C A L I F O R N I A C O L L E G E O F T H E A R T SL E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T • S P R I N G 2 015

In my last letter I announced that we had embarked on a long-

range campus planning process, engaging the services of the

firm Gensler. We are now just past the midway point of the

project. We’ve completed the analysis of the physical proper-

ties of both campuses, looking at the types of spaces and how

and when they are being used. The last five months have been

focused on engagement, with more than 500 alumni, faculty,

students, and staff participating in meetings, workshops, and

surveys. Soon we will be reviewing a set of recommendations

for going forward. We will keep you informed as we work on

building this roadmap for CCA’s future. In the meantime, visit

the campus planning blog at planning.cca.edu.

CAMPUS PLANNING

Dear Friends,

Collaborative, diverse, inclusive, and interdisciplinary—this describes the learning

environment we strive to create at CCA. It also describes the evolving workplace (and

world) our graduates will enter upon leaving the college. As creativity and innovation

continue to increase in value, we take great pride in preparing the next generation of

creative leaders.

Perhaps the best time to witness the creative process at CCA is the spring semester,

when the academic year culminates in exhibitions, events, and programs. We hope you

can join us at some of those highlighted in this newsletter.

Thank you for your continued support of the college.

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT • SPRING 2015

STEPHEN BEAL, PRESIDENT

PHOTO: DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

The end of the academic year is filled with events, exhibitions,

readings, and more. Join us as we celebrate the accomplish-

ments of our graduating students. Highlights include the

Graduate Thesis Exhibitions (May 14–23), the Baccalaureate

Exhibition (May 14–23), and the Annual Fashion Show (May 15).

For details on these and other events, visit cca.edu/calendar.

We hope to see you in May!

COMMENCEMENT EVENTS

“Black Is the New Black” was the theme of this year’s gala to

raise money for the CCA Scholarship Fund, one of our greatest

needs. Scholarships ensure that those with talent and drive

have access to a CCA education, regardless of their economic

background. The highlight of the evening was an exciting

runway show featuring the work of six Fashion Design alums:

Amber Clisura (BFA 2006), Hannah Gallagher (BFA 2006), Erick

Lopez (BFA 2014), Les Schweikert (BFA 2006), Paloma Von

Broadley (BFA 2009), and Pin Yun (Sindia) Lin (BFA 2014). Event

co-chairs Kay Kimpton Walker, Leigh Sherwood Matthes, and

Cathy Podell have so far raised $466,000 through sponsorships

and ticket sales. You can find information on supporting

scholarships at cca.edu/support/scholarships.

GALA ON MARCH 25 TO BENEFIT STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

It’s not too soon to start thinking

about your summer plans. For our

degree-seeking students, plenty of

courses will be available here on

campus as well as exciting study-

abroad opportunities in Austria,

China, England, France, Iceland,

Italy, Japan, Spain, and Switzer-

land. CCA also offers a popular

four-week Pre-College Program for high school students, the

dynamic Young Artist Studio Program, and Summer Atelier for

middle school students as well as extension courses for adults.

Visit cca.edu/summer for more information.

The brand-new Panoramic Residences will open in August! Up

to 200 CCA students will move into affordable and accessible

housing in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, a

10-minute bike ride from campus. CCA students will occupy

floors 2 through 6, and students from the nearby San Francisco

Conservatory of Music will reside on floors 7 through 11.

CCA is now publishing the online contemporary arts journals

Art Practical (AP) and Daily Serving (DS). CCA will serve as the

fiscal agent for the two publications, which have been run as

independent entities since their founding in 2006 (DS) and 2009

(AP). Each will retain its core mission, editorial vision, and

autonomy in all areas, including content, staffing, and pro-

gramming. We’re delighted to welcome tArt Practical and Daily

Serving into the CCA family. Our mutual interest in international

contemporary art practice and critical study, combined with our

shared dedication to advancing the Bay Area arts community,

makes us ideal partners.

CCA will confer an honorary doctorate on artist Joan Jonas

on May 16 at the 108th commencement exercises. A pioneer

of video and performance art, she will represent the U.S. at

the 2015 Venice Biennale. Through the CCA Wattis Institute, an

interdisciplinary research group of CCA faculty members have

been reflecting on her work for the entire 2014–15 academic

year, and there has been a regular series of public events in

conjunction with the research. Jonas will be delivering the

undergraduate commencement speech.

We’ll throw open the doors to the new Back Lot on the San

Francisco campus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 25,

to celebrate the new space with food trucks, live music, and

of course art! The annual Spring Fair will be held there for the

first time, where the public is invited to shop for one-of-a-kind

handmade items created by the CCA community: paintings,

drawings, prints, cards, jewelry, ceramics, hand-blown glass,

clothing, photography, textiles, and more.

BACK LOT BLOCK PARTY & SPRING FAIR

ART PRACTICAL AND DAILY SERVING FIND A HOME AT CCA

SF STUDENT HOUSING TO OPEN FOR FALL SEMESTER

SUMMER AT CCA

JOAN JONAS TO RECEIVE HONORARY DOCTORATE

Morgan Schmidt-Feng (MFA Film/Video 1993) and his father

Rick Schmidt (MFA Film 1971) were the first to represent two

generations of filmmakers at the Slamdance Film Festival this

winter in Park City, Utah. Morgan’s documentary film On Her

Own was presented at this year’s festival; Rick’s feature film

Blues for the Avatar was screened there in 1996.

Hank Willis Thomas (MFA Photography / MA Visual Criticism

2004) was appointed to the New York City Public Design

Commission by Mayor Bill de Blasio in February.

Tuesday Nights in 1980, a novel by Molly Prentiss (MFA

Writing 2010) will be published in spring 2016 by Simon &

Schuster’s new literary fiction imprint, Scout Press. Molly will

deliver this year’s graduate commencement address.

Jaydan Moore (Jewelry / Metal Arts 2008) has won the

American Craft Council Emerging Voices Award. This is the

first ACC award to recognize emerging talent among scholars,

curators, and critics. Winners will be promoted in the June/July

issue of American Craft magazine.

Tanya Poovaiah (Animation 2015) was selected by YouTube’s

AwesomenessTV Network to create an original animation short,

Designing with Pixar Animation: My Personal Code Ep 5, which

aired last fall.

Work by Cesali Scarola (Sculpture 2015) was included in RE-

SPOND, a recent exhibition at Smack Mellon Gallery in Brook-

lyn, NY, of art made in response to issues of racism and police

brutality in the wake of the Eric Garner case.

RECENT STUDENT & ALUMNI SUCCESS

CCA will be well represented this spring at two Bay Area events.

The Architecture division and the Digital Craft Lab will host

a series of events as part of the Market Street Prototyping

Festival April 9–11, when Market Street will become a public

platform as up to 50 of the most exceptional ideas for improving

San Francisco’s main thoroughfare come to life. CCA’s mobile

pavilion will anchor the Financial District section of Market

Street between 1st and 2nd Streets.

We will host a booth again this year at the 2015 Maker

Faire in San Mateo, May 16–17. The event features an exciting

cross section of projects and demonstrations exposing

and celebrating critical making processes. Our exhibition will

include static as well as interactive projects including furniture,

lighting, glasswork, textiles, architecture, industrial design,

fashion, and electronics.

CCA AT UPCOMING MARKET STREET PROTOTYPING FESTIVAL, MAKER FAIRE

Neal J.Z. Schwartz (Architecture) is the recipient of the

2014-15 ACSA Diversity Achievement Award for his work with

the Q-Arc Initiative at CCA, part of a broader effort to expand

diversity college-wide through the discussion of LGBTQ issues.

He initiated and led the development of a Masters-level housing

studio curriculum focusing on the needs of LGBTQ seniors, a

public exhibition of student work at the San Francisco LGBT

Community Center, and a screening and forum with the director

of the documentary film The Grove, about the National AIDS

Memorial in Golden Gate Park.

Putnam has acquired world rights to Lucky Boy, a novel by

Shanthi Sekaran (Writing), scheduled for spring 2016 publication.

Jewelry / Metal Arts chair Marilyn da Silva was recently

selected by the Maloof Foundation and Craft in America as

one of 12 “core artists” to exhibit her work and nominate other

artists working in craft-based fields for California Handmade:

State of the Arts. In addition to Marilyn, five CCA faculty are

included in the exhibition: Arthur Gonzalez (Ceramics), Barbara

Holmes (Furniture), Pamina Traylor (Glass), and Dorothy Yule

(Printmaking). The exhibit opens June 7 and runs through

January 2, 2016. It will be on view at both the Maloof Foundation

in Alta Loma, CA, and Craft in America in Los Angeles.

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS

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