CCA News
Cinthia Wen Appointed Chair of Graphic Design Program
Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2010, by Chris Bliss
Cinthia Wen has been appointed chair of the Graphic Design Program at California College of the Arts (CCA), it was announced today by Provost Mark Breitenberg.
"After conducting an extensive national search, we are very pleased that Cinthia Wen will be our new chair,” stated Breitenberg. “She brings an exciting and compelling vision for the future of graphic design at CCA.
“A dedicated educator who also maintains a thriving practice, she represents exactly the kind of balance we were looking for. She has served as interim chair for the past three years, and has proven to be a talented and effective administrator.”
Wen commented, “I am honored to have this opportunity to serve the college and lead the program to its brightest possible future as an integral part of contemporary culture—current, informed, and participatory. My involvement in the culture of the Graphic Design Program and CCA has grown deeper over the past several years. I now feel that I am more than just a product of my education at CCA⎯I am a true part of the community.”
About Cinthia Wen
CCA alumna Cinthia Wen has taught at the college since 1997. She is the founder and creative director of Noon, a San Francisco design firm specializing in corporate branding and programs for arts, education, and cultural institutions. Recent work includes projects with Bocadillos, Girl Scouts of the USA, Nokia, Restoration Hardware, ODC San Francisco, San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Wen was named one of the “People to Watch” by Graphic Design USA in 2004. She has received many awards and honors from such organizations as the West Coast Art Director’s Club and the Type Director’s Club. Her work has been published in Graphis, Communication Arts, Creative UK, Print, How, and Step.
In addition, her work was included in the retrospective exhibition California College of the Arts: 100 Years at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2007 and in the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design exhibition San Francisco Graphic Design in 2009.
About CCA’s Graphic Design Program
The Graphic Design Program is one of the college’s largest undergraduate programs, with more than 185 students currently enrolled. Founded in 1941 by noted designer and illustrator Wolfgang Lederer, the program has enjoyed a rich history and highly regarded reputation. Lederer and former faculty member Walter Landor were driving forces of the California design movement, which hit its stride in the 1980s and early 1990s with faculty and alumni such as Michael Vanderbyl, Michael Cronan, and Lucille Tenazas. Current faculty members Vanderbyl, Doug Akagi, Jennifer Morla, and Martin Venezky have had a significant impact on contemporary American graphic arts.
CCA Graphic Design Program alumni work for some of the country's leading firms and in many cases have established notable practices of their own. Prominent alumni include Erik Adigard, Andre Andreev and Dan Covert, Lawrence Azerrad, Giorgio Baravalle, Heidi Berg, Patrick Coyne, Gaby Brink, Carlo Flores, Eric Heiman, Jennifer Jerde, Joan Raspo, and Patricia McShane.
About California College of the Arts
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) is noted for the interdisciplinarity and breadth of its programs. It offers studies in 20 undergraduate and seven graduate majors in the areas of fine arts, architecture, design, and writing. The college offers bachelor of architecture, bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, master of architecture, master of arts, master of fine arts, and master of business administration degrees. With campuses in San Francisco and Oakland, CCA currently enrolls 1,800 full-time students.