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The latest at CCA

From student spotlights and faculty stories to recent media coverage and current events, catch up on what’s new.

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Recommendations: Seven books written by CCA alumni

From gripping memoirs to enduring works of fiction, this list of written works from CCA alumni will help you get through shelter in place.

Graphic displaying images of book covers.

Media coverage / Jan. 17, 2018

Alumni are noted as "artists to watch"

Cultured magazine highlights Petra Cortright (BFA Graphic Design) and Toyin Ojih Odutola (MFA Fine Arts) in its list of 30 artists under 35 to watch in 2018.

Portrait of Petra Cortright

Media coverage / Sept. 27, 2018

Alumni-founded design studio champions local production

Dezeen reports on Yield cofounders Andrew Deming (MBA design strategy) and Rachel Grant (BFA industrial design) and their launch of US-made furniture and household goods.
Ceramic pitcher by Yield

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Meet three CCA alumni who made it big

They share their CCA experience, the boundary-defying projects they worked on, and the industry-leading internships they secured.
Three sets of golden and teal graduation tassels shine in the sun

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CCA alumni form design foundation of Townsquared startup

Creating an online community for local businesses core values they learned as students in CCA’s Graduate Program in Design.

From left: Marru Carrion, Tan-ya Gerrodette, Carolyn Packer, and Miwa Ikemiya

Media coverage / Sept. 1, 2022

Two CCA alumni awarded 2022 Joan Mitchell Fellowships

In recognition of the depth of their artistic vision, Teresa Baker (MFA Fine Arts 2013) and Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski (BFA Painting and Drawing 2014) are among 15 recipients to earn this year's impactful fellowship.

Photo of a a blue artwork made of fabric with yarn and other materials overlaid in abstract forms.

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Alumni Spotlight: Video game designer and animator Babak Saadat

Before CCA launched the BFA in Game Arts in fall 2021, Babak Saadat followed his passions and created his own focus in game design.
Masaharu, one of the main characters from Babak Saadat’s Harukaze, in different combat positions.

Media coverage / Dec. 17, 2022

Bay Area art award honors CCA alumni and faculty

The SF Museum of Modern Art's 2022 SECA Art Award celebrates Maria A. Guzmán Capron (MFA Fine Arts 2015) and Gregory Rick (BFA Painting & Drawing 2019) alongside faculty members Cathy Lu and Marcel Pardo Ariza.

Gregory Rick, Trap, 2022; courtesy San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

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Graduate alumni help launch Black X Film Festival

Black X Film Festival is a three-day online showcase of films by Black creators, started by a collective of Black artists and allies, including several CCA MFA alumni.

A collage of photos of CCA graduate alumni who co-founded Black X Film Festival

Media coverage / June 28, 2018

Students, faculty, and alumni find solutions for artist's housing crisis

The Art Newspaper reports on the winners of CCA's annual impact awards.

One of the shared spaces at Hatch Workshop in Stockton, California

Media coverage / April 3, 2023

CCA alumni Navin Norling’s work redefines images from 'Black Americana'

Norling (BFA Illustration 1994) mixes his rural and urban sensibilities with found materials to create art that examines classic Americana imagery, confronting and commenting on consumerism and popular culture.

Navin Norling in front of a gallery wall showing three pieces of his work.

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CCA MFA Writing alumni publish six riveting new books for 2023

Find fresh new work from imaginative authors and MFA Writing alumni whose newly published books offer perfect summer reading.

A collage of book cover art in a diagonal grid.

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Design Strategy: Alumni Q+A with Alida Draudt, Futurist at Capital One

When Alida Draudt entered CCA’s MBA in Design Strategy program, she already had a background in design and innovation consulting. What she wanted was a brighter future—little did she know, her future would involve predicting the future.
Alida Draudt, MBA in Design Strategy, 2016

Media coverage / Feb. 14, 2020

Alumni help design Nike's futuristic footwear collection with the lowest carbon footprint

Nike's Space Hippie footwear collection is constructed from the company's own scrap material.
Image of  Nike's Space Hippie footwear

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MFA in Design: Alumni Q+A with Shihan Zhang

We caught up with this talented CCA alum to ask why she decided to pursue her MFA, what it was like as an international student studying for a masters degree in the U.S., and a whole lot more.
Shihan Zhang (MFA Design, 2017)

Media coverage / Aug. 6, 2020

Three CCA alumni announced as finalists in the 2020 San Francisco Artadia Awards

Sofía Córdova (MFA 2010), Chanell Stone (BFA Photography 2019), and Lava Thomas (BFA Ceramics 1999) were announced as finalists for this year’s Artadia Awards. (Photo of Lava Thomas by Justine Danielle Marasigan.)
Lava Thomas (Photo by Justine Danielle Marasigan)

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MFA in Design: Alumni Q+A with Beth Abrahamson, senior designer at Emotive Brand

Since graduating with an MFA in Design in 2015, Beth Abrahamson has put in time as a freelance designer for some of the biggest brands in the game (Airbnb, Elephant, Apple).
Beth Abrahamson MFA Design alum, 2015

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CCA alumni captivate a local city with new public art and a bold message

Alumni Joey Rose and Alexandra Underwood bring the international Sea Walls mural festival to Emeryville, promoting environmental conservation through art.

Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s mural adorns a wall on Emery High School.

Media coverage / Dec. 9, 2019

Coverage of Art Basel Miami highlights CCA alumni Jessica Silverman and Woody De Othello

Woody De Othello (MFA Fine Arts 2017) was among the most talked-about artists at Art Basel Miami, and Jessica Silverman (MA Curatorial Practice 2007) sold 48 works within the first three days.
Installation view of Woody De Othello, Cool Composition, 2019, in Jessica Silverman and Karma Gallerys' booth, at Art Basel in Miami Beach, 2019. Courtesy of Art Basel, Karma Gallery, and Jessica Silverman Gallery.

Media coverage / Oct. 30, 2023

CCA alumni Arleene Correa Valencia's luminous art reflects the family strains of Mexican migration

Catherine Clark Gallery showcases Arleene Correa Valencia's (MFA Fine Arts 2020) exhibit, Naces Así, Naces Prieto. No Naces Blanco, inspired by letters exchanged with her father during their separation.

Arleene Correa Valencia, 'Papalotl: Sonadores En Busqueda de Amor Papalotl: Dreams In Search of Love,' 2022. Repurposed textiles on pink canvas.

Lindsay Wright

Director of Integrated Communications

+1 530-906-8805

[email protected]