ArtCenter To Showcase Work of More Than 270 Graduates At Pasadena Convention Center

ArtCenter College of Design will present one of the West Coast’s largest exhibitions of emerging artists and designers at its Fall Grad Show, a free public event scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Pasadena Convention Center 300 East Green Street.

The showcase will feature the work of more than 270 graduating undergraduate and graduate students across disciplines including fine art, photography, animation, film, game design, illustration, graphic design, interaction design, product design, furniture and lighting, transportation design and more. The exhibition runs from noon to 5:00 p.m. in Exhibit Halls A and B.

The Grad Show follows two private viewing days for industry and invited guests, and coincides with ArtCenter’s Fall Commencement Ceremony, a ticketed event by invitation only at 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Convention Center’s Grand Ballroom for friends, family, faculty and staff.

Acclaimed illustrator and muralist Rafael López, a 1985 ArtCenter graduate and recipient of the College’s 2023 Distinguished Mid-Career Award, will deliver the keynote address to more than 300 graduates.

“The scope, creativity and excellence demonstrated by the work presented at Grad Show reflects the incredible talent of our students and the strength of an ArtCenter education,” said Karen Hofmann, president of ArtCenter. “Across every discipline, our graduates demonstrate a commitment to craftsmanship, innovation and meaningful problem-solving. They are beginning their careers at a moment when our world urgently needs creative thinkers, and the work on view makes it clear they are ready to meet that challenge.”

The ceremony will also feature remarks from valedictorian Lan Candice Yao, an environmental design graduate, and Student Leadership Award recipient Josephine Zazueta, a fine art graduate. Illustration faculty members Bill Perkins and Ben Sanders will be honored with the Great Teacher Award for full-time and part-time faculty, respectively.

Additional Grad Show programming includes guided tours for prospective and accepted students on Friday, Dec. 19, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., led by Admissions staff at the Convention Center. RSVP is required for these tours, which will be offered hourly. That evening, ArtCenter’s Hillside Campus will host an Animation Showcase at 4:30 p.m. and a Film Showcase at 7:30 p.m. at the Ahmanson Theater. These Grad Show screenings are at ArtCenter, not the Pasadena Convention Center.

To view the College’s virtual Grad Show illustrating the achievements of ArtCenter’s most recent graduating classes, visit gradshow.artcenter.edu. . The updated sites are now  accessible starting Dec. 11.

Founded in 1930, ArtCenter College of Design is in Pasadena and is a global leader in art and design education, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across industrial design and visual arts disciplines. The College is the first design school to receive United Nations NGO status and counts alumni whose work has shaped popular culture and social impact initiatives worldwide.