otis.edu/apply housing otis.edu/housing

financial aid To learn more, contact otisaid@otis.edu or (310) 665-6880.

Do I have to take “GE” classes?

You will graduate from Otis with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. About twothirds of your courses will be in your major, and the remaining one-third are Liberal Arts and Sciences courses.

What is Foundation?

contact us

Some schools ask you to select your major upon enrollment, even if you are coming directly from high school. At Otis, if you enroll directly after high school or if you have taken very few art and design courses at the college level, you are required to complete our Foundation program prior to enrolling in your major.

In your “first year,” you develop a strong “visual vocabulary” through a common set of studio courses.

Do you offer career counseling?

Career Services assists students and alumni in career planning and development. Workshops and individual counseling are available for internships, industry contacts, résumé preparation, interview skills, and career mapping. The online career center is another valuable tool.

What about housing?

Many first-year students live in Otis’s two-bedroom apartments in new complexes around the corner from the main campus. This residential complex offers programming such as seminars, workshops, events, and guidance from the Residence Life staff.

All units have four residents (two per room). Amenities include a pool, outdoor barbeques, a fitness center, and a resident lounge. Roommate assignments are made by Residence Life staff based on a roommate questionnaire.

See otis.edu/housing for details and photographs.

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how to apply

How Should I Prepare My Portfolio?

Select your best work to show off your technical skills and your creativity!

1

1st year Foundation Level

2

Transfer Students

3

Transfer Students

10–20 Examples of your best and most recent work

10–20 Examples of Artwork

Artwork can be of any medium, including

“ ”

Once you apply, we’ll send you a link to submit your portfolio online.

animation drafting drawings illustration mixed media motion-based projects* painting

photography sculpture three-dimensional design two-dimensional design video* * maximum two-minute excerpt

Sophomore Level Approach A

Sophomore Level Approach B

Show work that mirrors Otis’s Foundation year, including life drawing, observational drawing, and 2-D and 3-D design. Also include personal work that expresses your interests and creativity. It does not have to include work from the major you wish to study, but rather the core skills of that discipline. For example, if you want to study Toy Design, your portfolio does not need to include toys, but should include examples of drawing and three dimensional design.

Submit work that shows advanced skills in your intended major.

For example, students applying for the Architecture/Landscape/Interiors major may submit a portfolio that consists of drafting, rendering, and CAD projects, rather than life drawing and 2-D design.

Remember, the portfolio must demonstrate that you have the skills to be successful at the sophomore level.

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Check us out

5 Steps to a Bright Future Applying to college can seem intimidating.

Our counselors make it easy.

Visit. Call. E-mail.

We are here to help you through this process.

how to apply

Look at our website.

Visit the campus.

See us at National Portfolio Day (otis.edu/events).

Our counselors can answer all of your questions. We want to be your first choice.

2

Apply otis.edu/apply The Priority date is February 15. Be first in line for scholarships, housing, and all the other important stuff. The earlier you apply, the more we can help you!

Put in a valid e-mail address Turn in that you check. We will your stuff contact you using that address.

3

Using the link we provide, upload your essay and portfolio.

Don’t forget to send us transcripts and test scores. You will receive a list of items that you need to submit once you apply.

10–20 Examples of Artwork

&

Junior Level (Fall only) Highlight your skills in your discipline, and show that you are ready to succeed at junior year-level.

Select work that shows your advanced professional skills and readiness for internships. For example, a student applying to be a junior in Graphic Design should show advanced work in graphic design.

Note: There are no transfer students for second semester or junior level in fashion design.

4

Our financial aid office will Paying for College help you put together a package of grants, scholarships, loans, and/or work-study to bridge the gap between your resources and the cost of tuition and fees.

Be sure to apply for financial aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov (U.S. citizens and permanent residents).

This year, Otis will award $10.4 million in scholarship funds.

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Choose your school

Second Semester Sophomore (Spring only)

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May 1 is the day to tell us you will attend.

It’s all about fit and we hope you choose Otis!

Otis at a Glance Established in 1918 by the Los Angeles Times founder, Harrison Gray Otis.

Otis is a Nonprofit Institution

Otis is among the most culturally diverse colleges of art and design in the U.S.

L.A.’s first independent professional school of art

16%

1,200 2,500 Degree Students

International Students

(BFA)

Advertising Design, Architecture/Landscape/Interiors, Digital Media, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Product Design, Painting, Photography, Sculpture/New Genres, and Toy Design

Graduate Majors

8:1

26 countries & 39 states

of students from outside California

Undergraduate Majors

Student/Faculty Ratio

students come from

(MFA)

Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Public Practice, and Writing

All 314 faculty members are practicing professionals in their fields.

Affiliations: Private, nonprofit institution accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Member, Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD).

Continuing Education Students