Education

California Institute of the Arts
I’ve lived in Santa Clarita, California (the location of cal arts) for the majority of my life and in my mind CalArts has always served as a “Hogwarts” figure in my life. Something a bit mythological, something out of this world and somewhere I wanted to be. Throughout middle and high school I dreamt of attending but I never thought it was achievable. Then I grew up, I found out about this thing called graphic design and fell in love.

It’s ironic how such an amazing (and specialized) university is conveniently located near my home, for that I am forever grateful to my parents. I will log my journey through art school on this website with words and images that depict my experiences, edification and understanding of design.

About the school

The nation’s first art institute to offer BFAs and MFAs in both the visual and performing arts, CalArts is dedicated to training and nurturing the next generation of professional artists, fostering brilliance and innovation within the broadest context possible. Emphasis is placed on new and experimental work and students are admitted solely on the basis of artistic ability. To encourage innovation and experimentation, CalArts’ six schools–Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater–are all housed under one roof in a unique, five-story building with the equivalent of 11 acres of square footage in Valencia, California, just 30 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles.

About the graphic design program

The highly structured BFA curriculum begins with an intensive sequence of courses covering basic design principles, imagemaking, typography and history/theory. These are followed by more specialized classes in areas such as interactive design, motion graphics, type design and publication design as each year in residence builds on the experiences of the last. BFA students are required to pass faculty reviews at the end of every academic year.