Omag 15

OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN MAGAZINE

SPRING 2014

ISSUE 15

in this issue:

04 - ALUMNI AND FACULTY INSPIRED BY L.A. 06 - KEEPING IT SIMPLE AND FRESH: MEG CRANSTON 18 - OTIS REPORT ON THE CREATIVE ECONOMY: 1 IN 10 JOBS IN CA

I remember L.A. as blackety-black shadows cast from brutalist blocks that take the history of architecture and reduce and contain it silently, like lunary tombs or Aztec temples morphed into Fome-Cor® cartoons.

This kind of light makes decisions easier, more black and white. Good-vs-bad, pure-vsimpure, aspiration-vs-collapse, determined grim optimism-vs-self-indulgent despair.

The suggestion of an old Hollywood monolithic black-and-white movie set encourages self-invention and self-consciousness as you make your way down an imaginary long white staircase. There’s not another living soul on the set and the spotlight is on you, wiping out any flaw or imperfection, hallucinating yourself into who you wanna be … exactly how I remember it … forward Fashion designer Rick Owens (’81) moved from L.A. to Paris in 2003.

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03

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1. George Maitland Stanley (’24)

2. Kent Twitchell (’77 MFA)

3. Judithe Hernández (’74 MFA)

4. Insung Kim (’97)

5. Robert Irwin (’50)

6. Hillary Jaye (’90)

Muses Fountain, Hollywood Bowl

Harbor Freeway Overture mural,

New Spring, mural for the Expo Line

for Hunt Design Associates

The Central Garden, The Getty

for Sussman/Prezja & Co.

1938

1993

Terminus Station in Santa Monica,

Identity and wayfinding program

Center, 1997

Wayfinding and bus graphics

Photo courtesy: Hollywood Bowl

opening in 2016

for downtown L.A.

Photo courtesy: The J. Paul Getty

Van Nuys FlyAway for Los Angeles

Museum and Music Center Archives

Commissioned by the LACMTA

Museum

World Airports

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LACMA Director Michael Govan explains the allure of Los Angeles in this simple statement: “Where the modern world was imagined and continues to be reinvented.�

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Since 1918, Otis alumni, faculty members, and students have imagined the city’s future, created positive change, and made connections across the globe. As artists and designers, they are committed to incorporate human values, social responsibility, and ethics in their thinking and action.

For this issue on Otis in Los Angeles, we designed an interactive map with projects by alumni and faculty members, including public art, monuments, and retail stores.

Visit www.otisinla.com and plan your trip to see them all. Share photos of your visits with the world via social networks using #otisinla.

Keep your eye out for this symbol throughout the issue for more location information

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A Fond And Forward-Looking Farewell Otis has a uniquely powerful educational approach and social vision, as well as a long tradition of partnering with diverse sectors to elevate the role of artists and designers in Los Angeles and beyond. Today, an Otis education takes full advantage of the fact that L.A. and the College are both fertile grounds where cultural practices, social engagement, and the creative economy converge, resulting in new ideas and approaches that address the emerging needs of our time and lead to a better future.

As I look back on my fourteen years as president of this great institution, I feel extremely honored to have helped shape Otis in partnership with the gifted and dedicated boards, faculty and staff. Above all, I feel privileged to have participated in the transformative education of our students, who blossom into achieving alumni and whose creative practices reward their lives and benefit the world. It is gratifying that my final OMAG introduction is for an issue that demonstrates Otis’ imprint in the L.A. region and

across the globe with the success stories of our alumni, students, and their faculty mentors.

When I depart at the end of this academic year, I will do so with an optimistic outlook on Otis’ future. The College’s educational and social mission has never been more clearly articulated and manifested. The reimagined curriculum strengthens student learning and success.

Exciting plans are in place to expand campus facilities and transform Otis into a residential college. There is incredible momentum that will take the College to new heights. I cannot imagine a better interim president than Provost Dr. Kerry Walk to lead the great Otis team into its next phase of service and success.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served the College since 2000. As I bid farewell, I know that I will be continually inspired from a distance by the extraordinary talent and spirit of the Otis community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and board members. Otis will always be in my heart.

President Hoi and Provost Dr. Kerry Walk

Samuel Hoi, President

Editor: Margi Reeve, Communications Director

Photography: Lane Barden, Deborah Bird, Chris Bliss,

Back Cover: John Mason (’57)

Coeditor: Laura Daroca (’03 MFA Fine Arts), Director of

Joe Bruns, Kristina Campbell, Benny Chan Fotoworks,

“Folded Cross, Yellow-Gold,” 2002

Alumni Relations

Kai He/The LA Fashion Magazine, Katie Hotchkiss

ceramic

Alumni Relations Coordinator: Shefali Mistry

Contributors: freelance writers George Wolfe and Mimi Zeiger; copy editor Michelle Ghaffari

39 x 31.5 x 24"

Creative/Design: Mark Caneso (’04)

from Crosses, Figures, Spears, Torques David Kordansky Gallery, LA.

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45 SPRING 2014

OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN MAGAZINE

FEATURE:

VOL. 15 CONTENTS

Otis In L.A.

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Faculty architecture projects; Annetta Kapon video; JT Steiny drawings; Meg Cranston interview; Lalo Alcaraz profile; Literary L.A.; Broad-Minded; City as Classroom

College News

Alumni Around the World

Class Notes

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42

44

Transformational Leadership Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show Creative Economy Report Teaching Awards Buzz Commencement Annual Exhibition Class of 2013

Bangladesh Mumbai

Alumni Anniversaries Generations Connect in S.F. Otis Supporters: Sharma Family

Otis prepares diverse students of art and design to enrich our world Otis College of Art and Design

through their creativity, their skill, and their vision.

Established in 1918, Otis College of Art and Design is a national leader in art and design

Otis enrolls approximately 1,100 full-time students, and offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees

Publication of material does not necessarily

education. The College mission is to prepare diverse students of art and design to enrich

in Architecture/Landscape/Interiors, Digital Media (Game and Entertainment Design, Animation,

indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint

our world through their creativity, skill, and vision. Alumni and faculty are Fulbright, MacArthur,

and Motion Design), Fashion Design, Communication Arts (Graphic Design, Illustration, and

by Otis College of Art and Design

and Guggenheim grant recipients, Oscar awardees, legendary costume designers, leaders

Advertising Design), Fine Arts (Painting, Photography, and Sculpture/New Genres), Product

of contemporary art movements, and design stars at Apple, Abercrombie & Fitch, Pixar,

Design, and Toy Design. Otis also awards the Master of Fine Arts degree in Fine Arts, Graphic

DreamWorks, Mattel, Nike, and Disney.

Design, Public Practice, and Writing.

© Otis College of Art and Design

Otis Faculty in L.A.

Otis faculty members draw inspiration from L.A., and reflect its vibrant communities in their work.

Architecture/Landscape/Interiors Faculty Projects

01. Chava Danielson Principal, DSH Para Los Ninos 849 East 6th St., L.A. 90013 02. David Reddy Principal, R&D Architects Breeze House 23 Breeze Ave., Venice 90291 (artwork by Nancy Monk) 03. Linda Pollari Principal, P XS “off-use" (office-house) 950 S. Highland Ave, L.A. 90036

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04. Matias Creimer Bower Reidence (renovation) 16417 Otsego St., L.A. 91436 05. Richard Lundquist ChoSun Galbee 3330 W. Olympic Blvd. L.A. 90019

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Spring 2014

ANNETTA KAPON

JT STEINY

Professor and Assistant Chair, Graduate Fine Arts

Senior Lecturer, Communication Arts: Illustration

The Line Between L.A. and Beverly Hills

Drawing While Driving

JT Steiny (’86) contributes illustrations to the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Smart Money, Sony Records, Rhino Records, and LA Weekly. Everywhere he goes, he draws. An entire series he titles “Drawing While Driving.” In this series, he captures the challenges of dog walking in a car-oriented city.

Kapon (‘85) created this video to be shown on L.A. Metro buses as part of Freewaves’ “Out the WIndow” project, April 2013. She walked the line between Beverly Hills’ freshly paved streets and Los Angeles pavement’s holes and cracks, capturing both the visual and the auditory contrasts.

SARA DALEIDEN Lecturer, Graduate Public Practice

Urban Rangers As a Senior Ranger with the The Los Angeles Urban Rangers, Sara develops guided hikes, campfire talks, field kits, and other interpretive tools to spark creative explorations of everyday habitats in L.A. Founded in 2004, the Rangers are dedicated to asking questions about the abundant and often unseen complexities of the places in our lives, whether a freeway, an office park or a living room. l to r: Therese Kelly, Nicholas Bauch, Sara Daleiden, Ron Milam and Jenny Price.

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Otis Faculty in L.A.

Cranston reveals her favorite

MEG CRANSTON

museums, the book she would take to a desert island, her thoughts on art

Fine Arts Chair

and media, the pinata, and more at www.otis.edu/omagcranston

Keeping It Simple and Fresh Why is teaching important to you?

In Los Angeles, teaching is a normal part of an artist’s career. That isn’t true everywhere but it is definitely true here. Initially, I taught for the same reason most artists teach—to support my work. What I found out was that teaching not only provided financial support but it also informed and energized my work. Teaching forces you to constantly reevaluate your own ideas and as a result, your work stays fresh. You have to stay relevant to the students, and that helps you stay relevant to a wider audience.

L.A. is a great place for an artist to teach because you are in such good company. The list of artists who teach or have taught here is a who’s who of the art world. Otis plays a crucial part in that with an amazing number of world-famous artists who have taught/continue to teach including Paul McCarthy, Carole Caroompas, Alex Slade, Mike Kelley, Steve Prina, Chris Williams, Frances Stark, Liz Glynn, Laura Owens, Jack Goldstein, Alexis Smith, Monique Prieto, and Jorge Pardo. We take risks by hiring young artists whose work we believe in, and it pays off both for the artists and for the students.

L.A. art colleges have produced an enormous number of artists and trained the teachers who have gone on to develop international programs. What we might call collectively “the L.A. method” has been imitated in colleges and universities around the world. Otis has a central role in making L.A. the most important city in the world for art education today.

What do you find unique about Otis students?

Artists love teaching at Otis because the students are so cool. Our students are more independent and empathetic than students at other schools where I’ve taught. I think L.A. has a lot to do with that. We are a metropolitan art school so our students live and work in the city. That gives Otis students a more informed perspective on life, and makes them more cosmopolitan. They deal with a broad range of people, and negotiate life in one of the greatest cities in the world.

Describe your collaborations with John Baldessari Over the years, we have collaborated on a variety of projects with a shared objective of mixing thing up— always wanting to try something new. We work together mostly because it’s fun to see what you generate when you work with another artist. We have curated a few shows together, including one for the Santa Monica Museum on the work of Norm Laich, an L.A.-based artist and sign painter who has worked with many important artists. Curating is a thankless job for artists. You definitely don’t make any friends, but John and I do it because we feel it is important for artists to show the world the exhibitions that artists want to see.

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Last year we finished a book that took seven years to complete. More Than You Wanted to Know About John

ladies in gypsy costumes. In ’68 it was impossible to paint those things. By 2013 things had changed.

Baldessari is an anthology of John’s complete writing, from his days at Otis in 1957 to the present. I coedited it

How does your anthropology background influence

with Hans-Ulrich Obrist, a curator and codirector at

your work?

Serpentine Gallery in London.

My anthropology major at Kenyon College provided a

Last year we did two sets of paintings using texts

good foundation for art making because anthropologists

from John’s early writing. The colors came from Pantone’s

see meaning as relative, conditioned by cultural context.

forecast for the top women’s fashion colors for 2013.

In art it’s very similar. You have to understand the context

We wanted to juxtapose older texts with the latest

you are working in. In art you wouldn’t say red necessarily

fashion colors. For one set I selected a short text that is

means love. You’d say, in a certain context, shown in a

my favorite bit of advice:

certain composition, presented in a certain way, red might

“Whatever you decide to do, remember to keep it

connote love. Artists need to be very sensitive to the time

simple, keep it fresh, and have some idea what you are

and place in which they are working to be understood.

going to do.”

Like anthropologists, they have to understand everything

We showed one set of these at Galerie Michael

about a culture—religion politics, economics, etc. Cultural

Janssen in Singapore. That went well, so we made

conditions manifest belief, and belief gets manifested

another set based on texts from 1968 for Michael’s gallery

materially in art and design. Art and design are 100%

in Berlin. These related to subjects that John said he

about belief. They both reflect it and generate it.

could not paint: sad doggies, squint-eyed tigers, and

Spring 2014

by George Wolfe

LALO ALCARAZ Lecturer, Communication Arts: Illustration

Redrawing Borders

A Most Imperfect Union: A Contrarian History of the U.S. will be released by Basic Books in June with illustrations by Alcaraz and text by Ilan Stevans

For editorial cartoonist and faculty member Lalo Alcaraz, having one foot inside and the other outside the circle has been an ongoing metaphor for his life. Born in the San Diego area, he notes that he was not quite Mexican enough for some relatives across the border and yet not American enough for those in the States. His academic degrees include the fields of environmental design and architecture, yet he's best known for creating the first nationally syndicated, populist, politically-themed Latino

My work urges people to think, maybe in the way I present it in my work, and maybe not.

I’m not telling people how to think, just, you know . . . use your noggin.

daily comic strip, La Cucaracha, which appears in the Los Angeles Times. He also hosts a radio show and runs a satirical website. Now, once again, he finds himself exploring new territory as a writer on an upcoming Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) project: an animated show for Fox featuring a largely Latino cast of characters, due to premiere in fall 2014.

Luckily for Alcaraz, what once raised eyebrows and

Alcaraz has taught editorial illustration at Otis for

This humble stance isn’t false modesty. He’s

nearly three years but will be taking a break to make

genuinely fond of his simple-yet-proud roots and current

ample space for his new full-time gig. It's a bittersweet

middle-class lifestyle, and content to trade his once-

caused judgment is now an increasingly accepted part of

time. "At Otis, I was reminded of how cool and fun college

angry 20-something years for the challenges and

the times. On the federal level, it’s business as usual with

can be. Some of our best classes were when we threw

pleasures of life at home in Whittier with his wife and

an African American president; in a city like Los Angeles,

everything out and just sat there and talked—I had young

three kids. At the base of all he does, however, are the

you can’t throw a rock without hitting a hybrid car or a

students from here and international students from all

demands of his nagging muse, calling him to grind out his

food truck touting a fresh confluence of ethnic cuisines;

over the world, and it always gave me great hope that

daily work, to fulfill his creative duty.

and at a college like Otis, interdisciplinary cross-training

these kids remind me of how I was way back then.

is fast becoming not only an advantage in the art

And we’re all the better for it [this merging of cultures].

artists. I’m not the most organized person, but I’ve

and design professions but is practically a necessity for

I hope they’ll be able to carry on with what I’ve tried to

managed to piece together a career and show that by just

getting ahead of the status quo. And in this type of

teach them. But the truth is that I’ve really learned so

doing your art, steadily over time, it can be done. However

twister-like environment, artists like Alcaraz, who can

much from them."

dire the environment is out there, every career is

keep their balance while straddling these various circles,

Despite using his craft to speak out on substantive

"I’m okay with simply being a role model for working

fragmented, and we all have to figure out ways to make it

are faring well.

issues like Proposition 187 (immigration) and federal

work. My work urges people to think, maybe in the way I

Whether working on an editorial cartoon or creating

elections (voting), and making both real and symbolic

present it in my work, and maybe not. I’m not telling

content for his website (pocho.com), he attributes

inroads professionally in ways that offer a model of

people how to think, just, you know . . . use your noggin.

his original interest in biting social commentary to

achievement for Latinos and Chicanos, Alcaraz doesn’t

There’s a great saying in Spanish that uses the word

Mad magazine: “I used to tell parents to be careful:

see himself as any kind of spokesperson or cultural hero.

maceta—which is slang for flowerpot—something like

that publication can make a critical thinker out of a kid.

“Most of all,” he notes, “what I can offer is my work, to

use what the good Lord gave you between your ears.

For me, Spanish was my first language, then I learned

support causes I care about. “

So in short, use your flowerpot. There’s stuff in there!"

English in school and, finally, I learned satire . . . so it was like a third language for me.”

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Otis Faculty in L.A.

Literary L.A. PAUL VANGELISTI

Founding Chair, Graduate Writing

Memory and Daily Life in the Invisible City I must begin by mentioning the debt

“splendid isolation.” Memory in so willfully

of gratitude I owe the Parisian poet

forgetful a place is critical, defining an

Mohammed Dib, who consistently

almost palpable dimension of daily life,

made me aware that L.A. was indeed

which is all the more vivid in contrast

the Invisible City, borrowing from me, as

to the perpetual elsewhere that best

it were, the title for my literary magazine,

describes one’s writing practice there.

Invisible City, which I edited with John

in the daily and often dull ineptitude of

in L.A., Dib would often smile capriciously

a grammar that might describe such as

and ask, as the afternoon began to

fictive utility as L.A. Time, for instance,

cool, if it weren’t time to set off in

may function as a property of light, a per-

my Datsun sedan and visit our invisible

petual present or “timelessness” in close

city, so that we might add to our

relationship to the peculiarly isolate and

“petites histoires.”

meditative light that is the single most

Poetry, for me, then, issues from the

distinguishing characteristic of our city.

invisible city, the big nowhere that is L.A.

“Lots and lots of light–and no shadows,”

Ours is a city of “theatrical imperma-

notes artist Robert Irwin, “Really peculiar,

nence,” as Christopher Isherwood called

almost dreamlike.”

it, the home of tautological architecture

I am suggesting that a preoccupation

where hot dog and hamburger and donut

with our daily bread is a poet’s attempt

stands take on the shape of hot dogs

to ground his or her work if not exactly in

and hamburgers and donuts, where at any

some form of realism, at least in a realis-

given time only a little more than one-

tic attitude or position within this wacky

third of the population has lived there for

environment. Lacking the public occasion

more than five years. L.A. is blessed, in

and certainly the public form for serious

Tennessee Williams’ words, with “wonder-

literature—museums and other educa-

ful rocking horse weather, and a curious

tional and public institutions in our city

light so mesmerizing that, as Orson

are hardly more than specimen boxes in

Welles once noted, ‘You sit down, you’re

today’s cultural marketplace—some poets

twenty-five, and when you get up, you’re

instinctively employ the daily to create a

sixty-two.‘” It functions, according to the

context for their work, social, dramatic

poet Thomas McGrath, as the “Asia Minor

or otherwise. In a city where the image is

of the intellect,” a place where, in the im-

considered truthful, and entrepreneurs

mortal words of the legendary producer

the likes of (fill in the name of whatever

This piece is excerpted from a longer essay that first appeared in

Irving Thalberg (namesake for the Acad-

current pop culture boss) are discussed

Seeing Los Angeles: A Different Look at a Different City, edited by

emy’s Oscar for “life-time achievement”),

in university and college classrooms as

Guy Bennett and Beatrice Mousli; Otis Books/Seismicity Editions, 2007

the writer is no less than “a necessary

creative geniuses, a poet may look to his

evil.” L.A. is also a place that has afforded

or her own isolated daily life to fashion a

Graduate Writing faculty member Martha Ronk’s poems

writers and artists, to borrow a phrase

background against which language may

also appeared in this publication.

from long-time resident Igor Stravinsky,

be given room for serious play.

Sumi-e drawing by Les Biller

Time and place operate curiously in the daily and often dull ineptitude of a grammar that might describe such as fictive utility as L.A.

Editor’s Note:

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Time and place operate curiously

McBride from 1971–82. During his stay

Spring 2014

PETER GADOL Professor, Graduate Writing

Silver Lake And then it was autumn again, and Saturdays they would

Editor’s note:

wake early when the first clean light came up over the oak and fir at the top of the ridge and eased its way

Gadol was recently

down across their glass house and overgrown slope,

awarded an NEA Creative

down to the pitched yards and shingled cottages along

Writing Fellowship

the street below their street, down across timber and brush and fallen limbs, across the boulevard all the way to the patient lake, where it would linger on the water, and ancient and forgiving light by noon.

These were cold mornings suddenly and so they dressed quickly in fraying clothes. One made coffee, the other swiped jam across toast. They traded sections of the paper. One started in on the crossword, the other scanned the financial pages. Then they headed out to the garage and pulled on work gloves and selected rakes and clippers, and there was little conversation except to agree the movie they had watched the night before was not sitting well with them. A simple story snapped when stretched into an epic. Actually one man fell asleep before the film ended, and the other man had to wake him only to guide him to the bedroom and back to sleep again.

Rain all week had left the air crisp but also made the ground behind their house muddy and not entirely suitable for the chore at hand, yet each man took a flank of hill as if it were his side of the bed and began pulling out the dead sage and trimming back the excess tea bush and clearing out the persistent sumac. There was nothing to be done about the thicket of rosemary, they’d long since given up. There was enough of a drop-down to the backyard of the property below theirs so that even at the edge of their land, they enjoyed an unobstructed view of the Silver Lake Reservoir. excerpted from Silver Lake, a novel

MARTHA RONK Senior Lecturer, Graduate Writing from "State of Mind"

Driving

The Moon over L.A.

Pico Boulevard

The film breaks into dialogue after long stretches

The moon moreover spills over onto

From behind the glass they are unmitigatedly still

Of the sort of silence associated with wet roads

The paving stone once under foot.

or passed over. Pico is another.

And the sounds of tires hissing in the trees as

Plants it there one in front.

Driving is to driving as from one end to the other

The wind’s an artificial product of moving

She is no more than any other except her shoulders

over bridge and vale. Their eyes unnervingly swerved.

forever.

Celan says over wine and lostness, over

As enclosure’s only a category of mind.

Pull over and give us a kiss.

The running out of both.

And then the final exchanges about the weather first

When it hands over the interchange

I don’t find you behind any eyes you open.

And tentative efforts to snare the other’s litany

She and she and she. A monument to going nowhere,

After the earthquake it was closed to traffic.

A piece of work unmade by man. O moon,

I look at the eyes, the sex, the eyes.

The very act of driving was designed to eliminate

Rise up and give us ourselves awash and weary—

We lap at it fearful of running out,

We’ve seen it all and don’t mind

Gulps of red wine. He says

toward the horizon

of complaints any sense of.

What can the translator mean by over?

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Otis Faculty in L.A.

LEWIS MACADAMS Senior Lecturer, Graduate Writing

From Confrontation to Cooperation

Editor’s Note: Skid Row as a "40-year artwork to bring the river back to life." I donned a white suit and painted myself green as if i were the ghost of William

A longer version of this

Mulholland.

Op Ed piece appeared in

In the mid-1980s, a lawsuit by Heal the Bay forced L.A. to build a water reclamation plant that would ultimately send millions of gallons a year of reclaimed water through the Glendale Narrows. For the first time since the last Ice Age, the river was year-round. Willows and sycamore trees began to reappear.

In preparation for a predicted El Niño, the County and the Army

In the late 1930s, in response to a pair of deadly floods, the L.A. County

Corps decided to bulldoze everything growing in the river's natural

Board of Supervisors called in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to con-

bottom. Standing in front of the machines, I nearly got myself killed. But

trol the unruly L.A. River. The mission was to get the water to the ocean

the action got FoLAR its first meeting with the head of the L.A. County

as fast as possible. The idea that it might make sense, in a city that gets

Department of Public Works. Every time he said the words "flood control

less than 15 inches of rain a year on average, to conserve some of

channel," I interrupted him and said "river." I had planted the linguistic

those hundreds of millions of gallons of freshwater seems to have never

seeds. Today nearly everybody calls it a river.

occurred to the Army Corps.

It took many years, thousands of workers, and some 3 million barrels of concrete to bring the river to heel. By some measures, the

Cleanup, has grown from 10 people to several thousand. Two former

project was a triumph: floodwaters have not topped the river levees

railroad yards are now state parks, half a dozen riverfront pocket parks

since. But it was also an ecological holocaust.

were created, and a bike path continues to grow.

Within a very few years, important native species were largely gone.

Every one of these victories was the result of patience, willpower,

Yellow-billed cuckoos and least bell's vireo no longer sang in the wa-

and perseverance. Yet none of them opened up the channel itself. In

tershed. Red-legged frogs, which hibernated by burrowing into the river

2010 it was still a crime to stick your toe in the river. Then, this fall, after

bottom’s mud, couldn‘t penetrate the concrete.

seven years of work and almost $10 million, the Army Corps released a

For half a century after the work was finished, the river was little more than a concrete scar, separated from the city by chain-link fences

study with a range of alternatives for the river's future.

It was a stunning development. FoLAR could now work hand in

topped with razor wire and signs warning visitors to keep out or face

hand with the Army Corps to restore miles of habitat, eliminate miles of

fines and/or jail.

concrete, restore wetlands, and reconnect the main stem of the river to

In 1986, Roger Wong, Pat Patterson and I borrowed some wire cutters, snipped the fence that separated the river from the city, and

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In recent years, more and more Angelenos have discovered the river. FoLAR's annual Gran Limpieza, the Great Los Angeles River

the mountains.

As I look back on a lifetime of poetry and politics, on 27 years of

declared the river open. We asked the river if we could speak for it in the

working on the river, I see a journey from confrontation to cooperation.

human realm. We didn't hear it say no, and Friends of the L.A. River was

It has created a wider and deeper community not just of humans but of

born. FoLAR began life as a performance piece in a basement theater on

flying, swimming, and four-legged creatures as well.

the Los Angeles Times, October 27, 2013.

City as Laboratory

City as Laboratory Students thrive in L.A., using the city as a laboratory for exploration and creation.

From innovative architecture to leading contemporary museums and galleries, opportunities abound. With dynamic community partners and cultural institutions, students work on complex art and design issues to find solutions that that lead to social, economic, and cultural change.

Museum Visit

LACMA

“If there’s one thing I didn’t expect to be doing the week before Halloween and Día de los Muertos, it was following a trail of

Getty Exhibition Design

dismembered body parts. Don’t fret, they’re made from plaster and wire by Otis students for an interactive, walk-in altarpiece in the Getty Center’s auditorium lobby. The project grows out of the Getty Museum’s long-standing collaboration with Otis, which seeks to engage students with the Museum’s exhibitions and events.”

“I was primarily excited about the visit to

“I grew up in a small town, and its only

the Natural History Museum because it

museum was about the town’s history.

seemed to have nothing to do with

The L.A. museum visits and special tours

—Sarah Waldorf, "Student-Built Día de

design. Dinosaur bones? Insect samples?

by the curators helped me see art in a

los Muertos Altar Pays Tribute to L.A.’s

Taxidermies in elaborate dioramas? In

new light. It gave me a new understanding

Saints," Iris, Getty blog, October 30, 2013

fact, museum visits became a great eye

and a critical eye on how to read a

opener, a change of perspective that

museum’s rooms.” - Jamal Polk (‘13)

changed my thinking and methodologies.”

- Emi Tamaru (‘12)

11

City as Laboratory

Exterior of The Broad from 2nd St. and Grand Ave; image courtesy of The Broad and Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Broad Minded

By Mimi Zeiger

Last year, students in Architecture/Landscape/Interiors (A/L/I) watched L.A.’s

architect, and the future lobby already framed, they garnered a greater understand-

newest art museum, The Broad, take life as they participated in hard hat construc-

ing of the shear amount of thought, coordination, and labor that goes into the

tion tours. Designed by the New York-based firm Diller Scofidio + Renfo (DS+R)

construction process. They were exposed to how complex computational forms

and commissioned by Eli and Edythe Broad, the 120,000 square foot building on

made in digital modeling software such as Rhino are built in the field. “To see how

downtown’s Grand Avenue (adjacent to Disney Hall) will feature large gallery spaces

highly nonorthogonal models made with the most contemporary of tools are

and an archive shrouded in an innovative, exoskeleton structure when it opens in

translated into architectural space by such a rudimentary and hand-labor intensive

2014. Behind the complex façade, which doubles as a shading system, works by

process was eye-opening,” says Ragle. But however complicated the construction

Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman, and Jean-Michel Basquiat will be on

process, student Diana Gonong remained undaunted by the experience: “We all

view to the public.

arrived on site curious, and we all left amazed and inspired.”

For architecture and design students, who often spend long hours in design studio, the act of building can seem a bit foreign. Although skilled at rendering, drawing, and making models, young designers lack real-life experience, but DS+R’s design for The Broad offers an object lesson taking an idea from concept to construction. “Site visits are a critical part of any design education,” says faculty member Greg Kochanowski. “They provide the students an opportunity to engage the world and broaden their horizons and level of understanding beyond what is taught within the confines of the studio environment.” When he and his students visited The Broad, they toured the main gallery on the upper level, and learned how the museum’s large span steel structure was engineered and constructed.

“It is at these moments when a more full-bodied level of understanding occurs— some of them hear the ‘click,’” he explains. “Students experience the synthesis of organizational, spatial, material, and technological systems that make up buildings and our built environment.”

For student Izzy Savage, that click came when she saw the “large pillows”

Creative Action Throughout their studies, students participate in Creative Action: Integrated Learning projects with community partners. They learn that identifying problems and developing strategies for solutions result from examining and understanding multiple perspectives, dealing with ambiguity, and collaboratively developing flexible, adaptable approaches.

that were weighing down the roof in order to simulate the weight of the skylights that would be installed later, noting, “This ingenious technique demonstrated the creativity in both design and in building.”

When faculty member Ben Ragle’s class visited the site, interior framing was underway and students got to see hundreds of custom-curved metal studs that will be skinned with thin veneers of plaster to form the interior walls. As they toured the racks and racks of organized pieces, plaster samples waiting for sign-off from the

12

Some recent partners and projects include:

Spring 2014

Annual Kite Festival Every year in early April, students and alumni design and fly kites with families from the L.A. area. World-renowned kite maker Tom Van Sant (‘57) and other artists provide tips, and all enjoy caricature drawing, sand castle building, and face painting.

Museum Visit

L.A. Sports Museum Faculty member Bob Dob (’01) and his illustration students worked with Trustee Gary Cypres to create work based on Cypres’ extensive collection of sports memorabilia. Cypres is owner of the Los Angeles Sports Museum, a 30,000 sq. ft. private museum with 30 galleries dedicated to some of the most prominent sports figures and teams, including players Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, and Lou Gehrig; and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Rams. The students were particularly inspired by cartoons by Willard Mullin, who popularized the stubble-faced Brooklyn bum of “Dem Bums.”

826LA

Culver City Senior

Film Aid International

H.E.L.P.E.R v2k

KXLU—Radi-O

Surfrider Foundation

Collaborate with

Center

View and analyze

Foundation

Produce original radio

Develop “Ban the Bottle,

underserved children

Transcribe life histories

films with socially

Work with Homeboy

content and broadcast it

Abolish the Bag”

to create a cultural

and stories

or environmentally

Industries ex-gang

on a public station

campaign focused on

relevant messages

members to discover the

exchange booklet Downtown Women’s

eliminating single-use

roots and causes of gang

Museum of Social

plastics

Center For the Study of

Center & Venice

BreatheLA

violence, and learn about

Justice

Political Graphics

Family Clinic

Increase awareness of

identity, creativity, and

Develop a plan to exhibit

Westside Awareness

Examine the historical

Propose ways to alleviate

respiratory illnesses in

community

and archive issues of

Magnet School

and cultural context of

difficulties of the

underserved communi-

social justice and cultural

Produce workshops for

political art and media

healthcare system

ties through branding

Holy Nativity Episcopal

memory related to La

students’ needs

and design

Church Community

Plaza Methodist Church

Garden

on Olvera Street

Junior Blind

Coolhaus

City of El Segundo Fire

Research the political

Department

The Getty

Design a community

context of mobile,

Design projects that

Examine the role of

garden and propose ways

Museum of Tolerance

addresses the senses of

guerilla-style community

respond to a large-scale

spirituality in cultural

in which food can be a

Craft a comic book

sound and touch

organizing

disaster

identity, and design

platform for social

narrative and design that

exhibitions that honor

change

builds empathy and

Create art and design that

spiritual and cultural

understanding among

expression

visitors

13

College News

14 Years of Transformatio Sammy Hoi has been a transformational leader for Otis. His passionate commitment to art and design education has been vital to the College’s growth and prosperity during his fourteen-year presidency. A champion of creativity as an engine for economic growth and community development, Sammy has also been widely influential across the Los Angeles region and the state, working to build a coalition of public and private leaders to advocate for the arts.

Sammy’s legacy at Otis is palpable—in new facilities, such as the Bronya and Andy Galef Center for Fine Arts; in the dramatic increases in the number of students and faculty during his tenure; in the tripling of the endowment and the high level of alumni giving; and, finally, in such new academic programs as Creative Action and Public Practice, which give Otis students the chance to leverage the power of art and design to make a positive difference in local communities.

But Sammy’s legacy will be defined as much by his intangible accomplishments as by those we can readily see. Sammy has infused our college with a deep community feeling, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a sense of purpose in our shared work of preparing students to be leading creative professionals who enrich our world.

The Otis family—the family Sammy has so thoughtfully nurtured—will certainly miss him.

Thanks to Sammy’s vision, Otis is on a pathway to continued success as we approach the College Centennial in 2018.

2000

2005

Samuel Hoi appointed President

Product Design major launched

Graduate Writing Program launched

2006

2001

Creative Action: An Integrated Learning Program launched

Bronya and Andy Galef Center for Fine Arts opens

Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show tops $1 million

2003 First strategic plan and branding study

2007

$1.8 million grant from U.S. Dept. of Education for new majors

Graduate Public Practice Program launched

2004

First Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the L.A. Region

John S. Gordon appointed first Provost

New Media Consortium Award for excellence in teaching and learning

Dr. Kerry Walk, Provost

2001

2006

2009

Bronya and Andy Galef Center for Fine Arts

Cirque de Soleil performance, Scholarship

Mattel design for an original Otis Barbie

Benefit and Fashion Show

” Sammy has been a fantastic spokesman for the creative sector in California, and an extraordinaray partner for the Getty Foundation.

Whether working together on Pacific Standard Time or Otis Creative Economy Reports, we always knew Sammy would provide fresh insights and concrete results. He is a rare leader—an innovator who really makes things happen. We will miss him in Los Angeles, but are delighted to see him bring his tremendous skills to another fine arts institution.”

Deborah Marrow, Director, and Joan Weinstein Deputy Director, The Getty Foundation

14

“ What I appreciate most about Sammy Hoi is his ability to exercise great leadership and vision with such energy, enthusiasm, and joy. This is part of the ‘secret sauce’ that has built Otis into a formidable institution, and encouraged Los Angeles, for the first time, to think of itself as a truly creative economy.”

Cora Mirikitani, President and CEO Center for Cultural Innovation

“ For many of us, Sammy is why we came to Otis. And what we found, once there, is that his leadership—marked by a deep respect for people and a generosity of spirit—has created a truly community-based organization, with a strong focus on engagement, sustainability, and community service.”

Suzanne Lacy, Chair Otis MFA Public Practice

Spring 2014

onal Leadership 2008

2011

2013

Graduate Graphic Design Program launched

Dr. Kerry Walk appointed Provost

Graduate Studios open in Culver City

Nike and Hurley endow $1 million scholarship

Students Design Freedom Memorial in Palau

Sustainability Alliance inaugurated with apparel partners

Sustainability minor launched Student enrollment = 1200 2012

90th birthday celebration

Doin’ It in Public: Feminism and Art at the Woman’s Building, featured in The Getty’s Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980

2009 $1.8 million grant from Mattel

First Kite Festival, Santa Monica Pier

2010

Princeton Review selection: “2014 Best Colleges: Region by Region/Best in the West” New Digital Media areas of emphasis: Animation, Game & Entertainment Design, and Motion Design Otis Report on the Creative Economy expands statewide

Students design sustainable toys in China

North Building studios open

2014 President Hoi steps down; Dr. Kerry Walk appointed Interim President

2011

2012

2013

Students and faculty members in Palau

“ Sammy is a visionary leader who has guided Otis through an extraordinary period of growth and innovation. The values he so well embodies—mission focus, excellence, teamwork, optimism, and community care— are an enduring legacy that will propel the College into a bright future.”

Thomas R. Miller, Chair, Otis Board of Trustees Executive Vice President of Marketing and Product Strategies, City National Bank

” Sammy Hoi has been a wonderful trustee and particularly valuable to the arts program because of his deep understanding of our field. His capacity for listening, learning, and giving gracious advice and support has been an extraordinary gift to us and has strengthened our work in California.“

Josephine Ramirez, Arts Program Director The James Irvine Foundation

“ To see the impact of Sammy Hoi’s passion for educating the next generation of creative leaders, one needs only to visit any retail toy aisle in the world. Mattel is proud to be one of the largest employers of Otis graduates because the program nurtures students’ talent; helping them to unleash their creative spirit in ways they will benefit from for a lifetime. Sammy’s passion for arts education globally serves as a wonderful example to our community.”

Bryan Stockton, Chairman and CEO Mattel, Inc.

15

College News

Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show

16

Spring 2014

The 31st annual Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show raised more than $1 million for scholarships, highlighting faux fur apparel, sustainable sportswear, and the new The Otis Sustainability Alliance with inaugural partners—Eddie Bauer, Disney, Nike, Patagonia, Quiksilver, and Todd Oldham. Kirk Nix of KNA Designs was honored with the Creative Vision Award for his iconic work around the globe, and the inaugural Style Icon Award went to Sally Perrin, Creative Director of Perrin Paris 1893, who combines a feminine eye with French tradition.

Opposite Page Top: Bob Mackie Bottom row from left Above: Christopher Wicks Below: Marisol Gerona (’93) for Disney Cynthia Vincent (’88) Above: Billabong Below: Western Costume with Betsy Heimann Claire Pettibone (’89) This Page Top: Venus Williams for EleVen Bottom row from left Above: Heather Brown (’04) for Urban Outfitters Below: Mary Jo Bruno Halston with the Humane Society

17

College News

2013 Otis Report on the Creative Economy: 1 in 10 Jobs in California

Since 2007, Otis has commissioned the

Professions and Economic Development

L.A. County Economic Development Cor-

Committee); Otis President Samuel Hoi;

poration (LAEDC) to produce an annual

Director, Western Region of the Actors

Report on the Creative Economy of the

Fund Keith McNutt; CAC Director Craig

Los Angeles Region. This report has been

Watson, and Executive Director of Arts

an invaluable tool to assess the tremen-

for L.A. Danielle Brazell. An addendum

dous impact and influence of the area's

to this year's report is "L.A. Creates," a

creative sector on the region’s economy.

special report by McNutt, detailing the

In 2013, the California Arts Council

way in which deliberate, collaborative, and

(CAC) awarded Otis funds to expand the

regional efforts can support and develop

report to show how the state's economy

the region's creative industries.

is affected by jobs in the arts, design,

726,300

10.4% 10.4% of the L.A. Region’s total economic output

Jobs in Los Angeles & Orange Counties (direct, indirect, induced) 1 in 7 in the L.A. region

1.4

FAST FACTS MILLION

44%

about the creative economy

Jobs in California (direct, indirect, induced) 1 in 10 in the state

At the conclusion of the event,

education, entertainment, nonprofits,

President Hoi announced the new

and independent creative professions.

Creative Economy Catalyst Grants

Their commitment underscores the belief

program, a strategic initiative that

that creativity is essential to California's

supports L.A.’s creative entrepreneurs,

successful workforce investment and

and promotes innovative practices to

economic development strategies.

advance the city’s creative economy.

On February 6, 2014 at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Robert Klein-

This program will be administered by the Center for Creative Innovation.

henz, LAEDC’s Chief Economist at the

One week later in Sacramento,

Kyser Center for Economic Research,

Senator Lieu convened an informational

presented the 2013 Otis Report findings

hearing, and President Hoi presented

to a crowd of more than 400 audience

the report data. Lieu proposed a bill

members from multiple sectors. Other

to stimulate the creative economy by

speakers included California State Sena-

increasing state tax fund contributions

tor Ted Lieu (Chair of the Joint Commit-

to the CAC funding from $1 million to

tee of the Arts, and Chair of the Business,

$25 million.

of the state’s creative economy workers are in the L.A. region

“ The California story (Apple, Google, Mattel) is based on great ideas that are born in garages.”

California State Senator Ted Lieu

President Hoi with State Senator Ted Lieu at the Broad Stage, Santa Monica

18

California hosts more nonprofit arts and cultural organizations than do most countries in the world.

10% of California’s jobs are in the creative economy

Ann Markusen, “California’s Arts and Cultural Ecology”

Robert Kleinhenz, LAEDC Chief Economist at the Kyser Center For Economic Research

Spring 2014

Those Who Can, Teach 2013 Awards Every year, Otis honors three outstanding faculty members with teaching awards. They are awarded based on their commitment to Otis, clear and effective teaching, and exceptional ability to respond to a diverse student body. Comments from student, faculty, and alumni nominations are excerpted below.

Harry Mott

Renée Petropoulos

Bill Kelley, Jr.

Distinguished Educator

Teaching Excellence, Full-Time Faculty Member

Teaching Excellence, Part-Time Faculty Member

Harry is unconditionally supportive of his students.

Renée is so generous with her knowledge and

Bill Kelley helps graduate students learn to write well,

He creates a unique, creative hub for thriving

time. She encourages her students to dig deeply

brings in international public speakers, connects

young artists.

into their interests, and she goes there with them.

students to the world of professionals through recom-

She gives so much of her time to visit studios of

mendations and internships, and is a very committed

Harry is loved and respected by all because he is

current students and alumni. Plus she has a fabulous

and congenial colleague. Although he is a part-time

completely honest and fair. Students know they will

sense of style!

faculty member, his generosity is unmatched.

Renée is an exciting and engaged teacher—she

Bill put heart and soul into his classes and changed

not only loves her position as an educator but is

my life! His dedication, time, and enthusiasm for art

Whether he suggests an old movie or gives advice

also an active contemporary member of the L.A.

history, teaching, and assistance with the thesis writing

about how to present work to professionals, Harry

art and music scene!

process cannot be surpassed.

benefit from his tough love, and faculty members value his support.

is always ready to help.

Renée is a brilliant teacher who is constantly updat-

Bill understands each student’s different history. He

Harry is an altruist, in the best sense of the word,

ing her information and methods. She keeps herself

meets students outside of class to provide helpful

to his staff, fellow teachers and students.

enthusiastic and invested in her students. Her visiting

guidance and deep, nuanced feedback. He introduces,

artist lecture series is phenomenal. She is approach-

recommends, and advocates for students within a

able and yet challenging.

larger art-world context.

Harry has guided hundreds of students to success in the entertainment field. He is patient, understanding, caring, thorough, and intelligent in all his work, and he

Bill challenges his students to reflect on their work, to

reassured me and helped out in every way he could.

understand how each choice fits within a larger con-

He is truly a great educator.

text. He encourages his students to honestly confront their work and its many possible readings.

19

Otis B College News

Ben Maltz Gallery Highlights

Art Critic Roberta Smith Roberta Smith, Visiting Critic in Fine

The Ben Maltz Gallery collaborated with Loyola Marymount’s

Arts, spoke to a standing–room-only

Laband Gallery on Tapping the Third Realm, an exhibition of

crowd about her career as an art critic,

work by 34 artists who explore spirituality through conjuring,

from early freelancing to her current

communication, collaboration, and chance (at left).

position as Senior Art Critic for the

Following this two-venue show, the Gallery presented Binding

New York Times, where she has been

Desire: Unfolding Artists Books, an exhibition of more than 120

since 1986. She spoke of the

artists books from Otis’ Millard Sheets Library’s 2,100 artists

challenges and rewards of art

books collection, one of the largest in Southern California.

criticism, stating her view that the advent of blogging keeps the conversation alive.

Collaborating on Sustainability At the fourth annual PALS (Partnership for Academic Leadership on Sustainability) Summit, hosted by Otis and Art Center in October, representatives from 18 art and design colleges and universities continued to develop a vision for the future of sustainability in art and design education. As part of their collaborative culture, members used the summit to share the their institutions’ progress around academic and institutional change, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities

Renovating Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse

they face as PALS moves beyond their initial five-year commit-

With partner Mattel, students participated in a unique

ment. The keynote address by professor Ezio Manzini from Milan

creative collaboration to celebrate Barbie's dreamhouse

Polytechnic, a leading expert on sustainable design, focused

in Malibu. Their work was on display at Santa Monica

on scenario-building toward solutions encompassing both environ-

Place for two weeks, and included swimsuits, interior

mental and social quality. PALS fellow Otis Assistant Professor

accents, paintings, a guest house, and short videos. As

Michele Jaquis and others from Art Center, Pratt, MICA, RISD, Emily

first-year Liberal Arts and Sciences student Natasha

Carr, and CCA presented their research and academic initiatives.

Carovska says, “Barbie has had every single career under her pink belt as if to say, ‘Hey, yeah. I'm a girl. I can do anything…and in heels, too!’”

20

Buzz Spring 2014

El Capitan Display Yo Homeboy

Fashion Design students, working with Disney Consumer Products, designed original costumes for three characters

With participants in downtown’s successful Homeboy Industries

in the Disney/Pixar Monsters University

program, Otis students created hand painted sneakers, donated by

animated film. Their work, displayed at

Converse. This Creative Action: Integrated Learning project

the El Capitan Theater on Hollywood

focused on identity and the way in which it is expressed. The $100

Blvd. last summer, incorporates

price (contact mtecle@otis.edu) benefits Homeboy Industries.

recycled materials such as household mops, sponges, and repurposed fabrics.

International Artists Symposium MFA Graphic Design's summer 2013 Design Week included international visiting artists Pinar + Viola, Amsterdam; Morag Myerscough + Luke Morgan, London; Jean Francois Porchez, Paris; Eric de Haas, Eindhoven; Team Thursday, Rotterdam; Alejandra Quinto, Mexico City, and Raw Color, Eindhoven.

Chair Kali Nikitas invited visitors who conducted seven different workshops that addressed the students’ diverse interests. In Myerscough and Morgan’s workshop, students designed and built the social environment for crits, meals, happenings, and parties. Otis MFA candidates were joined by students from partner institutions Sint Lucas-Gent, Sint Lucas-Antwerp, Amsterdam’s Sandberg Institute, CalArts, and UCLA. Design week concluded with “work + play,” a symposium open to the design community. See photos at http:// otismfagraphicdesign.tumblr.com

21

College News

The Lucky Ones Honorary degree recipient Lucy Lippard began her Commencement remarks by saying “You have no idea yet how lucky you are to have gone to Otis.”

Other excerpts from the speech by this leading voice in contemporary art and ethical activism follow:

In our world,

VISION IS DEFINITELY NEEDED,

and envisioning is the artist’s business.

Artists can't change the world alone but with good allies and hard work they can collaborate with life itself. You can provide models for new approaches and ask questions without knowing the answers. Otis has served you very well in this regard with programs in interdisciplinary community engagement and creative action.

I CAN’T WAIT to see what you

PRODUCE President Hoi, Lucy Lippard, and Trustee Bronya Galef

22

Spring 2014

Each of you will be

RESPONSIBLE in your own way

for the ways society

PERCEIVES & DISCOVERS

its visual surroundings.

With this responsibility comes the necessity to think critically as well as affirmatively; to see brutality as well as beauty; to celebrate birth and still decry the fact that so many children [There are] all the new forms hovering out

in this world grow up in poverty;

there, buried in social energies that haven’t

to celebrate death as the natural end

yet been imagined. In my opinion, the most

of a meaningful life and still deplore

exciting art today enters the fray—it is

the fact that so much of our resources

pandisciplinary and can creep in through

go to prisons, executions, and the

all the cracks. According to the Kabbalah,

military; and to bailing out banks

if you wish to get hold of the invisible, you must

rather than helping people.

penetrate as deeply as possible into the visible.

23

College News

Annual Exhibition

24

Spring 2014

Opposite Page Top: Architecture/Landscape/ Interiors Bottom: Communication Arts, Toy Design This Page Top: Product Design Bottom: Fine Arts, Digital Media

25

Class of 2013

Best of the Best Meet the Class of 2013 Academic Excellence Award Winners and Valedictorian

These awards are bestowed upon students in each major who have attained the highest level of achievement.

Selections are made by department leaders and faculty; criteria include a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher (for undergraduates), quality of work, personal character, and contributions to Otis and the larger community.Â

Christopher Cherrie , Communication Arts: Advertising Design

Silvia Juliana Mantilla Ortiz MFA Public Practice

Lori Choi Architecture/Landscape/Interiors

Renee Rasmussen Communication Arts: Graphic Design

Alec Egan MFA Fine Arts

David Roy Fine Arts: Photography

Caroline Fullerton Product Design

Wendy Silva Fine Arts: Painting

Lilit GarIbian Fashion Design

Brandon Waybright MFA Graphic Design

Miles Gracey Fine Arts: Sculpture/New Genres

Dustee Womack Toy Design

Kirby Israelson Communication Arts: Illustration

Rachel Kaminer MFA Writing

Carolyn Moskowitz Digital Media

26

Spring 2014

CAROLYN MOSKOWITZ DIGITAL MEDIA

The Class Valedictorian is selected from the pool of undergraduate Academic Excellence Award recipients by a special committee consisting of the Provost, Vice Provost, and several faculty members who hold appointments in two or more departments.

Carolyn Moskowitz, Valedictorian, was chosen for her consistently stellar academic performance and the exceptional quality of her work, which has focused on concept art in both digital and traditional formats.

In the words of Digital Media Chair Harry Mott, Carolyn is a tremendously gifted and hardworking artist and designer who is generous with her time and always ready to help others. An amazing talent, she creates the most surprising and gorgeous solutions to story and design challenges. She is a force to be reckoned with, and she would be honestly surprised to hear that said of her; she is so modest. She truly embodies the aspirations of the College.

Hometown?

Agoura Hills, California Your thesis project?

I reinterpreted Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf,” and designed characters, creatures, and environments.

Interesting things you did outside of school?

I was quite busy during college so I did not participate in extracurricular activities. However, I celebrated my graduation with a family trip to Hawaii, which I enjoyed very much!

Most influential class?

I really enjoyed the “Drawing the Fantastic.” I have a passion for drawing characters and creatures.

Most influential faculty member?

I’ve had many great teachers but Bill Eckert and Gary Geraths were most supportive to my growth as an artist.

Favorite place in L.A.?

Disneyland, California! I am most fortunate to have an annual pass and take frequent trips to “The Happiest Place on Earth!” For me, it is a place of inspiration and beauty.

Impact on your work/life?

I interned under faculty member Cecil Kim at Section Studios in 2012, where I worked on art for video games and mobile games.

What’s next?

I am currently a freelance artist.

WHY OTIS? I wanted to pursue a career in the arts, with a focus in concept art and illustration.

Otis has a wonderful reputation, and I was happy to be accepted.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I am an avid collector of pressed pennies. You can find them almost anywhere, and I really enjoy building my collection.

Information/tips to share with future students?

Work hard, listen to your teachers, and remain confident in yourself— and if all else fails, go to the cafeteria and get yourself a delicious hot chocolate for 50 cents. When you’ve been up for 48 hours straight, it will pick you right up!

27

Class of 2013

LORI CHOI ARCHITECTURE/LANDSCAPE/INTERIORS

IMPACT ON YOUR WORK/LIFE? Otis is where I organized my dreams. Now that I’ve graduated, my dreams are slowly becoming plans.

Hometown?

This question seems irrelevant in today’s world. My family currently lives in Houston, Texas.

Why Otis?

Otis’ attraction was its location— the city of Los Angeles.

Your thesis project?

In Studio VI, we focused on buildings in relation to the surrounding landscape. We traveled to Seattle to get a good sense of the context, researched and observed the coastal conditions, and predicted the rise of sea level in increments of ten years. My final project, “INFILTRATION—Pacific Rim Disaster Research and Education Center,” focused on the exchange of overflowing seawater, urban runoff, and visitors in a single location.

Some of the design challenges were to provide a safe environment for the community during a flood, to incorporate constructed wetlands,

28

and to consider marine life and filtration of urban runoff.

Interesting things you did outside of school?

A/L/I offers charrettes (practice competitions) every semester in which I participated. I moved to city-wide charrettes where my usual partner, Rodrigo Zayas (A/L/I, '13), and I competed against architecture students from other Southern California schools. We were successful in many ways—prizes, connections, and exposure to the professional working environment.

Chair Linda Pollari informed us of all L.A. student competitions, which were the highlights of my education.

Most influential class?

Studio courses are top priority and most thought-provoking.

Most influential faculty member?

I'm grateful for all of my studio instructors, who were very helpful

and inspiring in different ways: Linda Pollari, Chava Danielson, Richard Lundquist, Matthew Gillis, Matias Creimer, Greg Kochanowski, and Jean-Michel Crettaz.

Favorite place in L.A.?

My apartment. It's where I sleep.

And sleep is so important.

What’s next?

I'm very busy applying to grad schools to start a Master of Architecture program in fall 2014.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

Time management was always my forte until I started architecture school. Being punctual is very important to me.

Information/tips for future Otis students?

Get ready to eat, sleep, breathe, and basically live architecture. It's fun!

Spring 2014

KIRBY ISRAELSON COMMUNICATION ARTS: ILLUSTRATION

WHAT’S NEXT? I’m sending out my manuscript and trying to sell my character design, so I’ve become somewhat of an entrepreneur, oddly enough. I’ve started a face painting business (with classmates!), a window painting business, and a design consulting business. I’m doing a lot of things, but it’s fun. Exciting.

Hometown?

I was raised in Beaumont, California, but I've been in L.A. for the past fifteen years.

Why Otis?

I believe one of my high school art teachers recommended it to me.

When I took a summer course here and visited the campus, I knew it was the right choice.

Your thesis project?

As an overachiever, I decided to write and illustrate a book, “Lucky Charms: Book One,” the first installment in my interactive novel series in which the reader can live the life of a serial killer. Haven't you always been curious?

Interesting things that you did outside of school?

I typically didn't do much outside of school aside from sleep (if I ever had the free time). But I did become a window painter through connections I made in one of my classes.

Most influential class?

All of my classes left an impact. My Creative Action “Festivals” class with Andy Davis was the most influential because it gave me networking opportunities that are still helping me. I don't think I would be as confident at this moment without it.

Most influential faculty member?

I loved all of my teachers! I know it sounds like a cliché, but I really did. If I had to choose one, JT Steiny (’86) is the one I could really hold an argument with.

Favorite place in L.A.?

Any bookstore. I adore books.

I'm addicted to them.

Impact on your work/life?

Everything. Otis forced me to get everything I've wanted to do on paper (so to speak), and introduced me to all of the right people so that I could do it. It made me push myself harder than I've ever had to, and I am extremely pleased with the results. I turned out pretty awesome, if I say so myself.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

To tell you the truth, it's hard to find something that isn't unusual about me. . . . Ask anyone who's met me.

Information/tips to share with future students?

Put your all into it. Your life is going to be hard, you're going to be frustrated, and you will never sleep, but it's worth it. You will only get out of Otis what you put into it, so don't regret that you didn't do your best while you were here.

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Class of 2013

BRANDON WAYBRIGHT MFA GRAPHIC DESIGN

allow me to blend my ideas, writing, and image-making, I came across Otis' website and video interviews with some of the professors. I visited a seminar class and came away excited by the students and their conceptual approaches.

Meeting Kali Nikitas and other professors sealed the deal. I was certain that the students and faculty would push, prod, criticize, and support me.

Hometown?

Chicago Why Otis?

I was hunting for a school in L.A., as the city fascinated me. I was working as a web designer, sensing that I wanted to do more meaningful work but unsure of what form that work might take. In searching for a strong MFA program that would

Your thesis project?

“Chasing After Kandinsky” revolved around synesthesia. Conceptually I wanted to uncover ways to condition my mind to experience life through another person's sensory perceptions. This project also explored how design might be expanded to use conditioning while incorporating more sensory signals—particularly those of taste, sound, and scent. The final work was a combination of a website, a publication, and an installation called ”Blue Communion,” where

viewers could engage in a ritual focused on Kandinsky’s experience of the color blue.

Interesting things you did outside of school?

Inspired by Situationist International, I spent one semester meandering the streets of L.A. This led to all kinds of surprising discoveries. At one point I photographed every step I took on the Sunset Strip.

Ultimately these meanderings and explorations were combined into a publication called “Los Angeles Mythology,” which was a fairly strong turning point in my work.

During my last summer [at Otis], I secretly began learning Parkour, even though I am not particularly fit, flexible, or capable of gymnastics. It was the best, most foolish thing I've done, and involved me falling from stairwells, tripping over my own feet, and discovering the PKLA community, which is just about the most eccentric group of people I know.

Most influential class?

In my first spring semester, the faculty really held my feet to the fire, and forced me to move past cliché and toward purposeful, exploratory work.

Most influential faculty member?

Tucker Neel is the man . . . in the good way. He spoke my language, challenged me, called me on my BS, celebrated my better work.

He's amazing.

Favorite place(s) in L.A.?

Any and all public transit, Tommy Lama's Boot Emporium, the Museum of Jurassic Technology, and Skid Row Impact on your work/life?

Revolutionary. I am not at all the maker I was when I came into the program, and it is all for the better.

I love what I am doing, I have a group of peers that I think the world of, and faculty who continue to challenge me, even though I am no longer in school. It was a turn in the road for me, and a great one.

What’s next?

I am teaching graphic design at a tiny liberal arts college [Trinity International University], and launching a design studio called CAPE design. I plan to use this studio to continue my explorations, invite collaborators, and see how I can do a small part to make the world a bit more wonderful.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I live for bad Sci-Fi, think the world of Katy Perry's delightfully terrible pop music, and given the choice between a dusty motel and a high class hotel, I’d go for the motel every time.

Information/tips for future students?

Embrace obstacles and challenges.

If you don’t have any in your path, then make a few. Become a person who habitually throws a wrench into your own system, because you’ll learn a lot about yourself and your limits when you attempt to overcome challenges.

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Spring 2014

CHRIS CHERRIE COMMUNICATION ARTS: ADVERTISING DESIGN

SOMETHING UNUSUAL/IDIOSYNCRATIC? Using graphic design as an educational tool allows me to focus on the social equality and responsibility of our future global community.

Hometown?

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Why Otis?

I was attracted by the idea that I didn’t have to specify a major until junior year within the Communication Arts department.

I felt that I could be in charge of my own education.

Your thesis project?

Developed as a solution to the problems articulated in my capstone thesis paper, “Fraternize” is a community of guys who like guys.

They connect, learn, and explore manhood. This project encompasses a geosocial smartphone application and website to provide homosexual healthcare and lifestyle information.

I am developing this project in partnership with VeryNice Design; we plan to have the first live site up soon. gofraternize.tumblr.com Interesting things you did outside of school?

I had the joy of exploring L.A., and taking advantage of diverse cultural experiences. I can identify three events that were amazing— Coachella Music and Arts Festival, camping and hiking at Point Mugu State Park, and the Creative Arts Emmys 2012.

Most influential class?

Capstone, as I continue to put my research to good use.

Most influential faculty member?

Erin Hauber was right; the lessons didn’t hit me until a year later. I hated learning them but through her lessons, I’ve become a confident producer and designer of content.

Ana Llorente clarified what it means to be a great designer; it’s putting things in simple terms, something others can absorb.

That’s the difficult part.

Favorite place in L.A.?

Home Impact on your work/life?

For four years, Otis was my life. I think it would be impossible for anyone to attend Otis and do anything else because artists, designers, and writers are studying their passion.

What’s next?

Currently I am the Entrepreneur in Residence at VeryNice Design, where I am developing a socially innovative sexual health and lifestyle program for young guys who like guys.

I work as a graphic designer and curatorial assistant at the Museum of Public Fiction. I plan to continue my multidisciplinary design practice in Toronto and Los Angeles.

Information/tips to share with future students?

Be open; you don’t know anything, so always ask questions.

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Class of 2013

MILES GRACEY FINE ARTS: SCULPTURE/NEW GENRES

MOST INFLUENTIAL FACULTY MEMBER? You cannot run around Otis with scissors in your hands without accidentally bumping into a teacher that will change your life. They are abundant.

Hometown?

Cambria, California

Why Otis?

It’s really serendipitous. I originally attended Otis for its Graphic Design program.I had a few really influential teachers who led me to seek out something a bit more challenging; the rest is history.

Your thesis project?

I built a wall.

Interesting things that you did outside of school?

Outside of school?

Most influential class?

Any class that made me question everything I had already learned up to that point. Otis was a pattern of education followed by de-education, the exact antithesis of what came before. It’s an important value to have throughout life, learning to listen while simultaneously ignoring everything.

Favorite place in L.A.?

I seek out the places in which L.A. shows its seams: places where you get a sense that it is all just make-up on a desert: the back of the Hollywood sign, infamous sites where celebrities have died, the river. These are truly beautiful places.

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Impact on your work/life?

I have realized that I am not me but rather a consequence of my last meal (which happened to be a Big Mac and fries). I go through life consuming the world around me.

At some point I must have ingested someone with dark brown hair, possibly tall, but not too. So exactly who was I before I ate myself?

Was I horny? And moreover, how piquant would he or she have been fricasseed?

What’s next?

Anything and everything. I think that is the real beauty of an art education, because you are never acutely trained to do one thing. There will never be precisely one thing to do.

It is never a good career move to go to art school, but it can allow you to never really have a career. I hope never to work a single day as an artist. I think that is where the true cultural significance of the artist emanates from.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I eat people. I am a cannibal.

Information/tips for future students?

Don’t worry, about a thing, ’cause every little thing, is going to be all right...

Spring 2014

SILVIA JULIANA MANTILLA ORTIZ MFA PUBLIC PRACTICE

Hometown?

Bogotá, Colombia, and Edison, N.J.

Why Otis?

I was looking for a program that would support my interests in both art and activism, and Otis was the right choice.

Your thesis project?

My thesis project, “Talk Is Cheap: Unincorporated Language Laboratories,” focuses on issues of migration, assimilation, and miscommunication. While it has many components, one of its "laboratories" is a customized Bike-B-Q that I use to cook arepas (Colombian corn patties), which I exchange for stories of miscommunication. For two months I took the bike out in the West Adams neighborhood and exchanged stories with my neighbors. Then I took it on a weeklong tour from L.A. to Portland, Oregon.

Interesting things that you did outside of school?

During my first year I did a lot of Capoeira. I love the way that it reconnects me with my body.

Most influential class?

I took an amazing performance class with Allison O'Daniel that helped me develop what would be the core of my thesis. Plus it was so much fun!

INFORMATION/TIPS FOR FUTURE STUDENTS? Take care of each other. Being an artist is a hard road. The only way to succeed with sanity and joy is to support one other and avoid jealousy.

Most influential faculty member?

Bill Kelley, Jr. for theory and conceptual frameworks, and Sandra de la Loza for methodology.

Favorite place in L.A.?

Slanguage Studios. There are always people making amazing art there, and after working and hanging out, we'll go out and eat, hang out some more, and laugh way too loud.

Impact on your work/life?

Otis introduced me to new contexts, methodologies, and frameworks. I met fantastic people and was challenged to develop my ideas and my politics.

What’s next?

I am living in Queens, New York, doing a year-long fellowship with the Queens Museum of Art Public

Events. I am also transcribing all the oral histories I collected for my thesis.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I sneeze very many small sneezes in a row. My record is 18. Sometimes people think I’m beat-boxing!

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Class of 2013

WENDY SILVA FINE ARTS: PAINTING

Hometown?

Los Angeles

Why Otis?

It always seemed to be the school I was headed towards. I was accepted into the Ryman Arts Program in high school. My art teacher encouraged me to go to art school, and said that Otis was one of the top local schools. I also won a Gold and Silver Key from the Scholastic Art and

Your thesis project?

We completed both a thesis project and a paper. Writing my thesis paper helped me understand my work better. I examined culture, tradition, and the idea of becoming a figure for future generations to look up to, as my grandmother was for me.

Interesting things that you did outside of school?

I worked on side projects, creating small handmade objects.

Most influential class?

Christine Fredrichs’ “Extended Painting Techniques” sparked my infatuation with different mediums and techniques.

Most influential faculty member?

Chris Wilder was a great mentor who made me question my ideas and use different perspectives, and try new things.

Favorite place in L.A.?

Culver City born and raised, but currently living in Torrance.

Impact on your work/life?

At times it was overwhelming. The workload was fair, but I tend to be very detail-oriented and meticulous.

It was inspiring to share a studio space with two other artists. I was usually the first to arrive and the last to leave.

INFORMATION/TIPS TO SHARE WITH FUTURE STUDENTS? Do it all! There is so much to learn and explore. Take advantage of every course you take. I regret not taking more classes but I ended up taking 18 units almost every semester. It is ok to be different, because that is what sets you apart as an artist.

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Writing Awards, and the Award Ceremony was held at Otis. After high school, I helped my parents out with rent by working and going to school part-time at Santa Monica College, where I took my first painting course with (Otis faculty member) Nathan Ota, who is an amazing teacher and mentor. I also had the privilege of meeting Bob Dob, and found out that he studied with Nathan at Otis.

What’s next?

Getting a studio space, where I have the freedom to experiment.

I’m currently an artist assistant and I’m really enjoying the creative atmosphere.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I can work on paintings for hours, and feel like I spent ten minutes.

And I will never walk away from a work that I feel is unfinished.

Spring 2014

RENEE RASMUSSEN COMMUNICATION ARTS: GRAPHIC DESIGN

INTERESTING THINGS YOU DID OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL? Road trips and surfing.

Hometown?

Independence, Iowa Why Otis?

Right time at the right place. I have wanted to attend art school since I was young but was always told it wasn’t an option. When I moved out to L.A. and had some real life/work experience, I knew that art school (Otis) was the best option for my career path and for me as an artist.

Your thesis project?

I became very interested in the old theaters on Broadway [in downtown L.A.]. My thesis evolved into more of a fine art installation piece, with sound and image through analog and digital technologies.

Favorite place in L.A.?

Downtown

Impact on your work/life?

The opportunities are endless now that I have finished my degree. I’m much more confident that I am headed in the right direction and doing what I love.

What’s next?

My search for the next best thing!

Information/tips for future students?

There will be many, many sleepless nights but hang in there! Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

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Class of 2013

RACHEL KAMINER MFA WRITING

Hometown?

I was born in San Luis Obispo [California] and grew up in the mountains around Asheville, N.C. Why Otis?

I decided to pursue an MFA in L.A., and Paul Vangelisti conveyed to me that Graduate Writing is about reading and writing and making and translating, in what we might call the “Un-American Tradition.” I knew I wanted to be in the company of writers and artists who conducted themselves as colleagues, who brought diverse life experience to their practices. I remember reading the book list Jen Hofer posted online for one of her courses with such excitement. That’s when I knew I would apply. And the web page had such lovely design. I guessed that meant Otis was a good fit for students who pay attention both to form and content.

Your thesis project?

A book-length work of poetry—this means the poetry is talking to itself across the breadth of the whole work. The book is about listening.

Or, put another way, it’s the joy and responsibility that we have in language; that we make meaning; that it’s musical. Then again, it recently became apparent to me that I may complete an entire book of poetry with these philosophical ideas as an influence—and then it will turn out to be about heartbreak.

The joke is on me for being the last one to get it.

Interesting things that you did outside of school?

I’ve done all sorts of interesting things through WriteGirl, a nonprofit based in my neighborhood. My favorite has been facilitating writing workshops for incarcerated young women.

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Most influential faculty member?

Impossible to say. I worked with and for Sarah Shun-lien Bynum and Dr. Carol Branch, and they are supremely influential role models, personally and professionally. I have to point out how influential my poet-colleagues have been, along with Jackie Young, the mastermind of two graduate departments and my supervisor, in shaping my time here.

Favorite place in L.A.?

Walking in my neighborhood is pretty great: the 6th Street Bridge, the channelized L.A. River, La Reyna taco stand at 7th and Mateo, and my neighbors at Factory Place, who have become hearth and home.

What’s next?

Writing, teaching, editing, choosing additional rent-paying professions.

Publishing. Going to the desert when the Perseids fall.

SOMETHING UNUSUAL/IDIOSYNCRATIC? I lived in a wilderness setting for about two years facilitating experiential education and therapy.

I can carve a bow-drill set and bust a coal.

Information/tips for future students?

The poetry alums have an ongoing conversation in poetry and in life, and that’s the best reason to attend.

Choose your community of colleagues. And explore every neighborhood you can.

Spring 2014

DUSTEE WOMACK TOY DESIGN

Hometown?

Visalia, California

Why Otis?

I had a degree in business from SDSU [San Diego State University] and worked various jobs in marketing and sales. It was great experience but I was not creatively satisfied. While my husband was in Iraq with the Army, I took art classes at night at OCC [Orange Coast College] and focused on painting and ceramics. Much of my work looked “toylike,” and my painting teacher noticed this. He mentioned Otis’ program, and I immediately got excited! The moment I saw the toy design online that night, I was determined to go. My husband reenlisted in the National Guard in order to transfer his GI Bill to me so we could afford it.

Interesting things you did outside of school?

Making earrings; camping and hiking; bicycling; scavenging around

swap meets to find cheap, weird, little treasures; and having all these adventures with my husband and my little puggle, Odashi.

Most influential class?

Preschool with Joyce Mesch, sponsored by Spin Master. Our class had a unique bond together and with our instructor. We worked as if we were at a toy company.

We shared ideas, provided feedback, collaborated and improved our concepts each week, and shared them with the Spin Master team.

It was challenging, intimidating, and fun all wrapped into one.

This class was the foundation of my confidence in my design ability.

Most influential faculty member?

Mike Andrews’ model-making knowledge opened my eyes to the idea that if you can think of it, there is more than likely a way to make it.

I have always made little sculptures and dioramas but many times hit a wall when I didn’t know how to make

them work. He also showed us the value of making a quick model to test out an idea. Jeannie Hardie, my games theory instructor, taught my most challenging class, and I worked myself to the bone. She told it like it is, was honest, and let us know where to improve. Learning game theory helped bring out the logical thinking I tucked away in my brain, and has helped me in all aspects of design. If you can explain how to play a good game well, you can explain almost anything.

Favorite place in L.A.?

The Barcade on Western has old arcade games for 25 cents, affordable drinks, and good music. . . .

It’s a good “end of your day” treat!

Impact on your work/life?

I had been working for the last ten years and completed a business degree. At Otis, I learned how to make the work enjoyable.

What’s next?

I landed an amazing job as a designer for Disney Planes at Mattel. It is much more rewarding, challenging, and fun than anything I have ever done.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I eat popcorn almost every night, make earrings out of almost anything, I am drawn (like a bug) to anything that glows, and I have a special voice that my dog understands.

Information/tips for future students?

Extend yourself past what’s offered in your major. Seek out the class that can help you improve. I knew I needed help with Photoshop and drawing, so I took special classes.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and pinpoint where you need to improve.

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Class of 2013

DAVID ROY FINE ARTS: PHOTOGRAPHY

Hometown?

Los Angeles Why Otis?

Of all the schools I visited, Otis was the most welcoming. I really liked the campus, and I was offered a very good financial aid package.

Your thesis project?

My thesis project examined transdisciplinary art and the ongoing relationship between art, technology, and industry. I also participated in a collaborative project with my classmates.

Most influential class?

It’s a tie between Sohrab Mohebbi’s Critic in Residence course on art and labor, and Dani Tull’s class on unconventional aesthetics.

INTERESTING THINGS YOU DID OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL? I mostly did a lot of bike riding. I did some epic rides on a special bike that I built for exploring the local fire roads and mountain trails. I did some longer rides including many centuries, and one from L.A. to San Diego. My favorite thing was organizing parties and art shows with Centaur, my art collective.

Favorite place in L.A.?

Wherever I am on my bike. I am quite fond of a decommissioned Nike missile base in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Impact on your work/life?

I learned to think deeply, critically, and creatively in all aspects of my life. Studying here taught me to push myself to do more than I thought was possible.

What’s next?

I am building my portfolio to apply to graduate school next year. My new body of work uses my pinhole cameras and some experimental printing techniques that I developed at Otis. I organize shows, and I recently started restoring a ceramics studio in Little Tokyo.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I have a ham radio license, which gives me an excuse to use the NATO phonetic alphabet on a regular basis. My call sign is Kilo-Juliet-SixZulu-Foxtrot-Victor!

Information/tips for future students?

Work hard because you’ll only get out what you put in. It’s a great privilege to go to art school; don’t take it for granted.

See David’s experiments with his pinhole cameras at www.youtube.com/user/OtisCollege

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Spring 2014

CAROLINE FULLERTON PRODUCT DESIGN

IMPACT ON YOUR WORK/LIFE? My four years have undoubtedly given me all the skills and tools I need to realize my dream as a product designer; but even more so, Otis has shaped who I am (as friend, sister, daughter) in unimaginable ways.

Hometown?

I was born in Hørsholm, Denmark, and moved to Beaverton, Oregon, with my family. I consider both my hometowns.

Why Otis?

I was drawn to Otis’ energy, location, and people.

Your thesis project?

I believe that when people feel comfortable, they feel selfconfident. With an empathetic, user-centric approach, I provide comfort to the consumer. Comfort can be functional, physical or psychological. Understanding and identifying the specific areas of users’ discomfort determines

if the design is a tangible or intangible solution.

Interesting things you did outside of school?

I regularly danced around my apartment with my roommates to take small breaks while doing homework.

Favorite place in L.A.?

The beach and viewpoints from hikes like Griffith Observatory.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

When I was a little girl, I would sit on the floor and cut out paper hearts using just my toes.

Information/tips to share with future students?

Enjoy it while it lasts! Four years sounds like a long time, but it flies by. Be an amazing student but explore and try to do, see, and eat as many new, unusual, and exciting things as possible.

What’s next?

I just finished a product design internship with a company called LOOPTWORKS, based in Portland, and am now working as a material designer at Nike.

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Class of 2013

ALEC EGAN MFA FINE ARTS

Hometown?

Los Angeles

Why Otis?

Otis was always on my mind because Phillip Guston, my favorite painter, attended Otis.

I had been out on the road and alone for a long time, all over the country, thinking that something was going to happen with my painting career. After a few pitfalls, I decided I didn’t know as much as I thought I did, and decided to go to grad school. I saw being back in L.A. and going to Otis as having a grounding effect on me, allowing me

to produce work in a place with some modicum of familiarity and, therefore, safety (which I needed).

Your thesis project?

It was more or less about “the personal”; my inability to create a fantasy to deal with my fear of the “unknown.” In many ways, it was a kind of existential quest about a fantasy that falls apart.

Interesting things you did outside of school?

I tried a food challenge in Burlington, Vermont three times one year, and ate five pounds of barbecue in an hour. I failed all three times.

WHAT’S NEXT? I had a show in Amsterdam, which was a really amazing experience, and have several shows coming up in L.A.

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Most influential class?

Critique was both the most influential and traumatizing.

Favorite place in L.A.?

My bedroom Impact on your work/life?

Otis changed my work and my life a lot. It was the most intense experience I’ve ever had. In the best way, it showed me how to go forward with my work rather than being simply happy to do it.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I don’t like transitions but I am addicted to them.

Information/tips to share with future students?

Keep your head down. Just because you’re an inmate doesn’t mean you have to act like one. Don’t trust the guards, and make as much work in your cell as possible. Good luck!

Spring 2014

LILIT GARIBIAN FASHION DESIGN

Hometown?

Glendale, California Your thesis project?

In my senior year I worked with two mentors—Cynthia Vincent (’86) and Betsy Heimann of Western Costume.

The process includes developing material boards, illustrations, sketch selection, pattern drafting, draping and sewing, and several fittings. We create all the garments from scratch.

WHY OTIS? Seeing the display of student work convinced me. Also, I was really excited about working on mentor projects!

Interesting things you did outside of school?

Last summer I interned in New York.

I knew I’d love the city, and it was everything I thought it would be.

Most influential class?

Design/portfolio, especially the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) project. We had to complete the project in a very intense and short few weeks, and for the first time we were working on our own concepts and ideas.

I learned a lot about myself as a designer, as I was allowed almost total creative freedom.

Most influential faculty member?

I had the pleasure of working with many great instructors, but I have to say that Jill Higashi had a huge impact on me. Her work ethic and the discipline she instills are a big part of the success of Otis fashion

design! She continually inspired me, believed in me, and molded me into a much better designer!

Favorite place in L.A.?

I’ve been going to the Getty since I was a kid. Other than the beautiful art, I love the architecture and the tram. My favorite part is the garden.

Also, the view of L.A. is wonderful!

Impact on your work/life?

My three years were a life-changing experience. Many difficult times seemed impossible to overcome, but I always came through; every time I accomplished something, I proved to myself that I could do it. After surviving Otis, there is no task that I cannot handle. Bring it on! Also, I made some of the best friends I’ve ever had. We were like crazy family members who loved and sometimes hated each other. We couldn’t have done it without each other’s support.

What’s next?

I am living in Seattle and working as an associate designer for women’s knits at Eddie Bauer. I was a bit hesitant at first about moving to Seattle, but I really love it here. It’s perfect for me!

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I usually have extreme feelings about things/people.

Information/tips for future students?

Go to Otis only if you are very serious about becoming a professional artist/designer. Take it as the greatest challenge of your life, and set your mind to believing that you will get through it no matter what and see it to the end. I focused 98 percent of my life on school. It was extremely challenging, but in the end it was so worth it. If you are really passionate, then it shouldn’t feel too much like work.

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Alumni Around the World

BANGLAD MUMBAI A Startup in Mumbai, India Murad Currawalla | (’07 Digital Media) After that it’s been one project

introduce our services, I mention the

intern at a small boutique studio in

my own, and decided it would be ideal to

after another. CG Lab Pvt Ltd.

Otis alumni who work in their studio,

Mumbai. While studying digital media,

do this while I was still young and living

(www.thecglab.com) has completed

establishing an immediate connection

I interned in the summers and learned a

at home, not having to pay rent. I was

more than 350 projects in four years

and comfort level.

lot about the entertainment industry in

lucky to meet an investor who wanted to

for clients from the U.S. Canada, U.K.,

the U.S. After graduating, I did freelance

start a partnership. We got office space,

France, Peru, and India. We have never

motion graphic work in Los Angeles for

and everything looked like it was going

advertised our service but depended

a year.

to go through. He set up the infrastruc-

on word of mouth. Our work focuses on

ture while I contacted people I knew in

postproduction and 3-D modeling.

I started working at the age of 18 as an

Moving back to India was a difficult transition. The working conditions are quite different. When a film is close to

I always wanted to venture out on

the industry, both in the U.S. and India.

Although this partnership didn’t work

Looking back, I realize that I built very strong foundation skills while I was

delivery, I never go to work and return

out, what really paid off was talking to

at Otis, which were invaluable when I

home on the same day. Facilities have

my contacts and spreading the word. I

joined the profession. For me, another

showers and rooms for sleeping, and

got my first break through fellow alumnus

big advantage of Otis is the contacts I

everyone works and lives in the office

Ben Go (‘00) of Brand New School.

made. When I approach new clients to

during these crunch times.

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Spring 2014

Bangladeshi Women Making it Count Peter Zokosky | (’81 Fine Arts)

ADESH O. What were the challenges?

disadvantages, and they intend to return and improve

Z. Since the students come from so many different

conditions at home. Their sense of social responsibility

countries, there had to be a common language. English

was impressive. Their artistic growth was significant,

proficiency is incredibly advantageous, so all classes

and they saw the value in creative thinking for artists

are taught in English but the various accents were a real

and in other spheres of life.

challenge at first. I learned that there are not any art supply stores in Chittagong, so I contacted some

O. Has Bangladesh influenced your painting?

American manufactures, California retailers, individu-

Z. I’m still processing it; that part takes time for me.

als, and colleges for donations. They very generously

One project that we’re involved in is a documentary

gave lots of supplies, which we brought with us. In

film about the experience. So many people were very

Bangladesh, the per capita income is $923 a year, so

interested in what we were doing, and many donated

there’s a lot of poverty. The infrastructure isn’t what

money, books, and supplies. It’s a fascinating part of

Otis. You introduced the first art class to a new

westerners are used to. There are daily blackouts and

the world, and there’s lots of interest in the condition

university in Bangladesh. How did this come about?

frequent hartals, which are widespread general strikes

of women in the Islamic world. In our film we want to

Zokosky. My wife and I learned about the Asian

used as a political tool. The weather is a challenge too;

examine the experiences of of U.S. and Bangladeshi

University for Women from a friend who teaches there.

we were there for the monsoon season and it was quite

students. In hours of interviews and documentation

She raved about the university, and mentioned the

hot and humid. Bangladesh is about 95 percent Muslim

of daily life, we collected remarkable content.

desire to introduce art into the curriculum. It’s privately

and the university population is largely Islamic.

O. Will you be editing the film yourself?

funded, independent, and provides a free or subsidized liberal arts education to deserving women from the

O. Was that an issue?

Z. I’m applying for grants so that we can hire a talented

region. It’s located in the port city of Chittagong,

Z. Not really, the students dress fairly conservatively by

editor. We’re looking for someone who is interested in

Bangladesh. The students come from 12 countries

Western standards and they were really eager to learn

this sort of issue.

including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal,

to draw. I was worried, being a male teacher, that I

Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam . . . it’s a broad cross

could unintentionally violate some social norms.

O. Did you get involved in other projects there?

section of the South Asian developing world. The more

The students quickly put me at ease about that; they

Z. I met local artists and lectured at an art gallery in

we looked into it, the more convinced we were that we

were as adventurous and open-minded as students

Chittagong about the art scene in America and my own

wanted to go there and teach. The university opened in

here. For life drawing, I had the models wear modest

work. I mounted a show of student drawings. Karole

2008 and they had not yet offered art classes. I teach

bathing suits.

adapted and produced the Greek classic “Medea,” and I got involved in theater sets and designed the poster.

drawing and painting, and my wife, Karole Foreman, is an actress and an acting teacher. We put together a

O. What are the students like?

I also illustrated a book, which was just translated into

proposal, and the university invited us to come teach

Z. It’s an all-female university, but there is profound

Bengali, about how to raise healthy babies. I’m glad I

summer courses. Karole taught introduction to acting,

geographic, social, and economic diversity. The

have a broad art education and technical skills, because

and I did a Foundation drawing class.

students are all very smart, dedicated, and curious.

you never know what you might be called upon to do.

Their attitude toward education is inspiring. They O. What were your impressions of Bangladesh?

recognize the life-changing value of an education and

Z. It’s an amazing country with remarkable people,

they want to make it count. I interviewed dozens, and

huge challenges, lots of poverty, and an enormous

none mentioned money as a goal. Some of them come

population. It’s visually stunning and a little surreal.

from small rural villages where women face great

43

Class Notes

ALUMNAE ALUMNUS ALUMNI ALUMNA

Michael Lin ‘90 Fine Arts Sharawadgi installation, 2013 California Pacific Triennial, Orange County Museum of Art

This special annual issue of OMAG includes highlights of alumni achievements over the past year. To see a more complete listing and share your new accomplishments, visit the Alumni News blog. Also, keep in touch with one another and Otis through alumni social media. Go to otis.edu/alumni for links or contact us at alumniupdate@otis.edu.

SOLOISTS Gary Lloyd ’70 MFA Fine Arts They: An Answer Driving the Problem Revisited Cal St Channel Islands Ron Ownbey ’65 MFA Fine Arts From Mind thru Hand: A 60 Year

Laura Daroca ’03 MFA Fine Arts Director of Alumni Relations

Retrospective Mt. San Antonio College Art Gallery Kim Gordon ’77 Fine Arts Design Office with Kim Gordon—Since 1980 White Columns, N.Y.

44

Mari Andrews

Liz Craft

’82 MFA Fine Arts

’94 Fine Arts

Over, Under, and Inside Out

The Temple of Folly

San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art

West Hollywood Park

Darren Waterston

Marco Rios

’88 Communication Arts

’97 Fine Arts

Ravens and Ruins

Anatomy of an Absent Artist

Haines Gallery, San Francisco

Santa Monica Museum of Art

Michael Lin

Juan Capistran

’90 Fine Arts

’99 Fine Arts

Place Libre

What We Want, What We Believe:

Tang Contemporary Art Center, Beijing

Towards A Higher Fidelity Visual Arts Center, Univ of Texas, Austin

Spring 2014

Tim Biskup ‘88 Fine Arts A Subtle Advertisement for Mind-Numbing Pain Martha Otero, L.A.

Mario Ybarra Jr.

Rashell George

’99 Fine Arts

’05 Fine Arts

Books of Drawings, Beyond Our Dreams,

Downpour

Blame Our Dads, Brains on Drugs, Better

Lora Schlesinger Gallery, Santa Monica

off Dead The Fabric Workshop and Museum,

Michael Brunswick

Philadelphia

’07 MFA Fine Arts 79th Organ

Molly Corey

Gusford Gallery, L.A.

‘01 MFA Fine Arts A Little Joy of a Bungalow

Sojung Kwon

MAK Center for Art and Architecture,

’07 MFA Fine Arts

West Hollywood

Ramen Blues Commonwealth and Council, L.A.

Wendy Given ’02 MFA Fine Arts

Flora Kao

Claw, Shine, Gloam and Vesper

’08 Fine Arts

Whitespace Gallery, Atlanta

Flora Kao: Homestead Pasadena Museum of California Art

Tofer Chin ’02 Fine Arts

Melise Mestayer

Ar

’10 MFA Fine Arts

Lu Magnus, N.Y.

Reef Cycle

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

IN THE MEDIA

Bruce Yonemoto (’79 MFA)

Tom Van Sant

Home Away

’57 MFA Fine Arts

Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena

Honored at the 50th anniversary of the Inglewood Public Library for his sculpted

Mark Dean Veca (’85 Fine Arts)

concrete mural, The Written Word

2013 California-Pacific Triennial Orange County Museum of Art,

John Baldessari

Newport Beach

’58 Fine Arts More Than You Wanted to Know About

Gajin Fujita (’97 Fine Arts) and

John Baldessari: Volume 1 and 2

Edith Beaucage (’10 MFA Fine Arts)

Edited by Fine Arts Chair Meg Cranston

L.A. Heat: Taste Changing Condiments

and Hans-Ulrich Obrist

Chinese American Museum, L.A.

Stamberg, Susan. “For John Baldessari, Conceptual Art Means Serious Mischief,”

Jacob Melchi (’03 MFA), Matt Lifson

National Public Radio, March 11, 2013

(’12 MFA) and Alec Egan (’13 MFA) Five New Artists—On the Map

Susan Moss

California Heritage Museum,

’71 Fine Arts

Santa Monica

Published the novel, The Accident Stager

Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro Jacob Melchi ’03 MFA Fine Arts

Brian Ricci

nothing is plural: paintings

’12 MFA Fine Arts

George Lawson Gallery, San Francisco

Terra Incognita Launch Gallery, L.A.

Sabine Dehnel ’03 Fine Arts

Alexandra Cantle

MONA

’13 MFA Public Practice

Museum Wiesbaden, Germany

Porch Gallery, Ojai

Eduardo Sarabia ’99 Fine Arts Moctezuma’s Revenge Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe

Christopher Badger ’05 Fine Arts Lunar Mirror Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco

45

Class Notes

John Sweeney ’11 Digital Media “Remembering” for the new video game The Last of Us featured in the E3 conference exhibition, Into the Pixel

46

Spring 2014

Carlos Mollura

In the Media Continued

‘91 Fine Arts

Steven Learner ’86 Environmental Design

Installation view

Ulysses Jenkins

Lasky, Julie. “In a Creative Season,

The Luckman Gallery, Cal St L.A.

’79 MFA Fine Arts

a New Design Fair,” New York Times,

Cake Walk, Mass of Images, and

May 1, 2013

Without Your Interpretation videos acquired by the Film, Video,

Alan Nakagawa

and New Media department of the

’86 Fine Arts

Whitney Museum, N.Y.

Jao, Carren. “Hearing with the Whole Body: Alan Nakagawa’s Reverberating

Rick Owens

Composition,” KCET Artbound,

’81 Fine Arts

May 13, 2013

Yaeger, Lynn. “American Gothic,” The Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2013

Sandow Birk (’89 Fine Arts) and Annie Buckley (’03 MFA Fine Arts)

Greg (Nikolai) Galle

Featured in “Inside the Artists’ Studio,”

’85 Communication Arts

The Huffington Post, September 17, 2013

Co-founder of Future Partners “Jumping the Ingenuity Gap,”

Claire Pettibone

TEDxGrandRapids May 9, 2013

’89 Fashion Design Hallett, Stephanie. “Claire Pettibone, Bridal Designer, Mentors Otis Students,” The Huffington Post, May 10, 2013

47

Class Notes

John Mason (‘57) installation view Crosses, Figures, Spears, Torques David Kordansky Gallery, L.A. Mason’s work is included in the 2014 Whitney Biennial through May 25.

In the Media Continued Joe Sola

Tucker Neel (’07 MFA Fine Arts)

’99 MFA Fine Arts

profiled alumnus Lorenzo Hurtado

Williams, Maxwell. “Joe Sola Shows

Segovia (’07 MFA Fine Arts)

Microscopic Paintings in Dealer’s Ear,”

Artillery Magazine, April 24, 2013

Art in America, October 2, 2013 Claire Oring Rob Spruijt

’11 Digital Media

’01 Fine Arts

Frederickson, Lori. “Dreams Realized:

Contributed an essay to Aesthetics

Art and Commerce Meet in Claire

in Present Future: The Art and the

Oring’s Fairy-Tale Visions,”

Technological Horizon, 2013

American Photo, December 12, 2013

Jessica Silverman

Gianni Washington

’05 Fine Arts

’13 MFA Writing

Hodge, Brooke. “By Design: A Place

“Be Grateful” included in

Where Art and Design Collide,”

Brief Grislys, an anthology of

T Magazine (New York Times),

horror stories, 2013

June 24, 2013 Michelle Andrade

COOL DESIGNERS

’07 MFA Fine Arts Included in Between the Lines, a coloring

China Young

book for children in U.S. hospitals

’93 Fashion Design Acquired the original Dubbel Duffel

J.A.W. Cooper

brand and relaunched the product on its

’09 Communication Arts

35th anniversary

Shapeshifter from Laid Bare La Luz de Jesus, L.A.

48

Spring 2014

Tula Pink Small write up here

Anniversaries A monograph celebrating 20 years of work by Mark Dean Veca (’85 Fine Arts) was accompanied by an exhibition at Western Project, Culver City, co-owned by alumna Erin Kermanikian (’00 MFA). Veca was also recently commissioned by Nike to create a painting commemorating Kobe Bryant’s all-star MVP in 2011

Generations Connect in S.F.

using colors from the reissued “Kobe 6” shoe.

Alumni Relations hosted a gathering in

Ingred Sidie’s (’89 Communication Arts) Design

October for Bay Area alumni at the Walt

Ranch, a nationally recognized design agency in Kansas

Disney Family Museum in San Francisco’s

City, Missouri, celebrates 15 years, and was featured in

Presidio, which featured concurrent

HOW magazine as a design firm to watch.

exhibitions by alumni Tyrus Wong (’32) and Camille Rose Garcia (‘92 Fine Arts).

Wong is best known for the background art he created for Disney’s Bambi, and Garcia exhibited work created for a recent edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Harper Design, 2009). Alumni enjoyed a special curator-led tour, and toasted Wong for his 103rd birthday. Garcia posted on Facebook “Oh, have you heard of the movie Bambi? This amazing man painted all of the backgrounds, and that was only four years of his amazing life. Tyrus Wong and I held hands for like five whole minutes.

Raddest moment ever.”

Museum Exhibitions in D.C. Fashion lines started by Cynthia Vincent (’88 Fashion Design) and Red Carter (’92 Fashion Design) celebrate a decade of success. Carter’s work was featured in the swimwear issue of Sports Illustrated, 2014.

Kerry James Marshall (’78 Fine Arts), who was

Carlos Almaraz (’74 MFA), Alumni Council Chair

recently appointed to President’s Committee on the

Judithe Hernández (’74 MFA), and Patssi Valdez

Arts and Humanities, is celebrated with major shows in

(’85 Fine Arts) were included in Our America:

the U.S. and overseas. One exhibition, In the Tower, was

The Latino Presence in American Art at the Smithsonian

at the National Gallery in D.C., and another exhibition,

American Art Museum, which will tour the U.S.

KJ Marshall: Paintings and Other Stuff, is traveling to

until 2016.

three international museums.

49

Class Notes

Jillian Pasztor ’13 Product Design Solo exhibition Industry Gallery Pacific Design Center, L.A.

Janice Tieken ’74 Fine Arts Blue Tango from Janice Tieken: Orchid Requiem Lancaster Museum of Art and History, CA

Tula Pink (Jenny McLean) ’02 Communication Arts “Modernitional,” American Patchwork and Quilting, October 2013

Daniel Nolan

Travis Swingler

Amy Fortunato

’02 Environmental Design

’07 Communication Arts

’11 Communication Arts

Selected by Sunset magazine as one

Art directed TBWA\Chiat\Day’s

With Lorraine Wild, designed the

of five designers for “Reimagining the

Nissan Global campaign, “The World’s

catalog James Welling: Monograph

Sunset Home,” May 16, 2013

Fastest Man”

for an exhibition at the Hammer Museum, UCLA

Suzan Kim ’05 Digital Media

Heather Goldberg

and Sara Cembalisty ’02 Fine Arts

’09 Fashion Design

Joshua Brian Smith

Modeler and look development artist,

Debuted clothing line, Haber

’12 Digital Media

respectively, on the Oscar-winning

L.A. boutique TENOVERSIX

Concept artist for Riot Games’

Disney 3-D animated feature film Frozen

League of Legends Devin Week

Ashkahn Shahparnia

’10 Product Design

’06 Fine Arts

Interviewed for Civil Clothing’s

Packaging for Garrett Leight

“Celebrate the Difference” feature on his

and Thierry Lasry eyewear

furniture company, Onebooktree

design collaboration

50

AWARD WINNERS Tracy Cheney Williams ’85 Communication Arts California Art Educators’ Outstanding Elementary Visual Art Teacher 2013 Paul Wee ’87 Communication Arts Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation (Character Animation), “Treehouse of Terror XXIII,” The Simpsons, Fox, 2013

Spring 2014

Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia ’07 MFA Fine Arts installation view Ni tanto que queme al santo, ni tanto que no lo alumbre CB1 Gallery, L.A.

Ruben Ochoa

Greg Wilken

Joong Han Lee

’97 Fine Arts

’04 Fine Arts

’09 Product Design

2013 California Community Foundation

Creative Arts Fulbright Grant for a study

3-D human printing machine project

Fellowship for Visual Arts

of land use in the Republic of Kiribati,

featured at the 2013 IEEE World Haptics

Central Pacific Ocean

Conference

Flora Kao (’08 Fine Arts)

Matt Nava

Elena Rosa

Awarded two of eleven Artists’

’08 Digital Media

’12 MFA Fine Arts

Resources for Completion Grants from

Included in Forbes magazine’s

Awarded the 2014 Feitelson/Lundeberg

the Center for Cultural Innovation

“30 Under 30: The Brightest Young Stars

Fellowship

Shana Mabari (’98 Fine Arts) and

IN MEMORIUM John Richard Martin ’76 MFA Fine Arts Passed away February 2014

in Video Games,” December 17, 2012 Mark Caneso

Christina Sanchez

’04 Communication Arts

‘12 MFA Public Practice

Multiple projects featured in

One of three inaugural grants from SPArt

Communication Arts typography annual

in support of work aimed at creating

and Print Regional Design annual

social change in the L.A. region

51

Class Notes / Giving

SHYAM, MAUREEN, AND SARAH SHARMA Shyam and Maureen Sharma have been generous supporters of Otis scholarships, helping students like their daughter Sarah become successful creative professionals.

“I am currently working for Jupi Corporation, a production company with a series of different lines. I am junior designer for the Kardashian Kollection! We are filming an episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” and I may appear on an upcoming episode working together with them on their collection, which is so exciting! The line is for Sears mass market.

I learned so much at Otis, and feel that I am more than qualified for my duties. Going to Otis was the best choice I ever made. I have never been so happy doing everything I ever dreamed of!” —Sarah Sharma (’13 Fashion Design) Sarah Sharma with her parents Shyam and Maureen at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the Annual Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show

MAKE A GIFT TO O-FUND

PARTICIPATE IN PLANNED GIVING

JOIN THE PATRONS CIRCLE

Annual gifts to the O-Fund directly assist

Legacy Society Membership

Patrons Circle members play a leader-

students in the form of scholarships,

Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs)

ship role in supporting priority needs

campus improvements, and specific

and Bequest Intents are great ways to

at Otis. Your annual gift of $1,000 or

program support. Each gift, each year,

support Otis. Donors establishing one

more provides critical funding to sustain

makes a significant difference for

of these or any other planned gift will be

academic excellence, and creates greater

our students. You may double or even

recognized as part of our Legacy Society.

access for all students. Members also

triple your gift if your employer has

One of the great benefits of membership

enjoy several exclusive art experiences

a matching gift program. Contact your

is the opportunity to meet with students

each year, such as private art tours

Human Resources Department for

and see firsthand how your gift impacts

to Marfa, Texas, and Ojai, as well as

more information about your company’s

the lives and careers of young artists

hands-on art experiences on campus.

matching gift programs.

and designers.

Above: Patrons Circle member Ellen Castleman on San Diego Art and Design Tour

The greatest satisfaction will come from knowing that your gift will continue the work of Otis College of Art and Design. For information about these exciting giving opportunities, please contact Kristi Kraemer, Director of Development, at (310) 665-6859, kkraemer@otis.edu, make your gift today using the envelope in this magazine, or online at www.otis.edu/givenow.

52

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Kour Pour All The King’s Horses And All The King’s Men, 2013 Acrylic on canvas over panel 96” x 72” from his solo exhibition at Untitled, N.Y.

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