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Sammy Hoi Through art and design education, Otis prepares talented students to enrich our future.

 


OTIS IS 90! 10/08

As the Otis community celebrates the College’s 90th anniversary in Fall 2008, we can be proud that we have lived up to our mission – Otis prepares diverse students of art and design to enrich our world thorough their creativity, their skill, and their vision.

Otis holds the distinction of being the first independent professional school of art in Los Angeles, and has grown from a small training school for artists in 1918 to a nationally recognized and innovative college of art and design in 2008. Celebrations marking the 90th milestone are multi-faceted, including publications, exhibitions, art commissions, alumni reunions, and, of course, parties.

Otis' alumni successes are captured in Otis: Nine Decades of Los Angeles Art and Otis Designs. The former volume, documenting achievements in fine arts, was published in 2006 in conjunction with the successful and widely-seen exhibition at Los Angeles' Municipal Art Gallery. Otis Designs, released for the 90th Anniversary Homecoming, celebrates achievements in design. These publications are a testament to the depth and reach of Otis’ distinguished alumni, who have propelled art and design movements, reflected social history through art, and created icons such as the Oscar statuette, the animatronic IZ MP3 player, classic animated characters, award-winning visual effects, high fashion, and popular sports apparel.

The insights and wisdom of many outstanding alumni are being captured for posterity through the Otis Legacy Project. In aggregate, they tell an inspiring message that passion for creativity is life-long.

Galleries and museums are collaborating with Otis to present our faculty and alumni work this year in "Otis Across LA.” The anniversary festivities culminate with a Homecoming Weekend celebration in October which includes alumni work in a site-specific exhibition and video world premiere.

We can look back at almost a century of influential art and design education that has nurtured compelling artistic voices, shaped the cultural landscape, and driven the creative economy in Southern California and beyond.

Otis’ future is even more promising. The Otis of 2008 continues to evolve its academic programs to meet the needs brought about by social, aesthetic, economic, and technological shifts. The creative impact of Otis alumni and faculty will continue to radiate concentrically from the Los Angeles epicenter of 1918 to the global community.

 

Otis Initiatives:

Otis Creative Economy Report 2008
Designers and artists drive the diverse economy of the Los Angeles region.

Diversity Audit   lock
Explore how Otis could emerge as a leader in educational diversity.

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