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Otis College of Art and Design

310.665.6800 / OTIS.EDU VOL.11

How Does the Mind See? pg.04

Freedom Memorial in Palaupg.16

Creative Legend Bob Mackiepg.18

in this issue:310.665.6800 / OTIS.EDU OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN MAGAZINE

Fall 2011

ISSUE 11

Otis prepares diverse students of

art and design to enrich our world

through their creativity, their skill,

and their vision.

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.

FALL 2011 VOL.11 IN THIS ISSUE:

© Otis College of Art and Design

Publication of material does not necessarily

indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint

by Otis College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design

02

03

08

Rising to the Challenge

Liberal Arts and Sciences

College News

28

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.

Samuel Hoi, President

Back cover: The Waitresses, “Easy Three-Step Guide

to Food Protection in the Event of Nuclear Attack,” 1982-83

Performance as part of Target L.A. Fallout Fashion Show.

Photograph by Joyce Dallal. © The Waitresses: Jerri Allyn

and Anne Gauldin

Editor: Margi Reeve, Communications Director

Co-editor: Sarah Russin, Assistant VP, Institutional Advancement

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

FPO

26 Alumni Around the World

24 Alumna + Donor Profiles Blood, Sweat and Ten Years Later; Amanda Thomas (’10) Into the Light: Local Artist Supports Scholarships

Benson (’03 MFA) and Koblick (’04) in London/BrusselsVayghan (’06) in Tehran/L.A.

New Provost Team

Making + Thinking Go Hand in Hand How Does the Mind See? Rob Spruijt Converging Galaxies: Heather Joseph-WithamBattle for Equality: Boo Jarchow (’08)

11 for 2011Commencement 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

President Hoi at the annual Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show with Honorees Art Coppola of Santa Monica Place, and designer Bob Mackie

311604

28 Class NotesPacific Standard Time Wall of Inspiration Visual Artist Fellowships

OMAG 2 Otis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine 3 OMAGFall 2011

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

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.”

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.”

Rising to the Challenge

Featuresection:

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

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; writing-

intensive 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.

““�And�what�do�you�teach��

at�Otis?”�“I�teach�English.”

“�I�didn’t�think�they�had�English�at�an�art�college.�How�wonderful!”

What the Liberal Arts Covers & Uncovers

”

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.

IN HAND

MAKING +THINKINGGO HAND

OMAG 4 Featuresection: Otis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine 5 OMAGFall 2011

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.

HOW DOES THE MIND SEE?

ROBERT SPRUIJT(’01�Fine�Arts)��

Associate�Professor,�LAS�Dept.

“ I enjoy a good book, but I retain a lot more information whenever I see something, touch it, and interact with its context.”

OMAG 6 Featuresection: Otis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine 7 OMAGFall 2011

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.

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

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.

THE BATTLE FOR EQUALITY Boo�Jarchow(’08 Product Design, Cultural Studies Minor)

“ I didn’t know that, once I finished school, those parallels would continue to exist so intensely in my life and work.”

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 old-

timey, 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 first-

year 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?

CONVERGING GALAXIES Heather�Joseph-Witham�FolkloristAssociate Professor, LAS Dept.

Heather Joseph-Witham (third from left) with students at

the Día de los Muertos Festival, Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

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.”

OMAG 8 College Newssection: 9 OMAGOtis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

Hometown? I was born in Carson City, Nevada, but I’ve lived in Long Beach since I was one.

Final Senior Project? Our collective Senior Project 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. 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 be-tween the world in which we live and the individual.

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.

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.

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.

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. Every-thing 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!!

Cole W. Moss

112011

for

10. Graduate Writing / Rocío Carlos 11. Graduate Public Practice / David Russell

06. Toy Design / Harmony Hines Slattery 07. Product Design / Ryan Robertson

Cool things you did outside of school?

I am working on a novel right now. I also have my own blog, thelasercutter.blogspot.com

Final Senior Project?

“Go Green or Else,” a PSA motion graphics piece about global warming, was featured in Computer Arts Magazine 190.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I collect tie clips. I’ve also eaten more macaroni and cheese than anyone west of the Colorado River.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

Sam Tanis

of 11 Architecture/Landscape/InteriorsBFA

02 of 11 CommunicationArtsBFA

03

Sang Youb Shin

of 11 Digital MediaBFA

04. Fashion Design / Holly Buskirk, Caitlin Knox

05. Fine Arts / Lindsay Schulz 03. Digital Media / Sang Youb Shin

01. ALI / Sam Tanis 02. Communication Arts / Cole W. Moss

08. Graduate Graphic Design / Hazel Mandujano

09. Graduate Fine Arts / Terry Norton-Wright

OMAG 10 College Newssection: 1 1 OMAGOtis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

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 ranch- family brat.

Final Senior Project? HB: We worked with mentor Bob Mackie to create eveningwear inspired by Afri-can 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.

Other intriguing projects? CK: Holly and I had the same mentor for all but one project, and would laugh after independently designing identical gar-ments. 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.

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.

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 achiev-able. 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.

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 influ-enced by Harry Potter.

Hometown? Simi Valley, California

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.

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.

Hometown? Scottsdale, Arizona

Final Senior Project? I developed a new business 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.

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.

Most fun/influential LAS class? David Bremer’s “Capstone” class helped me put all of my true design interests into a concise paper.

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.

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.

Next?

I am working on my own projects and looking for a company that makes objects that create positive change in the world.

Hometown? Santa Rosa, California. However, in the 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 pieces. In “the white out series,” I made five 44” x 34” ink jet prints, painted white out over the photo-graphs (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 struc-ture for the series.

Other intriguing projects? For Alex Slade’s “Land-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, Yel-lowstone, Salt Lake City, Zion, and back to LA. We are heading out on Olive Rhyme 3 in a week!

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.

Favorite place in LA? First, the LAX lookout. My 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 wonder-ful to get out of the city, and spend time in such a tranquil environment.

How did Otis affect your work/life? Otis’ work 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.

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).

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!

07

Harmony Hines Slattery

of 11 Toy DesignBFA

06

Ryan Robertson

of 11 ProductDesignBFA

05

LindsaySchulz

of 11 Fine ArtsBFA

04

Holly Buskirk and Caitlin Knox

of 11 FashionDesignBFA

Cool things you did outside of school?

C: Can you please define the term “outside of school”? I’m not familiar with the concept.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE TO READ ABOUT THE MFA CLASS OF 2011

Favorite place in LA?

A “secret” beach in Ventura County

OMAG 12 College Newssection: 13 OMAGOtis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

Hometown? Wilmington, California

Thesis Project? Reverb (For Girls) is an educational program for inner city teenage girls interested in becoming artists, writers, musicians, designers, and entrepreneurs.

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.

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.

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 for-mer 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.

Other intriguing project? Assisting artist and 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.

Cool things outside of school? Reality.

Favorite place in L.A.? East L.A.

How did Otis affect your work/life? Otis provid-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.

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.

Rocío Carlos

Cool things you did outside of school?

I recently spent three months in Amsterdam working with great designers and thinkers.

Something unusual/idiosyncratic?

I wake up every morning at first light to surf.

How did Otis affect your work/life?

The mentorship I received was invaluable. I now have a much sharper lens for my own work.

09

Hazel Mandujano

of 11 Graduate Graphic DesignMFA

10 of 11 Graduate WritingMFA

11

David Russell

of 11 Graduate Public PracticeMFA

Hometown? Landisville, New Jersey

Thesis project? “En Wonder,” an installation calling into question one’s relationship with one’s own body and the relationship between form, nature, and mortality.

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 exhibi-tions. 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.

Most fun/influential class?

Critique, thesis writing, and a class secretly called “Advanced Beef.”

08

Terry Norton-Wright

of 11 Graduate Fine ArtsMFA

Commencement Speaker and Honorary Doctorate

recipient Sheila Levrant de Bretteville—also the found-

ing 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

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.

Through your inspired responses to reality, you will

mobilize our world to transition to a better and more

sustainable future, and you will enjoy success and sat-

isfaction in a lifelong cycle of inspiration and action.”

Valedictorian Paula Suzanne Little (Communica-

tion Arts) spent ten years as a fashion designer and

investment banker to earn money to enroll at Otis. The

New Zealand native had these words for her class-

mates, “As they would say back home: ‘Kia kaha,’ which

means ‘forever strong.’”

Watch the ceremony at http://bit.ly/j6fgtR

2011 Commencement

The Powerof Your Imagination

“�What�makes�Otis�great��is�a�diverse�collection����of�individuals”�

President Hoi with honorary doctorate recipient

Sheila Levrant de Bretteville

OMAG 14 College Newssection: 15 OMAGOtis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

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�com-pliment.�The�student�shows�have�nothing�‘student’�about�them.�They�are�professional�in�every�way,�from�the�presentation�to�the�immensely�creative�content.”

OMAG 16 College Newssection: 17 OMAGOtis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

Day 1 and 2

Treated to one of the most amazing sun-

sets leaving Guam on the way to Palau; it

looked like the sky was on fire.

Day 3

Palau is made up of sixteen states. Our

team lodged in Koror, in the dorms of a

community college. Met Helen Reed-

Rowe, the American Ambassador and

Patrick Tellei, President of the community

college.

Day 5

In the evening, presented the project

proposals to President Toribiong and

several other heads of state, who were so

impressed that they were speechless.

Day 7

Our visit was profiled on the front page of

the Island Times newspaper. We presented

our proposals to the United Artists of

Palau, other Government officials, and

invited guests.

Day 8

Two team members presented their health

campaign projects to the Minister of

Health. He was so impressed that he invit-

ed them each to do a month’s residency in

Palau next summer! Otis women attended

the first childbirth ceremony for a relative

of the Bilung (the Queen of Palau).

“When we got our first glimpses of the

new mother, a hush fell over the group;

she was simply stunning; the contrast of

the bright yellow skin [she is painted in a

mixture of turmeric and ginger] against

the blue and red skirt was amazing.”

Day 10

The Bilung gave us a personal tour of the

Cultural Center, including the Bai, a meet-

ing place, covered in traditional painted

storyboards that is latticed together and

tied down by coconut husks. We were

treated to a demonstration of traditional

dance and a sumptuous meal. We then

presented to both the Council of Chiefs

and the Bilung’s Council of Ladies.

Day 12

Visited the island of Peleliu, the site of a

bloody, three-month-long WWII battle

between the Americans/Palauans and

the Japanese. Signs of the past were

everywhere: abandoned tanks, markers of

mines that continue to be discovered, as

well as the remains of fallen soldiers.

In June, a group of Integrated Learning students spent almost two weeks in the Republic

of Palau as the first phase of a three-year initiative to design and build a memorial to

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 mem-

bers who lost their lives, the students explored the island’s wonders: Jellyfish Lake,

a 12,000 year-old marine lake that is the only one in the world where jellyfish have no

stingers; tropical waterfalls; sandy beaches; amazing diving, and tropical flora and fauna.

For the first time in Otis’ history, sophomores in Joyce

Mesch’s design class teamed up with Spin Master Ltd.,

one of the leading toy manufacturers in the world, to

create and design preschool products. Spin Master’s

sponsored project was coordinated by Toy Design Chair

Deborah Ryan alongside Spin Master’s Senior Designer,

James F. Elliott. Jim worked side by side with the Otis stu-

dents as they generated ideas, honed their concepts and

prepared for their final presentation. Along the way they

learned valuable lessons in “real world” design challenges.

“I knew from the first day of class it was going to

be a great experience,” said Mesch, “and that this was an

exceptional group of students. Even though they were

working on individual concepts, they functioned like a

true design team. They had a great rapport, were always

willing to share ideas and resources, and they trusted and

reacted to the feedback they were given by their mentors.

That kind of collaborative effort made everyone’s projects

stronger and it showed in the outcome. The results

were inspiring and exceeded everyone’s expectations.”

At the end of the semester, the students presented

their designs. With excitement in the air, Spin Master

surprised the students with awards of $1,000 for first

place, $700 for second place, and $500 for third place; all

participating students received a $100 payment for their

efforts. Between the culmination of a lot of hard work and

the surprise award money, there wasn’t a dry eye in the

house, as the students expressed their gratitude for the

opportunity to work with Spin Master.

Naomi Kwiatkowski, the first-place winner, noted:

“The group that I was able to work with made this experi-

ence incredible. My peers and mentor were so helpful

and supportive along the way, providing constructive

criticism and inventive ideas to further our concepts into

something concrete. We all had the privilege to perform

as professionals, and the process was challenging but

exciting. In the end, I feel that it was hard work and the

group effort that led me to this achievement.”

In addition to the collaboration on the sponsored

design project, six students completed design internships

at the company this summer in one of four toy categories:

boys, girls, wheels, or preschool.

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

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

exceptional job. There was a first, second and third place

awarded to each of the teams in a very festive ceremony.

I think the students really felt part of the whole team here,

and a couple of them are continuing with part-time work

at Spin Master. We intend to further our relationship

with Otis, and continue our summer internship program

for the years to come.”

“The Spin Master-sponsored project was a great

way for us to transition from a school dynamic into a

professional environment for the summer internships,”

said intern Rafael Bencosme. “It provided a taste of how

toy designers get to work in a world-class company.

The school projects tend to give a lot of flexibility to the

students, fostering uniqueness in the designs. We had

the opportunity to concentrate on specific brands for

specific users. What really made it a unique experience

was the opportunity to receive feedback and trade ideas

with highly talented people.”

Freedom Memorial Project

Students posted daily to the blog, chronicling their adventures in the South Pacific

Nick Hayes, Sprouts

Naomi Kwiatkowski, Sweet Surprise Tea Party

One team’s design proposal

incorporates Palauan carved wooden

boards that tell the story of creation

and other myths.New Spins for Preschool Toys

“ I knew from the first day of class it was going to be a great experience.”

by George Wolfe

OMAG 18 College Newssection: 19 OMAGOtis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

A Creative Legend

“ To see them run with it, and do such beautiful work is very impressive...”

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.

Bob Mackie honored at the 2011

Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show I get so much out of these sessions with

the students. They know things that I don’t

know and I can give them some knowledge.

It’s amazing to see students who are so well

educated turning out product that looks

so beautiful.

When I came to Otis with an

assignment, it was always something

that I wished I could do. And I thought,

well, I’ll just have them do it, and it

will be terrific and inspiring. Teaching

them is like a gift.

2011 Mentors

Bleu/Rod Beattie (’86)

Bob Mackie

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

(At Otis) the students almost do it for

real before they hit the market, and

they’re feeling their way but this school

is really, really good.

“ ” “ ” “ ”

OMAG 20 College Newssection: 21 OMAGOtis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

DOUBLE U • OH • EM • AY • EN

From 1973-1991, the Woman’s Building (WB) in downtown L.A. offered opportu-nities 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 com-plexity, 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.”

Leslie Labowitz-Starus (‘72 MFA) on the hoisting of

Kate Millet’s sculpture of a woman on top of the WB:

It must have been a slow news day because we got front-

page coverage in the L.A. Times with a headline “New

Image of Women.”

I applied for a Fulbright to go to Dusseldorf and study

with Joseph Beuys. Going to Europe was the best thing

I ever did for my political awareness as an activist, artist

and feminist.

Sheila Levrant de Bretteville

The WB symbolized the freedom of beginnings; women

looking for ways to be more visible. The spirit of the time,

all over the world, was liberating. We were figuring out

what to do, what questions to ask. Before there was such

a thing as women’s studies programs anywhere, WB con-

tinuing education presented lectures on women’s studies.

Cheryl Swannack

Our goal was to put feminism IN the world. It was about

DOING IT rather than dreaming of it.

Jerri Allyn

The WB felt like a beehive.

We envisioned the crit as a supportive tool, and this be-

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.

Eloise Klein Healy

WB was a life-changing experience; it was a liminal

space—the air was charged. I was a Catholic girl running

around with witches on broomsticks—it was crazy.

Cindy Marsh

My boyfriend Buzzy walked me to the WB, where we saw

all these women (with spiky shaved heads, wearing t-shirts,

with armpit hair) hanging all over each other at the gates.

He said “It’s your decision,” and left. So I took a leap

of faith, walked in, and knew I had became part of a

different world. The WB artists’ legacy is the humanist

movement in art and communication that they intro-

duced to the world.

Anne Gauldin

According to Arlene Raven, one of the WB founders, the

goals of feminist art were to invite dialogue, raise con-

sciousness and transform culture.

Michelle Kort

I can date everything back to the WB—part of it was person-

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.

Terry Wolverton

The WB started like wildfire, like a magnetic force. It could

only have happened in L.A. where there was no high-

stakes art world. There was a museum and a few galleries

but not fierce competition for careers. The supportive

environment encouraged us to try many different things.

Editor’s Note: “Doin it in Public: Feminism

and Art at the Woman’s Building” is on

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 institu-

tions that tells the story of the birth of the

L.A. art scene. Please check otis.edu/cal-

endar 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 con-

nected with the WB and the PST exhibi-

tions. Students will learn about aspects of

feminist art, the development of contem-

porary art in L.A., urban development and

popular culture, collaborative and perfor-

mance art, and other related topics.

* Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman’s

Building, Terry Wolverton, City Lights, 2002

Anne Gauldin, Photo collage for the Woman’s Building Newsletter, undated,

Woman’s Building Image Archive, Otis College of Art and Design

Bia Lowe

“Someone put me in the wrong nest. When I got involved

with other ducks, it was great!” Everyone gravitated to-

ward each other. We were young and were going to change

the world. The WB exuded a magnetic confidence, energy,

cohesion, and sharing.

Paula Lumbard

At the WB, the personal became political.

In “Bedtime Stories: Women Speak out About Incest,” the

work became a vehicle for healing.

Joyce Kozloff

I never had a woman studio art teacher, and I never

thought about it. It all changed that year I spent in L.A.

(1970-71) I felt very lucky to have participated in that mo-

ment. My generation became woman-identified, and the

optimism, energy and enthusiasm were infectious.

Rachel Rosenthal

The WB was organic: members attracted others as they

lived their lives. It created so much change in the lives of

so many. It was a place where you earned your ribbons!

Graduate Public Practice Chair Suzanne

Lacy and Leslie Labowitz-Starus (’72 MFA)

created “In Mourning and In Loss” as a

media event by women protesting violence

against women. The arresting image of

huge, tall, hooded women at City Hall was

a response to the hillside strangler.

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!

Michelle Kort

“ Heaven or Hell?,” Feminist Art Workers, 1978, performance,

Pictured: Cheri Gaulke, Woman’s Building Image Archive,

Otis College of Art and Design, © Feminist Art Workers

Suzanne Lacy and Leslie Labowitz-Starus (’72 MFA), In Mourning and In Rage, performance at L.A. City Hall, 1977 © Suzanne Lacy

OMAG 22 College Newssection: 23 OMAGOtis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

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.

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. Edu-cation 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-

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

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

Carol’s talent in teaching is her ability to take very complex and challenging material and present it in an engaging and relevant way. I’ve heard great things about her as a teacher. Her enthusiasm seems to put my friends in the greatest moods. Dr. Carol enriches the life of every student she en-counters, 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.

Even though I haven’t had Erin since my first semes-ter junior year, she sticks out in my mind as a teacher who encompasses the fol-lowing 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 relation-ship evolved over time through multiple critiques, conversations and projects.

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.

Erin Hauber was an exceptionally generous and committed

member of the faculty whose teaching impacted the lives of

many students, balancing high expectations with compas-

sion 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 know-

ledge 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.

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 in-

valuable 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, straightfor-

ward and honest but always fair in assessing a situation.

Her incredible organizational and time management skills

establish the bar of excellence for all who work with her. All

of these qualities are mixed with humor and an infectious

laugh that lightens the fast pace of the department.

– Rose Brantley, Chair, Fashion Design

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.

Recognized for communicating a thorough knowledge of and

enthusiasm for the subject and transforming or enhancing teaching

methodology and practice.

Erin Hauber

FULL-TIME TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD

Carol Branch

Recognized for communicating a thorough knowledge of and

enthusiasm for the subject and transforming or enhancing teaching

methodology and practice.

PART-TIME TEACHINGEXCELLENCE AWARD

The Powerof Three Jill Higashi-

Zeleznik

DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR AWARD

Recognized as a long-term faculty member who consistently

motivates students, inspires colleagues, and creates a lasting

impression of an extraordinary educator.

Editors note: Three annual teaching excel-

lence awards are given to faculty members

for their commitment to Otis, clear and

effective teaching, and exceptional ability

to respond to a diverse student body.

Students, faculty and alumni nominate

these faculty members. One Distinguished

Educator Award and two Teaching

Excellence Awards (one full-time and

one part-time) are presented at the annual

Commencement Ceremony. (On the fol-

lowing pages, comments from students

and alumni follow the Chairs’.)

Otis’ Annual Teaching

Excellence Awards(’87 Fashion Design)

OMAG 24 section: Otis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine 25 OMAGDonor Profile

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.

“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

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.

So although it’s cumbersome, it’s completely necessary.”

But starting a business right out of school is

daunting. “A lot of my colleagues talked about seriously

starting their own companies. But it’s hard to commit,

because when you’re fresh out of school, you have bills to

pay and student loans that make it extra tough to get a

new business off the ground right away.”

Thomas believes that her surprise interest in graphic

design had a positive impact on the bottom line of her

business. “My education in graphic design has helped

immensely with Luv Aj. I cannot even tell you how

invaluable it is to know how to code my website, design

my lookbook, shoot my product shots, etc. These are

skills I learned at Otis, and most people have to pay top

dollar for them. So not only do I save a lot of money that I

can use for other business expenses, but I am able to

control every aspect of my brand visually. The skill set I

learned at Otis is definitely a factor in the sudden success

of Luv Aj.”

She also underscores the importance of constant

in-person and online networking: “Networking is

everything. My motto is ‘be nice to everyone,’ because

you just never know. Sometimes I think networking is

gross and forced, because it can be, so I just try to be

myself and hope that my personality and the product

speaks for themselves.”

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

story went live, I woke up to 300 emails, and my line had

been picked up by Nordstroms, Shop Bop, and 40 other

boutiques. The L.A. Times wanted to do a feature, and I

remember crying for two days straight. I was so happy

but so overwhelmed that it was really happening. My

dream came true but it was happening so fast that I

didn’t have a minute to digest it. So I had my mom, dad,

brother, sister, neighbors — you name it — in my studio

packing boxes, filling orders, and helping me get it all

done. Unfortunately, at that time I didn’t have a

manufacturer, so I made every piece by hand. That

summer I single-handedly wire-wrapped over 1,000

pieces of jewelry. I worked morning noon and night . . .

blood, sweat, and tears. Now I have a full-time

manufacturer, three interns, and an amazing team, and I

can fully appreciate all that work — I was paying my

dues. It took a long time to find the right people to work

with, but I’m so happy that I had the journey to the place

I am now. Having your own line and running your own

business is a 24/7 responsibility that is so incredibly

rewarding but also such a challenge. There are no breaks.

Ever. But being my own boss is the greatest thing in the

world.”

And a full year after graduation, she has launched a

collaboration with Urban Outfitters called LUV ROCKS,

which is a less expensive diffusion line based on her

current collection. “I still pinch myself when I see the

samples. It makes me hopeful that there’s so much more

to come in the future.”Blood, Sweat and Ten YearsLater

by George Wolfe

by George Wolfe

Janet Tucker, who resided in

the Westchester community,

may have lived in the shadow of

Otis for many years, but her

posthumous gift to the college is

now shining a light upon her

generous spirit. Tucker came into

an inheritance after her brother’s

death and, later, while she herself was coping with cancer,

decided to make a difference in the lives of art students by

writing into her will a significant gift for Otis scholarships.

Tucker had no children, but had been interested in the

arts since high school, and saw the potential to nurture

generations of young artists.

Anne Baber met Tucker in 1980, and they both worked

for a realtor in Marina del Rey. Over the years, they went

together on home and garden tours, and attended

arts-related events in town. Tucker had studied art history

in college, and painted portraits and figure studies,

primarily using pastels, acrylics and watercolors. She also

submitted her work to art shows. In fact, both she and her

brother Jerry loved the arts; he had taken art classes in

Sedona, and the two would attend the symphony and visit

museums in the San Francisco area, where he lived.

After Tucker’s passing, Baber discovered that she

was to be executor of Tucker’s estate, and learned

more about her friend’s intent from handling the estate.

“The gift to Otis just showed what kind of a person she

really was,” says Baber. “I know she’d be happy with

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’

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.”

Into the Light . . .Local Artist Supports Scholarships

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.

1

2

Alumna Profile

1

2

OMAG 26 Alumni Around the Worldsection: Otis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine 27 OMAGAlumni Around the Worldsection: Fall 2011 27 OMAG

After graduating from Otis, I packed four suitcases, two

carry-ons and a computer bag full of art, and traveled to

MOCA Tehran in 2007 to curate “Manifestation of

Contemporary Arts in Iran.” The exhibition featured works

from 67 Iranian and American artists, including Chair of

Graduate Public Practice Suzanne Lacy, Masami Teraoka

(’68 MFA), Co-founding Director of Artsts, Community and

Teaching program Jerri Allyn, and honorary degree

recipient Bill Viola. Former Prime Minister and reformist

politician Mir Hossein Mosavi’s name appeared in the

exhibition catalogue.

During the Green Revolution, I returned to Iran to

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

forces on foot, motorcycles, and vans lined the street.

Suddenly I was pulled out of our cab while a man foaming

from the mouth lunged his upper body into the moving

taxi. Arrested, blindfolded and hooded, we were

interrogated into the early hours of August 6. On August 7,

I attended my first childhood friend’s funeral, where his

mother grabbed my inner knee, pleading for her son.

Speechless, I disconnected from all I knew. I didn’t

leave my aunt’s home again until August 18, when I was

assaulted by two men on a motorcycle. My cries were

quickly silenced, as I was informed that it is unladylike to

cry in public. My only remaining impulse was a need to

articulate creatively.

On August 29, I opened Masami Teraoka’s solo

exhibition. Everything I had to say about the taboo topics

of globalization, Westernization, sanctions, fundamental-

ism, HIV, prostitution, and the trafficking of young girls

as Iran’s biggest export could be found in Masami’s

controversially bold paintings. Masami’s work embraced

and visualized the aesthetics of the green movement in

a complex subversive plateau just beneath the governing

factions of the Islamic Republic’s radar of genocide

and oppression. The paintings were done in the 1970s

with traditional Japanese brushstrokes but they were

perfect for the “Jumong”-obsessed Tehran of 2009.

The 2009 uprising was inspired more by “Jumong” (an

extremely popular South Korean soap opera) than by

Mir Hossein Mousavi.

These days I find myself working on the two time

zones of Tehran and Los Angeles.

10:00 am - 5:00 pm bears a plethora of emails, and an

endless search for regular curating and writing gigs to

support my many art and activism obsessions.

10:00 pm - 5:00 am is spent curating and organizing

Rooftop Projections and Exhibits throughout Iran.

Updates from family members and friends include:

“Grandma was hit by a motorcyclist. Grandpa is losing

his sight and memories. You shouldn’t come back to Iran

this summer. Strangers are coming by the gallery and

asking for you.” I continue shifting my consciousness

towards collecting subversive literature and art for our

Rooftop Exhibits.

Join our Building Bridges Rooftop Reflections

by sending us your art and support.

www.marjanvayghan.com

Building Bridges: Tehran – Los Angeles

OMAG 26

Marjan and her mother at a protest at

Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery, southern

Tehran, on top of open graves and in

honor of the 40th day anniversary of

Neda Agha-Soltan’s murder

Performance at “Debating through the Arts: Performance Art 3,”

18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, June-August 2011

Marjan Vayghan | (’06 Fine Arts)

IRAN

BK: There are seventeen women in my class who represent thirteen different countries!

We study in a workshop setting, collectively set our themes, and once a month gather for

a three-day practicum in which we give presentations, invite guests and carry out

lengthy discussions. The rest of our time is dedicated entirely to individual research and

exhibition projects.

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

associate director of our new gallery space in Brussels.

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

experience, but I couldn’t get enough perspective to grasp it. I’ve made some break-

throughs recently, including Future Sculptures, a series of odd and intricate one-off

sculptures in sterling silver. I began making them after being exposed to wax-carving

techniques under the employment of boutique U.K. jewelry designers Johnny Rocket

(not the burger place).

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

system, largely dependent on the support of private patrons, and the U.K./Euro one,

where Government grants provide much support. In the former, object-based production

is ultimately privileged, while the latter privileges “alternative” production like

time-based work. Pop taste differences are also apparent, e.g., theater affects London

artists more than it affects L.A. artists.

As for the architecture, we are particular fans of the building that houses

London’s Natural History Museum. The odd and amazing design by Alfred Waterhouse

reflects a Victorian Gothic Revival period that borrowed from German Romanesque

and Gothic styles.

P.S.

JB: At Johnny Rocket, I was asked to design a Swarovski crystal tiara proposed for Kate

Middleton as part of a magazine promotion. Becky and I decided to brave the spectacle a

bit without getting up at 5:00 am or camping out (true Londoners don’t do stuff like

that!) We wandered through the incredibly empty half of the city with a bottle of

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

abandoned the scene in favor of a posh lunch at Fortnum and Mason.

Americans Abroad

Jesse and Becky met at the Graduate Studios where under-grad 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.

Jesse Benson (’03 MFA Fine Arts) | Becky Koblick (’04 Fine Arts)

LONDON - BRUSSELS

Moving to a radically different city with different sensibilities and philosophies for production was admittedly confusing at first.

OMAG 28 Class Notessection: Otis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine 29 OMAGClass Notessection: Fall 2011

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 ldaroca@otis.edu 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 alumniupdate@otis.edu.David Gallup’90 Fine Arts

“California’s Channel Islands”

Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art,

Malibu

Dana Montlack’94 MFA Fine Arts

“Sea Creatures”

Joseph Bellows Gallery, La Jolla

Marco Rios

’97 Fine Arts

“Despair Beyond Despair”

LA><ART, L.A.

Steven Bankhead’01 MFA Fine Arts

Eighteenth Brumaire rooftop installation

Steve Turner Contemporary, L.A.

Kenneth Ober’01 Fine Arts

“Shortest Distance BTN2PTS”

K. Saari Gallery, Steamboat Springs, CO

Fay Ray

’02 Fine Arts

Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica

Annie Buckley’03 MFA Fine Arts

“Love and Fortune”

Jancar Gallery, Chinatown, L.A.

Nate Frizzell’06 Communication Arts

“To Become Myself”

LeBasse Projects, Chinatown, L.A.

Nate Hess’06 Fine Arts

“Modified Body”

STATION at USC Roski School of

Fine Arts

Marjan Vayghan’06 Fine Arts

“falling up, with the cage”

Gallery 825, L.A.

Mary Younakof’06 MFA Fine Arts

“343 Dresses: Chromatic Convergence

Project”

Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood

John Weston’07 MFA Fine Arts

“Pleasure Paintings”

Sabina Lee Gallery, L.A.

Amanda Keller Konya’09 MFA Fine Arts

“Specimens from North America’s Most

Polluted River”

Centennial Museum, University of Texas,

El Paso

JJ Stevens’10 MFA Fine Arts

“Department of Archeological Oversight”

Dark Matter Gallery (with D-Block

Projects), Long Beach

COOL DESIGNERS

Douglas Kinsey ’85 Fine Arts

Wine label for Florencio L. Navarro ‘s

newest wine from Portugal, Semaphore 7

Steven Learner’86 Environmental Design

Volunteered with Globe Aware to build

a greenhouse for a children’s school in

Cuzco, Peru

Heather Verran

‘86 Fine Arts

Created new brands of Activewear:

MBody for Madonna and Eleven for

Venus Williams

Raymond Zibach’90 Communication Arts

Production Designer, Kung Fu Panda 2DreamWorks Animation

Zoe Hong’02 Fashion Design

Co-produced a fashion show at Cotton

Mill Studios, Oakland

SOLOISTS

Althea Edwards (two-person exhibition)

’84 Communication Arts

“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

’86 Fine Arts

“Climb the Black Mountain”

Lesley Heller Workspace, N.Y.

Lawrence Gipe’86 MFA Fine Arts

“Approved Images”

Tucson Museum of Art

Cindy Kolodziejski

’86 Fine Arts

“Portraits of Sorts and Curiosities”

Frank Lloyd Gallery, Santa Monica

Yuichiro Ando’87 Fine Arts

“Left to Rod”

New Puppy Gallery, L.A.

Anne M. Bray’87 Fashion Design

“Small Pleasures: Sketches Drawn from

Everyday Life”

TAG Gallery, Santa Monica

Darren Waterston’88 Communication Arts

“Forest Eater”

The Contemporary Museum & Honolulu

Academy of Arts, Hawaii

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

Steven Bankhead (’01 MFA Fine Arts) Eighteenth Brumaire, Rooftop installation at Steve Turner Contemporary, L.A.

Valerie Tymoczko (’04 MFA Fine Arts)Latched onto Stephen Colbert (as Richard Branson) for a photo shoot for PROJECT, Branson’s iPad-only magazine

ALUMNAEALUMNI ALUMNUSALUMNA

Cindy Kolodziejski(’86 Fine Arts)Bubble Eyes, 2011 earthenware, glass eyes, and silver wood frame

Laura Daroca

(’03 MFA Fine Arts)

Director of Alumni Relations

OMAG 30 Class Notessection: Otis College of Art and Design Alumni Magazine 31 OMAGClass Notessection: Fall 2011

Fay Ray (’02 Fine Arts)Neither, 2011, c-print

Elisabeth Condon (’86 Fine Arts)Hello, Yellow, 2010, acrylic on linen

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, multi-

disciplinary Santa Monica-based studio.

ENTREPRENEURS

Ingrid Sidie

’89 Communication Arts

Principal and Partner, Design Ranch,

Kansas City, MO

Jade Lai’02 Fashion Design

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’87 Communication Arts

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

John Baldessari (’58 Fine Arts),

Kerry James Marshall (’78 Fine Arts),

and Alison Saar (’81 MFA Fine Arts)

“Human Nature: Contemporary Art from

the Collection” LACMA

Paul Wee’87 Communication Arts

“Simpsons’ animator draws from his

heart,” The Burbank Leader, July 29, 2011

Naomi Tashiro Schoenherr (’89 Fine

Arts) and Scott Schoenherr (’90 Fine

Arts) Selected by the Laguna Beach Arts

Commission to design a sculpture garden

in Heisler Park

Mario Ybarra Jr.’99 Fine Arts

“Possible Worlds: Mario Ybarra Jr., Karla

Diaz, and Slanguage Studio Select from

the Permanent Collections”

LACMA

Jacob Rhodes ’01 Fine Arts

“Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial”

Bronx Museum, N.Y.

Matt MacFarland ’03 MFA Fine Arts

Artist-in-Residence

The Artist Studio, Pasadena

Marissa Magdalena’08 Fine Arts

“Mercado’s work a year in the making,”

Eye Gallery

Bakersfield.com, June 16, 2011

AWARD WINNERS

Mark Dean Veca’85 Fine Arts

2011 City of L.A. Individual Artist

Fellowship (COLA)

Khoi VInh ‘93 Communication Arts

Named one of 50 most influential

American designers by Fast Company, October issue

Irina Contreras’04 Fine Arts

Grant for Scenes Unseen National Queer

Arts Festival

San Francisco

Greg Wilken ’04 Fine Arts

Artists’ Resource for Completion Grant,

Center for Cultural Innovation

Michelle Chong’06 MFA Fine Arts

NextGen Arts Grant, Creative Capacity

Fund

Ryan Riddle’08 MFA Writing

Two Greater Bay Area Journalism awards

for his work with The Daily Post

IN MEMORIAM

Jacquelyn Sage’45 Fine Arts

Painter and illustrator, passed away

August 28, 2011

Bruce Kalberg (Bruce Caen)’78 Fine Arts

Artist, graphic designer, publisher/editor;

passed away September 17, 2011

Ardison Phillips

’68 MFA, BFA Fine Arts

Restauranteur and founder (with wife

Susan), McKeon-Phillips Winery,

Santa Maria; passed away June 1, 2011

Kenneth Figueredo ’71 Communication Arts

Passed away October 1, 2010

Alan Riggle ’71 MFA Fine Arts

Passed away August 2011. His family

invites OFund contributions in his honor

(otis.edu/ofund)

Laurie Viapiano’86 Fashion Design

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

Work by many alumni is featured in two new books

about the emergence of contemporary art in L.A.:

“Rebels in Paradise: the Los Angeles Art Scene and the

1960s” by former faculty member Hunter Drohojowska

Philip and “L.A. Rising: So Cal Artists before 1980” by

Lyn Kienholz. These books, along with the more than

60 exhibitions in the area that comprise the Getty’s

Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 (Oct. 2011 –

Jan. 2012) will shine a new light on this seminal period.

Among the exhibitions is “Collaboration Labs:

Southern CA Artists & The Artist Space Movement,”

curated by Alex Donis (’94) at the 18th St Art Center in

Santa Monica. which includes work by Leslie Labowitz-

Starus (‘72 MFA)

Alumni are also included in “Civic Virtue: The

Impact of the L.A. Municipal Art Gallery and the Watts

Towers Art Center” at Barnsdall Park.

Check www.pacificstandardtime.org for information

and dates

Otis’ Wall of Inspiration was created

as a unique way to thank leadership-

level donors for their generosity.

Additionally, this tiled Wall allows

many alumni, parents, and Otis

community members to recognize,

honor, and memorialize their loved

ones. The customized stainless steel

tiles complement the adjacent Bronya

and Andy Galef Center for Fine Arts.

“Last spring, I took my Product

Design clay students to the Wall of

Inspiration, where I have my name on

a small tile. For one year, I contributed

a little per paycheck, and my hope is

that some day they will give back to

Otis and have a tile with their name

on it in support of future student

scholarships. I tell the students that

when my parents were the same age

as they are, my mom was in America’s

Internment Camps while my dad was

drafted into the Army, and waited

ten years to practice architecture. I

benefited from their ability to keep the

dream of a creative life. I am fortunate

to have lived at the right time in the

right country where social change is

possible, where Americans give

scholarships as a ‘hand up and not as a

hand out.’”

- Faculty member Joan Takayama-Ogawa

If you have questions or would like

to purchase a tile, please contact

akhachtourians@otis.edu or call

(310) 665-6869

Otis and Southern California Art

Wall of Inspiration

Read entire essay at otis.edu/PST

2011 Fellowship for Visual Artists Andrew Lewicki (’07 Fine Arts)

Marco Rios (’97)

Hazel Mandujano (’03, ’10 MFA)

Maggie White Lomelli (’06)

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

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

Awarded a 2011 Fellowship for Visual Artists

from the California Community Foundation.

Past Fine Arts alumni recipients include:

02 03

otis.edu/givenow

01

310.665.6869

Andrew Lewicki (’07 Fine Arts)

Oreo Manhole Cover, 2010, cast iron

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 akhachtourians@otis.edu.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

Poster for short film

Despair Beyond Despair

This collaboration of artist,

designer, and printer

resulted in a limited

edition lithograph for an

exhibition at LA><ART.

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