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On May 10, Otis honored its largest graduating class ever – 201 new BFA and MFA graduates. Thisexciting day capped off a year of achievements that I would like to share with you. Otis bestowedhonorary doctorate degrees upon alumnus Jim Rygiel and Maltz Gallery Director Anne Ayres. For thelast fifteen years, Ayers, who is retiring, has both andvanced the Gallery’s legacy and boosted Otis’presence in Los Angeles’ significant art community. Rygiel, who won a second Oscar this year forspecial effects on Lord of the Rings, spoke movingly about the importance of following one’s passion.In his case, success and prestigious awards followed. Quite a number of our graduates, however,won recognition while they were still in school. Among them are:

Otis at Large (cont’d)

Every year, more than 2,000 people enroll in continuing education classes. This year, we have expandedcommunity programming to include classes at the Skirball Cultural Center and the Pasadena ArmoryCenter for the Arts. A new certificate program in interior design will be launched this summer. [ www.otis.edu/ce ]

The Ben Maltz Gallery attracted 10,000 visitors to its exhibitions and programs this year. Highlightsincluded On Wanting to Grow Horns: the Little Theater of Tom Knechtel, which traveled to Hawaii andSeattle. Watch for this summer’s exhibition “Post Cool,” highlighting work by forty contemporary L.A. artists.

OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

Highlights of Academic Year 2002-03

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President’s Letter no.2

June 2003

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Ben Maltz Gallery

Otis’ Commencement

OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN • 9045 Lincoln Boulevard • Los Angeles CA 90045 • www.otis.edu

Continuing Education

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Otis students won national and international competitions, judged by outside experts, resulting inthe following scholarships and awards.

International Exhibition Designers Scholarship Competition[ 1st Aaron Neuman, 2nd Ghazal Shokoufandeh, 3rd Chika Ito ]

Interior Architecture Student Competition [ Robert Apodaca and Michael Aquino ]

AIGA/LA Typecraft Wood & Jones Scholarship [ Sharleen Yoshimi ]

Society of Illustrators Competition [ Joel Woodman ]

Promax&BDA (Promax International) Tom Corey Memorial Scholarships[ Joseph Brooks Andrade, Dong Ho Lee, Natasha Li Sahn Lee, Johnny Kin-Tong Lum, William Edward Sneed, Nathalie Michelle Tasic ]

Target Scholarships [ Kim Brennecke, Kelly Culp, Annie Lee ]

The Textile Association of L.A. Scholarships [ Joanne Choi, Helen Kim, Jasmine Kim ]

Samsung Art Design Institute Scholarship [ Helen Kim ]

Fashion Group International Scholarships[ Lisa Felsenthal, Eun Mi Hyun, Helen Kim, Alexandra del Real, Jee Sohn ]

CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) Scholarships [ Pauline Li, Yuree Jung, Sandrella Plotner, Tracy Tsui ]

Saul & Sally Fifer Bernstein/Friends of Joe Mugnaini Awards [ Faith Coloccia, Gladys Hernando ]

Faculty Honors

Otis faculty inspire both inside and outside the classroom. Their professional honors include:

Fine Arts faculty at Santa Monica’s Patricia Faure Gallery [ Scott Grieger ]Chinatown’s Happy Lion Gallery [ Meg Cranston ]L.A.’s MAK Center in “Trespassing: Houses X Artists” [ Renee Petropoulos ]

City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artists Fellowships [ Renee Petropoulos, John Sonsini ]

Mid-career California individual grant, California Community Foundation [ Annetta Kapon ]

Otis Faculty Development Grant [ Richard Hawkins ] for an exhibition of his work in theKunstverein Heilbroon, Germany

Teacher of the Year Westchester LAX Marina Del Rey Chamber of Commerce[ Parme Giuntini, Asst. Chair, Liberal Arts and Sciences ]

Graduate Writing Chair [ Paul Vangelisti ] edited “Place As Purpose: Poetry from the Western States,”a collection of contemporary poetry, with L.A.’s Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

Film historian and costumer, faculty member [ David Chierichetti’s ] Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood’s Celebrated Costume Designer was just released by Harper Collins.

The November issue of Architecture featured Environmental Design Chair Linda Pollari’s residence as house of the year, stating, “This urban oasis at the busy Los Angeles intersection of SouthHighland and Olympic avenues has the calm and cool of a Palm Springs resort.”

Alumni Honors

Alumni achievements continue to resonate throughout the cultural community.

Several alumni had major one-person shows in prominent Los Angeles galleries this year:Margo Leavin [ Sandeep Mukarjee, Fine Arts, 1996 ]Koplin Del Rio [Sandow Birk, Fine Arts, 1989 ]L.A. Louver [ Gaijin Fujita, Fine Arts, 1997 ]Venice Biennale, June [ Kevin Hanley, Fine Arts, 1991 ]

City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artists Fellowship [ Tom Reccione, Fine Arts, 1979 ]

Toy Industry Association “People’s Choice Toy of the Year Award” [Daniel Garcia, Toy Design, 2002 ]

Promax awards for Fox Sports broadcast promotions [ Amy Kaufman, Digital Media, 2002 ]

Otis At Large

Otis and neighbor Loyola Marymount University co-sponsored “Constructing Youth,” a daylongforum in which Otis Liberal Studies, Foundation, Fashion, and Fine Arts students explored youth culture,popular culture, and ethics. The program examined the promise of youth, in contrast to its mediarepresentation. The evening began with the premiere of an excerpt from Fine Arts Chair Suzanne Lacy’svideo “Code 33, Emergency Clear the Air” on Oakland youth and police, and discussion among UCSB

professor Dick Hebdige, artists David Goldberg and Judy Baca, and film maker Mike Males followed.

Otis collaborated with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and LACMA’s Institute for Arts and Cultureson “Stravinsky, Picasso and More,” a program that culminated in a public presentation at the Colburn School of Music in April. For one school year, Digital Media Students explored the relationshipbetween modern art and music. [ www.otis.edu/gpage.php?hed=277 ]

Also in April, Graduate Writing faculty member Guy Bennett produced “Charting the Here of There:French and American Poetry in Translation,” a conference at USC.

One of Otis’ cultural collaborations is on view until September 1 at LACMALab, the Museum’s interactiveenvironment for children. Using the four seasons as a departure point, students created “Sunny + 72°,”a participatory installation, part of the “Making” exhibition. KCET’s “Life and Times” presented afeature on the show in February.

Otis continues to engage in professional collaborations as well. This year, DuPont Textiles sponsored a research and development project with Lycra. Under the direction of alumnus Rod Beattie of La Blanca fashion students experimented with elaborate drapping techniques in their swimweardesigns. These garments were modeled at the annual Scholarship Benefit Fashion Show in May.

For the second year, Disney Consumer Products sponsored a toy design studio, challenging Otisstudents to develop a product line that reinterprets Disney characters. Nine seniors presented theirthemed-toy concepts to Disney executives in what Disney described as the “presentation of a lifetime.”

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This year, Otis expanded its leadership in the communitythrough collaborations with other institutions that value creativity.

Awards

Exhibitions

Constructing Youth

Stravinsky, Picasso and More

Charting the Here of There

Digital Media

CommunicationArts

Environmental Design

Award

Publications

Grants andFellowships

Exhibitions

Commencement concluded a highly successful year during which Otis wasrecognized for its talented community, and for the momentum it isbuilding as a cultural, social, and economic force in Los Angeles.

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Fine Arts

Fashion Design

Making

Disney

DuPont