a&d emergence: {r} evolution
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The U-M School of Art & Design's Alumni magazine focused on the changing world of art, design and work.TRANSCRIPT
Not so long ago, College (“C” #1) was simply College – a kind of loose and fuzzy stepping
stone to whatever was next –
a special time-out prior to fully engaging
one’s emerging future – typically reserved
for the privileged few. Individuals
pursued College with a blind faith
that it would facilitate a meaningful,
even prosperous life. Fortunately,
from my point of view, many vestiges
of that enterprise remain, but the
territory has become more complex.
More recently, “C” #2 – Career – has
developed an intimate kinship with
College, which is now charged with
preparing students for nameable,
immediately lucrative jobs. College
is increasingly a training experience
where high-priced professionals groom
future generations for high-priced
professional Careers. The escalating
cost of College and the consequent
expectation of a Career return on
investment go hand-in-hand.
F r o m B r y a n r o g e r s , D e a n
Even more recently, “C” #3 –
Citizenship – or active engagement
with a global society, has become an
expectation for both College and Career.
College must not only lead directly to
a Career, the Career must engage the
pressing problems and possibilities
related to environmental sustainability,
social justice, public health, and other
global issues. Citizenship means more
than simply having a lucrative job.
While one could yearn for an earlier,
less complex time, I do not. The
national and global cultures we have are
the ones we have made. While Careers
have become equated with individual
identity and personal survival in
society, Citizenship is essential for
collective identity and survival.
The Four “C”s
The presumed consequence with
which I disagree, however, is that
the ternary confluence of College,
Career and Citizenship is sufficient.
While obviously self-serving for an
art/design administrator to claim, I
believe that adding “C” #4 – Creativity
– to the mix provides an effective and
efficient accelerant to the three-C
imperative that institutions must
provide. The dynamic global context not
only allows, but relentlessly demands
that individuals accrue complex
capabilities, versatility, and dynamic
identities. Creativity can and should
be taught to everyone. It is teachable
and can be learned by everyone. In
fact, once one has opened the doors
of Creativity, it becomes a driving
force, not simply a vocational skill. It
is a highly transferable approach to
problem-construction and problem-
solving. This is hardly a radical point
of view. Social institutions of all
types, namely financial and industrial
institutions, are currently extolling
the importance of Creativity.
The stories of individuals in this
issue of Emergence testify to the value
of Creative thinking. Michigan Art &
Design has set out to unleash Creativity,
not only in our small, cloistered
community, but throughout the
University, and the broader community
While the three “r”s remain
essential, the four “C”s must become
imperative in higher education.
College, Careers, and Citizenship
have established their legitimacy.
now it’s time to bring Creativity
on board. It’s available to anyone.
Faculty across universities, especially
in art/design domains, stand ready
to lead the charge. Once the powers-
that-be at institutions of higher
education acknowledge and enable
this imperative, both individuals and
the economic and social engines of
the global culture will thrive.
“Creativity can and should be taught to everyone. It is teachable and can be learned by everyone.”
1 • Emergence summer 2010 • { r } e v o l u t i o n •
Fast Forward PeoPle In CreatIve fIelDs ImmeDIately reCognIze the truth of thIs statement.
And professionals across the work spectrum are coming to acknowledge it as well. In the midst of a world characterized by accelerating change, the qualities of creativity, holistic thinking, and innovation — the hallmarks of an art and design education —are increasingly in demand. This is, in part, because preparing emerging professionals today means educating them for work roles in a future that we can’t even begin to imagine. In work, and in life, success is and will continue to be about being nimble, strategic, and fluid.
e v ery grand amer ican accomp l i shment,every innovation that has benefited and enriched
our lives, every lasting social transformation, every moment of profound insight any American
visionary ever had has been the fruit of the creative imagination, of the ability to reach
beyond received ideas and ready-made answers to some new place, some new way of seeing
or hearing or moving through the world.— Michael chabon
Daniel Pink, author of A Whole
New Mind concurs. He states that
while the Information Age was
characterized by logical and precise
left-brain thinking, we are now in the
Conceptual Age — “ruled by artistry,
empathy, and emotion.” Within this
new era, “the winners are designers,
inventors, counselors, ethnographers,
social psychologists, and other right-
brain folks, while lawyers, engineers,
accountants, and other left-brainers
will see their jobs migrate to Asia.”
Pink continues, ”The ability to
see the big picture, connect the
dots, combine disparate things into
something new —It’s a signature
ability that is a great predictor of star
performance in the workplace. Visual
artists in particular are good at seeing
how the pieces come together.”
Whatever the field, “Art and design
processes help people develop fresh
thinking through aesthetic ways
of knowing, imagination, intuition,
re-framing and exploring different
with uncertainty, ambiguity, and the
paradox of invention.” - Linda Naiman,
founder of Creativity at Work.
These big picture statements are
confirmation of a new awareness.
But even more resonant are the real
world stories that demonstrate how
an art and design education prepares
graduates for not just one professional
outcome, but for many.
We asked a & D a lu m s — some
who graduated decades ago and some
who have just left school — to
describe how they got from here
(A&D) to there (a career), and the
tools and techniques that helped
them find their way. It’s a snapshot
of the variety, richness, challenge,
and satisfaction that characterize a
life in art and design. perspectives. Art-based processes also
help people learn to be comfortable
Weaskeda&D
alums— some who graduated
decades ago and some who have just left school —
summer 2010 Emergence • 2 • { r } e v o l u t i o n •michigan art & design
3 • Emergence summer 2010
Making the case for Creative Thinking
L inda Hol l iday BFa ‘ 79 Media, internet and Market ing entrepreneur
Getting through art school is, itself, an incredibly entrepreneurial process, from howdo I buy paint and pay rent? To figuring out what
the assignment is, to transporting sculptures.
You name it, art school is full of sink or swim
experiences. After graduation, I definitely
hit the ground running in my jobs, not just
because I could think outside the box but
because I really knew how to get things done.
My industrial design education at A&D
helped me put structure around the problem-
solving process. Most complicated problems
are design problems in that they are about
reconciling incompatible requirements.
so, design training is exactly what’s
necessary for solving the big problems
facing business, government, and
ecology. furthermore, most problems
are too complicated to understand
unless they can be visualized. the
exact intelligence needed to visualize
problems is visual intelligence!
I had no career plan when I graduated. All
I had was voracious curiosity. Curiosity and
the desire to expose myself to challenges of
all sorts—emotional, conceptual, physical,
intellectual, sensual—this is the hallmark
of the first- rate creative personality. Follow
what makes you excited, juicy, scared. Learn
everything you can. It has a way of all
coming together in new challenges and
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •
summer 2010 Emergence • 4
new accomplishments. One of my
favorite quotes is ‘in the end, life
is always right.’ It will happen.
I actually went from art school to
business school, which was unusual
at the time. Now, John Maeda, Vice
President of RISD, is saying that mfas
are the new mBas. After graduation
I went into cable television marketing,
sports marketing, television production
and then starting an interactive
marketing agency, which I sold two
years ago. We had a creative department
of over 70 people, and obviously I used
my education guiding the development
of the creative. Lately, I’ve been working
as a seed stage investor, advising
and investing in companies that
specialize in media and technology.
We’re moving from a mechanistic
view of the world to a systems view
of the world, from reductionism
to complexity, from linear to the
quantum. With the recent emphasis
on ‘mathandscience’ empirical
evidence, and ‘metrics metrics
metrics,’ the visual and the intuitive
have suffered low status. Did you
know the term scientist was coined
from science + artist because at
that time science had no status?
The humanities ruled. Thankfully the
monoculture era is winding down a bit
and the value of whole brain thinking,
visual thinking, beauty, design are
all being re-evaluated. Intuition
isn’t a dirty word anymore!
I believe that a degree in art and
design is one of the most practical
degrees for the future. Professions
and skills that don’t require intuition,
imagination and creative process
mastery are in danger of being
automated or outsourced to lower labor
cost markets. The valued professions
and skills 10 years from now won’t
look the same as 10 years ago.
I also think it’s imperative for artists
and visual thinkers to be articulate
about these distinctions and these
values, to be evangelists about their
contributions. It’s kind of shocking
to me, actually, that many creative
people I meet, even at high levels
in their fields, can be uninformed
and inarticulate about these issues.
Who can we expect to defend us in
this way of thinking and about the
importance of these contributions
if we don’t defend ourselves?
M a n y b r i l l i a n t p e o p l e leave school thinking they are not very smart. And that’s not their fault. It’s because the culture of education is not designed to identify the full range of human talents.
— Sir Ken robinSon
c r e at i v i t y is the process of bringing something new into being...creativity requires passion and commitment. Out of the creative act are born symbols and myths. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness–ecstasy.
— rollo May, the courage to create
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •michigan art & design
othervoicesI believe any successful career
is borne out of a passion or
all consuming interest in a
particular field. Enjoying being
immersed in a field of interest
will eventually bring about a
successful career or at least
reward one with happiness.
I was lucky enough to have
worked with two Chicago art
collectors early in my career.
They believed in my approach
towards interior design and
encouraged me to establish my
own practice. Their mentoring
was key to my success.
– leslie Jones, (Bfa ‘83)Interior Designerleslie Jones, Inc.
5 • Emergence summer 2010
other voicesNo matter how talented you are, you will have to prove yourself to
your employers on many levels in order to gain their confidence.
If you graduate confident in your abilities it will carry you very
far. Be confident. Be creative. Become successful. Give back.
– Jason Phillips (Bfa ‘83), furniture Designer
Edible Art Baker Heather anne Leav it t BFa ‘07
on how paint ing, sculpture and food can all come
together to make a career InsteaD of BeIng PrePPeD to fIt
into a specific career path, going to art school gave me the
tools to figure out what I wanted to do, and the ambition to
figure out how to get there.
I went to art school thinking I’d go into graphic design.
But I realized pretty quickly that I had a lot more fun
working in three dimensions. I entertained the idea
of going into industrial design, but a semester in Italy
studying sculpture and falling in love with cooking
changed my path. I came back, passionate about food, and
eager to express this passion through my artwork.
I actually started making cakes for my senior thesis project
at A&D. Being able to spend a full year on one project, after
trying out so many different media, gave me the opportunity
to find something that I was really passionate about.
When I graduated, I went to a local cake shop and
volunteered to help out on busy weekends. Then, the owner
asked me to be her assistant on a series of Food Network
Challenges. I met cake artists from all over the country,
r e S e a r c h h a S S h o w n that in creativity quantity equals quality. The longer the list of ideas, the higher the quality of the final
solution. The highest quality ideas appear at the end of the list.— linda naiMan, Founder, creativity at worK
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •
C a r e e r s t o r I e s
learned lots of new techniques
and got a better sense for the ins
and outs of the cake business.
I currently run a cake
business called Sweet Heather
Anne here in Ann Arbor.
(sweetheatheranne.com). I use
the skills from my sculpture,
industrial design, and painting
classes on a daily basis. My
time in CFC (an A&D core
course on developing concepts)
has also had a large impact on
my work. Most of the cakes I
make are completely different
from anything I’ve ever made
before, so I rely heavily on
creative problem solving... and
perseverance.
Photographer stephanie seliskar BFa ‘05
on deadlines, fashion photography, and becoming an entrepreneur
I am Currently a fashIon PhotograPher
in New York shooting fashion week runway shows, look-
books, and stories for magazines. I have worked with Betsey
Johnson, William Rast by Justin Timberlake, Charlotte
Ronson, Diego Binetti, Michael Angel, Band of Outsiders
and Sebastian Professional. My photos have been in Elle,
Cosmo, Seventeen, SURFACE and Glitterati magazines.
the school of a&D helped teach me to be creative
as an artist and, just as importantly, to be creative as
a business woman. I moved to New York City to start a
career as an art director in advertising. But once I was
established as a Senior Art Director, I realized I wanted to
be more hands on and conceptual in image-creation. I took
the jump and started a freelance photography business.
Three months later the economy tanked. So while I
decided to start my own business at the wrong time, I used
creativity, both in art and in business to my advantage.
leavIng College, I haD a vIsIon for my career that included a glamorous job in advertising
where I’d ride a Vespa to work and pick up fresh flowers on my
way home to my exposed brick loft. My journey has shaped
up differently than I had imagined, but the well-rounded
education, creative problem-solving and analytical skill set I
harnessed in college equipped me to grow into business roles
that have proven challenging and extremely rewarding.
After spending a year as a ski-bum, I took a contract
graphic design position with a start-up company in Santa
Barbara, California. What began as temporary work has
evolved into an eight-year career where I moved from sole
designer to Creative Director, and now sit as part of the
company’s executive management team. Today, as the
Marketing Director, I am responsible for the corporate
brand and communications strategy, new product design
and development, as well as all aspects of the customer
experience for our suite of products and web-based tools.
Had I been asked eight years ago if I saw myself working
at a technology solutions company, I would have surely
said ‘no way.’ Joining a small early stage start-up gave me
the experience to wear many hats, find my strengths, and
carve out a niche for myself that amplified my strengths
and encouraged me to step up to new challenges.
I had a narrow view, initially, about how I could use
my degree, but ultimately, I’ve learned that an art and
design education has a much greater application in the
business world. I’ve seen how having a solid foundation
in good design, an attention to detail, a critical mind,
and an ability to adapt and provide creative solutions to
problems are relevant and valuable in the workforce.
A&D taught me to build a portfolio, talk about art, and
display work in a gallery setting. I started showing at
small gallery spaces and shops in New York, designed
an identity, and basically self-promoted for a few years.
Slowly but surely, I picked up clients through friends,
friends of friends, and through online promotion.
A&D taught me to work hard, and accomplish (sometimes
seemingly impossible) creative tasks on deadline.
Sometimes you hit a wall, and have to think differently
to accomplish what you set out to do. U of M gave me a
background in being creative as an artist AND being
a good business-woman by meeting deadlines.
www.stephanieseliskar.com
summer 2010 Emergence • 6 michigan art & design
Director of Market ing Jil l e ll is BFads ‘ 0 1
ref lects on how her career goals have changed over t ime
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •
I gr aDuateD Before neW meDIa BeCa me Part of the curriculum. And I was once asked if going to U of M School of Art
& Design mattered given the seemingly unrelated field of television and
film production I ended up in. A&D’s rich environment, however, fostered
a creative way of thinking and problem solving that embraced all and
transcended any specific medium at the time.
While at A&D, I was most interested in areas that involved process as
a big part of the aesthetic. I spent an awful lot of time in printmaking.
It only makes sense in retrospect. My job now, as a director of television
commercials and films, is a process driven occupation. We often start with
the abstract problem of how to create a feeling about a product and end with
something that becomes a part of millions of people’s lives and can change
our culture. There are many steps in this process. I often fall back on
everything from elemental problem-solving skills to different methods
of visualization… skills I was able to develop in art school. I don’t think
a vocational approach could have prepared me for the work I do now.
When I was younger, I was frustrated by not having a specific job in mind,
let alone one that paid well. I only knew what I liked and what I thought I
was good at. I slowly backed into situations that seemed right. Looking back
at it, this turns out to have been a very rewarding path. By taking smaller
steps in the direction of your interests you make more well
informed decisions toward a goal that will fit your changing
personality, skill sets, and the current world situation.
I think it is a mistake to look on an art education as job
training, though there may be some who unlike me know
exactly where they want to go. The best thing about a degree
in Art & Design is having a foundation of creative thinking,
which is personally rewarding and universally valuable. I
can’t imagine a better background.
other voicesBe a risk taker. You learn from what doesn’t
work and it can make what you do later
stronger. Be open to every opportunity.
And never dismiss tiny moments. You just
never know when something is going to jell,
when that idea or opportunity is going to
happen. Sometimes that thing that is not
the most linear, not the most expected is
that catalyst that transforms everything.
– ruth taubman (Bfa ‘81),Jewelry Designer,
ruth taubman, Inc.
to b e c r e at i v e M e a n S a S K i n g , “How do you see the world and how do
you see it in a way that no one else does?” Those questions lead to innovation.
— Creative thinking in the Classroom , boSton globe , February 23 , 2008
Fi lm Director Kev in smith BFa ‘ 78 on the benef its
of backing into a career
C a r e e r s t o r I e s
7 • Emergence summer 2010
summer 2010 Emergence • 8 • { r } e v o l u t i o n •michigan art & design
after graDuatIng from mIChIgan I stuDIeD footWear design in both London and Milan before moving fulltime to Italy, where I found a job
as a pattern-maker in a luxury footwear factory, Calzaturificio Della Vedova. The
technical skills I gained at the School of Art & Design directly helped me to land the
job, and opened doors for me within the company after I was hired. When I went for my
initial interview for my job, the first thing that my future boss commented on was my
“buona mano” (good hand) – the precision and smoothness of my cutting. In this field,
that skill, which I refined in my drawing, woodworking, and metalworking classes at
Michigan, is invaluable. He hired me on the spot, despite the fact that I did not speak
Italian and he did not speak English.
Once I began working, I was able to put to use not only my buona mano but also
the computer skills acquired in my many digital classes at Michigan. When my boss
discovered that I was trained in so many other subjects, I was given responsibility
for managing and manipulating designs on Photoshop and Illustrator, creating line
sheets and technical spec sheets, and assisting on production – creating jewelry-
Footwear Designer danielle scarpulla BFa ‘06 “buona mano” gives her new opportunit ies
at an i talian luxury footwear factorylike accessories and weaving
sandal uppers. The designers
we worked with also invited me
to work in their studio when I
wasn’t needed in the factory.
There I did technical sketches of
lasts, consulted on shoe and heel
designs, and made color cards. The
past year of this work has been an
incredible education for me, but I
would not have had the opportunity
to work in so many facets of the
company were it not for my broad
design background from A&D.
Freelance I l lustrators Wendy Walters and John Brinkman
BFa ‘84 discuss the winding road from hat design to children’s books
as freelanCe Illustr ators and designers living in Brooklyn under the name
“John & Wendy,” we work primarily on children’s
books and products. Recently, Periwinkle Smith
and the Twirly, Whirly Tutu (PSS/Penguin, 2009),
which we both illustrated and wrote was published.
In addition, for the past nine years we have
illustrated the series Katie Kazoo Switcheroo.
We’ve also worked on a variety of other projects
for clients—including store windows for Barneys,
packaging art and gift cards for Target, note cards
and prints for YeeHaw Industries, and illustrations
and art for various magazines and department stores.
So how did we end up as a free-lance illustrators
and designers? After getting a foothold in
Brooklyn, Wendy and I started a little hat company.
We designed and made hats, mainly kids hats.
Really nice ones. A lot of work though, especially for Wendy.
One day, an accessories editor at Child Magazine who used our
hats in photo shoots, suggested I show my drawing portfolio to the
magazine’s art director. That led to an illustration assignment. Then
the accessories editors strongly suggested that the art director give
us the names of four or five other
art directors, and that really got
the ball rolling for John & Wendy.
Is it a career? It’s been a modest and
mystifyingly reliable livelihood so
far. At the moment, the best I can say is
that I draw for a living, and that Wendy
and I do our own thing, and work with
a lot of cool people. And you get to
listen to any music you want. All day
long. Unless Wendy’s home, in which
case no Mahavishnu Orchestra.
n e v e r has the need for creativity been so compelling
and never has genuine creativity been in such short supply. instead of experiencing the
refreshing spray of authentic originals we risk drowning in a sea of iterations on imitations.
— ryan MathewS and wattS wacKer oF FirSt Matter
9 • Emergence summer 2010
we begin to recognize, trust and encourage
those embers that become the fires in our
bellies. Rather than steering by trends, praise
from others, expert advice, or career plans, I
found our training equipped me with real skills,
resourcefulness and creativity.
moreover, there is no career to build, there
is only the daily returning to what are our real
concerns, what do we really care about, which
isn’t always what anyone else is going to be caring
about at that particular time or place. There is no
neat timetable—years may pass when we (and
others) may wonder what we are doing.
The challenge is and always has been the
courage to be simply who we are, following the
interests we actually find arising in us. It is not
about building an identity, but about accepting
that we have one. If there is joy in working with
our hands and eyes and materials and images,
whatever they are, there is every reason in the
world to study art or design.
What I value most that I learned in art school
was finding the key to taking the elevator down
deep into myself—to see that my first ideas
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •
I WIsh I haD knoWn
sooner that there was more than
one ‘successful’ outcome from
studying art and design. My
achiever’s orientation could only
see one— creating a body of work
that would result in my being
famous! I thought doing the work
was a means to that end. The
tricky wonder of art training is
in the fact that you can’t really
make art (or a life) that way.
Creativity arises in certain conditions, and fortunately those
conditions require that you relinquish most of your smallish (and
largish) ideas about yourself. Given my success perspective, there was
so much riding on how good the work was at each minute. How can you
possibly get good at something when you are so stressed about how
good you are that you can’t work?
Studying art and working at making art has turned out to be a
way more radical activity than I imagined. And I have learned many
secrets about how we can live well and happily. It requires that we
learn to live without
constantly needing
ego reinforcement.
That is what actually
frees us to tinker at
something with no
idea whether it’ll
result in something
tangible or admired
or profitable. It
requires that
The Power and Purpose of a Creative Life Joan sugihara BFa ‘ 72,
co-creator, with her daughter, of the Baggu,a reuseable, collapsible shopping bag.
“It is not about building an identity, but about accepting that we have one.”
summer 2010 Emergence • 10 • { r } e v o l u t i o n •michigan art & design
other voicesFind an internship for every summer/semester you have
off. Don’t worry about pay. Many companies only offer
unpaid internships, but the knowledge and ‘real life’
experience will out weigh any 9-5 job you can get that isn’t
connected to the design field. Go to craigslist or visit sites of
companies that you respect and you believe would be great
to work for. – shane Ward (Bfa ‘96), Designer, Detny shoe Design
were almost always irrelevant or not of sustaining interest;
they were just jumping off points to begin the involvement. I
used to agonize over what to draw, what to paint, and more
broadly what kind of work to do, what kind of life to live
etc. What I found was that there is a whole other level of
involvement that only kicks in when we cede control, lose our
idea, and land in some deeper water where we actually are more
fully awake. Then we’re open, noticing something not even seen
or felt before— and it is way more alive and interesting than what
we thought we were interested in. Always follow that life. That
is where the safety is. It isn’t in figuring out which careers are
going to be in demand when we graduate. training in the arts
is really training in how to make authentic contact, from the
belly, with our life— which is always right where we are.
t h e n o M u r a i n S t i t u t e of Japan classifies four eras of economic activity: 1) Agricultural 2) Industrial 3) Informational... and now through the
evolution of technology 4) Creative: constant innovation.
b e h av i o r i S g e n e r at i v e ; like the surface of a fast flowing river... Generativity is the basic process that drives all the behavior we come to label creative.
— robert epStein phd, pSychology today July/aug 1996
t h e F i r S t g e n e sequencing machine, developed by Leroy Hood while at Caltech, was hatched by multi-disciplinary cross fertilization. “Hood needed the
cooperation and assistance of computer scientists and electrical engineers,” says Hollingsworth. This kind of innovation is less likely to occur at a typical university where different departments don’t communicate with each other.
— rogerS hollingSworth, univerSity oF wiSconSin MadiSon
other voices
My résumé never got me a job.
The question people want to
know is: ‘Do I like you?’ and
‘Can you do it?’ It’s ALL about
who you know. And if you do
a good job, one thing leads to
another. Having anyone who
cares about you at all will go
a long way in the business.
– Belal el-hibri (Bfa ‘07), film Colorist
ac c o r d i n g to a coalition of researchers, 81
percent of corporate leaders in America say that “creativity is an essential skill
for the 21st-century workforce.”
— creative thinKing in the claSSrooM,
boSton globe , February 23 , 2008
t h e K e y to p r i z e
winning science is interaction and cross-fertilization.
— rogerS hollingSworth, univerSity oF
wiSconSin-MadiSon
11 • Emergence summer 2010
C a r e e r s t o r I e s
I starteD my BusIness because I wanted to make a certain kind of
product, make a living at it, and be in control
of my minutes. I wasn’t thinking about
customers or markets or anything. I wanted
a certain lifestyle and I went on a quest to
make it happen. I was open to all sorts of
options and struggled to make financial
headway. Even ten years in I didn’t feel like I
was making enough money for it to be worth
it indefinitely. Thanks to help from Professor
Liker in UM Engineering, and sustained
effort on our part, the company is now
eighteen years old and healthy. I think about
succession, not survival.
The path to my current profession from
A&D is unusually direct. My concentrations
were in ceramics and figure sculpture and
after graduating I worked for an independent
potter and then for Pewabic Pottery making
tiles. After a few years at Pewabic, working
in production and later bookkeeping, I got
restless and decided I needed to be my own
boss. I received modest financial assistance
from my parents and started getting a
business education by reading Inc. magazine
Owner of Motawi Tile nawal Motawi BFa ‘88,
decided f irst on lifestyle, and then, with help fromUM’s College of engineering, on a business plan
religiously. Matawi Tile is built on my
aesthetic sense, which was highly
influenced by my work at A&D.
One main concept that I use
consciously from my schooling is
the idea that every aspect of the end
product relates to the central idea.
The details should all enhance the
message. It’s important to provide the
visual information needed to convey
the idea as clearly and succinctly as
possible and no more. End products
should be informed by the goal and
ideals of the maker.
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •
summer 2010 Emergence • 12
I’m WorkIng as a teaChIng artIst In Chicago. There’s a strong contingent of teaching artists in the city,
and I’ve gotten to make some great connections. As an undergrad,
I didn’t really know how viable this was as a career option! It offers
flexibility to make your own schedule, allows you to do your own art
work, and is constantly creative with curriculum, class proposals,
and various projects. I’ve also worked with a diverse group of
students in the public schools, homeless youth, and adult artists
with disabilities.
My post-undergrad life has also been a lot of creative problem-
solving in relation to my financial stability. The good thing about
all the struggling and odd jobs is that, after only a few years, I
have established a professional teaching practice that has grown
enough to mostly support me, and has allowed me to have time for
developing my portfolio and selling my work.
Teaching Art ist sara Holwerda BFa ‘06
f inds challenge and f lex ibil ity
A&D’s interdisciplinary program has helped me
tremendously with one particular course that I teach
periodically to adults and college students: The Creative
Process. In all my art and writing classes there were
general processes for generating and refining ideas. I made
this process into a unique curriculum that I was recently
invited to share in a workshop with students through the
Associated Colleges of the Midwest.
Teaching art is a great way to share your knowledge and
passion with others. It’s even more rewarding when your
students are eager for art. In one public school, where I
teach art to second-graders, a student exclaimed: ‘Art is
better than gym!’ which I considered a high compliment,
and also proof that art is a vital part of early education.
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •michigan art & design
I BelIeve a CreatIve mInD Is more inclusive and expansive, and thus more open to seeing things
and experiencing other ideas. The world today is complex. Being
attuned with, and receptive to, new ideas are critical to being able to
understand how we function individually and collectively, helping us
to keep moving forward.
I am lucky to be able to still paint and also work with artists as
director of the New York gallery Eleven Rivington, a job whose
beginning I can trace all the way back to Michigan. It began as a
required professional internship, while in graduate school, with an
independent curator and art advisor; this evolved into opening an art
gallery with her after I graduated and becoming the director. Later
on, an opportunity presented itself to leave that position and to open
and run a new gallery. It’s all been very organic: my job and my
studio practice, while separate professionally, are intertwined,
and navigating both is a constant challenge and source of great
pride and accomplishment. www. elevenrivington.com
Gallery Owner and Painter augusto arbizo MFa ‘97
f inds a balance between curat ingand creat ing his own work.
13 • Emergence summer 2010
While students will be drawn from across
the University, a core of undergraduates
comes from one of the four units on U-M’s
North Campus: the School of Art & Design;
College of Engineering; School of Music,
Theatre & Dance; and Taubman College of
Architecture and Urban Planning.
In addition to housing, Living Arts provides
students with a large, well-equipped studio,
individual and group practice rooms, wireless
study and collaborative-work spaces, and
designated classrooms and meeting areas.
Students also participate in a set of
shared course experiences, including an
introduction to creative problem solving,
an interdisciplinary independent study, a
lecture series and the highly innovative
course, Creative Process, cited by the
Michigan Daily as “one of the University’s
most intriquing courses.”
“This brings a new dynamic to living and
learning at Michigan, and sets a standard
for the entire country,” said David Munson,
dean of U-M’s College of Engineering.
“Catalyzing the creative, intuitive, analytical
and intellectual, the program will provide
a unique experience in trans-disciplinary
collaborations among students and faculty,”
Moving In Together
michigan art & design
enCouragIng stuDents from all DIsCIPlInes to explore the creative possibilities of their studies is the goal of a revolutionary new interdisciplinary living-learning community in Bursely Hall on North Campus. Opening in Fall 2010, Living Arts is one of the first of its kind among American universities. It’s also the latest example of U-M’s emphasis on encouraging students to be entrepreneurial and innovative within an environment that fosters radically new ideas and creative insights.
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •
“We’re providing an open,
interdisciplinary residential
community that enables
students to pursue the kind
of risky insights that might
not occur in a traditional
academic classroom
environment,” said Theresa
Reid, executive director of
Arts on Earth, sponsor of
Living Arts.
t h e B e n e f I t s o f
C r o s s - D I s C I P l I n a r y C o h a B I t a t I o n
Cross-fertI lIz atIon, a k ey
Com Pon ent of I n novatI v e th I n k I ng,
Is th e goa l of a groW I ng n um Ber of
Cou rses Dev eloPeD By a& D faCu lt y. By partnering with such fields as engineering, business, architecture, public policy, and anthropology in hands-
on projects, A&D students and faculty learn to speak and understand other “languages,” sometimes creating new hybrid languages in the process. They also practice the
arts of listening, learning, and problem solving together. What follows is a sampling of A&D courses that have
trans-disciplinary teamwork at their core.
Close L istening l e a r n I n g t h e l a n g u a g e
o f C o l l a B o r a t I o n
summer 2010 Emergence • 14
Cross DIsCIPlInary tea mWork anD real-
WorlD ProBlem solvIng a r e at t h e h e a rt of I n t egr at eD ProDuCt De v eloPm en t (I PD), a course that links Business Administration, Engineering, and Art & Design. Team-taught by A&D Professor Shaun Jackson and Business Professor Bill Lovejoy, the course is designed to develop an appreciation for the process of customer-oriented innovation, design and manufacturing in a competitive context, working in multi-disciplinary teams where success depends more on the combination of disciplines than any one in isolation.
If student feedback is a guide, the IPD experience is exhausting, educational
and very memorable.
Each IPD team — consisting
of students from art and design,
business, and engineering— designs,
manufactures and costs out a product.
Then, each team pits its product
against other teams’ products in two
simulated markets (a web-market
and a physical trade show). In both
the web and physical trade shows,
the public is invited to review the
products and vote for their most
preferred. In the past, teams have
been challenged to design a disaster
area portable hygiene station, an
urban shopping cart, and a kitchen for
someone with only one arm.
The course is unique in the country
in combining fully functional,
customer-ready prototypes
with economic competition. If
student feedback is a guide, the
IPD experience is exhausting,
educational and very memorable.
And the press concurs. The course has
been covered in The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek
as well as on CNN. In fact, for three
consecutive years BusinessWeek has
selected the course as one of the top
design courses in the world.
Close L istening l e a r n I n g t h e l a n g u a g e o f C o l l a B o r a t I o n
15 • Emergence summer 2010 • { r } e v o l u t i o n •
C lose L istening
l e a r n I n g t h e l a n g u a g e o f C o l l a B o r a t I o n
summer 2010 Emergence • 16
Col l a B or at I v e t h I n k I ng a n D h a n Ds - on
projects that have impact were also the goals of A&D professor John Marshall, Architecture professor Karl Daubman, and Engineering’s Max Shtein in developing the course, Smart Surfaces. Smart Surfaces’ collaborative, project-based learning environment asked undergraduate artists, designers, architects and engineers to come together to build a real-world project focused on sustainability. The goal, to create a heliotropic surface—that is, a surface powered by solar energy.
For John Marshall, this course
pointed to the future of education.
“If we’re going to solve global
issues like climate change,
it will be by learning how to
cross the boundaries of our
disciplines, to think smarter
and more creatively.”
Students had to learn how to
harvest solar energy, how to do
microcontroller programming,
parametric modeling, digital
fabrication and how to move
beyond their usual intellectual
and disciplinary boundaries. Day-
to-day they were also challenged
to negotiate and manage the
differences among the cultures of
Art & Design, Architecture, and
Materials Science Engineering.
As teams worked to complete their
projects, another key element was
the cross-fertilization that occurred
as discipline-based methodologies
had to be redefined and merged in
response to concrete problems.
Was it successful? One Academic
Services staff member exclaimed
“You could auction off places for the
next course, it was so popular!”
other voicesI needed UM to help me find my focus. I was able to explore many options, and find
what I was passionate about and good at. I feel confident that I can do anything I
want from this point on. If I want to be a fashion designer for the best companies
in LA, I can. If I want to become a full-time artist making work for galleries, I can. If
I want to continue with graphic design and become an art director for a firm one day,
I can. It’s all about making these decisions, and pushing forward with what you
want, and you can have it. No doubt about it. – kevin tudball (Bfa ‘06), graphic Designer
michigan art & design
“If we’re going to solve global issues like climate
change, it will be by learning how to cross the boundaries of our
disciplines, to think smarter and more creatively.”
“ i n t e r n i n g ( a S a p h oto g r a p h e r ) at the
San Diego Union-Tribune was affirming and exhilarating.
Each week I shot from four to six assignments. Once I
covered a Native American star gathering in the desert.
I took photographs at a DUI checkpoint on a highway. I
gained a lot of confidence and I discovered that not only
could I see myself taking the photos for a publication for my adult life, I would
have a great time doing so, too.” — angela ceSere
angela’S eMployer SayS: “Angela showed she has a good working
knowledge of the technical skills needed in a newspaper environment.
She also showed a very important skill: critical thinking. I wish the
internship could have been longer.”
17 • Emergence summer 2010 • { r } e v o l u t i o n • michigan art & design
an art anD DesIgn eDuCatIon Is aBout BuIlDIng skIlls – in concept
development, drawing, photoshop,
wood, metals, paint, indesign,
ceramics, 3-D modeling, etc. But,
ideally, it’s also about developing
the skills students will need to
identify and pursue careers. And,
as with skill building in other areas,
learning how to become a professional
happens over time, and requires
practice, practice, and more practice.
This is where A&D’s internship
program comes in. Led by John Luther,
Career Development Coordinator,
the program begins its efforts to
bring students closer to their post
graduation futures as soon as they
enter the School as freshmen.
Every incoming student has an
individual orientation meeting where
s/he is introduced to the realm of
careers and career development.
“We start out with a very open ended
career exploration questionnaire
that looks at students interests,
skills and values,” Luther explains.
“We explore what is important to
each person and develop a baseline
that I have in mind when they
come to talk with me again.”
And, unlike many other schools
and colleges that only offer
internships during the last two
years of undergraduate education,
students at A&D can apply for
internships as early as their
Audit ioning the Future E x P E R I E N T I A L L E A R N I N G A T A & D
“ r a r e ly d u r i n g o u r lo n g n i g h t S of finishing projects do we have the time to understand the bigger picture of our work, and reflect on the options we have as artists. However, this past
summer, I was fortunate enough to have (an internship) opportunity, opening my eyes to an entirely new possibility for me as an artist.” — alliSon iSenberg, a&d undergraduate
freshman and sophomore years.
“We know that employers state that
experience is one of their primary
requirements, so we try to give
students as many opportunities as
possible to get that experience.”
Once a student has determined
what s/he is interested in, the work
begins to make the internship a
reality —from training on where
communicate with the public – all
transferable skills. That project that
was done in class, it can be used to talk
about your ability to problem solve.”
He also applauds A&D alumni as one
of his, and students, best resources.
“Whether it’s being part of the yearly
A&D career expo or networking
with students, or giving advice, our
alumni are invaluable. I couldn’t
to look for opportunities and how
to find resources to learning how
to network and develop materials
for each opportunity including
resume, cover letter, and portfolio.
For Luther, “My role is to show them
how to take whatever experiences
they have, whatever creative work
they have, and describe it in a way
that makes it pertinent to their job
search. If you’ve waited on tables,
you work well under pressure, and
do my job without them.”
Once goals are defined and materials
developed, students make the contacts
and secure the positions themselves.
“There are other universities where
they have a team of people on staff
whose job it is to find placements and
match students to placements. But
A&D’s curriculum fosters independent
thinking and entrepreneurship and
the internship program mirrors those
values.” Because A&D students
summer 2010 Emergence • 18 • { r } e v o l u t i o n •
other voicesI have always believed that you need to be smart, disciplined, tough, driven, and willing to say no. Additionally, you need to have a good handle on what you are trying to accomplish, how much risk you are willing to take, and what it really takes to build a leading company. Those are just a few of the skills that come to mind – in the final analysis, there is no substitute for hard work and a determination to outperform your competition. I know that many commencement
“M y p h oto i n t e r n S h i p in the Bravo digital department in New
York exposed me to so many new things. I was quickly thrown into the
photo editing process, choosing images for various online photo galleries.
I was also a part of weekly editorial team meetings, and even asked to
contribute my ideas. I met new people, made great connections and
came away with new skills and confidence.” — Meredith KraMer
Meredith ’S eMployer SayS: “Meredith brought original ideas to
Bravo, and had a passion and eagerness for learning. She is an extremely
dedicated and strong person and we at Bravo have all benefited from
having her work here. We would love to have her back anytime.”
take responsibility for their own
internships, they get early and, we
hope, multiple opportunities to practice
the application process for themselves,
just as they will once they graduate.
The program provides students with
resources, time, and support and, in
return, they are expected to assume
a certain level of responsibility. The
goal is to have graduates who can
navigate the world independently.
As John sums it up, “Are the
internship results different than
if a student had been part of a
different program? Maybe. But the
journey is definitely going to be very
different. The person who graduates
is different — with bigger ideas, and
more confidence in his/her abilities
to enter the working world.”
speakers tell graduates to follow their passion. But to me, that is too simple an approach, and one that can often lead to disappointment. Realistically, it is hard to know with any degree of certainty what your passion is when you are 21 years old. I think the better advice is to try to figure out what you are good at, and then to do your absolute best at it. In your twenties, you need guidance to build the foundation for your career. I believe the best place
to get that guidance is a well-managed business with talented leaders and a commitment to growing its people. And once you are working for that business, you should try to set aside many of life’s distractions and focus on making your employer (and ultimately yourself) be as successful as humanly possible.
– roe stamps, a&D’s Dean’s advisory Council
“( w o r K i n g at S c o u t p r o d u c t i o n S ) opened my eyes to
how I can apply my creative, out-of-the-box thinking and my digital and
graphic design interests in the real world. It allowed me to gets hands-on
experience in a creative and fast-paced environment where I could apply
both my research skills and artistic/design knowledge.”
— alliSon iSenberg (bFa ’09)
alliSon’S eMployer coMMented: “ In addition to her can-do attitude,
Allison impressed us with her graphic arts talents. With very little
supervision, Allison designed drafts of pitch books, relying on her own
sense of creativity. She also contributed to many creative brainstorms,
never afraid of jumping right in.”
If you can provide an
internship for an
A&D student, or know of
an internship opportunity,
please contact John Luther
or 734-647-7761
19 • Emergence summer 2010
Moving Out
a &d sen ior s e n t er t he Wor ld
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •
In the mIDst of thIs gloBal shIft In Work,
the next crop of A&D seniors prepared for graduation, signaling their launch into
the "real world.” Graduation is also the time each year when seniors unveil their
Integrative Projects, bodies of work meant to synthesize their a&D educational
experiences. Each senior has had the whole year to plan, conceptualize, and build
a single project of his/her choosing. With the help of faculty advisors, students
manage their own creative processes and working schedules. And they each do this
work in an individual dedicated studio provided by the generosity of A&D donors
Penny and Roe Stamps. This April students exhibited the fruits of their year-long
efforts in galleries and theaters across campus and off-site.
Ph
otog
raph
s by
Ja
me
s r
ot
zA
&D
GR
AD
UA
TE
ST
UD
EN
T
summer 2010 Emergence • 20 • { r } e v o l u t i o n •michigan art & design
In April students exhibited
the fruits of their year-
long efforts in galleries
and theaters across
campus and off-site.
21 • Emergence summer 2010
1950s
Jim Adair (BSDES ‘52)I live in New Paltz, NY and work out of my
art gallery /studio. After a 42-year career
in New York City advertising as an art
director, I came to this wonderful upstate
Hudson River Valley region to initiate a
15-year experience with viticulture and
wine making at Adair Vineyards. Now
that operation is sold and I have been
painting watercolors for the past 12 years,
a desire established and nurtured at UM
but not acted upon until moving to the
land of the Hudson River School painters.
(My wine label bore a reproduction
of Asher Durand’s “Solitary Oak.” )
A recent exhibition of my work was at my
Red Pump Studio/Gallery in August ‘09. I’m
planning another show for August 2010,
in tandem with the new owner of Adair
Vineyards. I am a signature member and the
first vice president of North East Watercolor
Society where I received an award at their
33rd Annual International Exhibition. I
am a signature member of The Audubon
Artist Association, receiving an award at
their fall exhibition in New York City.
Jack Lardis (BSDES ‘54)I launched a nonprofit art organization
in 2003 called Oil Drum Art. Its mission
is to recycle 55-gallon oil drums by
having artists transform them into
artworks. Part of our program involves
students painting drums and creating
public art for inner-city parks, municipal
buildings and neighborhoods. Over
300 drum artworks have been created
and deployed throughout the state.
Recently, Oil Drum Art has partnered with
the Naugatuck Valley Arts Council to create
a “Drums For Troops” initiative, inviting
15 schools to paint drums with patriotic
themes. The drums will be filled with
donated goods and supplies and shipped
to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is a pilot program. We hope media
coverage will help interest other groups in
initiating “Drums For Troops” projects in
their own towns. Those interested can get
information from www.oildrumart.org.
John Rieben (BSDES ‘57)I recently had two posters included
in Graphis Posters 2010. Graphis
features the best in design, advertising,
photography and Illustration. The Poster
Annual presents the best internationally
produced work from the previous year. I
have also reached that senior citizen
category of emeritus professor. I now
spend half the year in Florida and then
migrate north to Wisconsin when I have
been assured Spring is in full bloom. I
keep fairly busy creating trademarks and
posters for whatever clients I can locate.
And when that is not enough, I paint.
Alumni Updates
• A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
summer 2010 Emergence • 22
1960sJules strabel (BSDES ‘60)I was in the Michigan Watercolor Show,
the School of Art & Design Storm
Show, the Kentucky watercolor show,
and the I.S.E.A.International Society
of Experimental Artists Show where I
received an award. I was also fortunate
to get into Charles McGee’s Urban Edge
Show for the Grosse Point Artists, as well
as Wayne County Community College’s
Self Portrait Show. I need to live another
100 years to do all that I wish to do.
matthew Zivich (BSDES ‘60)I was recently included in the School
of Art & Design Work•Detroit show,
Migration. My art work, “Prairie
Home Companion,” was featured on
the posters promoting this show and
also on the Work • Detroit web page.
C. malcom powers (BSDES ‘59, MFA ‘61)C. Malcolm Powers participated in the art
show at First Presbyterian Church, Ann
Arbor, November 08, 2009. One of his
pieces was a figure called “O.K., O.K., Lord!”
Russell thayer (BS ‘57, MA ‘61)As the result of winning a Michigan
State University competition, I recently
completed and installed a large-scale
sculpture, Windrapids II, on the MSU
campus at the entrance of the Bio-
Medical Physical Science Building. The
smaller Windrapids I is in Birmingham,
Michigan. Both were fabricated in
our Franklin, Michigan, studio home
that has been featured in both Style
and Ambassador magazines.
My wife Nancy, a painter with three
pieces in the collection of the Detroit
Institute of Arts, and I are also both
currently teaching classes at the School
of Art & Design. We both recently
showed our work in a two-person show
at the Marshall Fredericks Museum at
Saginaw Valley State University, and my
sculpture was included in the invitational
Michigan Masters exhibition at the
Kresge Art Museum in East Lansing.
Jack Kelley (BS ‘62)In 2009, the Muskegon Museum of Art,
in cooperation with Herman Miller, Inc.
and the Ford Museum put on an exhibit
of the design history of Herman Miller.
I was fortunate to have been employed by
the Herman Miller Research Division in Ann
Arbor. I began as a student design intern
in 1961 and was hired full time upon my
graduation from A&D. Through the early
‘60s I worked with Bob Propst, research
director, in the research and development
of the world’s first modular panel furniture
system, Action Office. Bob and I shared
over 28 patents and created the furniture
system that revolutionized the way
offices worked and are planned. Yes, we
invented the tools that created the cubicle.
And it was done in Ann Arbor as well!
My contributions were many, including
the product design of the first installation
of the system at the U of Tennessee in
1965 and the custom design of the first
human factored computer workstation
for Dr. Doug Engelbart, the inventor of
the world’s first computer mouse in 1968.
In fact, as a result, I wound up designing
the world’s first mouse pad along with
several major components of Action
Office, recognized by the International
Society of Industrial Designers as the
best design from 1960 to 1985.
stephanie duran (BSDES ‘64)My daughter, Gabrielle Lyon, received
a Presidential Award for her non-profit
organization Project Exploration, that
works to ensure experiences with science
by populations traditionally overlooked—
particularly minority youth and girls.
www.projectexploration.org. I also
have two sons. Raphael graduated from
Brown with honors and is a musician/
sculptor and does installations all over
the world. He also finished a film, i film,
shot in Buenos Aires when Argentinian
banks were all failing. His website is
mudboymusic.com. Lucas works with planes
and cars and is amazing with machines
and engines. He graduated from Southern
Illinois University majoring in avionics.
Finally, I include a painting by my
husband, Robert Duran. He passed
away 5 years ago and was a well-known
painter and in many collections.
michigan art & design • A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
23 • Emergence summer 2010
Frank ettenberg (BSDES ‘66)I have been working as a self-employed
artist in Vienna Austria since 2003. I rent
my studio from the city, which has seen
fit to provide studios for qualified visual
artists as long as they are official residents
of the city. I am in the midst of a drawn-out
visa application and review process, since
the immigration department wants to make
sure one more subsistence-level, foreign
artist doesn’t get stuck here and turn out
to be a ward of the state. I recently had an
exhibition of selected works in the offices
of BMM marketing, Gmbh in Graz, Austria.
I would be happy to host UM art or
other tours, since I know the German
language and would be happy to
arrange the itinerary ahead of time.
margot Jacobson Gotoff (AM ‘66)I want to share w/you the honor bestowed
on me by the State of Ohio via the Ohioana
Library Association. I was awarded the
Ohioana Pegasus Award for my cultural/
artistic contributions. This same award has
been given to Maya Lin, Eric Kunzel, Doris
Day, etc. I received it in October for my
sculpture cast in glass and for my teaching.
norman stewart (BFA ‘69, AM ‘72) and susan stewart (BSDES ‘70, AM ‘00)As you may already know, my wife,
Susan, and I are partners of Stewart
& Stewart and are both graduates of
UM’s School of Art & Design (formerly
the College of Architecture and Design
when we earned our multiple degrees
in the late 60’s and early 70’s).
Since 1980, our studio in Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan has been working with artists to
print and publish fine screenprints. And,
over the past few years, we have also
been showing other fine prints created
by artists from across the United States.
Most recently, we have been showing
the outstanding woodcuts created by
Endi Poskovic, a new faculty member at
A&D. Endi’s work and the work of other
fine print artists were featured in 2009
Stewart & Stewart’s presentations at the
IFPDA’s (International Fine Print Dealers
Association) international Fine Print Fair
in NYC, and locally at Works on Paper
IV at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art
Center, and the Flint Print Fair at the Flint
Institute of Arts. We also presented at
the Capital Art Fair in Arlington, Virginia
(Washington DC area) this April.
The Detroit Institute of Arts mounted
two museum exhibitions celebrating
Stewart & Stewart’s accomplishments in
a 10-year anniversary exhibition in 1990
and a 25-year anniversary exhibition
in 2005. Our fine print editions have
been exhibited in and purchased by
museums, corporate collections, and
private collections around the globe.
1970s
diane morgan(BFA ‘70) I started my own business, Diane
Morgan Fine Art, four years ago.
After many years in advertising and
public art administration I decided
to take the plunge and go full-time as a
fine artist. Since going full-time I have
been winning awards and made great
strides in my artistic career. I have
been featured in International Artist
Magazine and The Artist’s Magazine.
F + W publications, publishers of Southwest
Art, The Artist Magazine and Watercolor
Artist have used my art as a feature in their
advertising. I was selected as the poster
artist for the Indian Wells Arts Festival
and my art is featured in their advertising.
One of my watercolors is on display in the
California State Capitol. Another is on a
year-long national tour with the National
Watercolor Society. Starbucks recently
purchased three pieces for display in their
new location at the Palm Springs
International Airport. If I hadn’t
taken the risk, I would not have
received the rewards. I look forward to
every day and the new creative chal-
lenge. It’s so true…..if you do what you
love, you will never work a day of your
life. I will never retire, because I love what
I do. Art is my life, not my job. I’m also
teaching now because I’m always getting
calls to demonstrate my techniques.
• A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
summer 2010 Emergence • 24
susan Hensel (BFA ‘72)In March 2010 Susan (McGaughan) Hensel
Gallery in Minneapolis, MN featured
the tenth anniversary of the national
survey show of artists’ books, Reader’s
Art 10. As a part of this anniversary
celebration, Susan invited long-time
curator of books, Jon Coffelt, to shape the
show. Reader’s Art began in 2000 in East
Lansing, Michigan at The Art Apartment,
an alternative space right across the road
from Michigan State University. From
the beginning, it had national scope,
showcasing handmade artists books from
across the United States. In 2005 the
show moved to Minneapolis with Susan
as she opened the Susan Hensel Gallery.
The Susan Hensel Gallery maintains a
robust online archive, which can be viewed at
www.susanhenselgallery.com
Beverly Brandt (BFA ‘73)Beverly Brandt, professor of design at
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts,
has just published a new book exploring
the Arts and Crafts movement and its ties
to Boston. Entitled “The Craftsman and
the Critic: Defining Usefulness and Beauty
in Arts and Crafts-Era Boston,” (University
of Massachusetts Press) the book looks
at Boston in the “Gilded Age” as a center
for reform, epitomized by the Aesthetic
and the Arts and Crafts movements, and
the evolution of the profession of design
criticism in the 19th century. Brandt
said. “I wanted to explore how people
got those ideas, and shaped them. To tell
the back stories of the objects that are
part of the Arts and Crafts movement.”
For more information
contact Brandt or Beverly at
(480) 443-3043 or [email protected]
Jamie Joseph Alder(BFA ‘74)In 2009 I had four pages of my work
included in the book, Abstract Comics. I
also had four pages of my work included
in the show, Silent Pictures, at the Amie
and Tony James Gallery at the Graduate
Center at the City University of New York.
editor’s note: Jamie Alder
passed away on march 22, 2010.
nava Atlas (BFA ‘77)I’m participating in a traveling three-
person exhibition, In Retrospect: Artist’s
Books and Works on Paper by Maureen
Cummins, Ann Lovett, and Nava Atlas.
It opened at the Abcedarian Gallery in
Denver in April, traveling on to Hope
College, Holland, MI (August-Oct.), SUNY-
Ulster, Stone Ridge, NY (Nov.-Dec.), and to
several other venues from 2011-2012.
This year I’m also working on a new book,
The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing
Life, to be published in May 2011, along
with its companion limited edition artist’s
book, Dear Literary Ladies, and the blog of
the same name www.dearliteraryladies.
blogspot.com. This multidisciplinary
project looks at the creative process of
writing through the first-person narratives
of classic women authors, and examines
how their experiences are relevant to
writers, especially women, working today.
Julie Walters (BFA, AB ‘79)I have been promoted to Senior Associate
at Brereton Architects, where I head
one of two design studios. We focus on
commercial interior design for projects in
the San Francisco Bay Area. I am working
on projects for several insurance and
engineering companies, along with
managing the tenant planning for over 30
office buildings in the Bay Area. I received
my BFA in Interior Design in 1979 along
with my BA in History of Art. I was dually
enrolled in both LS&A and the Art School
during my final two years at Michigan. I
also am involved in our local UM Alumni
club where I serve on the Board of
Directors. I recently hired a UM grad to
work in our studio as a junior designer.
1980selizabeth Laporte (BFA ‘81)Elizabeth LaPorte has been appointed
a member of the Michigan Sea Grant
Management Team, effective December
2009. LaPorte serves as co-principal
investigator of Sea Grant’s communications
and education programs. She is the director
of the award-winning curriculum, Fisheries
Learning On the Web. For the past nine
years, she has contributed to Michigan Sea
Grant’s strategic planning and program
development efforts. Currently, LaPorte is
managing the development of the Michigan
Clean Marina Classroom, a web-based
professional training program for marinas.
LaPorte joins Jim Diana, Program Director
and Professor in the UM School of Natural
Resources and Environment, and others, in
the management of this statewide program.
see michigan sea Grant:
www.miseagrant.umich.edu
michigan art & design • A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
25 • Emergence summer 2010
Francie (Johnson) Hester (BFA ‘82)I paint on aluminum and last year I won
a competition to create a piece for the
American Speech and Hearing Association.
The underlying themes in this piece
reflect the mission of ASHA to promote
effective human communication. The
understanding that language is the
bridge to everyday life becomes the
cornerstone for the structural elements
of the painting and ASHA’s vision to
make effective communication a human
right spanning a lifetime is captured
by linking themes of childhood
learning to those extending to the end
of one’s life. I am represented by Anton
Gallery in Monterey CA, and EA Gallery
in Port Chester, NY. I work just outside of
Washington DC — I have an old auto body
shop where I work in Kensington, MD.
my current work is on my blog linked
from www.franciehester.com
Jules (Julie Knittel) pieri (BFA ‘82)I founded Daily Grommet, an online
marketplace, in 2008. Given my degree
in design, it is a natural that I created a
business that finds one inventive product
or service a day and produces a video
review of it. I would love if A & D alums
would submit possible “Grommets” to me.
We look at everything from kitchen tools
to outdoor gear, to green products, and we
love anything with a deep social enterprise
heritage. There’s a form on our site to tell
us about the idea. Surely U of M A & D grads
can find some pretty amazing products,
and are also producing many themselves.
www.dailygrommet.com
Leisa Rich (BFA ‘82)2009 was a busy year for Leisa Rich with the
launch of her Etsy shop of creative items for
body and home (www.richmade.etsy.com)
and a solo installation exhibition (see it in
the Installations gallery at www.monaleisa.
com). In addition, Leisa was included in the
“Quilt National 2009” juried exhibition
at The Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio (the
exhibition is now travelling) and in the book
of the same name by Lark Books Publishers.
The first in a series of exciting new work-
viewer interactive scenes- is also included
in the Fiberart International at Pittsburgh
Center for the Arts from April 16-August 22,
2010. Leisa is the state representative for
the Georgia chapter of the Surface Design
Association and is on the board of directors
and planning committee for the Southeast
Fiber Art Alliance soon to open in Atlanta,
Georgia. Leisa teaches art at The Galloway
School, the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, in
her studio and at Arrowmont in June 2010.
susan Wechsler (BFA ‘83)I opened my first museum exhibition,
Integral Elements, at the Loveland Museum
in Loveland, Colorado. This group exhibition
included the work of four artists from
across the United States — Liz Quisgard,
Hariete Estel Berman, Susan Weschler,
and David Chatt. The Loveland Museum
is one of the top 25 small museums in the
country. Wayne Theibaud’s retrospective
was just there, then DALI. They took
Dali off the walls and put my work up!
William macArthur (AM ‘84)I am participating in Buckham Gallery’s
25th Anniversary Art Exhibition in May
2010 in Flint, MI. It’s a five-person show.
I have created some rather unique works
just for this exhibition! I’ve made glow-in
-the- dark relief-sculptures, modular photo-
montage relief-sculptures and relief prints.
One sculpture is collapsible/modular and
made without using any conventional tools,
just scissors, cable ties and dowel rods!
• A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
summer 2010 Emergence • 26
Christopher s. smith(BFA ‘84)During the month of September 2009,
my series of sculptures “Perfectly
Naked” was exhibited at the Noyes
Museum in Hammonton, NJ. Twenty-
five sculptures were shown.
www.christophersmithsculpture.com
marco Lorenzetti (BFA ‘85)My photographs were recently included
in the Greater Michigan Art Exhibition
at the Alden B. Dow Museum of
Science and Art. The photographs are
36”x46” gelatin silver enlargements
from original 8”x10” negatives.
The group is called Divine Intervention.
Based on my submittal, the museum
granted me a solo exhibition award.
The show is scheduled for 2010.
James mott (MFA ‘85)I just had an Itinerant Artist Project (IAP) 10-
year retrospective exhibit here in Rochester,
NY including 60 of the best paintings from
30 weeks on the road, along with text,
maps, journals, sketches and a video loop
of the Today Show piece. It got enthusiastic
reviews from other artists, the press and
the general public. It’s a great show for
small museums and college galleries.
My website has more about the
project and contact info.
It was a good year for the IAP, with
a residency in Rome, NY; my first
workshop, in St. Augustine; and my
9th tour, which finished up with an
invitation to paint at Prout’s Neck,
Maine – a stone’s throw from Winslow
Homer’s studio. I also got a NY State
grant to do a local version of my project.
In 2010 I’m considering a New York City
tour: taking gift exchange into the heart
of the commercial art world. Anyone
out there want to host? Also... My wife’s
memoir, “Ghostbread,” recently published
by University of Georgia Press, won
the AWP award for creative nonfiction.
It’s strongly-written and an excellent,
unsentimental take on the subject of
growing up in poverty in Western NY.
www.jimmott.com
Andy Ross (MFA ‘86)Andy Ross has been busy creating web
sites, presentations, and other interactive
content using the Adobe Flash platform.
In fact, he’s been so busy he’s looking for
help. So if you know anyone with skills in
Adobe Flash, have them contact Andy at
[email protected]. Andy recently
finished a web site for the local Ann Arbor
painter Nina Friday at ninafridayart.com.
Jennifer Bostek (BFA ‘87)I have been teaching Design Concepts
in the Foundations Department at the
College for Creative Studies for 10 years.
My 2009 exhibitions included The Detroit
Artists Market Small Show, Detroit Artists
Market Garden Party, Detroit Artists Market
All Media Exhibition 2009, The Anton
Art Center Michigan Annual Exhibition
2009, and two commissioned portraits.
Cary A. Zartman (BFA ‘87)Recently, Logo Lounge announced that
three Cary Zartman-designed identities
have been included in its new Master
Library series of books, on the bookshelves
in February 2010. Included in its Initials and
Crests edition are: Linkergy (a new business
development company), Out of the Ballpark
(an online business for the leisure and travel
industry) and Z Factory (a creative studio
that challenges and inspires businesses to
be inventive in their design and marketing
solutions). Communication Arts published
its Design Annual 50 in December
‘09, which also featured the recently-
redesigned Z Factory logo. (To see a more
in-depth exploration of each of these
identities, visit www.zfactory.net.) In
addition, Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood
has hired Cary to design a series of
wayfinding street kiosks to be installed
this spring along popular retail districts
within its area. www.zfactory.net
michigan art & design • A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
27 • Emergence summer 2010
1990s
Robin Weiss (BFA ’90)Robin Weiss, founder and artist of Paint
Your World, is celebrating her 10th year as
a muralist. Located in the New York City
region, Paint Your World creates custom
murals, faux finishes and furniture. Clients
have added custom details to bedrooms,
kitchens, play spaces, stairwells and more.
Paint Your World also services commercial
clients such as restaurants, office spaces,
schools and day camps. Visit her website:
www.paint-your-world.com for a browse
through the gallery and additional info.
Robin also recently completed her MS-Art
Education and is a NYS certified art teacher.
Lauren turetsky (BFA ‘91)For the past ten years, Lauren has been
running her own successful company,
Eyelevel Design. She has designed many
websites, logos, corporate identity
packages, data sheets and catalogs. She
also has been working as a part-time
instructor at the Academy of Art University
and at City College San Francisco. When
she’s not working, she is spending as much
time as possible with her three-year-old
son, Shea. www.eyeleveldesign.com
Robin Leventhal (MFA ‘92)I was just on season 6 of Top Chef Las Vegas!
www.bravotv.com/top-chef/
bio/robin-leventhal
From the Top Chef website: While pursuing
a Master’s in Fine Arts at the University of
Michigan, Robin took a job in the catering
department. It quickly became clear she had
a passion for food. Robin’s Pacific Northwest
roots are the foundation of her cooking,
accented by the flavors of her world travels.
Robin formerly owned and operated Crave,
a popular Seattle bistro. She currently uses
her cooking and culinary connections to
help raise money for lymphoma research
and is closely involved with the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
www.cravefood.com
Cynthia Greig (MFA ‘95)I continue to work in photography and
video, occasionally writing and curating
on an independent basis. In 2009,
photographs from my Representations
series were included in the exhibition,
Complicity: Contemporary Photography
and the Matter of Sculpture at Rena
Bransten Gallery in San Francisco. I was
also happy that several images from this
body of work were recently acquired for
the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts
Boston, Smith College Museum of Art and
the Wellington Management Art Collection.
This year I’m in the group show,
Drawing Pictures, at the Camera Club in
New York www.cameraclubny.org, and
I have a solo exhibition at DNJ Gallery
www.dnjgallery.net in Los Angeles, CA in
May. Fellow A&D alum Angela Faris-Belt
kindly included several of my photographs
in her very successful book, The Elements
of Photography, already used in many
photography programs across the country.
An exhibition based on the book debuted
at Eastern Michigan University’s Art Gallery
in March 2009, travelling to venues across
the country over the next couple of years.
I’m still good friends with my darkroom
neighbor, Peter Finnemore, (MFA ‘95)
and was privileged to write a catalogue
essay for his Zen Gardener exhibition at
Oriel Mostyn in 2004. Richard and I had a
blast catching up with Peter and his Welsh
entourage in Venice when he was one of
three artists representing Wales during
the Biennale in 2005. I’ve lost touch with
many A&D friends but have fond memories
of our time together in Ann Arbor and
would love to hear from you and catch up.
www.cynthiagreig.com
shane Ward (BFA ‘96)Shoe designers Shane and Shawn
Ward (BSEME ’96) have launched a new
collection of affordable fashion shoes in
a partnership with Macys and Endless.
com. The shoes, which have the same
fashion forward/comfort fusion design
elements as the core SHANE&SHAWN line,
debuted Jan. 1, 2010, and are selling well.
• A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
summer 2010 Emergence • 28
paul Flickinger (MFA ‘97)A lot has happened in my life. I left my
position at the Kalamazoo Institute of
Art to start a non-profit, Clean Water
for the World. Our mission is to provide
simple, adaptable water purification
systems, at no charge, to communities
without access to potable water. We
have about 60 units installed around the
world serving about 36,000 people.
We recently partnered with the UM
College of Engineering to design a low
cost pump to supply water to the systems
in cases where water is not provided by
other pumps. We also will be sending
one of our solar powered units to Ghana
with Engineering students next summer. I
traveled with my daughter Nicole (all grown
up and working in Mid-town Manhattan) to
southern India to install 5 water purifiers in
poor rural communities. Last spring break
I travelled to Haiti to install our first solar
powered unit in a remote community on
the Caribbean coast. Clean Water for the
World is a volunteer run organization with
no paid employees. I am also teaching at
Western Michigan University in ceramics
and foundations. I have attached a photo
of kids at a school in India getting their
first taste of potable water. I am hoping
that A&D alumni can help me spread
the word about our organization.
www.cleanwaterfortheworld.org
Jason (Jay) LeVasseur (BFA ‘92, MFA ‘97)After graduating, I started freelancing
as Applied Art Studio. Concurrently, I
worked on a one-year appointment for
the Medical Illustration department on a
book illustration project with McGraw-
Hill. After that, I moved to Fort Collins,
Colorado (fall of 1998) and I’ve been here
ever since. I met a wonderful woman here
soon after the move, and she became my
wife in July of 2001. Her name is Celia.
We had a baby girl on September 12,
2005, and her name is Elise. She loves
to draw, and is a tremendous joy to us!
I teach 2D design, and figure drawing at
a community college here, and I continue
to freelance from our home. My clients
are mainly medical/surgical publishing
companies, with a sprinkling of non-
medical clients. As fot fine art, I don’t make
time to regularly create pieces. However,
at the college, we have a faculty show
about every other year, so this gives me
an impetus to generate something new.
eric Benson (BFADS ‘98)Eric Benson is an Assistant Professor
of Graphic Design at the University of
Illinois – Champaign. He recently won an
American Design Award for his design of
the webiste www.renourish.com. Eric also
has an active exhibition record including
the group exhibitions, Less is More 2010
at Connexion Gallery-Design Studio.
Dunwoody, GA.; the Hello: Graphic Design
Group Invitational at the University of
South Dakota. Vermillion, SD.; and Art
D’Eco at Gallery 125. Trenton, NJ. His work
has been published in “The Intersection
of Identity Within Pattern & Structure:
A FLYSPACE Continuing Collaboration.”
Multi: The RIT Journal of Plurality and
Diversity in Design. Spring 2010 (http://
library.rit.edu/oajournals/index.php/
multi); “Sustainable Design Education
Rethought: The Case for Eco-Modernism.”
In Design Principles & Practices: An
International Journal. Spring 2010;
“Counterculture Green: The Whole Earth
Catalog and American Environmentalism:
A Review.” DesignIssues. MIT Press. Spring
2010; and “Designing the Immaterial.”
DesignInquiry. Spring 2010. (http://
failagain.designinquiry.net/?cat=36).
Janna Bissett (BFA ‘98)Janna Bissett recently had a one-person
show of her work “Photography by Janna
Bissett” at Farmington Hills City Gallery
in Farmington Hills, MI. Bissett credits
her photographic style to the fact that
she works in many other media, including
charcoal, metalwork, paint and fiber. “Once
I accepted that having a hand in all these
different media can actually work for me
rather than against me, I started to see my
art grow in ways I never thought possible.”
In some of her photos, a combination
of media is used, as photos are shot
through a glass “painted” with cleaner,
and also manipulated after the shot.
Andrea urbiel Goldner (BFA, BS ‘98)After graduating with a Master’s degree in
Landscape Architecture from the University
of California, Berkeley, I joined Hood Design
(the studio of Walter Hood) in Oakland, CA.
The San Francisco Bay led me to Mexico
City, Veracruz, Rome, and a very long walk—
from the Pyrenees to the ocean—across
Spain for a traveling fellowship in landscape
architecture. Returning to Detroit, I’ve
now jumped with both feet into
michigan art & design • A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
29 • Emergence summer 2010
my own landscape architecture practice,
Peregrine Workshop. I also occasionally
teach design and visual communication
in the Master of Landscape Architecture
program at UM. The threads through
this work in the Bay Area, the traveling
fellowship, and now in Detroit remain: the
reconstruction of urban places, landscape
design for the person on foot, exploration
of the hinges between culture and ecology,
and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
peregrine Workshop 510.316.0261.
Jacquelene steele(BFA ‘98)I am pleased to announce that I am an
MD Candidate at Wayne State University
School of Medicine Class of 2013.
shawn Alexander (MFA ‘99)Shawn K. Alexander creates stories with
paint, words and film that meet at the Pan-
African crossroads of history, family and
identity. He co-wrote the award-winning
indie feature, August The First, distributed
via Filmmovement.com, and co-produced
the play, Raw Love, which ran at the Theater
for the New City in December 2008. He’s
currently developing an animation TV &
web series via Gruntled Entertainment,
LLC. and rewriting two feature-length
scripts, and shooting a trailer short
for another feature-length script.
2000s
peter Baker (BFADS ‘00)
& michelle Baker (BFA ‘00)My wife, Michelle, and I, both born and
raised in Michigan, recently moved
back to Michigan from San Francisco.
I have been running a small design
studio called Elevated Works for six
years now, providing freelance graphic
design and web development services
(www.elevatedworks.com) and have
also been working commercially as a
photographer and continuing some
long term photography projects
(www.peterbaker.net), the latest
focused on Michigan itself.
Michelle founded a letterpress printing
and design studio, Elevated Press
(www.elevatedpress.com),
specializing in custom stationery and
wedding invitations, and her own
line of greeting cards and prints
(www.elevatedpress.etsy.com). Our
studio is on Felch St, near downtown
Ann Arbor, where Michelle holds public
letterpress workshops and where
we collaborate with local artists to
host small gallery exhibitions.
Kelvin Hongshin pan(BFADS ‘00)In 2008, Hongshin Pan was invited to
join the startup company Healthcare of
Today as the Chief Operating Officer
(www.healthcareoftoday.com). Hongshin
was able to apply his creative background
to think about healthcare in new and
exciting ways. Under his leadership,
the young company quickly became an
aggressive force in healthcare, specifically
senior care. Hongshin oversees the daily
operations of the businesses and the
unique vertical-integration model that they
hope will pass savings to consumers. Over
the course of less than 2 years, the holding
company grew from four companies to over
30 businesses. Recently the company has
acquired Xenotis, an advanced human tissue
engineering company based in Australia.
Yolanda Curry (BFADS ‘01)Since graduating my time has been spent
creating jewelry and teaching youth art
classes. I have been creating and selling
jewelry in boutiques, galleries, online, and
featured at special events. This has been
very rewarding, as I have always been
interested in being an entrepreneur. My
Detroit line of jewelry, The D Collection,
has been very successful, not only in
the city, but across the country. One
reviewer commented, ‘The jewelry line
pays homage to the City of Detroit,
celebrating the rugged yet refined,
industrial and innovative, hard-working
and creative spirit of Detroit.’ Future
plans include a design studio where
other talented individuals can hone their
skills. I will once again be teaching, while
still maintaining my jewelry business.
I am also blessed with an amazing
daughter who turned three years old
in March. Needless to say, I am busy!
Kimberley ellsworth-Flores (BFA ‘02)On June 6, 2009 Kimberly married fellow
U of M alum Atticus Flores, BSME ‘02,
at Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor.w
The couple and the wedding party took
pictures at the Big House, the Law Quad,
• A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
summer 2010 Emergence • 30 • A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
Michigan Union, and Angell Hall before
heading to the reception at Kensington
Court on State Street. At the reception,
“Let’s Go Blue” and “The M Fanfare”
played. The bride and groom entered to
“The Victors.” Several members of the
wedding party were U of M alumni.
Kim put her graphic design degree to
good use for the wedding. She designed
the engagement and wedding invitations,
the ceremony program, the hotel guest
welcome bags, the logo for the Shutter
Booth filmstrips, the wedding cake and
the groom’s cake—a replica of the U of M
Rock, complete with squirrels. The graffiti
on the cake included words and phrases
that had meaning to the bride and groom.
The honeymooners visited Disneyland
before heading onto Hawaii for two weeks.
Kimberly is a graphic designer at the U of
M Law School. Atticus is a data transfer
engineer at L & W Engineering in Belleville.
The newlyweds reside in Canton, MI.
Yen Azzaro (BFA ‘03)
& nick Azzaro (BFA ‘04)Nick is a full-time working artist. His
site www.fotoazzaro.com shows some
of his fine art. He is also working on
securing grants and funding for large-
scale projection installations. His
current project utilizes the underground
advertising technology in the Chicago
subway tunnels that flashes a series of
images as the train goes by at 30 mph.
He is producing hundreds of photos for
a social commentary that will engage
riders and pique the interest of those that
normally do not see art in the public realm.
We have also started a small business
through Etsy, a site that markets stores for
homemade and vintage items. Our store
is called The Satisfied Ant. Nick shows his
photography and I show illustration and
design, a great reminder that I should be
painting more while keeping my day job.
www.etsy.com/shop/thesatisfiedant
www.fotoazzaro.com
Lee may (BFA ‘03)I now reside in Chicago where I am
studying for a Master’s of Art in Art
Education at the School of the Art Institute
of Chicago (SAIC). I also work as a graphic
designer in the Communications &
Graphics department and as a TA for two
undergraduate classes at the SAIC. Once I
complete my master’s, I’d like to become
a college/university teacher with an
emphasis in design and art education.
susan skarsgard (MFA ‘04)Susan Skarsgard (MFA ’04) has recently
been promoted to Global Industrial
Design Manager at General Motors Design.
In January she gave a presentation at
the Museum of the City of New York, in
conjunction with the exhibition, Eero
Saarinen: Shaping the Future, where she
took participants through a tour of her
one of a kind, custom-made book, Where
Today Meets Tomorrow, detailing the
michigan art & design
design and building of the GM technical
Center, (which is also where Susan has her
office.) Closer to home, a complete set of
the work from Susan’s solo exhibition at
Washtenaw Community College, Twenty-
Six of 26: An Edition of 26 Alphabets, has
been purchased by the UM Library Special
Collections. Susan’s upcoming speaking
engagements include a presentation for
the UM Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
concerning how artists continue to be
creative in times of economic hardship,a
lecture at AIGA Celebrate Michigan Design
2010 (also featuring Jody Levy (’02),
and Interview with EYE magazine about
Susan’s work/career and the career of
fellow calligraphic artist, Carl Kurtz.
William (matt) tailford (MFA ‘04)I’m back in Michigan thanks to the state’s
film incentives, and we started a studio
up in Manistee, 10 West Studios, to shore
up what Detroit has been doing and offer
a little something different. I have been
working as a production designer, art
director, actor, and producer. It’s pretty
quiet in the winter, which allows me to find
time for my sculpture work. When I was at
UM I studied the figure intensively in hopes
of doing figurative work. I’m wrapping up
work on my first commission bronze of a life
size wildcat for a school in Sylvania, Ohio.
Benjamin Vandyke (MFA ‘06)During 2009, Ben VanDyke (MFA ’06) has
been promoted to head of the graphic
design program at the University of
New York at Buffalo. He has had a solo
exhibition *Lecciones de Anatom=EDa, at
Casa Vecina-Espacio Cultural* in Mexico
City, Mexico as part of ATypI, 09, and
group exhibitions in Toronto, ON and at
I Space Gallery in Chicago, IL. He has
lectured at Oberlin College and the UK’s
University of Cambridge Clare College.
Ben has also received an NSF Grant
for Science & Art: materials research,
typography and educational outreach;
had six projects published in Typeface:
Classic Typography for Contemporary
Design by Tamye Riggs // Princeton
Arch Press and had his work
31 • Emergence summer 2010
reviewed in Eye Magazine Blog
*Dimensional Typography *by Leslie
Atzmon (www.blog.eyemagazine.com.)
Elected positions include those on the
Board of Directors of DesignInquiry and
the Society of Typographic Aficionados.
megan m. Greydanus(BFA ‘07)After graduating from A&D, I worked
in Athens, Greece as an Interactive Art
Director at the interactive design company
Can Communication. That experience
was fantastic, but I decided to move
back to Michigan where I worked at a
few different companies before deciding
become a freelance graphic designer. I am
doing really well with my own business
networking with other freelance designers
and small businesses. I’m getting design
work in the film industry that is coming
to Michigan. Last summer I worked as the
graphic designer for a Rob Reiner film,
Flipped, filmed in Ann Arbor. I worked
closely with Production Designer Bill
Brzeski. I also worked in Detroit on Master
Class, a film starring and directed by Faye
Dunaway. With my schedule I can now
travel and visit A&D friends who are in
other cities and I am able to bring my work
with me. www.greydanusdesign.com
Yoon Ji Lee (BFA ‘08)I work as an International Network
Coordinator at The Center of Visual Art
Boda in Seoul Korea. The Center spreads
photographic culture around the world,
selects and supports young artists, provides
gallery space, promotes creative artwork,
conducts academic research, and creates
both domestic and international visual
media based partnerships. The Center
not only contains exhibition space, but
is an International hub for revitalizing
exchanges within Asia, Europe, both North
and South America, etc. Boda wants to
expand cultural exchange so that anyone
unfamiliar with different kinds of visual
art can easily raise his/her cultural fluency.
Because of this cultural exchange with art
and culture communities from all over the
country, there will oftentimes be a chance
for people who live in Korea to see the
great international artwork domestically. If
you are interested in having an exhibition
in Korea or studying photography,
www.artcenterboda.com is our
Korean website, but it’s not fully
written in English, so we use facebook
as our temporary website.
edward Johnston (MFA ‘08)In 2009, I was the recipient of two Young
Artist’s Program Grants from the D.C.
Commission on the Arts & Humanities,
partly funded by the National Endowment
for the Arts. My work was selected for the
ArcheTime conference and exhibition at the
Tank Space for Performing and Visual Arts
in New York. My work was also selected
from the 2009 Artomatic Art Festival in
Washington, D.C. for the Best of Artomatic
exhibition at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda,
Maryland. In November, my work was
included in the Urban Revolutions portion of
the Video Arts Festival, Miden, in Kalamata,
Greece. In February 2010 my work was
included in The Matter of Time exhibition at
the Philoctetes Center for Multidisciplinary
Study of the Imagination in New York,
NY. Finally, I just updated my website.
www.edwardsjohnston.com
in memoriamJamie J. AlderBFA ‘74March 22, 2010
marni BabasBSDES ‘66August 11, 2009
stuart p. BrowneBSDES ‘53September 19, 2009
Joseph L. FiemsBFA ‘70June 7, 2010
margaret A. GibsonBDES ‘40March 11, 2010
Vivian s. Gottlieb BDES ‘52November 8, 2009
Burton KellyBDES ‘50April 17, 2010
Bess t. LittletonBDES ‘48October 8, 2009
Warren F. mooreBDES ‘46June 12, 2010
doris B. peterBDES ‘39September 29, 2009
dwight W. presserBSDES ‘ 59October 19, 2009
James p. schafferBFA ‘72January 28, 2010
Arlene e. schultzBSDES ‘63May 1, 2010
James s. symons iiiBSDES ‘59September 25, 2009
donald H. WeirBSDES ‘53September 12, 2009
• A L u m n i u p d A t e s •
summer 2010 Emergence • 32
I am very pleased to announce that two dear friends and
graduates of A&D — Chris and Lisa Van Allsburg —
have agreed to create the Van Allsburg Undergraduate
Scholarship Challenge Match. they will match all
gifts for undergraduate scholarships, dollar for dollar
up to $200,000. this is a wonderful opportunity, in
effect, to double your donation. For every dollar you
give to a&D’s undergraduate scholarship fund, Chris
and lisa will give a dollar. our goal is to meet their
challenge by June 30, 2011.
I can’t emphasize enough what a difference your help will
make to A&D students. In many cases, it will be that boost
that makes it possible for them to continue their educations.
Please consider helping us rise to the Challenge.
With sincere thanks,
Bryan Rogers
Good fortune is recognizing opportunity when it comes your way and being ready and able to grab it.—Chris Van Allsburg, (BFA ’72)
author and illustrator
the van allsburg Undergraduate Scholarship ChallengePlease help us reach our $400,000 goal by June 30, 2011!
A special incentive for gifts over $10,000Donors of $10,000 or more to A&D’s undergraduate scholarship fund or to already existing named scholarship funds will receive a set of sixteen of Chris Van Allsburg’s childrens’ books signed by the author.
33 • Emergence summer 2010
Are you in?Announcing inCircle, a free, online directory and social networking site for all University of Michigan alumni.
inCircle allows you to find old friends, roommates, studio colleagues, and some faculty. You can let alumni know about your work, exhibitions dates, websites, future plans, personal plans, etc. You can post as much or as little as you want. You can also search or post a job!
inCircle houses the U-M Alumni Association’s job board with more than 3,000 job postings.
We Want to Feature You and Your WorkNow it’s easier than ever to have your event, exhibition, or announcement featured on the front page of the School’s website, and on our Facebook page.
Just submit your news online at www.art-design.umich.edu. Click on “news/events” in the left hand column, click on “submit news” and then fill out the form. It’s as easy as that.
It’s a great way to get your news out to former classmates, the A&D community, and beyond.Questions: contact Kate West at [email protected]
www.art-design.umich.edu/news/submit
• { r } e v o l u t i o n •
How do I join? Go to http://alumni.umich.edu/networking-tools/social-networking
You will need a university assigned unique name and a password. To get a unique name and password email [email protected] or call 800.847.4764
Questions: contact Scott Creech at Art & Design: [email protected]
summer 2010 Emergence • 34
the school of art & Designis now on facebook!
Get in touch with old friends, network with alumni and receive news and information about A&D events.
B e C o m e a f a n a t :
www.facebook.com/umartanddesign
e d i t o r k a t e W e s t & d e s i g n e r C a r l g r e e n e
dean’S adviSory councilAnn AikensRobert AikensLinda BanksThomas L. Dent MDJoan K. Rosenberg-DentDebra GormanSteve GormanBette Klegon HalbyGary HalbyGretchen HoeneckeOdette MaskellRichard M. MaskellSally Angell ParsonsLuke RaymondEllen L. RontalMaxine SniderLarry SniderPenny StampsE. Roe Stamps IVIlene SteglitzMarc SteglitzChris Van AllsburgLisa Van AllsburgSusan Smucker WagstaffReid WagstaffSusan Isaak WahlEric Wahl
regional aluMni co-chairS:Roddie Pistilli, northern california
Bill Reuter, northern california
Linda Banks, Southern california
Arden Rynew, Southern california
Kevin Smith, Southern california
Perry Irish, illinios
Dick Maskell, illinios
Judy Maugh, Michigan - ann arbor
Ann Aikens, Michigan - detroit
Sally Parsons, Michigan - detroit
Ellen Rontal, Michigan - detroit
Janet Watkins, Michigan - grand rapids
Bette Klegon Halby, new york
Susan & John Brown, wisconsin
univerSity oF Michigan regentS Julia Donovan Darlow, ann arbor
Laurence B. Deitch, bingham Farms
Denise Ilitch, bingham Farms
Olivia P. Maynard, goodrich
Andrea Fischer Newman, ann arbor
Andrew C. Richner, grosse pointe park
S. Martin Taylor, grosse pointe Farms
Katherine E. White, ann arbor
Mary Sue Coleman, ex officio
nondiScriMination policy StateMentThe University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.
michigan art & design
this issue of emergenceis brought to you through the generous
support of Susi and Reid Wagstaff
• { r } e v o l u t I o n •
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