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ART CENTER NEWSWIRE - October 9, 2000

PASADENA, CA, USA | To keep abreast of the exciting and innovative ideas, people and projects at Art Center College of Design, the media and general public can subscribe to Art Center's news digest by sending a blank email to: newswire-on@lists.artcenter.edu. We highlight some of the newsmakers in our Art Center community twice a month. To report news or obtain more information, contact Jan Kingaard, tel. (626) 396-2394, fax (626) 683-9233.


CAMPUS

Laura Cooper turned over the reigns as chair of the Faculty Council to Saturday High instructor Krystina Castella. Krystina was elected on a platform that stressed "communication between constituencies in all endeavors."

Pasadena Weekly"The decision to stay in Pasadena best reflects where our future lies with our ever-evolving educational strategies," said college President Richard Koshalek. "The decision by Art Center to stay in Pasadena and expand to other areas of the city signifies the importance of Pasadena's rich cultural history and trend-setting art, design, information and technology industries," according to Jonathon Glus, Pasadena's executive director for the arts. "And under the dynamic leadership of President Richard Koshalek, the school's expanded presence will set a standard for the new century in architecture, design, education and community access."

Los Angeles Times (Ventura edition)Art Center was one of the private and public colleges and universities that participated in an information event designed to answer questions about admission requirements, degree programs, financial aid and housing for prospective students. The event was held on the Moorpark and Oxnard campuses.


GREAT MINDS

Los Angeles TimesPresident Richard Koshalek recently participated in a question and answer interview regarding "art, aesthetics and the visual dynamics that occur when living and work spaces intersect." The unspoken laws of conformity, the living spaces of artists and what things shape the environments where we live and work were just some of the topics covered.

Faculty member Norman Klein was the kickoff speaker for the Department of Design/Media Arts Fall Lecture Series at UCLA. Also a noted author, his next work, "The Vatican to Vegas: A History of Special Effects" is expected to be released in 2001.

Rena Natale of Storyboards, Inc. offered tips on how to present work for potential representation and gave some realistic ideas about what is needed to succeed in this business in her presentation for the Business Dialogue Series.

Douglas Stelling and Mike Riggs of Callison Architecture made a presentation for the Business Dialogue Series that detailed a new model for architectural design delivery that involves people with different perspectives in a much more artful, fluid approach. They demonstrated how a large, global architectural practice doing commercial projects has not only expanded the definition of the project team, but also evolved a more integrated design process.

Film title designer Dan Perri made a presentation of his work for the Contemporary Graphic Designers class.


ENVIRONMENTAL

San Francisco Chronicle, Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Kentucky Enquirer, the Cincinnati Enquirer, and the Los Angeles TimesThe "Ferrari of chairs," the Talon stacking chair, is hailed for being ultra-light, ultra-strong and fireproof, too. The reason is the woven carbon fiber of which it is constructed. According to Art Center's Environmental Design Chair Patricia Belton-Oliver, the excitement over the use of carbon fiber is no surprise. It is incredibly lightweight and strong but has been expensive. If it can be mass marketed, that should reduce the price. The use of carbon fiber symbolizes an ongoing focus on lightweight furniture, moving away from cumbersome heavy wood. And the recycling thing is really making headway in furniture materials, thanks to a combination of environmental pressures and better technology. There are so many new composites from materials that have been chewed up and spit out. And there is more computer-driven machinery that has the ability for molding and cutting that are more feasible in a production situation.

San Diego Union TribuneScary, but true. It seems that Tiki bars, Tiki rooms and aloha shirts and rum drinks are back. At least according to alum Bosko Hrnjak, who sells his Tiki art, luau supplies and other Tiki toys on the Internet. He recently hosted a delegation of Japanese buyers that arrived in town so intent on acquiring their "Tiki treasures" from him that he couldn't get them to take a break long enough to eat at a local Japanese restaurant. They went back to Japan hungrybut happy.


PHOTOGRAPHY

Zoom MagazineThe work of alum Elena Segatini Bloom was showcased in a multipage pictographic. Her images offer us an engaging attention to detail, lighting and color. She has developed an original compositional style by combining traditional photographic technique with some digital enhancement.

ShootAlum Carlton Chase has joined Morton Jankel Zander (MJZ) for exclusive commercial representation. MJZ executive producer David Zander said, "I always thought he did incredible work. From a location point of view, his work is incredibly diverse." Among Chase's work are spots for Oracle (one which won a 1998 Gold Clio), Coca-Cola, Merrill Lynch and Babystyle.com.


PRODUCT DESIGN

Pasadena Star News, Whittier Daily News, San Gabriel Valley Daily TribuneStudent Silas Beebe won $10,000 as first place winner in Price Pfister's inaugural "Pfaucet of the Pfuture" contest. His winning design, "WatERGO," is a looping bathtub faucet that encloses a bath caddy on which a bar of soap, a candle, a razor or other items can be placed. "I tried to incorporate functions like a bath caddy and make the faucet do something other than just pour water," he said. His design was one of 30 submitted.


ILLUSTRATION

Downtown NewsAlum Yolanda Gonzalez was recently honored by KCET and Union Bank of California as one of five "Estrellas," or "bright lights" in the Southern California Latino community. After winning a scholarship to Art Center in 1981, she said going there "was a whole new opening for me because I never really (understood) the concept that art was a large part of the universe and the world." This idea has led her around the world in pursuit of her craft, aided with art grants and programs. Her work is currently on display at the Santa Monica Museum of Art.

News-ReviewAlum Howard Rees conducted a two-day workshop on oil mediums. Following his 1964 graduation from Art Center, he worked in the commercial art field as an automotive designer with Ford Motor Company, then went on to Mattel Toy Company as a toy designer.

San Bernardino SunAlum Simon Silva uses his art to introduce others to his Mexican culture. His colorful portraits of parents embracing their children and rolling fields bathed in sunlight can be found in Mexican culture and art shops throughout Southern California. His artwork also adorns the covers of books by Latino authors. Silva signed copies of his paintings and books at a recent booksigning in Azusa.

Ramona SentinelAlum Aaron St. John is one part of a two person exhibit titled "Harvest: Paintings of Farm Life and Livestock" at the Santa Ysabel Art Gallery. St. John is a San Diego painter and illustrator, painting rural scenes that mark the area's vanishing farms and the character of the people who work them. "It's showing human beings in harmony with the landscape," he says. "I want people to walk away feeling like they've been there before."


TRANSPORTATION

AutoweekChrysler's 12-week summer internship program gave aspiring designers a forum to present concepts for the next generation of automotive buyers. Among those who had the opportunity to offer their ideas was Art Center transportation student Allen Barrington. His Earth-friendly International Commuter Deco was inspired by the Chrysler building in New York. Though it is expected to take years before the determination is made whether Chrysler remains lead dog in the styling pack, the torch of design excellence and teamwork is definitely being passed.

Contra Costa Times and The New York Times News ServiceThree new Autopia cars were unveiled recently in Anaheim's Disneyland theme park. The new models are part of Tomorrowland's remake and are sponsored by Chevron. According to Art Center instructor Gaylord Eckles, don't look for these models to show up in car dealerships anytime soon, however. Though Eckles did like the color-shifting paint, he said, "If Disney can do animatronic figures, why not have the cars really animated with moving lips?" You just can't please some people.

Street RodderWhen Marcel De Ley was ready to have the interior of his newly built roadster designed, he turned to recent Art Center graduate Chris Brown. Bucket seats covered in burnt umber leather and German square-weave carpet with a color matched SRRC steering wheel completed the picture of a vehicle that will make a high impact on the highway.

Maxim"The Amazing Micro-Minicar" from Ro Junseok and "The Robo-Bubble-Bug" from Dais Nagao, both Art Center students, were presented as possible cars of the future. Junseok's design solves the traffic problems of Mexico City, the world's most polluted urban area. The small, affordable, versatile car has removable seats and doorless sides. Nagao created a radical model for the 2010 consumer. Inspired by Mitsubishi's rally racers and the nearly indestructible exoskeletons of insects, the hubless wheels are held on with roller-bearing clamps-an experimental concept he believes might one day be commonplace.

The Dallas Morning News, Farmington, New Mexico Times, The News & Observer, The Plain Dealer plus other outlets for the syndicated columnAccording to the experts of autos, Tom & Ray Magliozzi (better known as "Click and Clack"), Art Center is the place to go to learn the styling aspects of car design.

The VindicatorAlum Larry Wood went from designing "hot" big cars to hot wheels. Literally. As chief designer for Mattel's Hot Wheels, he's been doing this job since 1969 and entertains no thoughts of retirement. "I'm sitting here drawing cars all day long, having a good time," he said. "I get to do the whole thing... It would be hard to retire and go away from this stuff."

Daily TranscriptGraduates Nicolas Thetard and Giovanny Arroba have joined the design team at Nissan Design International, Inc. in La Jolla. Both will be doing exterior designs for Nissan.


WILLIAMSON GALLERY

The WeeklyThe theory, imagery and history of mathematics are portrayed in "Mathematica - A World of Numbers and Beyond" at the Williamson Gallery. An array of innovative interactive elements provides guests with a closer look at the science behind key mathematical concepts.

Pasadena Star News, Whittier Daily NewsArt Center is one of eight Pasadena venues that will provide a glimpse on how artists and scientists have explored the universe through the ages. "The Universe" is a collaborative exhibit that will span eight months and offer everything from manuscripts that explore the Western world's changing views of the heavens to European and Asian art that explores the ways in which artists define spiritual connections to the cosmos. "Russell Crotty: The Universe From My Backyard" will be on exhibit at the Williamson Gallery and will include an installation of suspended spheres and a group of drawings of cosmic bodies, along with astronomical notations, sketches and observations.