Why AxS from ArtCenter

Rosanne Somerson is an internationally exhibited furniture designer and President of Rhode Island School of Design. Somerson, a RISD alum, sees her parallel roles as a leader and practitioner as complementary parts of her life's work, which she says began when she was a young girl charged with describing the world to her blind grandfather and "opening doors for people to see things differently." L...

Jeff Goodby is an advertising legend, whose humanity and humility have propelled him to the peak of a profession not necessarily known for either. Imagine an ad man as clever and visionary as Don Draper, minus the chain-smoking and cynicism and you start to get a sense of the scope of Jeff's influence in the advertising industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebeca Mendez is an artist, designer, educator and ArtCenter alumna whose creative practice defies the bounds of traditional disciplines or descriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mariana Prieto has made it her mission to use her design skills to improve lives around the globe, human and otherwise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fall 2018 ArtCenter Product Design graduate Ari Montanez spent much of his young life equipping himself with the skills and stamina necessary to succeed in a highly competitive arena – The NBA. When it became apparent his hoop dreams might be slightly out of reach, Ari pivoted into performance-enhancing footwear designs.  His determination and dedication paid off with a job offer from start-up sne...

Dr. James Hollis is an accomplished Jungian Analyst and highly-regarded author who has published fifteen published books and over fifty articles throughout the course of his career. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Jung Society in Washington D.C. James co-founded the Philadelphia Jung Institute and began as its first Director of Training. He is also the Vice President of the Ph...

As Global Head of Design at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ralph Gilles meticulously approves the look and feel of every new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, Alpha Romeo, and Maserati produced. His astonishing success is the product of an early, unwavering passion for beautifully designed cars and an outsized talent for sketching them. Gilles' determination propelled him through his undergraduate degree a...

Well known for her Tony Award-winning play, Fun Home, Lisa Kron is a remarkable playwright and performer whose work reflects and refracts these complex times. Her storytelling straddles the blurry line between fact and fiction, memory and invention, the political and the deeply personal. Lisa Kron developed her craft at New York City's WOW Cafe, which began as an international women's theater fest...

For twenty years, Charlie Hodges heeded his creative calling to dance at the highest level. With roles in acclaimed Broadway productions and as part of Twyla Tharp's legendary repertory company, his trek to the peak of that profession was grueling to say the least. Charlie endured waves of intensely personal rejection – oftentimes targeting his body type and appearance. But he ultimately prevailed...

Jesse Genet was recently named by Fast Company  as one of the most creative people in business. Jesse began her illustrious career at age fifteen by starting a custom t-shirt business in her parents' basement. Years later, after attending ArtCenter's product design program, Jesse and co-founder Stephan Ango started Lumi. Their innovative, design-centric packaging venture employs an impressive alte...

Matthew Rolston is a photographer and director known for his distinctive celebrity portraits and award-winning music videos. His images have appeared in such publications as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harper's Bazaar, as well as the covers of more than 100 Rolling Stone magazines. He has directed music videos for numerous iconic artists including Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Beyonce. More recently,...

Jackie Amezquita graduated from ArtCenter's Fine Art department this past spring. Jackie, who entered the US illegally from Guatemala in 2003, finished her experience at ArtCenter with a timely and deeply personal final project: a 178 mile walk from the US/Mexico border in Tijuana to Downtown Los Angeles, completed over eight days and concluding with a symbolic bath in an oil drum. Jackie's life a...

Courtney E. Martin is a recognized author, cultural critic, TED speaker, social activist and weekly columnist for the Webby Award-winning website, On Being. Her work is vulnerable yet powerful, filled with cultural insights and passionate appeals for social change to create a better world. Courtney has said that she writes the books she needs to read. In doing so, she is the literary equivalent of...

Chris Kraus is the rare writer to capture both the literary imagination and the pop culture zeitgeist. When her 1998 novel, I Love Dick, was re-issued in 2006, it was embraced as a feminist classic by a new generation. Among her admirers were the creators of two of TV's most progressive and popular shows: Girls by Lena Dunham, and Transparent by Jill Soloway. I Love Dick's confessional narrative c...

Ellen Lupton is a design thinker of the highest order. As curator of contemporary design at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City, she has produced numerous exhibitions and books, including Thinking with Type (2004), which is used by students, designers, and educators worldwide. Her most recent book, Design is Storytelling, published in late 2017, explores the connection between g...

Yves Behar is a Swiss-born entrepreneur and ArtCenter alum who has become the design world's reigning rockstar. As founder of the industrial design and branding firm, fuseproject, Yves has become a leading force in forging the future of sustainable technology. Equally important to Fuseproject's business model is a deep commitment to the social good. Yves regularly partners with nonprofits to creat...

Paula Scher is one of the most influential graphic designers working today. Having spent four decades at the top of the graphic design field, she has achieved iconic status. Paula was the first female principal to join Pentagram, the largest independently owned design studio. Even if you've never heard of Scher you know her work; She designed the logos of Citibank, Tiffany & Co., Microsoft Windows...

Oscar nominated documentary filmmaker and producer Amy Ziering has spent much of her career fighting injustice. Her film work includes the films Outrage, about the hypocrisy of closeted gay politicians; The Invisible War, about the epidemic of rape in the military; and The Hunting Ground examining the prevalence of sexual assault on university campuses. While Amy may not think of her own work as c...

Wendy MacNaughton is an illustrator, author, and graphic journalist whose work shines with warmth and humanity. One of her most recent works is a bestselling young adult novel that she created with her partner, author Caroline Paul, called The Gutsy Girl. Her history as a social justice worker and her passion for social justice are present in her work, which is regularly featured in the New York T...

ArtCenter alum Niklas Gustafsson is the Global Director for PepsiCo's Design and Innovation team, where his duties range from developing more sustainable and efficient packaging to developing healthier drinks and snacks at scale. All of this is in an effort to create a profitable model while positively impacting global health. Niklas discusses his upbringing in Sweden and how it sparked his passio...

Mari Nakano is a social impact designer and Artcenter alum at forefront of her profession. She was recently named the Deputy Director of the Service Design Studio at the New York City's Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity. Previously, Mari spent four years as the Design and Interaction Lead for UNICEF's Office of Innovation. Mari has dedicated much of her work to helping children and underserv...

Sara Khoury is an ArtCenter alum who specializes in user experience. She is now the Director of User Experience Design at Google, where she oversees product design for many of their apps including Google Hire. Previously, Sara led UED teams at Bank of America and Walmart Labs. With over 20 years experience at the intersection of design and technology in Silicon Valley, Sara continues to pioneer pa...

Edgar Arceneaux is an LA-based contemporary artist and ArtCenter alumni who strives to find awe and mystery in life. His body of work has been seen exhibited and performed internationally, and it celebrates the asking of penetrating historical and cultural questions, leading to thought-provoking, perspective-altering experiences. Edgar's most recent piece Until Until Until is a live performance ce...

John X. Carey is a filmmaker and ArtCenter alum with a commitment to bringing social conscience to commercial spots. He was one of AdWeek's top 20 content creators of 2016, and with good reason. He launched his career in 2013 with Dove's Real Beauty pieces, which quickly went viral and remain some of the most-watched internet commercial of all time. In addition to the well known piece for Dove, he...

Lynda Weinman founded Lynda.com in 1995 to provide wider access to popular digital arts courses she began teaching at ArtCenter. Often dubbed the mother of the internet, Lynda talks about the challenges of being a teacher, why she prefers being a peer, and the unique benefits of an arts education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices