Spotlight: The Torres Family

Julie and Louis Torres met during their first year at CCA in the 1970s. “It was an incredible school. I had the most fun in my life at that time,” Julie says. Working closely with noted teachers such as Vernon Coykendall, Julie remembers doing very precise throwing work, while Louis looked to teachers such as Viola Frey to influence his sculptures. The two continue to be influenced by CCA, even after giving up ceramics to run the family flower business. And when their son, Jason, was looking for a strong architecture program, they knew CCA would be the right fit, ensuring another generation of CCA alumni in the Torres family.

Julie and Louis passed their passion for both art and sports on to their son. An avid skier, Jason would sketch the buildings he passed on the way to ski competitions. When it was time to apply for college, his parents’ experience at CCA influenced his decision. “They met great people, and they loved the hands-on experiences of going to school there,” Jason explains. His first visit to the San Francisco campus clinched the deal. “I liked how open it was. You could see what everyone was working on.”

What advice did Julie and Louis have for their son as he started his time at CCA? “I told him the hardest thing were the critiques,” Julie says, “but they were beneficial, and the teachers were supportive.” For Jason, those supportive teachers included professors such as Larissa Sand and Victor Carrasco. Sand’s attention to detail indulged Jason’s interest in industrial design, and Carrasco’s hands-on drawing approach was a nice change from the computer design required in his other courses.

Now working for Vanderbyl Design, Jason designs furniture and showrooms and is proud to have just completed a showroom for interior designer Barbara Barry. Julie and Louis continue to run the family flower business. They ski and sail any chance they get—and Julie hopes to get back into her studio soon and return to her first love, ceramics.

From Glance, 2006

Louis Torres

Born 1952, Oakland, CA

CCA degree:
BFA 1974, Ceramics

Influences at CCA:
Viola Frey

Julie Torres

Born 1953, Modesto, CA

CCA degree:
BFA 1974, Ceramics

Influences at CCA:
Vernon Coykendall, Viola Frey, Art Nelson

Jason Torres

Born 1978, Berkeley, CA

CCA degree:
BArch 2002

Influences at CCA:
Victor Carrasco, Larissa Sand