[photo credit: ArtCenter College of Design]
The event, called the Entertainment Design Expo, or ENTX, features gallery exhibitions, game playtesting, animation screenings and industry talks, including a presentation by ArtCenter alumnus Chris Appelhans, co-director of the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” ArtCenter’s press release describes the film as a global hit that attracted hundreds of millions of viewers and was reported to be Netflix’s most popular film of all time.
More than 200 students and alumni will display work across eight exhibitions at the Lida Street campus, according to ArtCenter. Visitors can walk through a concept design showcase, a model gallery, a stop-motion studio, an animation gallery with behind-the-scenes exhibits, a production design gallery and a fan art gallery inspired by “KPop Demon Hunters.” A game playtesting area will let attendees try student-designed games.
The expo’s Ahmanson Auditorium will host three programs throughout the afternoon. Appelhans will discuss “KPop Demon Hunters” from noon to 1 p.m. An animation shorts showcase follows from 2 to 3 p.m., featuring student work including “Boy, I’m Scared,” a capstone short by recent ArtCenter graduate Lindsey Tenaglia that ArtCenter says was named a semifinalist in the animation category at the 2025 Student Academy Awards.
An alumni spotlight panel rounds out the day from 4 to 5 p.m. The six panelists work at studios spanning the entertainment industry: Saiful Haque, founder of Kalpana Studios; Royce Li, concept outsource supervisor at Blizzard Entertainment; Erin Shin, visual development artist at Netflix; Thomas Zenteno, visual development artist at House of Cool Inc.; Lola Zhang, senior concept artist at Sucker Punch Productions; and Lucas Zung, lead concept artist at Bad Robot Games.
ArtCenter’s Entertainment Design department offers tracks in game design, concept design and animation, culminating in a Bachelor of Science degree — a distinction the college says underscores the technical rigor of the program alongside its creative training. Graduates have gone on to work at studios including Pixar, Disney, Sony Pictures Animation, Riot Games, Paramount, Activision Blizzard, Santa Monica Studio and Marvel, according to the college.
Founded in 1930, ArtCenter has been a fixture of Pasadena’s cultural and educational landscape for nearly a century. The Hillside Campus, at 1700 Lida Street, sits in the San Rafael Hills.
ENTX 2026 takes place Sunday, March 22, at ArtCenter’s Hillside Campus, 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, CA 91103. Doors open at 11 a.m., with programming from noon to 5 p.m. General admission is free with advance registration. Paid tickets are required for both industry talks. Registration and tickets are available at artcenter.edu/connect/events/
