CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

Spring 2013letter from the president

anthony huberman is new wat tis institute director

painting expanded symposium: april 13, 2013

new space for the cca wat tis institute

Crowds gather under Claire Fontaine: Redemptions, a canopy of aluminum cans hanging from the Wattis ceiling

welcome to laura hazlett, senior vp for finance

Spring 2013As I write this, we are approaching spring semester midterms. The last few months at CCA have been stimulating, productive, and eventful. Students and faculty have been absorbed in their classes, inspiring and thought-provoking work has been on display on both campuses, and there seems to be a lecture, talk, or exhibition opening every night of the week.

As a painter I’m particularly excited about the Painting Expanded Symposium coming up on April 13 on CCA’s San Francisco campus. It will bring together a diverse group of internationally recognized artists from New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Discussions will revolve around issues of material, context, and theory, as well as academic culture, writing/criticism, and the art market. The participating artists include Amy Bessone, Lecia Dole-Recio, Vincent Fecteau, Keltie Ferris, Mary Heilmann, Tom LaDuke, Keith Mayerson, Meleko Mokgosi, Dushko Petrovich, and Mary Weatherford. For more information, visit cca.edu/paintingexpanded.

Before we start thinking about wrapping up the 2012–13 academic year, I want to highlight some recent developments at the college. Once again, I thank you for your continued interest and support. Together, we are committed to creating an exceptional learning experience for our students.

Stephen BealPresident

I’m delighted to announce that, after a rigorous search effort, we have hired Laura Hazlett, PhD, as our new senior vice president for finance. Laura comes to us from the University of California, Berkeley, where she has been chief financial officer for athletics since 2009. While there, her many accomplishments included serving as the financial point person for the capital project

There was a huge turnout for our first public event at the newly acquired spaces at 350–360 Kansas Street in San Francisco. The January 22 opening of the Wattis Institute exhibitions Claire Fontaine: Redemptions and Werner Herzog’s Hearsay of the Soul drew many members of the CCA community and the Bay Area arts community, as well as curious neighbors. We look forward to all the exhibitions and events to come, and to playing an increasingly significant role in the presentation and discussion of contemporary art and design in San Francisco.

plan implementation, which included a $300 million renovation of California Memorial Stadium and the construction of the $142 million Simpson Center for Student-Athlete High Performance. She holds a PhD in management and an MS in economics from UCLA, and a BS in economics and a BA in mathematics from Arizona State University.

Laura will be taking over the financial reins from David Kirshman, who is retiring in May after 28 years of service to the college—13 years as a trustee and 15 years as senior vice president for finance. David is a close friend and valued colleague, and replacing him represents a big change. I am confident that in Laura we have found a dynamic new leader for this key position.

Anthony Huberman, director of The Artist’s Institute (a project with Hunter College–CUNY), has been appointed the new director of the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts. Prior to his work at The Artist’s Institute, he was chief curator of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, and a curator at Palais de Tokyo in Paris and SculptureCenter in New York. Anthony has developed some of the most thoughtful and inspired programming in the field and has worked extensively with a broad range of international artists, writers, and curators. In addition to his curatorial vision and expertise, he has considerable writing, publication, and teaching experience. I am delighted that Anthony will be joining us and am certain that he will lead the Wattis to new heights.

letter from the president

Alumni reception attendees in New York

CCA President Stephen Beal, event host John Mills (MFA 1999), and Alexandra Grant (MFA 2000) in Los Angeles

Bruna Massadas (MFA 2012), Maria Guadalupe (MFA 2012), and Joseph Pitruzzelli (Industrial Design 2005) in Los Angeles

alumni receptions in los angeles and new york

commencement events

amory lovins to receive honor ary doctor ate

CCA will confer an honorary doctorate on the physicist Amory Lovins on May 18 at the 106th commencement exercises. Lovins is chair and chief scientist at Rocky Mountain Institute and chair emeritus of Fiberforge Corporation. His wide-ranging innovations in energy, security, environment, and development have earned him numerous awards, including a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, a National Design Award, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal. In 2009 Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Foreign Policy magazine honored him as one of the 100 top global thinkers. Given the CCA community’s commitment to sustainability and innovation, he should be a compelling and inspiring commencement speaker.

One of the best parts of my job is meeting CCA alumni and hearing about their accomplishments, current projects, and plans for the future. This past February, I had the pleasure of attending two very successful alumni events. In Los Angeles, 65 alumni joined us for a special reception at Weekend, an artist-run gallery space. Special thanks to gallery owner John Mills (MFA 1999) for hosting. A week later I flew to New York for the annual College Art Association conference. As part of the festivities, the CCA Alumni Association hosted a reception at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, and more than 90 alumni attended. These receptions are great opportunities for our alumni to network and reconnect with the college.

The end of the academic year is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating students. We hope you will join us for some of the many events, exhibitions, and readings. Highlights include the Graduate Thesis Exhibitions (May 16–25), the Baccalaureate Exhibition (May 16–21), and the Annual Fashion Show (May 17). For details, visit cca.edu/upstart.

Still from Rob Epstein’s Lovelace, 2013

Michael Vanderbyl’s Teknion NeoCon Showroom, Chicago, 2012

Brave directors Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman accept the Academy Award

Toyin Odutola, Maebel, 2012Lucille Tenazas in her studio (photo by Christine Navin)

Shawn Lovell on the cover of American Craft

James Edmondson, Woods of Wisdom typeface

Adam McCauley, Simplicity City, 2012

facult y achievements

in memoriam

recent student and alumni successes

We were deeply saddened by the recent passing of Michael Cronan, faculty member for 19 years, Betty Hine, a CCA trustee for 45 years, and Shepard Pollack, CCA trustee emeritus. These individuals gave so much to the CCA community and will be sorely missed. In the upcoming issue of CCA’s magazine, Glance, we will devote a special section to celebrating their lives, accomplishments, and many contributions to the college.

Where to begin? The accomplishments of our students and alumni could fill an entire newsletter! Here are just a few highlights. MBA in Design Strategy student Adam Broidy was part of a team that won the AECOM “Urban SOS: Frontiers” award, beating out entries from 41 countries. Mia Christopher (Painting/Drawing 2012) collaborated with Anthropologie to produce a line of clothing featuring print patterns based on her paintings. Graphic Design student James Edmondson’s “Woods of Wisdom” typeface was used in President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Naomie Kremer (MFA 1993) was the visual designer for the opera The Secret Garden, presented by the San Francisco Opera and Cal Performances. Shawn Lovell (Sculpture 1993) was featured on the cover of American Craft magazine with a story on her amazing metal work. Toyin Odutola (MFA 2012) was included in Forbes’s “30 Under 30 Art & Style” list. Ardy Sobhani (MBA in Design Strategy 2012) raised almost $450,000 on Kickstarter for the Oru Kayak Origami Folding Boat—more than five times his stated goal at the outset of the campaign. And Lucille Tenazas (Graphic Design 1979) will receive the most distinguished award in graphic design—the AIGA Medal—at a ceremony in New York in April.

Mark Andrews (Animation) picked up both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature for his directorial work on Pixar’s Brave; one of the film’s codirectors and screenwriters was CCA alumnus Steve Purcell (Interdisciplinary Fine Arts 1982). Graphic Design faculty Christopher Simmons, Jennifer Morla, and Martin Venezky (together with alumna Gaby Brink) were on Graphic Design USA’s list of the “50 Most Influential Designers Currently Working.” Rob Epstein (Film) showed two films, to great critical acclaim, at Sundance in January. Michael Vanderbyl (Graphic Design faculty and alum) was elected to the Interior Design Hall of Fame. Architecture faculty member Brendon Levitt, as part of the firm Loisos + Ubbelohde, won first prize in the Architecture at Zero 2012 competition for a new campus center design for UC Merced. Adam McCauley (Illustration) received a Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators Annual show. And, finally, four CCA-affiliated designers received awards in the Communication Arts Typography Competition: Daniel Surgeon (student), Mark Fox and Angie Wang (faculty), and Christopher Simmons (faculty).