Art Center College of Design

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Art Center College

Art Center College of Design

An Icsid Educational Member, Art Center College of Design has been a leader in art and design education for nearly 75 years. The College offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines, as well as Public Programs offering design education to all ages and levels of experience. Fundamental to Art Center's core curricula is a commitment to social and cultural engagement and giving students the tools and skills with which to effect change and address real-world issues. Art Center is located in Pasadena, California, with classes held at its Hillside Campus and new South Campus in downtown Pasadena.
AWARDS
In July, Art Center College of Design received six awards in the 2008 international Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) competition, the only U.S. design school to receive awards this year. Four awards were given in the student category for products ranging from mobility for the disabled, to furniture, to a malaria healthcare system, and two awards were given in ecodesign and interactive product experiences.
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Art Center continues to lead the field in the "Schools" category. Over the past five years, Art Center has received 13 awards, comparable to the total number won by the second place corporation and tied for third place for design firms. This year's awards bring the total to 47 awards received by Art Center since 1991. Additionally, Art Center alumni are consistently on the design teams of the top ranked corporations and design firms.

"These awards are indicative of the high level of professionalism that all of our students seek to attain in their work," stated C. Martin Smith, Chair of Art Center's Product Design Department. "Using a high level of mechanical innovation, they have created beautiful objects that emphasize design strategy, sustainability and compelling form - which leads to great design that is also socially and culturally relevant."

GRANTS
In June 2008, Art Center College of Design received two multi-year grants, totaling $2 million, from Avery Dennison Foundation and Avery Dennison Corporation, which will support a broad range of programs and initiatives, including design research at the College's ground-breaking Color, Materials, and Trends Exploration Laboratory (CMTEL).

In addition to the design research at CMTEL, the grants will be used to support and endow scholarships, operating and capital improvement, design projects, faculty initiatives and activities, and CMTEL operations.

EVENTS
In May, Art Center College of Design held the first-ever hands-on Serious Play Studios. These studios were a rare opportunity to all Conference attendees to learn directly from the Conference speakers, Art Center faculty, and top design practitioners. Bringing together some of the greatest inventors, designers, tech wizards, architects and artists of our time, this three-day international gathering explored the key role of "play" in creativity and innovation - in business, the arts, technology, and more.
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