Posted on Monday, July 17, 2017 by Chris Bliss
Shipping crates hung with artists’ murals became the walls of the dinner tent Tuesday, May 23, at the California College of the Arts’ gala honoring IDEO founder David Kelley. Innovator Kelley’s “huge impact on technology and learning,” said CCA President Stephen Beal, includes such achievements as designing Apple’s first mouse. He teaches at Stanford’s d.school, and in keeping with the purpose of the evening, to raise money for scholarships, much of the onstage conversation (with Exploratorium director Chris Flink) was about lighting the first fire of imagination, seeing the birth of creative confidence.
Kelley said his main professional joy is “to see the student flip into being a creative person. ... My job is to empower other people, to build a stage and watch them perform on it.”
The tent looked great (thanks, Stanlee Gatti) the meal was delicious (thanks, McCalls). Donations to the David Kelley Scholarship Fund (at least $350,000 according to the screen) were way above the target $100,000.