vol.11 issue 11 - Otis College of Art and Design

Transcription

OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN MAGAZINE
Otis College of Art and Design
9045 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90045
in this issue:
310.665.6800 / OTIS.EDU
Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Los Angeles, CA
Permit No. 427
Fall 2011
ISSUE 11
How Does the Mind See?
pg.04
Freedom Memorial in Palau
pg.16
Creative Legend Bob Mackie
VOL.11
pg.18
310.665.6800 / OTIS.EDU
04
16
28
31
The Art of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) program at
Otis College of Art and Design is spotlighted in
this issue of OMAG. It is an important but not
well-known fact that the Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree dedicates one-third of its curriculum
to studies in the humanities and sciences.
At Otis, the faculty pursues purposefully and
imaginatively the underpinning ideal of training
the hands, eyes, and mind in a holistic manner.
LAS is a vertical core program that weaves
through all four years of an Otis education.
The faculty has carefully developed ways to
address the needs and interests of an art and
design student population. Creativity, social
responsibility and identity—along with other
themes that are important to contemporary art
and design—are curricular bridges that help
students connect their LAS course work and
studio practice.
LAS also extends the classroom to the rich
resources in the city of Los Angeles. Currently,
the groundbreaking regional initiative of Pacific
Standard Time (PST) showcases the birth of
the Los Angeles art scene and its significant
movements. Museum and other site visits are
built into LAS courses this year, and various
classes study today’s urban development in the
context of ideas shaped by the historic decades
covered by PST, examining how the visual
culture in Los Angeles affects and reflects
cultural perspectives.
When I went to college, I took a class
called Physics for Poets. The idea behind the
class acknowledged that science studies could
benefit from a delivery that is attuned to its
arts and humanities students. If thoughtfully
tailored, such courses can lead to discoveries
and epiphanies; if conducted as throwaway
education, they can patronize and alienate
students. Happily, my Physics for Poets class was
taught with infectious passion by a top Physics
professor who was mindful of his audience,
and I developed a lifelong interest in quantum
physics. The Otis LAS program, committed to
this productive path, guides and challenges
students to learn to relate to others, be curious
about unfamiliar cultures and ideas, and, very
importantly, learn what they need to accomplish
their work and life goals.
At Otis, LAS aims to help students develop
a 21st-century mind frame and skill set so
that they are equipped to evolve, thrive, and
contribute in an environment of constant and
complex change.
VOL.11 IN THIS ISSUE:
Otis prepares diverse students of
art and design to enrich our world
through their creativity, their skill,
and their vision.
President Hoi at the annual Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show with Honorees
Art Coppola of Santa Monica Place, and designer Bob Mackie
Founded in 1918, Otis is L.A.’s first
independent professional school of
visual arts. Otis’ 1200 students pursue
BFA degrees in advertising design,
architecture/landscape/interiors,
digital media, fashion design, graphic
design, illustration, interactive product
design, painting, photography,
sculpture/new genres, and toy design.
MFA degrees are offered in fine arts,
graphic design, public practice, and
writing. Otis has trained generations of
artists who have been in the vanguard
of the cultural and entrepreneurial life
of the city. Nurtured by Los Angeles’
forward-thinking spirit, these artists
and designers explore the landscape
of popular culture and the significant
impact of identity, politics, and
social policy at the intersection of art
and society.
02
Rising to the Challenge
03
Liberal Arts and Sciences
08
New Provost Team
Making + Thinking Go Hand in Hand
How Does the Mind See? Rob Spruijt
Converging Galaxies: Heather
Joseph-Witham
Battle for Equality: Boo Jarchow (’08)
College News
11 for 2011
Commencement
Class of 2011 exhibition
Freedom Memorial, Palau
New Spins for Preschool Toys
Bob Mackie, Creative Legend
Doin’ it in Public at the Ben Maltz Gallery
Power of Three: Teaching Awards
FALL 2011
24
Alumna + Donor Profiles
26
Alumni Around the World
28
Blood, Sweat and Ten Years Later;
Amanda Thomas (’10)
Into the Light: Local Artist
Supports Scholarships
Benson (’03 MFA) and Koblick (’04) in
London/Brussels
Vayghan (’06) in Tehran/L.A.
Class Notes
Pacific Standard Time
Wall of Inspiration
Visual Artist Fellowships
Samuel Hoi, President
Editor: Margi Reeve, Communications Director
Co-editor: Sarah Russin, Assistant VP, Institutional Advancement
FPO
Director of Alumni Relations: Laura Daroca (’00 MFA Fine Arts)
Alumni Relations Coordinator: Shefali Mistry
Photography: Jesse Benson, Kristy Campbell, Anthony Cuñha,
Jessica Dawson, Joseph Escamilla, Miho Hagino, Siri Kaur, Lee Salem
Creative/Design: Mark Caneso (’04)
Contributors: Kerry Walk, Provost; Randy Lavender, Vice Provost; Debra Ballard,
Chair, Liberal Arts and Sciences; faculty members Carol Branch, Erin Hauber, Jill
Higashi-Zeleznik, Heather Joseph-Witham, Joan Ogawa, and Rob Spruijt; alumni
Jesse Benson, Becky Koblick, Amanda Thomas, and Marjan Vayghan; Class of 2011
grads Holly Buskirk, Rocío Carlos, Caitlin Knox, Hazel Mandujano, Cole W. Moss,
Terry Norton-Wright, David Russell, Lindsay Schulz, Sang Youb Shin, Harmony Hines
Slattery, and Sam Tanis; George Wolfe, freelance writer, and Alexandra Pollyea
Back cover: The Waitresses, “Easy Three-Step Guide
© Otis College of Art and Design
to Food Protection in the Event of Nuclear Attack,” 1982-83
Publication of material does not necessarily
Performance as part of Target L.A. Fallout Fashion Show.
indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint
Photograph by Joyce Dallal. © The Waitresses: Jerri Allyn
by Otis College of Art and Design
and Anne Gauldin
Otis College of Art and Design
OMAG 2
Otis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine
section:
Feature
“And what do you teach
at Otis?” “I teach English.”
Rising to
the Challenge
New Provost and Vice Provost
Take the Helm
After two years of interim
academic leadership, a new
Provost and Vice Provost were
appointed last Spring—Otis
newcomer Dr. Kerry Walk and
long-time Foundation Associate
Chair Randall Lavender,
respectively. President Samuel
Hoi calls them “a dream
team as the College positions
its educational services and
impact for the 21st century.”
Walk and Lavender bring complementary
strengths to the Provost’s Office, which is
responsible for the quality of the College’s
undergraduate, graduate, and continuing
education programs, and also oversees academic
support services and public programming.
After earning a Ph.D. in English Literature at
the University of California, Berkeley, Walk spent
close to two decades as a faculty member and
academic administrator at premier liberal arts
institutions, including Harvard and Princeton.
She served most recently as Associate Dean of
Faculty at Pitzer College, in Claremont, where
she focused on strategic planning, educational
assessment, and institutional accreditation.
A distinguished teacher and leader of
interdisciplinary programs, Walk brings a unique
combination of academic and administrative
expertise to Otis.
Lavender joined the Otis faculty in 1983, with
an M.F.A. from Claremont Graduate University, and
served as Assistant Chair, then Associate Chair, of
the Foundation program for thirteen years. He is a
nationally and internationally exhibited artist, has
worked in and taught a variety of art and design
media, and has published numerous essays on art
and design in higher education in leading academic
journals. Most recently, Lavender completed
with two co-authors Otis’ first original research
on student success. The study chronicles an
important cognitive/affective aspect of first-year
students’ experiences and identifies responsive
teaching methods.
Walk calls the unique collaboration with
Lavender “a happy synergy of experiences, styles,
ideas, and goals.” United in their focus on students
and their deep knowledge of “best practices”
in teaching, Walk and Lavender have begun to
develop an educational approach to best prepare
Otis students for the future.
“Our primary goal is for Otis graduates
to become leading next-generation creative
professionals,” says Walk. “We can achieve this
goal by supporting Otis’ greatest resource—our
talented faculty—and by building on high-impact
academic initiatives such as internationalizing
students’ experiences, teaching sustainable art
and design practices, and blending more diverse
education delivery modes into our exemplary
curricula.” Walk and Lavender also regard the
consolidation of Otis’ prestigious graduate
programs into a single facility as a high priority.
Maintaining academic excellence as
educational costs rise is just one of the challenges
that will motivate the new team in years to come.
They believe that emerging communication
technologies offer an exciting way forward and
plan to build on the success of online learning
that is already underway. Lavender notes that
“innovative approaches to studio education
delivery can be created using a carefully crafted
blend of online and classroom teaching and
learning modes. One of our hopes is to work with
academic leaders to create exemplary ‘blended
learning’ offerings that can help us meet students’
needs for flexible scheduling and the College’s
need for maximum efficiency.”
Through their shared focus on student-centered
education and systems enhancement, Walk and
Lavender hope to catalyze new possibilities for
art and design education, and leverage them into
leading, influential models of excellence that other
institutions both admire and imitate. “Otis can lead
the way in art and design education for the 21st
century,” says Walk. “Randy and I look forward to
working with the entire Otis community as we step
together into the future.”
“I didn’t think they had
English at an art college.
How wonderful!”
MAKING +
THINKING
GO HAND
IN HAND
What the
Liberal Arts
Covers
& Uncovers
3 OMAG
Fall 2011
This is a conversation I had (to the best of
my dimming recollection) with a city council
person who was giving me an outstanding
teaching award.
Given the relentless pace of complex
change in the 21st century, artists and
designers, now more than ever, need to be
broadly educated, independent thinkers
who can approach issues both skeptically
and empathetically. In a world where
information is increasingly conveyed visually,
the ubiquitous work of our alums shapes
culture. Graduates need to be strong and clear
communicators who are also intellectually
resilient, interculturally competent, prepared
to deal with dislocating change in a world
characterized by the need for innovation and
global savvy where many of the jobs they will
have don’t even exist today.
Disciplinary frontiers are fluidly expanding
and shifting in our knowledge-based
culture. Students can never master any area;
memorization of facts will not prepare them. In
engaging new challenges and questions, they
will need to be intentional, reflective learners
who are able to find, evaluate, and apply many
emerging resources in a critically informed way.
Spanning all four years, the 45 units of
Otis’ Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) curriculum
include writing, art history, literature, speech,
creative writing, integrated learning, cultural
studies, natural sciences, social sciences, and
the often anxiety-provoking math requirement.
However, in order for our students to succeed,
the curriculum must be so much more than an
accumulation of units.
Our student population is wonderfully
diverse, and the curriculum reflects that
diversity with high-impact practices. The
First Year Initiative component helps them
transition into the Otis community; writingintensive classes focus on writing as a way
of thinking and discovering; an honors
component provides additional challenges; a
sophomore Integrated Learning requirement
prepares them for collaborative work in the
community; and minors in Art History, Creative
Writing, and Cultural Studies broaden their
choices and exposure. The themes of diversity,
“
LAS courses have expanded
my lexicon of art and design
lingo so that I am more
confident in speaking with
other professional designers
and artists. I know how to
see the world in the context
of visual language, culture,
propaganda, and symbols.
I firmly believe that without
constant questioning of
artists, art, and the social
structure responsible for
shaping them, society, artists,
and art will all lose their
accountability and relevance.
”
creativity, sustainability, social responsibility,
and identity are woven throughout the
curriculum and reflected in work posted in
the students’ electronic learning portfolios, all
culminating in the capstone class. In the first
year, they take foundational core requirements;
after that, they pursue classes directly relevant
to their major, and electives that allow them to
play and think “outside the box.” These elective
offerings are as diverse as Global Cinema; the
Aesthetics of Politics; Shakespeare; Text and
Image; Imagination and the Brain; Fashion
Culture; Representations of War; Shamanism:
Art and Sacred Spaces; the Classical World; and
Gods and Artists.
In a single-purpose college like Otis, it might
be tempting to speculate that every unit and
every hour should be devoted to the major,
however, no major or discipline by its very
essential and necessary nature can address all
that a student needs to creatively adapt to the
real-world demands of work, citizenship, and
life in a world of disruptive uncertainty. Along
with the excellent studio programs, LAS covers
and uncovers the incredibly diverse record of
human creativity, where making and thinking
go hand in hand.
—Debra Ballard, Chair, Liberal Arts and Sciences
OMAG 4
section:
Feature
Fall 2011
5 OMAG
ROBERT SPRUIJT
HOW DOES
THE
MIND SEE?
“I enjoy a good book,
but I retain a lot more
information whenever
I see something,
touch it, and interact
with its context.”
(’01 Fine Arts)
Associate Professor, LAS Dept.
I began to teach at Otis in 2000, during my junior year as
a student here. I came to Otis with a previous degree and
career in psychology, and a teaching position for psychology
of perception had suddenly opened up. I am still thankful to
Debra Ballard, the chair of LAS, for even considering me as a
teacher for my fellow students, and to those fellow students,
for even listening to their peer.
Since then, my career has developed on two tracks,
frequently crossing and influencing each other. I have a
career as an artist, showing my still-life paintings nationally
and internationally. I am currently working hard for a fall
show (“Tulipomania” at Lora Schlesinger Gallery, Santa
Monica, Oct 28-Dec 3). I love to paint, and to explore and
apply the techniques of representing. At the same time, I
am also endlessly fascinated by the neurology of the visual
mind of the artist making marks and by the mind of the
viewer making sense of those marks. Teaching drawing
and composition at Otis as well as academic classes in
perception and imagination are both natural extensions of
my praxis as an artist.
Perception is not just about absorbing images passively.
Recognition of a friend after years of separation, or
recognition of a landscape in marks on a page requires us
to make sense of what we see, not just to record what is in
front of us. Following the data from the eye to the brain,
it becomes more and more clear that 'seeing' is actually
the brain making visual sense of the limited and distorted
data from the eye. The image we 'see' is in the mind, not in
the eye.
From that realization it is but a short distance to
thinking about visual imagination: the mental images we
can experience without input from the eyes. Much of what
artists do critically depends on visual imagination. Drawing,
painting, etc. is the way in which we make our imagination
visible and the way we share it with others. The longer I
teach drawing in Foundation, the more I suspect that even
observational drawing is as much about mental imagery
as it is about looking and measuring. Developing eye-hand
coordination in a drawing class trains the imagination as
much as the muscles. A lousy drawing of a horse is more a
lack of imagination than a technical problem.
There are few useful books on the neuropsychology of
mental internal images. Thus, I found myself eager to teach
a class on the neurology of imagination, while lacking a
good textbook. After some trepidation, I eventually decided
to write my own text. The chapters grow in number and
in quality guided by my experience using them in the
classroom and feedback from students ('did I see a yawn
there in row three?'). I use my evening hours to put my
thoughts together, and I hope to publish the first book
on the neuropsychology of imagination written for artists.
In the meantime, the daylight hours are for painting.
OMAG 6
section:
Feature
CONVERGING GALAXIES
Heather Joseph-Witham
Folklorist
Associate Professor, LAS Dept.
I landed at Otis quite by accident. I was teaching
at UCLA in 1997 when a friend had me substitute
for her LAS class. I fell love with the students
and their open-minded perspectives during
the first hour. I next taught Myth, Fairy Tales
and Folklore. It was a revelation for me that
students not only wanted to collect and tell
tales, but wanted to illustrate and create them
in a variety of art forms. After that, I was hooked
and never left.
I found that my doctorate in Folklore
and Mythology gave me valuable training in
teaching Otis students. Folklore sounds oldtimey, but it isn’t. It’s about the customary
behaviors that we have and why we do what
we do. It’s about people connecting and
creating community through their actions.
The expressive manifestations of human
beings that we study can be stories, material
culture, verbal lore, etc. It is a field grounded
in ethnography – the first-hand collection of
material. This has helped me create the firstyear Cultural Studies programming. Students
perform fieldwork and observe, interview and
analyze people regarding their customary
behaviors. They attend a field trip to understand
the diverse spaces in which we live and work.
Otis students learn that their stories, beliefs and
customs matter. They are a part of who they are
and therefore become a part of their actions
and creations. Understanding behaviors leads
to becoming better artists, designers, thinkers,
and citizens of a global world.
Popular culture has certainly caught on to
the value of traditional behaviors. I published
a book on Star Trek fans and costume art,
and am working on a manuscript about the
popular customs we use try to contact those
in the Afterlife. I sometimes get calls to speak
about folklore for the media, which really is
pure fun. I’ve presented on everything from
vampires to Atlantis, doppelgangers to ghosts,
beliefs about angels and UFO’s to urban
legends and Christmas lore on various shows
and documentaries, from Mythbusters to the
Food Network Challenge. Certainly, folklore is
currently entrenched in popular culture, and
it inspires our students. My job is to “Otisize”
these topics by making sure students can
access and study them firsthand, and then
analyze or create based on it.
I tend to use my own interests in the
‘Popular’ to create courses that I believe are
relevant for our students. For example, I teach
Vampire Literature and Lore. On the surface,
you might think: really?! However, students
learn about the role of the outsider in our
culture and the importance of such a figure,
which is relevant to their own perspectives. I
teach Modern Mysticism and the Afterlife in
which students create an altar for the annual
Día de los Muertos Festival at the Hollywood
Forever Cemetery. This art/altar is seen by
thousands of people, and we experience a
diverse and valuable cultural custom.
The Otis classroom is a protected space. I
know that as long as the students and I agree
to be open-minded, sensitive and participatory,
within the classroom we can discuss politics
with liberals and conservatives, religion with
Mormons and Wiccans, ethnic stereotypes
with Jews and Korean-Americans. This is
a space reserved for thinking, connecting
and enlightening. It is a place for galaxies to
converge. Where better to teach?
Heather Joseph-Witham (third from left) with students at
the Día de los Muertos Festival, Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Fall 2011
THE BATTLE FOR EQUALITY
Boo Jarchow
(’08 Product Design, Cultural Studies Minor)
To be an artist is to be an observer. One of
the important things I learned while minoring
in Cultural Studies was the difference between
observing and understanding. The ability
to understand and convey that understanding
both artistically and linguistically is a
powerful tool.
As a student, I was able to seamlessly apply
what I was studying in LAS to every project I
did for Product Design, and vice versa. I didn’t
know that, once I finished school, those parallels
would continue to exist so intensely in my life
and work.
I don’t work as a product designer in
the way I was taught at Otis, but I still design
products every day—just a different kind.
Working in online media means I do a lot
of photography, constantly use Photoshop,
create videos and, most importantly,
write about what is going on in the world of
SheWired.com readers.
Boo Jarchow (center) in action
“ I tend to use my own interests
in the ‘Popular’ to create courses
that I believe are relevant for
our students.”
A few months after I graduated, California’s
Proposition 8 passed, and I found myself diving
headfirst into the hardcore LGBT activist
community. I organized rallies and protests,
and soon found myself helping to spearhead
the National Equality March in Washington, D.C.
Providing coverage of these events for SheWired,
a brand under Here Media, the biggest LGBT
media company, qualified as both work and
pleasure. While the initial impact of Proposition
8 has calmed slightly, the inequality created
remains. I would never have been able to
evaluate the actions i planned or measure their
impact on people outside the LGBT community.
I hear details of lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender culture constantly—far more
than the average member of our community.
Keeping the battle for equality on the
minds of people who have all the rights that
others are denied is dificult. It requires
campaigning and newsmaking and fundraising.
It requires creativity.
In June I participated in the AIDS/LifeCycle.
I rode my bike 550 miles from San Francisco to
Los Angeles, along with 2,500 other cyclists and
600 roadies, to raise money and awareness for
AIDS programs at the LA Gay & Lesbian Center
and San Francisco AIDS Foundation. As we
rode through towns where the populations are
one-tenth the size of the ALC group, residents
7 OMAG
greeted us with signs and noisemakers,
cheering us on in our journey. Most, if not all
of the riders know someone living with or have
lost someone to HIV or AIDS, and understand
how crucial it is that the epidemic ends. By
riding and covering the event as a writer, I
transmit the importance of finding a cure to
the people cheering—those who saw us at a
stoplight and Googled “bike riders all dressed
in red,” and anyone else who may not be aware.
I wouldn’t be able to do my job without
observing and understanding both the needs
and beliefs of my own community and those
of the communities around me. Comprehending
the thinking of those who voted against us,
motivating younger people to call and Tweet
their senators or raising funds even during a
recession are all skills I acquired in the Cultural
Studies program.
“I didn’t know that, once
I finished school, those
parallels would continue
to exist so intensely in my
life and work.”
OMAG 8
section:
College News
11
2011
9 OMAG
Fall 2011
Sam Tanis
Sang Youb
Shin
for
01. ALI / Sam Tanis
02. Communication Arts / Cole W. Moss
Meet eleven members of the
class of 2011, one from each
major. They answer questions
about their backgrounds,
projects, favorite places in L.A.,
and what’s next for each.
01 of 11 BFA
I collect tie clips. I’ve also
eaten more macaroni and
cheese than anyone west
of the Colorado River.
Cool things you did outside of school?
I am working on a
novel right now. I also
have my own blog,
thelasercutter.blogspot.com
I’ve lived in Long Beach since I was one.
Final Senior Project? Our collective Senior Project
03. Digital Media / Sang Youb Shin
this year was “Big Bang Barcode.” My own final
studio project was a children’s museum on the
Chicago River Walk.
Other intriguing projects? The Donghia Master
classes with LTL Architects, and Sharon Johnston
and Nader Tehrani. I was awarded a scholarship
for my portfolio submission each year, and also
received the Donghia Senior Scholarship.
04. Fashion Design / Holly Buskirk, Caitlin Knox
06. Toy Design / Harmony Hines Slattery
07. Product Design / Ryan Robertson
Most fun/influential LAS class? Critical Analysis
& Semiotics and Composition & Critical Thought
—both taught by Jean-Marie Venturini—and the
Creative Writing Workshop with Melissa Clark. I’ve
found that narrative is a skill that comes in handy
when presenting architecture projects.
Favorite place in L.A.? Downtown L.A., with the
fashion and bank districts and Bunker Hill. Also
Santa Monica. And it’s pretty fun to see a movie at
Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
How did Otis affect your work/life? The Integrated
Learning class “NeighborGapBridge” was a major
turning point in the way I view my studio work and
the way I understand the profound interaction between the world in which we live and the individual.
08. Graduate Graphic Design / Hazel Mandujano
Next? I’m going to graduate school for architecture
at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I am pleased
to say I received a tuition waiver and Teaching
Assistantship so I’m going for free.
09. Graduate Fine Arts / Terry Norton-Wright
10. Graduate Writing / Rocío Carlos
11. Graduate Public Practice / David Russell
Digital
Media
Something unusual/idiosyncratic?
Hometown? I was born in Carson City, Nevada, but
05. Fine Arts / Lindsay Schulz
03 of 11 BFA
Architecture/
Landscape/Interiors
Something unusual/idiosyncratic? I’m 28 and
I’ve never had a driver’s license. For four years I
took public transportation between Long Beach
and Otis.
Cole
W. Moss
02 of 11 BFA
Final Senior Project?
Communication
Arts
Hometown? Joplin, Missouri.
Final Senior Project? “Untie a Knot”, the first in
a series focusing on important issues in America.
And a book, paintings, and videos focused on Mr.
Unicorn (“Unicorn Being a Jerk”) will be published
by a subsidiary of HarperCollins in November 2011.
Website: misterunicorn.com.
Other intriguing projects? Classmate Tiimo Schul-
ze’s SpaceMovies • Classmate Nicole Emanuel’s
‘The “What if” of 1988’ • Hazel Mandujano (‘01
MFA) and faculty member Lorenzo Hurtado (‘07
MFA) “Good Exchange.”
Cool things outside of school? Participating in
the design program M/M Summit for nine days in
Holland forever changed every bit of my work.
Most fun/influential LAS class? The chance to
explore and expound upon ideas from all of the
classes I took during the last four years was one of
the best things that happened to me. I will never
forget the daunting, treacherous, and beautiful
experience of writing a paper with faculty member
Marlena Donahue about the changing face of
monogamy in America.
Favorite place in L.A.? The Cheese Store in
Beverly Hills has my stomach, the Natural History
Museum has my eyes, and my other parts are
undeclared.
How did Otis affect your work/life? I can now, for
the most part, articulate why I feel the way I feel. I
am still surprised to see how valuable words have
become to me in what I do every day.
Next? I’ll try to make mistakes so that I can learn
from them now, rather than later.
“Go Green or Else,” a PSA
motion graphics piece
about global warming, was
featured in Computer Arts
Magazine 190.
Hometown? South Korea. My family immigrated,
most recently residing in Orange County.
Other intriguing projects? Motion Graphics
with Bill Sneed, a very well-known figure in
the industry.
Cool things outside of school? Rock climbing.
Most fun/influential LAS class? “Concept and
Creativity” with Jennifer Egger. She helped me
create works with humor, gave compliments, and
reminded the class that humor stays in people’s
heads for a long time.
Favorite place in LA? I love Koreatown. After a
late night at school, I’d go with a friend at 6 a.m.
to enjoy breakfast.
How did Otis affect your work/life? I was able
to endure all the hardships, like staying up all
night, without drinking any energy drinks. Everything seems easy since graduation.
Next? I have been freelancing as a motion
graphic animator and designer. I’m planning to go
on a vacation to Japan.
Something unusual/idiosyncratic? I’m ob-
sessed with sodas!!
OMAG 10
section:
College News
Fall 2011
Holly
Buskirk and
Caitlin Knox
04 of 11 BFA
Fashion
Design
C: Can you please define
the term “outside of
school”? I’m not familiar
with the concept.
Other intriguing projects? CK: Holly and I had
the same mentor for all but one project, and would
laugh after independently designing identical garments. Each of us pushed the other to take the
craziest or most bizarre idea as far as possible.
Most fun/influential LAS class? HB: In “Time
Travel Literature” taught by Jean-Marie Venturini,
we explored different ways to perceive time and
studied quantum physics and Einstein. It changed
how I see the universe.
Hometown? HB: Yucaipa, California, a small town
nestled into the hills of Big Bear Mountain.
CK: I’m from all over the West Coast. I’m a ranchfamily brat.
Final Senior Project? HB: We worked with mentor
Bob Mackie to create eveningwear inspired by African tribal garments. Caity and I chose the Ndebele
tribe and created a patterned chain mail. We also
made a dress entirely out of tree bark inspired by
the Surma and Mursi tribes who adorn themselves
with mud and plant life.
How did Otis affect your work/life? CK: Harder.
Better. Faster. Stronger. Work is never over. After
Otis, the rest of my life looks vastly more achievable. Otis forced me to fight a war against the
limits of my mind and my body. Creativity doesn’t
sleep, though often it eats whole boxes of
Cheez-Its without realizing it.
Hometown? Santa Rosa, California. However, in the
Lindsay
Schulz
05 of 11 BFA
Favorite place in L.A.? HB: Rose Bowl flea market
in Pasadena: everything you could want or need
(or absolutely don’t need but buy anyway) can be
found there.
first eight years of my life, I spent every weekend in
our RV at motocross races for my father and brother.
Final Senior Project? I produced four different
Fine Arts
Next?
I am currently interning
for artist Kerry Tribe, who
is amazing! I have two
paintings in an exhibition
at the Charles M. Schulz
Museum called “Pop’d
from the Panel.” I’m
doing my best to create
new works with any free
time I have!
Next? HB: I am interning at 12th Street by Cynthia
Vincent (‘88) CK: I’m designing women’s wear at
James Perse – a complete dream come true.
Something unusual/idiosyncratic?HB: Caity and
I both love Harry Potter. We knew we would be
friends when each of us noticed that the other had
casually snuck Harry Potter elements into our work.
CK: Our wizardry runs REAL deep. There is no part
of our lives, friendship or creativity that is not influenced by Harry Potter.
Next?
I am working on my own
projects and looking for
a company that makes
objects that create positive
change in the world.
Most fun/influential LAS class? Creative writing.
Deﬁnitely. I’ve been writing stories since I was six,
and unfortunately drifted away from it for a few
years until I took that class.
Ryan
Robertson
06 of 11 BFA
Product
Design
Hometown? Scottsdale, Arizona
Hometown? Simi Valley, California
Final Senior Project? I developed a new business
Final Senior Project? “Butterfly Magic” for young
girls, made of translucent “buggie bodies” that
housed LEDs and glowed when picked up. The kit
came with ways to decorate the butterflies, which
could also be worn as jewelry.
model for government bureaucracies to use scarce
resources in an eco-sensible way. Specifically, I
designed a line of furniture made from an old-growth
salvaged tree which otherwise would have been
tossed in the wood chipper. The idea came to me
when I read about eleven acres of 200-300 year-old
oak trees in Southern California that were removed
and shredded.
Favorite place in LA? First, the LAX lookout. My
How did Otis affect your work/life? Otis’ work
Most fun/influential LAS class? David Bremer’s
Other intriguing projects? For Alex Slade’s “Land-
ethic affected me the most. If I’m not working on
at least eight projects at one time I begin to think
I’m slacking. I spend about 90% of my time doing
research and writing for projects now. What I’ve
noticed the most is how rad artists are! Our vision,
creations, humor, lifestyle...nothing could be more
ideal.
“Capstone” class helped me put all of my true design
interests into a concise paper.
scape” class, I silkscreened on burlap materials in
three horizontal lines: the top line was cows’ blood,
the middle was bleach, and the bottom was [used]
motor oil.
Cool things outside of school? Some of my favorite
memories were being on Olive Rhyme. We created
that title for road trips I took with classmates Cole
Moss and Nicole Emanuel. Olive Rhyme 1 took us
to San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Byron, Yosemite, and
back to LA. In Olive Rhyme 2, we went to Santa
Rosa, Muir Woods, Portland, Seattle, Montana, Yellowstone, Salt Lake City, Zion, and back to LA. We
are heading out on Olive Rhyme 3 in a week!
Something unusual/idiosyncratic? Most of my
behavior results from protecting myself against my
older brother. For example, when I look in a pantry, I
keep one foot outside the door because when I was
younger, my brother would push me in, hold the
door shut, and turn off the light (which was always
conveniently located on the outside).
Toy Design
A “secret” beach
in Ventura County
pieces. In “the white out series,” I made ﬁve 44” x
34” ink jet prints, painted white out over the photographs (many hours and about 200 bottles of Liquid
Paper), and hand-inked text from a typeface created
based on the Peanuts text. The images in this series
are photographs that my father took with his Kodak
Brownie of his childhood home. My grandfather,
Charles Schulz (creator of Peanuts) became a structure for the series.
father is a private pilot and I’ve always been around
planes. It is meditative to sit and watch the planes
take off – I often visit during the middle of the
night and at dawn. Second, a ranch in Agoura Hills
where I board my horse. It is absolutely wonderful to get out of the city, and spend time in such a
tranquil environment.
07 of 11 BFA
Favorite place in LA?
How did Otis affect your work/life?
HB: Otis is a boot camp for
artists. The faculty
members push you to, and
beyond, your limits
relentlessly until you have
almost no limits. Your mind
stops fighting you, and you
can work endlessly at
peace.
Harmony
Hines
Slattery
Other intriguing projects? Developing a prosthetic
leg out of recyclable materials, and participating in the
Palauan Freedom Memorial Project that honors U.S.
military veterans from all wars—and visiting Palau!
Cool things outside of school? Skydiving with my
friends and scuba diving in Palau.
Favorite place in L.A.? 26th Street in Manhattan
Beach. Since I began surfing, I think I’ve spent over
100 hours there.
How did Otis affect your work/life? I’ve known for a
long time that I wanted to do something that involved
drawing and building things. Otis was one of the big
stepping-stones to get me where I want to go.
Something unusual/idiosyncratic? I’m obsessed
with living close to the ocean.
Other intriguing projects? I participated in the
Palauan Memorial Freedom Project class. Traveling
to Palau was incredible. I also did a group project
sponsored by Disney/Pixar.
Cool things outside of school? Surfing, camping,
going to the beach, and snowboarding.
Most fun/influential LAS class? A children’s litera-
ture class was pretty cool.
How did Otis affect your work/life? It set me on my
career path.
Next? I’m now working as a designer at JAKKS
Pacific, a toy company where I had an internship
while I was a student.
Something unusual/idiosyncratic? Whenever my
friends travel, I ask them to bring me back a rock or
shell, and I keep them in a big glass bowl.
TURN
TO NEXT
PAGE
TO READ
ABOUT
THE MFA
CLASS
OF 2011
11 OMAG
OMAG 12
section:
College News
Hazel
Mandujano
09 of 11 MFA
11
Most fun/influential class?
How did Otis affect your work/life?
Critique, thesis writing,
and a class secretly
called “Advanced Beef.”
The mentorship I received
was invaluable. I now have
a much sharper lens for my
own work.
Terry
NortonWright
08 of 11 MFA
Graduate
Fine Arts
Hometown? Landisville, New Jersey
I recently spent three
months in Amsterdam
working with great
designers and thinkers.
Hometown? Wilmington, California
Thesis project? “En Wonder,” an installation calling into
Thesis Project? Reverb (For Girls) is an educational
question one’s relationship with one’s own body and
the relationship between form, nature, and mortality.
program for inner city teenage girls interested in
becoming artists, writers, musicians, designers,
and entrepreneurs.
Other intriguing projects? Late nights at the grad
studios. Meeting other artists and learning from
them. Some of the conversations I had between 12
midnight and 3 a.m. I will never forget. Also, artist
studio visits.
Cool things outside of school? Attending faculty
members’ openings. I even flew to N.Y. with some
classmates to see one of our professor’s solo exhibitions. That was really cool.
Favorite place in LA? The airport. I also love driving
the Pacific Coast Highway.
How did Otis affect your work/life? If you really trust
and commit to the experience of grad school, and
are willing to feel like you are walking around inside
out, and are open to being taught and able to stand
up to your fears, you will discover the source of your
creativity.
Next? I am making work! I have also started a
business called The Culture Production Company. I
produce art objects, collaborations, performances,
shows, and special projects, and provide consulting
and individual artist services.
Something unusual/idiosyncratic? I am obsessed
with organizing.
Other intriguing projects? Working with faculty
members Meg Cranston, Larry Johnson, and Kali
Nikitas. They changed everything for me.
Most fun/influential LAS class? “Theory As
Practice”
Favorite place in L.A.? Tidepools and the Sunken
City in San Pedro.
How did Otis affect your work/life? Going to Otis
made me realize how poor and rich I was at the
same time.
Next? I am developing a practice that involves art,
design, education, and administration.
Something unusual/idiosyncratic? Most of my
possessions are books.
Rocío
Carlos
10 of 11 MFA
Graduate
Public Practice
Something unusual/idiosyncratic?
I wake up every morning
at first light to surf.
“ What makes
Otis great
is a diverse
collection
of individuals”
Graduate
Writing
Hometown? South/East Los Angeles.
Thesis Project? A manuscript of poetry.
Other intriguing projects? I was assistant editor of
our literary tabloid OR. As part of Jen Hofer’s poetry
seminar, we wrote and created a book using Otis’
Lab Press to bind the books for a “real” look.
Cool things you did outside of Otis? Going to
shows and art events.
Most fun/influential class? The poetry workshop
with Dennis Phillips.
Favorite place in L.A.? Rattle Snake Park adjacent
to the L.A. River.
Next? I am writing my poetry manuscript, freelance
editing, and looking forward to teaching at Otis.
Something unusual/idiosyncratic? I am a baker
to be reckoned with.
of 11 MFA
13 OMAG
2011 Commencement
David
Russell
Graduate
Graphic Design
Fall 2011
Hometown? Born in L.A., but hometown is
Denver.
Thesis project? My thesis, “Mobile Mural Lab,”
(MML), was a collaboration with Public Practice
alumnus Roberto Del Hoyo (‘10 MFA). This mobile
art space promotes and supports the visual voice
of citizens in the public realm. We outfitted a former City of L.A. search-and-rescue van, and paint
the exterior approximately twice a month. The
interior serves both as an exhibition space and as
a multi-media information resource.
The Power
of Your
Imagination
Other intriguing project? Assisting artist and
Commencement Speaker and Honorary Doctorate
recipient Sheila Levrant de Bretteville—also the founding Chair of Otis’ Communication Arts Department—
told students: “The best attribute in changing times is
to be open to the unexpected, dextrous in ability, and
focused on the continued development of your own
unique work, even as you accommodate what has been
unexpected. Wherever you go, whatever you choose
faculty member Andrea Bowers at “Project Row
House” in Houston, and participating as a fellow
in the Anyang Public Art Project in Korea, where
I spent a week with Korean architecture students
analyzing the current state of gentrification in and
around Seoul.
to do, I wish you the power of your imagination.”
President Hoi noted: “At Otis, the students feel
connected to each other and the work has heart. Please
stay connected to others while staying true and honest
to your feelings and beliefs as you make choices and
generate action, and you will keep inspiring others.
Cool things outside of school? Reality.
Through your inspired responses to reality, you will
Favorite place in L.A.? East L.A.
mobilize our world to transition to a better and more
How did Otis affect your work/life? Otis provid-
sustainable future, and you will enjoy success and sat-
ed me with insight into community engagement
and the contemporary art world. I also learned
about the history of L.A., and how modernization
and globalization affect society today.
isfaction in a lifelong cycle of inspiration and action.”
Next? Roberto Del Hoyo and I currently operate
the Mobile Mural Lab full time as well as paint
and restore murals in and around L.A.
Valedictorian Paula Suzanne Little (Communication Arts) spent ten years as a fashion designer and
President Hoi with honorary doctorate recipient
Sheila Levrant de Bretteville
investment banker to earn money to enroll at Otis. The
New Zealand native had these words for her classmates, “As they would say back home: ‘Kia kaha,’ which
means ‘forever strong.’”
Watch the ceremony at http://bit.ly/j6fgtR
OMAG 14
section:
College News
Class
of 2011
Graduating students display their projects at the year-end exhibition, showing their
professional work to future employers, museum curators and gallery owners, alumni,
parents, friends, and family.
“I have seen other student shows and have taught at other schools. I must say what I
see and feel here is special. A lot of times elsewhere, ambitious and talented students
want to succeed, and the schools give them a formula for success. At Otis, the students
feel connected to each other and the work has heart. I see the ability to explore
and to use emotional truth to connect with and serve the larger public. It is inspiring.”
“I’ll pay Otis and students the highest compliment. The student shows have nothing
‘student’ about them. They are professional
in every way, from the presentation to the
immensely creative content.”
Fall 2011
15 OMAG
OMAG 16
section:
College News
Fall 2011
“I knew from the first day
of class it was going
to be a great experience.”
Freedom
Memorial Project
One team’s design proposal
incorporates Palauan carved wooden
In June, a group of Integrated Learning students spent almost two weeks in the Republic
boards that tell the story of creation
of Palau as the first phase of a three-year initiative to design and build a memorial to
and other myths.
Palauans who lost their lives serving in the U.S. military from World War II to the present.
Visiting faculty members and public artists Jeffrey Vallance (’81 MFA) and May Sun (’79),
and cultural anthropologist Cindi Alvitre worked with the students to transform creative
ideas into built reality in cooperation and consultation with the people of Palau.
The Palauns suggested that the students could incorporate their symbols: a turtle shell
(women) and an axe (men).
In addition to meeting with the civic leaders and relatives of those military members who lost their lives, the students explored the island’s wonders: Jellyfish Lake,
New Spins
for Preschool
Toys
Day 7
Day 10
Treated to one of the most amazing sun-
Our visit was profiled on the front page of
The Bilung gave us a personal tour of the
sets leaving Guam on the way to Palau; it
the Island Times newspaper. We presented
Cultural Center, including the Bai, a meet-
looked like the sky was on fire.
our proposals to the United Artists of
ing place, covered in traditional painted
Palau, other Government officials, and
storyboards that is latticed together and
invited guests.
tied down by coconut husks. We were
treated to a demonstration of traditional
Palau is made up of sixteen states. Our
team lodged in Koror, in the dorms of a
Day 8
dance and a sumptuous meal. We then
community college. Met Helen Reed-
Two team members presented their health
presented to both the Council of Chiefs
Rowe, the American Ambassador and
campaign projects to the Minister of
and the Bilung’s Council of Ladies.
Patrick Tellei, President of the community
Health. He was so impressed that he invit-
college.
ed them each to do a month’s residency in
Day 12
Palau next summer! Otis women attended
Visited the island of Peleliu, the site of a
Day 5
the first childbirth ceremony for a relative
bloody, three-month-long WWII battle
In the evening, presented the project
of the Bilung (the Queen of Palau).
between the Americans/Palauans and
proposals to President Toribiong and
“When we got our first glimpses of the
the Japanese. Signs of the past were
several other heads of state, who were so
new mother, a hush fell over the group;
everywhere: abandoned tanks, markers of
impressed that they were speechless.
she was simply stunning; the contrast of
mines that continue to be discovered, as
the bright yellow skin [she is painted in a
well as the remains of fallen soldiers.
mixture of turmeric and ginger] against
the blue and red skirt was amazing.”
Christine Shu-Hotta, Spin Master’s Director of Global
Talent Acquisition, explains the addition of a summer
intern contest that was added to the internship program:
“We partnered marketing and design interns to
work together to develop a concept toy review. Grouped
in three teams, they were asked to present to an executive
judging panel, but we also had our most senior directors
and designers attend the final presentations. The
Naomi Kwiatkowski, Sweet Surprise Tea Party
For the first time in Otis’ history, sophomores in Joyce
Day 1 and 2
boys, girls, wheels, or preschool.
Nick Hayes, Sprouts
stingers; tropical waterfalls; sandy beaches; amazing diving, and tropical flora and fauna.
Students posted daily to the blog, chronicling their adventures in the South Pacific
at the company this summer in one of four toy categories:
by George Wolfe
a 12,000 year-old marine lake that is the only one in the world where jellyfish have no
Day 3
17 OMAG
At the end of the semester, the students presented
presentation was not only to ‘sell’ the storyboard, but also
to create a marketing plan. The general consensus from
our panel and the audience was that all teams did an
Mesch’s design class teamed up with Spin Master Ltd.,
their designs. With excitement in the air, Spin Master
exceptional job. There was a first, second and third place
one of the leading toy manufacturers in the world, to
surprised the students with awards of $1,000 for first
awarded to each of the teams in a very festive ceremony.
create and design preschool products. Spin Master’s
place, $700 for second place, and $500 for third place; all
I think the students really felt part of the whole team here,
sponsored project was coordinated by Toy Design Chair
participating students received a $100 payment for their
and a couple of them are continuing with part-time work
Deborah Ryan alongside Spin Master’s Senior Designer,
efforts. Between the culmination of a lot of hard work and
at Spin Master. We intend to further our relationship
James F. Elliott. Jim worked side by side with the Otis stu-
the surprise award money, there wasn’t a dry eye in the
with Otis, and continue our summer internship program
dents as they generated ideas, honed their concepts and
house, as the students expressed their gratitude for the
for the years to come.”
prepared for their final presentation. Along the way they
opportunity to work with Spin Master.
learned valuable lessons in “real world” design challenges.
Naomi Kwiatkowski, the first-place winner, noted:
“The Spin Master-sponsored project was a great
way for us to transition from a school dynamic into a
“The group that I was able to work with made this experi-
professional environment for the summer internships,”
be a great experience,” said Mesch, “and that this was an
ence incredible. My peers and mentor were so helpful
said intern Rafael Bencosme. “It provided a taste of how
exceptional group of students. Even though they were
and supportive along the way, providing constructive
toy designers get to work in a world-class company.
working on individual concepts, they functioned like a
criticism and inventive ideas to further our concepts into
The school projects tend to give a lot of flexibility to the
true design team. They had a great rapport, were always
something concrete. We all had the privilege to perform
students, fostering uniqueness in the designs. We had
willing to share ideas and resources, and they trusted and
as professionals, and the process was challenging but
the opportunity to concentrate on specific brands for
reacted to the feedback they were given by their mentors.
exciting. In the end, I feel that it was hard work and the
specific users. What really made it a unique experience
That kind of collaborative effort made everyone’s projects
group effort that led me to this achievement.”
was the opportunity to receive feedback and trade ideas
“I knew from the first day of class it was going to
stronger and it showed in the outcome. The results
were inspiring and exceeded everyone’s expectations.”
In addition to the collaboration on the sponsored
design project, six students completed design internships
with highly talented people.”
OMAG 18
section:
College News
A Creative
Legend
Bob Mackie honored at the 2011
Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show
Fall 2011
Editor’s Note: Costume designer Bob Mackie, who has dressed such luminaries as
Cher, Bette Midler, Pink, Tina Turner and Carol Burnett, has volunteered his time over
the last fifteen years to act as a mentor to Fashion Design students. This year, along
with the display of the African-inspired work his students designed, Mackie received
“”
the Creative Legend Award at the annual Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show.
“”
“”
Also honored at this event was the renovated LEED-certified Santa Monica Place. Art
Coppola, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Macerich, accepted the Creative Vision
Award. To see a video about Bob’s work at Otis, visit otis.edu/mackie.
When I came to Otis with an
(At Otis) the students almost do it for
I get so much out of these sessions with
assignment, it was always something
real before they hit the market, and
the students. They know things that I don’t
that I wished I could do. And I thought,
they’re feeling their way but this school
know and I can give them some knowledge.
well, I’ll just have them do it, and it
is really, really good.
It’s amazing to see students who are so well
will be terrific and inspiring. Teaching
educated turning out product that looks
them is like a gift.
so beautiful.
2011 Mentors
Bleu/Rod Beattie (’86)
Bob Mackie
“ To see them
run with it,
and do such
beautiful
work is very
impressive...”
Cynthia Rowley
Diesel
Forever 21
Hurley and Nike
Juicy Couture
Dawn Nguyen (’99),
Brogan Terrell (’08)
and Emily Bowers (’03)
Kaufman Franco
MAX AZRIA
Max Studio
Amé Austin Max (’95)
Old Navy
Sean John
Steve McSween (’94)
top: student design, mentor Sean Jean (Steve McSween ’94)
middle: Award-winning seniors Esther Kim, Sung Hee Shin,
Bara Kwon, Mona (Seung) Jung, and Yi Seul Choi
bottom: Mentor Amé Austin Max (’95) of Max Studio with
award-winning student Yi Seul Choi
19 OMAG
OMAG 20
section:
College News
Fall 2011
Bia Lowe
DOUBLE U • OH •
EM • AY • EN
“Someone put me in the wrong nest. When I got involved
Leslie Labowitz-Starus (‘72 MFA) on the hoisting of
with other ducks, it was great!” Everyone gravitated to-
Kate Millet’s sculpture of a woman on top of the WB:
ward each other. We were young and were going to change
It must have been a slow news day because we got front-
the world. The WB exuded a magnetic confidence, energy,
page coverage in the L.A. Times with a headline “New
cohesion, and sharing.
Image of Women.”
I applied for a Fulbright to go to Dusseldorf and study
Paula Lumbard
with Joseph Beuys. Going to Europe was the best thing
At the WB, the personal became political.
I ever did for my political awareness as an activist, artist
In “Bedtime Stories: Women Speak out About Incest,” the
and feminist.
work became a vehicle for healing.
Sheila Levrant de Bretteville
Joyce Kozloff
The WB symbolized the freedom of beginnings; women
I never had a woman studio art teacher, and I never
looking for ways to be more visible. The spirit of the time,
thought about it. It all changed that year I spent in L.A.
all over the world, was liberating. We were figuring out
(1970-71) I felt very lucky to have participated in that mo-
what to do, what questions to ask. Before there was such
ment. My generation became woman-identified, and the
a thing as women’s studies programs anywhere, WB con-
optimism, energy and enthusiasm were infectious.
tinuing education presented lectures on women’s studies.
Rachel Rosenthal
The WB was organic: members attracted others as they
Cindy Marsh
My boyfriend Buzzy walked me to the WB, where we saw
all these women (with spiky shaved heads, wearing t-shirts,
display at Otis’ Ben Maltz Gallery through
Jan. 28, 2012, as part of the Getty’s Pacific
Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980, an
unprecedented collaboration of more than
60 Southern California cultural institutions that tells the story of the birth of the
L.A. art scene. Please check otis.edu/calendar for many public events scheduled to
complement the exhibition. These excerpts
are mainly from video interviews created
by Otis’ Teaching and Learning Center,
posted at otis.edu/public_programs/
ben_maltz_gallery/wb_videos.html and
on Otis’s YouTube Channel youtube.com/
user/OtisCollege
During fall semester, Liberal Arts and
Sciences is offering many electives connected with the WB and the PST exhibitions. Students will learn about aspects of
feminist art, the development of contemporary art in L.A., urban development and
He said “It’s your decision,” and left. So I took a leap
mance art, and other related topics.
movement in art and communication that they introduced to the world.
Anne Gauldin
According to Arlene Raven, one of the WB founders, the
goals of feminist art were to invite dialogue, raise consciousness and transform culture.
From 1973-1991, the Woman’s Building (WB) in downtown L.A. offered opportunities for women in creative writing, graphic design, printing, performance art,
video, and visual arts. The WB housed the Feminist Studio Workshop, galleries,
a feminist bookstore and travel agency, and the L.A. office of NOW. It was named
after the Woman’s Building at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago,
which was designed by architect Sophia Hayden.
As WB member Terry Wolverton wrote, Language splinters under the complexity, the immensity, the tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of women whose
imaginations and emotions and lives touched and were touched by the Woman’s
Building. All their stories, their dreams. And it was the art that was made
within its walls, yes, but also the art that was made by some woman in some little
town, work that came into being because she’d heard that the Woman’s Building
dared to exist.*
One such woman was artist Betty Gordon, a Seattle housewife:
“In 1978, I read The Feminine Mystique, and thought Betty Friedan was telling my
story. The spirit moved me to get out of the house. I heard about Judy Chicago
and FSW (Feminist Studio Workshop), and I moved from Seattle to L.A. I was 30
years older than the others. I began to tell my story of being at home all those
years. The young women were independent and bright, and inspired my work as
an artist. The culture gave me the courage to talk about anything, because I was
supported, and I learned how to advocate for myself. I found the tools to express
the meaning I wanted to communicate.”
so many. It was a place where you earned your ribbons!
Otis College of Art and Design, © Feminist Art Workers
and Art at the Woman’s Building” is on
popular culture, collaborative and perfor-
different world. The WB artists’ legacy is the humanist
Woman’s Building Image Archive, Otis College of Art and Design
Pictured: Cheri Gaulke, Woman’s Building Image Archive,
lived their lives. It created so much change in the lives of
Editor’s Note: “Doin it in Public: Feminism
with armpit hair) hanging all over each other at the gates.
of faith, walked in, and knew I had became part of a
Anne Gauldin, Photo collage for the Woman’s Building Newsletter, undated,
“Heaven or Hell?,” Feminist Art Workers, 1978, performance,
21 OMAG
Michelle Kort
The Woman’s Building offered up a spark, and
this was the message in its glow: that you, a
woman, could be an artist too, and that your
woman’s life—whatever its particulars—
could kindle your art, and that in turn, the
act of making art would ignite that life, and
finally, that a community of women, engaged
in the twin acts of making art and making
a new life, would transform the mirrors of
culture into windows through which you all
would fly, like sparks, into the night.*
Why is there a woman’s building?
Because all the other buildings in
town are mens’ buildings!
Graduate Public Practice Chair Suzanne
Michelle Kort
huge, tall, hooded women at City Hall was
al, but part had to do with life and society, from a woman’s
viewpoint. We were always documenting; we had a sense
of history even as we were doing it. Now enough time has
passed that it is part of history—and can be honored.
Cheryl Swannack
Our goal was to put feminism IN the world. It was about
DOING IT rather than dreaming of it.
The WB started like wildfire, like a magnetic force. It could
only have happened in L.A. where there was no highstakes art world. There was a museum and a few galleries
Jerri Allyn
The WB felt like a beehive.
but not fierce competition for careers. The supportive
We envisioned the crit as a supportive tool, and this be-
environment encouraged us to try many different things.
came a lasting benefit for teaching.
Deena Metzger
The future seemed possible. Social change could come
through the arts but you had to live it.
* Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman’s
Eloise Klein Healy
Building, Terry Wolverton, City Lights, 2002
WB was a life-changing experience; it was a liminal
created “In Mourning and In Loss” as a
media event by women protesting violence
against women. The arresting image of
a response to the hillside strangler.
I can date everything back to the WB—part of it was person-
Terry Wolverton
Lacy and Leslie Labowitz-Starus (’72 MFA)
space—the air was charged. I was a Catholic girl running
around with witches on broomsticks—it was crazy.
Suzanne Lacy and Leslie Labowitz-Starus (’72 MFA), In Mourning and In Rage,
performance at L.A. City Hall, 1977 © Suzanne Lacy
OMAG 22
section:
College News
The Power
of Three
Otis’ Annual Teaching
Excellence Awards
Jill HigashiZeleznik
Erin
Hauber
Recognized as a long-term faculty member who consistently
motivates students, inspires colleagues, and creates a lasting
impression of an extraordinary educator.
For me, the passion that exists in teaching is about the process,
the journey, which results in a body of work that the student is
proud of. Seeing and recognizing the value of what hard work
and drive can accomplish is indeed uplifting.
The most valuable attribute of a great teacher is the ability
to pull the best work out of each student, regardless of ability.
For some it comes easily, for others it is more of a challenge.
But in either case it is equally rewarding.
If you want something done, just ask Jill! Not only will it
be done quickly and efficiently but also with the highest
quality and a taste level that all respect and admire. As an invaluable member of the Fashion Design team, she is a leader
who puts in the extra time to help students in any way that
she can. Her skills earn her the title “Designer’s Designer”
among her peers. Jill is serious about her work, straightforEditors note: Three annual teaching excel-
ward and honest but always fair in assessing a situation.
lence awards are given to faculty members
Her incredible organizational and time management skills
for their commitment to Otis, clear and
establish the bar of excellence for all who work with her. All
effective teaching, and exceptional ability
of these qualities are mixed with humor and an infectious
to respond to a diverse student body.
laugh that lightens the fast pace of the department.
Students, faculty and alumni nominate
– Rose Brantley, Chair, Fashion Design
Educator Award and two Teaching
Excellence Awards (one full-time and
one part-time) are presented at the annual
Commencement Ceremony. (On the following pages, comments from students
and alumni follow the Chairs’.)
Carol
Branch
(’87 Fashion Design)
DISTINGUISHED
EDUCATOR AWARD
these faculty members. One Distinguished
23 OMAG
Fall 2011
She gives out her heart
when helping out with
design. She does not only
apply what she knows,
but also understands and
studies each individual
student, and works with
them to find what is best
for their designs. She
pushes and pushes until
you see your real talent.
I graduated four years ago,
but her spirit still awakens
me when I am lost.
FULL-TIME TEACHING
EXCELLENCE AWARD
PART-TIME TEACHING
EXCELLENCE AWARD
Recognized for communicating a thorough knowledge of and
enthusiasm for the subject and transforming or enhancing teaching
methodology and practice.
Being a teacher is fun! Every day students challenge me
to be a more enthusiastic maker, supportive mentor and
effective communicator. I enjoy seeing students develop
their voice, come to realize there is thinking in making, and
expand their understanding of themselves and their work.
The teachers I admire—and find the most effective—
combine a passion for their subject with an open-source
philosophy about sharing knowledge, and an intense
curiosity about the world-at-large. A great teacher models
the collaborative, hard-working and courageous behavior
we ask of our students.
Erin Hauber was an exceptionally generous and committed
member of the faculty whose teaching impacted the lives of
many students, balancing high expectations with compassion and patience. She joined the department during a time
of change, and helped to usher in a new curriculum, several
faculty colleagues, and a number of initiatives. Erin took her
job seriously but never lost site of the humor needed to get
through a semester or a given day. She communicated her
passion for teaching to all her students, shared her knowledge freely, and communicated her belief in them wherever
their careers might lead them.
– Kali Nikitas, Chair, Communication Arts
Note: Erin is now continuing her education to earn an MFA.
Even though I haven’t had
Erin since my first semester junior year, she sticks
out in my mind as a teacher
who encompasses the following admirable qualities:
She always had a way to
communicate constructive
criticism, and a pat on the
back when deserved; she
was always strict but fair,
and made you a strong
designer and a thoughtful
and responsible person;
while she was serious, she
had a great sense of humor
and made the classroom a
fun environment to be in,
especially as the relationship evolved over time
through multiple critiques,
conversations and projects.
Recognized for communicating a thorough knowledge of and
enthusiasm for the subject and transforming or enhancing teaching
methodology and practice.
There is no one thing that I value most about teaching;
rather, there are related moments. I appreciate the moment
when I give students new information or a new perspective,
opening their eyes to something other than themselves. I get
really excited when the students take that knowledge and
apply it to their lived lives, whether making art, starting a
petition for a “just” cause, or having a “friendly discussion”
with a person they just met.
The most valuable characteristic of a great teacher, to me,
is the ability to bring joy into the classroom. Sometimes we
( faculty members) get caught up in titles, schools, knowledge,
etc. However, in the end it’s about reaching the student. Education should be fun. If you are having a good time in your
course, you can be sure the students are.
Since 2001, Dr. Carol has been teaching in Liberal Arts and
Sciences, creating classes as far-ranging as “Examining the
Civil Rights Movement” to “Harry Potter.” She received her
PhD from UCLA in Folklore and Mythology, specializing in
African American performance. Among her many accom-
Carol’s talent in teaching
is her ability to take very
complex and challenging
material and present it in
an engaging and relevant
way.
plishments, perhaps one of which she might justifiably
be most proud, is founding Otis’ longest-running student
group, Under the Baobab Tree, dedicated to the retention of
African- and Latin-descended students. Students regularly
characterize her teaching as “excellent,” “best teacher I’ve
I’ve heard great things
about her as a teacher. Her
enthusiasm seems to put
my friends in the greatest
moods.
ever had,” “awesome,” and the ultimate student accolade
that transcends generations and cultures: “cool.”
Carol’s teaching is generous and accessible, caring
yet demanding, both “deeply human and humanizing.” Her
teaching practice exemplifies her belief in our students’
ability to achieve and succeed, and creates a classroom
atmosphere that has a genuine sense of community; one
that always models the very ideas she teaches.
– Debra Ballard, Chair, Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dr. Carol enriches the life
of every student she encounters, and her teaching
style and subject matter
actually help students
learn. It is a blessing to
know a teacher who so
passionately supports
students in their quest for
an education.
OMAG 24
section:
Alumna Profile
25 OMAG
Donor Profile
Into the
Light . . .
With an extremely creative dad and a business-savvy
mom, Amanda Thomas feels that the lion’s share of her
drive and self-discipline is in her blood, but she points to
Otis’ “Entrepreneur 101” class as being critical (and
humbling) in terms of focusing her thoughts and efforts
regarding her business.
Local Artist Supports Scholarships
“Learning how to write a business plan, researching
your market and demographic, coming up with PR
tactics, producing accounting spreadsheets of potential
expenses are all things I probably wouldn’t have done on
my own. But I’m so happy I was able to have those few
1
by George Wolfe
months before graduation to get it done, and have clarity
and knowledge to move forward. You think you know
everything . . . until you have to create a business plan.
story went live, I woke up to 300 emails, and my line had
Janet Tucker, who resided in
So although it’s cumbersome, it’s completely necessary.”
been picked up by Nordstroms, Shop Bop, and 40 other
the Westchester community,
boutiques. The L.A. Times wanted to do a feature, and I
may have lived in the shadow of
daunting. “A lot of my colleagues talked about seriously
remember crying for two days straight. I was so happy
Otis for many years, but her
starting their own companies. But it’s hard to commit,
but so overwhelmed that it was really happening. My
posthumous gift to the college is
because when you’re fresh out of school, you have bills to
dream came true but it was happening so fast that I
now shining a light upon her
pay and student loans that make it extra tough to get a
didn’t have a minute to digest it. So I had my mom, dad,
generous spirit. Tucker came into
new business off the ground right away.”
brother, sister, neighbors — you name it — in my studio
But starting a business right out of school is
packing boxes, filling orders, and helping me get it all
design had a positive impact on the bottom line of her
done. Unfortunately, at that time I didn’t have a
decided to make a difference in the lives of art students by
business. “My education in graphic design has helped
manufacturer, so I made every piece by hand. That
writing into her will a significant gift for Otis scholarships.
immensely with Luv Aj. I cannot even tell you how
summer I single-handedly wire-wrapped over 1,000
Tucker had no children, but had been interested in the
invaluable it is to know how to code my website, design
pieces of jewelry. I worked morning noon and night . . .
arts since high school, and saw the potential to nurture
my lookbook, shoot my product shots, etc. These are
blood, sweat, and tears. Now I have a full-time
generations of young artists.
skills I learned at Otis, and most people have to pay top
manufacturer, three interns, and an amazing team, and I
Thomas believes that her surprise interest in graphic
1
2
dollar for them. So not only do I save a lot of money that I
can fully appreciate all that work — I was paying my
can use for other business expenses, but I am able to
dues. It took a long time to find the right people to work
together on home and garden tours, and attended
control every aspect of my brand visually. The skill set I
with, but I’m so happy that I had the journey to the place
arts-related events in town. Tucker had studied art history
learned at Otis is definitely a factor in the sudden success
I am now. Having your own line and running your own
in college, and painted portraits and figure studies,
of Luv Aj.”
business is a 24/7 responsibility that is so incredibly
primarily using pastels, acrylics and watercolors. She also
rewarding but also such a challenge. There are no breaks.
submitted her work to art shows. In fact, both she and her
in-person and online networking: “Networking is
Ever. But being my own boss is the greatest thing in the
brother Jerry loved the arts; he had taken art classes in
everything. My motto is ‘be nice to everyone,’ because
world.”
Sedona, and the two would attend the symphony and visit
you just never know. Sometimes I think networking is
gross and forced, because it can be, so I just try to be
Blood, Sweat
and Ten Years
Later
by George Wolfe
Anne Baber met Tucker in 1980, and they both worked
for a realtor in Marina del Rey. Over the years, they went
She also underscores the importance of constant
While most high schoolers were content with simply surviving
the daily vicissitudes of adolescence, Amanda Thomas (’10) was
making her own jewelry, interning with a store designer, and
hitting the streets of L.A. in search of boutiques to carry her
jewelry. But on a day when she wasn’t looking, she got her first
break. Wearing one of her necklaces at the Fred Segal boutique,
she got a compliment from a jewelry buyer, and replied that
she had made it. Fred Segal met with her, and picked up
her line while she was still in high school. It wasn’t until she
graduated from Otis, however, that she pursued her business,
Luv Aj, full time.
an inheritance after her brother’s
death and, later, while she herself was coping with cancer,
And a full year after graduation, she has launched a
collaboration with Urban Outfitters called LUV ROCKS,
museums in the San Francisco area, where he lived.
After Tucker’s passing, Baber discovered that she
myself and hope that my personality and the product
which is a less expensive diffusion line based on her
was to be executor of Tucker’s estate, and learned
speaks for themselves.”
current collection. “I still pinch myself when I see the
more about her friend’s intent from handling the estate.
samples. It makes me hopeful that there’s so much more
“The gift to Otis just showed what kind of a person she
to come in the future.”
really was,” says Baber. “I know she’d be happy with
In summer 2010, she produced her first real
collection, shot the lookbook and, less two weeks later,
Who What Wear did a story on Luv Aj. “The morning the
this arrangement.”
Tucker was also a friend of Pam Banks, an Otis
instructor who taught draping to fashion design students,
and now teaches sewing and draping through Otis’
2
Continuing Education program. Banks fondly remembers
their “girls’ night out” jaunts, especially going on the tours
of area homes, then discussing anything and everything
related to aesthetics, décor, design and the arts.
“To select Otis out of all the excellent schools out
there is a real honor,” says Banks. “She couldn’t have
selected a better institution.”
OMAG 26
section:
section:
Fall 2011
27 OMAG
IRAN
After graduating from Otis, I packed four suitcases, two
of globalization, Westernization, sanctions, fundamental-
Building
Bridges:
carry-ons and a computer bag full of art, and traveled to
ism, HIV, prostitution, and the trafficking of young girls
MOCA Tehran in 2007 to curate “Manifestation of
as Iran’s biggest export could be found in Masami’s
Contemporary Arts in Iran.” The exhibition featured works
controversially bold paintings. Masami’s work embraced
from 67 Iranian and American artists, including Chair of
and visualized the aesthetics of the green movement in
Graduate Public Practice Suzanne Lacy, Masami Teraoka
a complex subversive plateau just beneath the governing
(’68 MFA), Co-founding Director of Artsts, Community and
factions of the Islamic Republic’s radar of genocide
Tehran – Los Angeles
Teaching program Jerri Allyn, and honorary degree
and oppression. The paintings were done in the 1970s
recipient Bill Viola. Former Prime Minister and reformist
with traditional Japanese brushstrokes but they were
politician Mir Hossein Mosavi’s name appeared in the
perfect for the “Jumong”-obsessed Tehran of 2009.
exhibition catalogue.
The 2009 uprising was inspired more by “Jumong” (an
Marjan Vayghan | (’06 Fine Arts)
During the Green Revolution, I returned to Iran to
LONDON - BRUSSELS
curate a solo exhibition of Masami Teraoka’s watercolors.
On August 5, 2009, my partner and I took a cab towards the
gallery. Police presence mushroomed on Vanak Square as
Americans
Abroad
forces on foot, motorcycles, and vans lined the street.
support my many art and activism obsessions.
Rooftop Projections and Exhibits throughout Iran.
I attended my first childhood friend’s funeral, where his
Updates from family members and friends include:
mother grabbed my inner knee, pleading for her son.
“Grandma was hit by a motorcyclist. Grandpa is losing
this summer. Strangers are coming by the gallery and
assaulted by two men on a motorcycle. My cries were
asking for you.” I continue shifting my consciousness
quickly silenced, as I was informed that it is unladylike to
towards collecting subversive literature and art for our
cry in public. My only remaining impulse was a need to
Rooftop Exhibits.
Moving to a radically different city
with different sensibilities and
philosophies for production was
admittedly confusing at first.
where Government grants provide much support. In the former, object-based production
a three-day practicum in which we give presentations, invite guests and carry out
is ultimately privileged, while the latter privileges “alternative” production like
lengthy discussions. The rest of our time is dedicated entirely to individual research and
time-based work. Pop taste differences are also apparent, e.g., theater affects London
exhibition projects.
artists more than it affects L.A. artists.
As for the architecture, we are particular fans of the building that houses
I am assistant director of MOTInternational, a gallery in the East End. I have been
very fortunate to travel to several European cities, and since September, I have been the
London’s Natural History Museum. The odd and amazing design by Alfred Waterhouse
associate director of our new gallery space in Brussels.
reflects a Victorian Gothic Revival period that borrowed from German Romanesque
and Gothic styles.
JB: Moving to a radically different city with different sensibilities and philosophies for
production was admittedly confusing at first. I knew my practice was being fed by the
P.S.
experience, but I couldn’t get enough perspective to grasp it. I’ve made some break-
JB: At Johnny Rocket, I was asked to design a Swarovski crystal tiara proposed for Kate
throughs recently, including Future Sculptures, a series of odd and intricate one-off
Middleton as part of a magazine promotion. Becky and I decided to brave the spectacle a
sculptures in sterling silver. I began making them after being exposed to wax-carving
bit without getting up at 5:00 am or camping out (true Londoners don’t do stuff like
techniques under the employment of boutique U.K. jewelry designers Johnny Rocket
that!) We wandered through the incredibly empty half of the city with a bottle of
(not the burger place).
champagne in hand. In the incredibly full half of the city were street parties and tourists.
After maneuvering close enough to catch a glimpse of the royal entourage, we eventually
BK/JB: During our time at Otis, faculty members like John Knight and Juli Carson
provided an outstanding example of how important it is for artists to spend time in
Europe. We have since encountered the difference between the American art world
abandoned the scene in favor of a posh lunch at Fortnum and Mason.
Marjan and her mother at a protest at
Performance at “Debating through the Arts: Performance Art 3,”
Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery, southern
18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, June-August 2011
Tehran, on top of open graves and in
honor of the 40th day anniversary of
Neda Agha-Soltan’s murder
his sight and memories. You shouldn’t come back to Iran
leave my aunt’s home again until August 18, when I was
exhibition. Everything I had to say about the taboo topics
system, largely dependent on the support of private patrons, and the U.K./Euro one,
10:00 pm - 5:00 am is spent curating and organizing
interrogated into the early hours of August 6. On August 7,
On August 29, I opened Masami Teraoka’s solo
We study in a workshop setting, collectively set our themes, and once a month gather for
10:00 am - 5:00 pm bears a plethora of emails, and an
from the mouth lunged his upper body into the moving
Speechless, I disconnected from all I knew. I didn’t
BK: There are seventeen women in my class who represent thirteen different countries!
These days I find myself working on the two time
zones of Tehran and Los Angeles.
endless search for regular curating and writing gigs to
articulate creatively.
Jesse and Becky met at the Graduate Studios where undergrad Becky saw an installation of Jesse’s. Jesse says that
he was trying to impress her because she co-owned an
art gallery. After Otis they moved to London, where Becky
is finishing her MFA in Curating at Goldsmiths, University
of London. As of this fall, they are living in Brussels.
Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Suddenly I was pulled out of our cab while a man foaming
taxi. Arrested, blindfolded and hooded, we were
Jesse Benson (’03 MFA Fine Arts) | Becky Koblick (’04 Fine Arts)
extremely popular South Korean soap opera) than by
Join our Building Bridges Rooftop Reflections
by sending us your art and support.
www.marjanvayghan.com
OMAG 28
section:
Class Notes
section:
Class Notes
Fall 2011
ALUMNAE
ALUMNUS
ALUMNI
ALUMNA
Laura Daroca
(’03 MFA Fine Arts)
Director of Alumni Relations
I am thrilled to be the new Director of Alumni Relations! As an alumna
and the former Director of Career Services, I look forward to hearing
from fellow alumni and interacting with you in a new way. The exciting
and inspiring accomplishments of Otis alumni never cease to amaze me.
Reach out to me at [email protected] or (310) 665-6895.
The listings below are a small sampling of recent alumni achievements
and announcements. The Otis Times blog showcases a more extensive
listing of what’s happening with alumni around the world, allows you to
share news and opportunities, post images and video and connect with
fellow alumni. Also, keep in touch with us and each other by joining the
Otis Alumni Facebook page. Go to otis.edu/alumni for links to both sites
or contact us at [email protected].
Valerie Tymoczko (’04 MFA Fine Arts)
Latched onto Stephen Colbert (as Richard Branson) for a
photo shoot for PROJECT, Branson’s iPad-only magazine
Steven Bankhead (’01 MFA Fine Arts)
Eighteenth Brumaire, Rooftop installation at
Steve Turner Contemporary, L.A.
David Gallup
Nate Hess
Steven Learner
’90 Fine Arts
’06 Fine Arts
’86 Environmental Design
“California’s Channel Islands”
“Modified Body”
Volunteered with Globe Aware to build
Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art,
STATION at USC Roski School of
a greenhouse for a children’s school in
Malibu
Fine Arts
Cuzco, Peru
Dana Montlack
Marjan Vayghan
Heather Verran
’94 MFA Fine Arts
’06 Fine Arts
‘86 Fine Arts
“Sea Creatures”
“falling up, with the cage”
Created new brands of Activewear:
Joseph Bellows Gallery, La Jolla
Gallery 825, L.A.
MBody for Madonna and Eleven for
Marco Rios
Mary Younakof
’97 Fine Arts
’06 MFA Fine Arts
Raymond Zibach
“Despair Beyond Despair”
“343 Dresses: Chromatic Convergence
’90 Communication Arts
LA><ART, L.A.
Project”
Production Designer, Kung Fu Panda 2
Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood
DreamWorks Animation
’01 MFA Fine Arts
John Weston
Zoe Hong
Eighteenth Brumaire rooftop installation
’07 MFA Fine Arts
’02 Fashion Design
Steve Turner Contemporary, L.A.
“Pleasure Paintings”
Co-produced a fashion show at Cotton
Sabina Lee Gallery, L.A.
Mill Studios, Oakland
Venus Williams
Steven Bankhead
Kenneth Ober
’01 Fine Arts
Amanda Keller Konya
“Shortest Distance BTN2PTS”
’09 MFA Fine Arts
K. Saari Gallery, Steamboat Springs, CO
“Specimens from North America’s Most
Polluted River”
Three Legged Legs
(Greg Gunn, Casey Hunt, and Reza
Rasoli , ‘06 Digital Media) “We’re All
in this Together” spot for Method
Cleaners shown on Virgin America
SOLOISTS
Althea Edwards (two-person exhibition)
“Launching a Dream: Reviving Tongva
Maritime Traditions”
UCLA Fowler Museum, L.A.
James David Thomas
’84 Fine Arts
“Nocturne”
Terry Martin Gallery, Santa Monica
Lucas Reiner
’85 Fine Arts
“I see men as trees, walking”
333 Montezuma Annex, Santa Fe
Elisabeth Condon
Yuichiro Ando
’86 Fine Arts
’87 Fine Arts
“Climb the Black Mountain”
“Left to Rod”
Lesley Heller Workspace, N.Y.
New Puppy Gallery, L.A.
Lawrence Gipe
Anne M. Bray
’86 MFA Fine Arts
“Approved Images”
“Small Pleasures: Sketches Drawn from
Tucson Museum of Art
Everyday Life”
TAG Gallery, Santa Monica
Cindy Kolodziejski
’86 Fine Arts
Darren Waterston
“Portraits of Sorts and Curiosities”
Frank Lloyd Gallery, Santa Monica
“Forest Eater”
The Contemporary Museum & Honolulu
Academy of Arts, Hawaii
Fay Ray
Centennial Museum, University of Texas,
’02 Fine Arts
El Paso
Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica
JJ Stevens
Annie Buckley
’10 MFA Fine Arts
’03 MFA Fine Arts
“Department of Archeological Oversight”
“Love and Fortune”
Dark Matter Gallery (with D-Block
Jancar Gallery, Chinatown, L.A.
Projects), Long Beach
Nate Frizzell
COOL DESIGNERS
“To Become Myself”
Douglas Kinsey
LeBasse Projects, Chinatown, L.A.
’85 Fine Arts
Wine label for Florencio L. Navarro ‘s
newest wine from Portugal, Semaphore 7
Cindy Kolodziejski
(’86 Fine Arts)
Bubble Eyes, 2011 earthenware, glass eyes,
and silver wood frame
29 OMAG
OMAG 30
section:
Class Notes
Greg Gunn, Casey Hunt, and Reza
Rasoli (Three Legged Legs)
’06 Digital Media
Selected by The Los Angeles Business
Journal for its “20 in Their Twenties”
feature on young entrepreneurs, April
2011. Recently signed by Blind, multidisciplinary Santa Monica-based studio.
ENTREPRENEURS
Ingrid Sidie
Principal and Partner, Design Ranch,
Kansas City, MO
Fay Ray (’02 Fine Arts)
Neither, 2011, c-print
Jade Lai
Owner, Creatures of Comfort boutique
featured in “Up Close: The Roundabout
Route to NoLIta”
New York Times, April 21, 2011
Robert Apodaca
’03 Architecture/Landscape/Interiors
“Tastemaker,” Los Angeles Magazine,
May 1, 2011
IN PRINT
John Zelenik
Illustrated cover of “Armageddon
Unlimited (A Sourcebook for the Heroes
Unlimited RPG),” Palladium Books
Jo Lauria
’90 MFA Fine Arts
Wrote feature on Charles Hollis Jones
Burbank residence for Entra,
a new digital architecture magazine
Aaron Philip Clark
’08 MFA Writing
“The Science of Paul: A Novel of Crime,”
New Pulp Press
IN THE NEWS
AWARD WINNERS
John Baldessari (’58 Fine Arts),
Mark Dean Veca
Kerry James Marshall (’78 Fine Arts),
’85 Fine Arts
and Alison Saar (’81 MFA Fine Arts)
2011 City of L.A. Individual Artist
“Human Nature: Contemporary Art from
Fellowship (COLA)
Class Notes
Otis and
Southern California Art
Khoi VInh
Wall of
Inspiration
2011 Fellowship for Visual Artists
Andrew Lewicki
Otis’ Wall of Inspiration was created
Awarded a 2011 Fellowship for Visual Artists
as a unique way to thank leadership-
from the California Community Foundation.
level donors for their generosity.
Past Fine Arts alumni recipients include:
Paul Wee
‘93 Communication Arts
Named one of 50 most influential
“Simpsons’ animator draws from his
American designers by Fast Company,
heart,” The Burbank Leader, July 29, 2011
October issue
community members to recognize,
Naomi Tashiro Schoenherr (’89 Fine
Irina Contreras
ones. The customized stainless steel
Arts) and Scott Schoenherr (’90 Fine
’04 Fine Arts
Arts) Selected by the Laguna Beach Arts
Grant for Scenes Unseen National Queer
Commission to design a sculpture garden
Arts Festival
in Heisler Park
San Francisco
Design clay students to the Wall of
Mario Ybarra Jr.
Greg Wilken
a small tile. For one year, I contributed
’99 Fine Arts
’04 Fine Arts
“Possible Worlds: Mario Ybarra Jr., Karla
Artists’ Resource for Completion Grant,
Diaz, and Slanguage Studio Select from
Center for Cultural Innovation
Otis and have a tile with their name
Michelle Chong
scholarships. I tell the students that
many alumni, parents, and Otis
honor, and memorialize their loved
tiles complement the adjacent Bronya
and Andy Galef Center for Fine Arts.
“Last spring, I took my Product
that some day they will give back to
on it in support of future student
when my parents were the same age
as they are, my mom was in America’s
NextGen Arts Grant, Creative Capacity
’01 Fine Arts
Fund
Internment Camps while my dad was
Ryan Riddle
ten years to practice architecture. I
drafted into the Army, and waited
“Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial”
benefited from their ability to keep the
’08 MFA Writing
Two Greater Bay Area Journalism awards
’03 MFA Fine Arts
for his work with The Daily Post
Artist-in-Residence
The Artist Studio, Pasadena
dream of a creative life. I am fortunate
to have lived at the right time in the
right country where social change is
IN MEMORIAM
possible, where Americans give
Work by many alumni is featured in two new books
Marissa Magdalena
Jacquelyn Sage
’08 Fine Arts
’45 Fine Arts
“Rebels in Paradise: the Los Angeles Art Scene and the
“Mercado’s work a year in the making,”
Painter and illustrator, passed away
1960s” by former faculty member Hunter Drohojowska
Eye Gallery
August 28, 2011
Philip and “L.A. Rising: So Cal Artists before 1980” by
Bakersfield.com, June 16, 2011
Bruce Kalberg (Bruce Caen)
about the emergence of contemporary art in L.A.:
Artist, graphic designer, publisher/editor;
Jan. 2012) will shine a new light on this seminal period.
(’97)
Hazel Mandujano
(’03, ’10 MFA)
Maggie White Lomelli
curated by Alex Donis (’94) at the 18th St Art Center in
Restauranteur and founder (with wife
Starus (‘72 MFA)
Marco Rios
Southern CA Artists & The Artist Space Movement,”
Santa Monica. which includes work by Leslie Labowitz-
Kenneth Figueredo
Oreo Manhole Cover, 2010, cast iron
- Faculty member Joan Takayama-Ogawa
Among the exhibitions is “Collaboration Labs:
’68 MFA, BFA Fine Arts
Santa Maria; passed away June 1, 2011
Andrew Lewicki (’07 Fine Arts)
hand out.’”
60 exhibitions in the area that comprise the Getty’s
Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 (Oct. 2011 –
Susan), McKeon-Phillips Winery,
scholarships as a ‘hand up and not as a
Lyn Kienholz. These books, along with the more than
’78 Fine Arts
passed away September 17, 2011
(’06)
Alumni are also included in “Civic Virtue: The
Impact of the L.A. Municipal Art Gallery and the Watts
This collaboration of artist,
Towers Art Center” at Barnsdall Park.
designer, and printer
Check www.pacificstandardtime.org for information
resulted in a limited
and dates
edition lithograph for an
Passed away October 1, 2010
Alan Riggle
exhibition at LA><ART.
Read entire essay at otis.edu/PST
’71 MFA Fine Arts
[email protected] or call
invites OFund contributions in his honor
Designer, Fashion Design Assistant Chair
(1998-2001) and faculty member; passed
away August 16, 2011. Donations to the
Huntington can be sent to: Kimberly
Valentine, The Huntington, 1151 Oxford
Road, San Marino, CA 91108
Poster for short film
Despair Beyond Despair
(310) 665-6869
(otis.edu/ofund)
If you have questions or would like
to purchase a tile, please contact
Passed away August 2011. His family
Laurie Viapiano
Patssi Valdez, ’85
Steve Roden, ’86
Sandow Birk, ’89
Alex Donis, ’94 MFA
Sandeep Mukherjee, ’96
Ruben Ochoa, ’97
Marco Rios, ’97
Juan Capistran, ’99
Adrian Meraz, ’00
Desmond McVay, ’01
a little per paycheck, and my hope is
Jacob Rhodes
Matt MacFarland
Roberto Gil de Montes, ’74 MFA
Eloy Torrez, ’77 MFA
May Sun, ’79
Bruce Yonemoto, ’79 MFA
Coleen Sterritt, ’79 MFA
Mineko Grimmer, ’81 MFA
Diane Gamboa, ’84
Liz Young, ’84
Annetta Kapon, ’85
Cindy Koloziejski, ’86
Inspiration, where I have my name on
’06 MFA Fine Arts
Bronx Museum, N.Y.
(’07 Fine Arts)
Additionally, this tiled Wall allows
the Permanent Collections”
LACMA
31 OMAG
Fall 2011
the Collection” LACMA
Ardison Phillips
Elisabeth Condon (’86 Fine Arts)
Hello, Yellow, 2010, acrylic on linen
section:
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
Please make a 100% tax-deductible gift that is meaningful to you
by visiting our secure giving site at otis.edu/givenow. If you
have any questions or would like more information on other giving
options, please contact Andre Khachtourians, Director of Annual
Giving, at (310) 665-6869 or [email protected].
02
01
310.
665.
6869
03
otis.edu/
givenow
Bryan Hunt
’71 Fine Arts
Ten cast bronze sculptures on Park Avenue installed as
part of a project through The Sculpture Committee of
The Fund for Park Avenue and the Public Art Program
of the City of N.Y.’s Department of Parks & Recreation,
September–mid November
clockwise, from upper left: Charioteer, Big Twist, Flume I,
Crossing, Flume I and II, Hoodoo
opposite: Flume II

vol.11 issue 11 - Otis College of Art and Design

Transcription

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