Pennsylvania College of Art & DesignGeneral News Archives - Pennsylvania College of Art & Design

PCA&D enters new Live Experience Design & Production partnership with Rock Lititz, UK’s Academy of Live Technology

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is excited to announce a new partnership with Rock Lititz and UK-based Academy of Live Technology at Production Park to create the Academy of Live Technology (ALT) at Rock Lititz in northern Lancaster County and expand the reach of the College’s Live Experience Design major. Recognizing the proximity to […]

Feeling burned out? Counselor Mahmood Mohammad shares tips for stepping back from the stress

BY MAHMOOD MOHAMMAD PCA&D PRE-LICENSED COUNSELOR Burnout occurs when individuals experience chronic stress characterized by exhaustion and deprivation of strength and energy. The World Health Organization defines it as an “occupational phenomenon,” and it strikes college students experiencing academic burnout. Students tend to feel diminished and pessimistic about their academic work. It results in students […]

February accomplishments in the PCA&D community

BLAC, PCA&D’s Black Led Artist Coalition, debuted a February exhibition in the student-led CORE Gallery. We the People featured the work of eight student artists: Dom Bryson ’24, Illustration; Alex Eggleston ’23, Photography & Video; Adan Harris ’23, Animation & Game Art; Jasmyn Stokes ’23, Illustration; Daria Syphrett ‘23, Illustration; Cameren White ’25, Photography & Video; Kendall White ’23, Illustration, and Lauren Wood ’24, Illustration. Two Graphic Design […]

AJ Nutter ’10 brings his filmmaking expertise to campus for Artist Talk

Being ready to “jump in and help,” AJ Nutter says, is one of the best skills that those who aspire to work in the film industry can cultivate. The 2010 graduate of PCA&D has just finished working as Director of Photography on Transient, a sci-fi/horror feature film dealing with loss, grief, death, and the […]

Designathon ’23 brings 15th annual event full circle

At last weekend’s 15th Designathon, the annual event came full circle. About two dozen students, seven faculty, and seven alumni worked for 12 hours to deliver new logos, brochures, marketing materials, and more to eight non-profit organizations. And not only were alumni represented in the faculty who assisted, they also this year were represented in […]

Justin Carney ’20 shares his journey with Photography & Video seniors in a virtual artist talk

When Justin Carney was thinking about grad school after PCA&D, he had some questions: Would it be worthwhile? Would it be a good fit for his ambitions for a career in photography? Because he was at a school like PCA&D and knew faculty well enough to use them as a sounding board, he’s ended up […]

Dean’s List students announced for Fall 2022 semester

Congratulations to the 118 students who were named to the Fall 2022 Semester Dean’s List: Omar Almanzar ’25, Illustration, Lancaster Lauren Antanavage ’23, Animation & Game Art, Frackville, Pa. Emilia Astudillo ’26, Foundation, Ephrata, Pa. Mary Auble ’26, Foundation, Columbia, Ill. Hannah Aust ’24, Photography & Video, Carlisle, Pa. Erin Bazor ’24, Illustration, Covington, La. […]

Amanda Choong named 2022-23 Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship winner

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to announce that Amanda Choong of Maryland, a junior Graphic Design major, has been selected as the 2022-23 recipient of the Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship. “I would describe Amanda as passionate about design,” says Graphic Design/Illustration Prof. Maria Cummings-Miller. “She strives for excellence in the classroom […]

Recent accomplishments in our PCA&D community

The work of former Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence Jason Herr ’16 is part of Idle Times: Pop Disorder, a group exhibition through Feb. 4 at Current Space gallery, studio, and performance space in Baltimore. Learn more here. Aubrey Maurer ’22, Fine Art, is featured in a solo exhibition opening this month at the Sykes Gallery, Millersville University. Strictly Unconventional, sculptures exploring […]

Eric Weeks’ Wawa Store project on exhibition in Abu Dhabi, UAE and Rotterdam, Netherlands

Prof. Eric Weeks (Chair, Photography & Video) has work in two international shows, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. His exhibitions feature work from Twentysix Wawa Stores, a film, print, and artist’s book project documenting the convenience and gasoline store’s locations along the Lincoln Highway, one of the nation’s first transcontinental highways. […]

A superhero for all: An interview with Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, creator of La Borinqueña

When superhero La Borinqueña was birthed from the imagination of Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, she wasn’t going to remain “just” a superhero for long. Instead, Miranda-Rodriguez has fashioned her into a hero whose superpowers of awareness, advocacy, and philanthropy have crossed over into the real world as well. Whether she’s showing up as a powerful representative of […]

Keeping up with Ogilvy designer Dyneisha Gross ’20, Graphic Design

If you want to keep up with 2020 graduate Dyneisha Gross, get yourself organized and buckle up: It’s going to be a quick takeoff and a busy, busy agenda. Gross earned her BFA in Graphic Design, magna cum laude, in 2020, and has landed at the Washington, D.C., office of Ogilvy, one of the world […]

PCA&D to host YWCA Lancaster’s Black Artist Waystation Showcase Feb. 24

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is honored to host the 2023 Black Artist Waystation artists and their work at a Friday, Feb. 24 showcase in The LookOut. This event, from 7-9:30 pm, is free and open to the public. According to YWCA Lancaster, sponsor of Black Artist Waystation, the community-run collective of artists celebrates and […]

Graphic Design hosting Fig Creative Director Jason James for Artist Talk

Design, says Jason James, is a gift that cultivates beauty in every aspect of life. That attitude goes from his job, where he serves as Creative Director at branding and design company Fig Industries, to his lifestyle, where he calls himself a “sartorial enthusiast” (not to mention a superhero aficionado!). James was introduced […]

Alumni profile: AGA graduate Jeremy Bensing works to build a career in animation

When Jeremy Bensing was introduced to animation as a career possibility, it was love at first sight. Since then the 2021 magna cum laude Animation & Game Art graduate has steadily worked to break into the field, continuing to keep in touch with mentors, and always in pursuit of refining and polishing his knowledge and […]

Student Life kicks off Spring semester with Among Us night

Who’s a Crewmate, and who’s an Imposter? Student Life kicked off a return for Spring semester with a real-life version of the multiplayer online game Among Us. Dozens of students turned out for the first Friday evening of the semester, bringing the online game into the realm of reality as a lively scavenger hunt. Roaming […]

Mural by Assistant Prof. Kathleen Eastwood-Riaño commissioned for Philadelphia Museum of Art collaboration

A mural by Assistant Prof. Kathleen Eastwood-Riaño now on display in Philadelphia is a study in “collaboration” with one of the 20th century’s great artists, Henri Matisse. It’s also a study in producing great work under tight deadlines. Matisse Under the Table is Eastwood-Riaño’s contribution to a partnership between Philadelphia Museum of Art and Mural […]

Bowermaster and Handa named 2023 GDUSA Students to Watch

Two Graphic Design seniors, Tyler Handa and Paige Alana Bowermaster, have been named GDUSA 2023 Students to Watch. Paige Alana Bowermaster Bowermaster, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, grew up creating artwork and became serious about it when she was 10 years old. Her passion for graphic design surfaced during her Foundation year of college when she […]

From Lancaster to LEGO, Steve Geist brings illustration skills to product development

Steve Geist loves creating something from nothing. That process of concept through multiple iterations to finished product or design has been tested time and again during Geist’s career, ever since he graduated from PCA&D in 2006 with his BFA in Illustration. It’s taken him through several career evolutions, from companies like classic LEGO to startup […]

Kaitlyn McCulley ’21 designs the College’s New Year’s greetings

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s 2023 New Year’s card, a lush rendition of the College peacock mascot with a tail of gleaming blue, green, and gold, wasn’t just designed by an artist destined to remain anonymous. Instead, it was created by one of the College’s own, illustrator Kaitlyn McCulley ’21. Working digitally with Photoshop, […]

Accomplishments in our PCA&D community

PCA&D Illustration alumni were name-checked in a recent LNP LancasterOnline article about Addvent, an arts collaboration that joins artists from the U.S. and Italy in a series of poster designs. Jay Aman ’22, Joanna Becker’21, Sage Dougherty ’20, and Tyler Le ’20, all are part of Addvent’s roster of 20 or so artists from the two countries, and Addvent’s Creative Director, Laura […]

PCA&D students could increase sales by $60 million for four major brands

It may have “just” been a class exercise, but the headline is accurate: According to customer feedback from Designalytics, a Chicago-based research firm, recent brand redesigns by four Senior Packaging Design Studio seniors would increase sales — of real products, to real consumers — by $60 million. “These are not normal numbers,” Graphic Design Chair […]

Insider Inc.’s Tyler Le ’20, Illustration, is drawing up a dynamic career in editorial illustration

When Tyler Le graduated from PCA&D in 2020 with his BFA in Illustration, he says his ultimate goal was to make and create for a living. Right out of the gate, he landed a freelance illustration project for The New York Times. More freelance editorial opportunities followed. Now, nearly three years later, he’s working full-time […]

Foundation students get a close-up look at mass design production with The Standard Group

How does design get mass produced? The first-year Foundation Digital Media class recently visited The Standard Group press in Lititz to get a physical and tactile sense of the process in an active facility. This trip was part of the final quarter of the course focused on output methods in digital media. Prior to this, […]

Recent accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Salina Almanzar-Oree and Natalie Lascek of the College’s Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) were recognized in the November issue of Susquehanna Style for their championing of creative initiatives in the Central Pennsylvania region. Lascek, CCE’s Director, and Almanzar-Oree, Program Coordinator, were honored not only for what CCE brings to the community, but also for their […]

Center for Creative Exploration announces winter classes

If you’re looking for something to spark your creative world as the weather changes, check out our Center for Creative Exploration lineup! All Winter classes can be found here, with some highlights below: Professional Development classes — many of them bearing college credit — in Content Creation, UX/UI, InDesign, HTML/CSS, Design Thinking, Virtual Reality Prototyping, and […]

‘In Consideration’: Fine Art seniors exhibit at The Demuth Museum

In Consideration, a collection of work by eight Fine Art seniors at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, opens for First Friday on Dec. 2, and runs through Dec. 4, at The Demuth Museum Auxiliary Galleries, 116 E. King St., Lancaster. Artists whose work is on display in the show include Cassie Carver-Peters, Parker […]

Senior PHV majors debut ‘Amorphous Reflections’ video installation

Senior Photography & Video majors at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) in downtown Lancaster will be turning Chestnut Street into a viewing space Dec. 1-3 for a class public video installation. Viewable by evening passersby in the windows of the College at the intersection of Chestnut and Prince streets, Amorphous Reflections is a […]

PCA&D team wins statewide America250PA design and marketing challenge

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has been named winner of America250PA’s fourth annual 2022 Direct Effect Innovation Challenge (DEIC). The four-member Pennsylvania College of Art & Design team from Lancaster competed against four other postsecondary institutions — Lebanon Valley College, Point Park University, Rosemont College, and Ursinus College — and received the highest score […]

PCA&D’s ExtraGive schedule is full of public events

In celebration of Friday’s Lancaster-wide 24-hour ExtraGive fundraising event on Friday, November 18, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and its Center for Creative Exploration have scheduled a day of events for the College community, and the Lancaster community is invited and welcome to join in. Passersby can join the PCA&D Peacocks Esports Team in […]

Prof. Robert Young’s ‘Dog in a Cowboy Hat’ lesson turns into a zine and exhibition

Dogs wearing cowboy hats, a whimsical example used in the classroom by Illustration Chair Robert Young, have been imagined into reality and have taken over the first-floor CORE Gallery… all thanks to a summer project by Class of 2023 Illustration majors. The dogs are customers in saloons, howling campfire songs, appearing out of dreams, creating […]

Portrait photographer Andrew French visits for PCA&D Artist Talk

Based in New York City, photographer Andrew French uses his northlight studio in Union Square to capture a signature look in portraiture, editorial, and commercial images for clients such as Esquire, House & Garden, Food & Wine, and TIME magazines, as well as Microsoft, Coach, Nordstrom, and Veuve Clicquot. Big names, and big clients. Yet […]

Accomplishments in our PCA&D community

Klecksomancy, an installation by Foundation adjunct Tyler Kline, ran through October at Pink Noise Projects, Philadelphia, Klecksomancy is divination summoned through the use of inkblots. This exhibition is built upon playful installations, gameplay, and ambiguity endurance. The forms created for the show, Kline writes, “search for meaning that defines the Chthulucene, this new epoch we have entered, […]

Artist Talk series brings Titmouse’s Artistic Recruiter Ellen Su to PCA&D

Ellen Su spent lots of her childhood absorbing storytelling on television, entertaining herself while her parents worked long hours to build a life in America. As it turns out, those hours with the TV ended up impacting her creative career path, too. Now Head of Artistic Recruiting at animation studio Titmouse and based in New […]

Paige Alana Bowermaster’s work will brand the 2023 Senior Show & Celebration

A team of design professionals has chosen the work of Paige Alana Bowermaster ’23, Graphic Design, to brand Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s 2023 Senior Show and Celebration. Bowermaster’s design, inspired by her Foundation year footwear and an autocorrect typo that changed “show” to “shoe”, will appear on all promotional materials for the annual […]

The Agency is a finalist in statewide America250PA competition

Big congratulations to PCA&D’s Agency, a student-led in-house branding agency mentored by Prof. Bill Dussinger, which has been named a finalist for the second consecutive year in the statewide America250PA Lead PA: The Future is YOUth challenge. Agency students who presented the entry include AJ Chase ’25, Animation & Game Art; Cleo Kendrick ’24, Graphic Design; Austin Taylor ’24, Graphic Design; and Taj Younger ’26, […]

Leah Limpert Walt ’18 named Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence

Leah Limpert Walt ’18, Fine Art, embraces the fluidity of shape-shifting. A non-traditional student when she first arrived at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, she used the myriad classes she took at other institutions to help inform and hone the vision she wanted to create as she pursued her BFA. Now, new experiences like […]

Lancaster is named WalletHub’s Best Small City in America

In a recent survey of more than 1,300 small cities in the United States, the home of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design came out a real winner. In fact, it came out as the winner. WalletHub, a website that provides financial advice, in October named the City of Lancaster the Best Small City in […]

Artist Talk: Fine artist Magnolia Laurie uses landscape as a framework for her message

When Magnolia Laurie paints a landscape, it represents more than horizon and sky and hills. The Franklin & Marshall College professor often uses landscape as the vehicle through which she conveys ideas about vulnerability and relationships — not only to the land, but also to each other. Laurie visits Pennsylvania College of Art & Design […]

Adding good design to live events with Kevin Foss ’20

From Cardi B to Bon Jovi, Lizzo to Nickelback, Chris Brown, and Green Day, it’s been a busy and demanding couple of years of work and clients for Class of 2020’s Kevin Foss. Yet the magna cum laude Graphic Design graduate of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design probably wouldn’t have it any other way. […]

Award-winning Admissions viewbook earns new honors

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s most recent viewbook, the College’s statement piece produced as part of its rebranding, was recently recognized with the Power of Print Award (Best of Show) at this year’s Neographics Print Competition. Chosen from hundreds of regional entries from printing and graphics firms throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New […]

Artist Talk: Creative Director Carla Frank bringing her style and editorial sense to PCA&D

NOTE: Creative Director Carla Frank’s Artist Talk has been postponed to February 17, 2023. You may not recognize Carla Frank’s name, but you’d surely recognize the work of her company. She’s a “born creative director,” her bio states, and it’s hard to argue with the resume: Launch design director of O, The Oprah Magazine. […]

‘I’m so stressed!’: How to help yourself (and others!)

As rewarding, exciting, and growth-inspiring as the College experience can be, sometimes stress and worry can feel like they’re overtaking even the most confident and organized among us. “Being busy” can be great … until it’s not. Mahmood “Moh” Mohammad, PCA&D’s in-house counselor, has some ideas: Not only for how those of us who are […]

PCA&D-York opens expanded exhibition

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s York gallery is excited to be open for York’s October First Friday, Oct. 7, with a new and expanded exhibition. Featuring the work of members of the York community, the Community Exhibition features a new series of 4-inch-by-4-inch panels. They join pieces from the exhibition 10×10 which has been […]

Recent accomplishments in the PCA&D community

The work of three 2021 Illustration graduates has been chosen to be part of the art collection at Penn State Health’s new Lancaster facility. Joanna Becker of Lancaster, Amelia Mellberg of Columbia, Pa., and Alex Zhao of Harrisburg, Pa., all had pieces selected from those submitted by nearly 300 artists to demonstrate the bridge between the arts and healing. Giclee prints […]

Faculty Grant Series: Profs. Warshawsky and Cochran explore SIGGRAPH conference

Attendance at the national SIGGRAPH conference gives attendees an inside look not only at trend-setting computer graphics and interactive techniques, but also at developments that are so early-stage that they haven’t even had a chance to yet become trends. The summer event, say Profs. Natasha Warshawsky (Chair, Animation & Game Art) and Ellie Cochran (Adjunct, […]

CCE Instructor Profile: Exploring photography’s creative process with Adam Leitzel ’20

Do you love photography and want to learn more about its various forms? This fall, PCA&D is offering a variety of classes taught by our very own Adam Leitzel. Art Support: Product Photography Workshop will be held on Saturdays starting October 15 and Intergenerational Studio: Ages 14-Adult – Analogue Photography runs on Saturdays starting October […]

Breaking into the male-dominated world of music videos with Maggie Rudisill ’15

Maggie Rudisill may have graduated from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in 2015 with her Photography BFA, but her history with the College goes back long before that. The groundbreaking videographer — she’s successfully broken into the male-dominated music video industry — started taking all-ages classes at PCA&D as a child and then, in […]

PCA&D readies for a full Career Day on September 30

More than a dozen internship sites and employers will be on hand for Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Internship Career Day, scheduled this fall for Friday, September 30. Open to all PCA&D students and alumni, the event will be a hybrid of both in-person and remote sessions and will give participants lots of timely […]

CCE Instructor Profile: Learning about Puerto Rican culture with Kathy Rodríguez

Do you love arts and crafts and want to learn more about Puerto Rican culture? This fall, PCA&D is offering a variety of classes taught by Kathy Rodríguez. Intergenerational Studio: Ages 13-Adult – Vejigante Masks on Tuesdays starting October 4; Exploring Puerto Rico – Taino-Inspired Arts and Crafts: Grades 1-3 on Saturdays starting October 29; […]

CCE Instructor Profile: Joshua Keller dives into horror, creative writing, comics, and manga

Do you love writing and want to explore your literary voice? This fall, PCA&D is offering a variety of classes taught by Joshua Keller. Intergenerational Studio: Ages 14-Adult – Mystery/Horror Writing and Discussion on Wednesdays starting October 12; Beginning/Intermediate Creative Writing on Wednesdays starting November 2; Comics and Manga Writing and Visual Narrative: Grades 7-10 […]

Artist Talk: Filmmaker Harrison Smith brings his brand of horror to PCA&D

Filmmaker Harrison Smith can barely remember a time when horror movies didn’t fascinate him. When Bruce the shark terrorized Amity Island in Jaws, the 8-year-old was gleefully hooked. When his grandmother would watch classic horror movies with the young boy, he absorbed everything. Horror, Smith says now, is one of the most honest film genres […]

Matty Guiliano ’14 takes up residency at PCA&D-York

Over a body of orange-red and moss green, spikes of seafoam green and purple give Matty Guiliano’s fantastical cacti a prickly flair. Stripes of blue wrap around petals of pink, white, and yellow, and tiny turquoise, yellow, orange, and white balls soften the overall impact. In fact, the whole sculpture is soft, a deceptive juxtaposition […]

CCE Instructor Profile: Joanna Spicer shares her love of, and skills with, textiles and weaving

Do you love textiles and weaving and want to learn new techniques? This fall, PCA&D is offering a variety of Center for Creative Explorations classes taught by Joanna Spicer. Intergenerational Studio: Ages 11-Adult – Weaving Basics Workshop on September 28; Intergenerational Studio: Ages 11-Adult – Weaving Basics (Afternoon) on Tuesdays starting October 4; Intergenerational Studio: […]

Alex Spangler ’22 combining photography and autos in entrepreneurial venture

Alex Spangler earned his BFA in Graphic Design from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in 2022 – but he and his company, Spec Creative, had already been in business for nearly a year. It’s the story of a hobby and a passion that combined perfectly into a business that now photographs and films automobiles […]

CCE Instructor Profile: Exploring our ‘intuitive artistic language’ with Nichole Madonna

Do you love painting, drawing, and collage and want to experiment with new tools and materials? This fall, PCA&D is offering a variety of classes taught by our very own Nichole Madonna. Books as Art Objects: Erasure, Collage, and Altered Pages Workshop at Garden Spot Village on September 16; Intergenerational Studio: Ages 11-Adult – Drawing […]

Recent achievements in the PCA&D community

Rebecca Adey, Assistant Director of Admissions, has four companion-piece works on exhibit at The Millworks, Harrisburg, through Sept. 11. The sets, Amanita Aries (Amanita meaning fungi, and Aries, for the Ram, and Art Nouveau Billy, include both 2D and 3D pieces. The mixed-media 2D work is made from cut paper and felt, sewn to create an applique of sorts, and then […]

PCA&D marking Hispanic Heritage Month with classes, art, and student activities

As celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 through Oct. 15) kick off later this week, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is excited to share a roundup of activities that not only honor and observe but also educate and expand creative opportunities: Saturday, Sept. 17: The College’s Admissions Department and Center for Creative Exploration […]

Faculty Grant series: Summer residency concentrated Prof. Aaron Thompson’s focus

Prof. Aaron Thompson’s summer was spent using his PCA&D Research and Practice Faculty Grant developing the potential for a PCA&D Artist Residency Program. “Coordinating with several departments to establish the precedent of an artist obtaining a classroom for two months during the summer was really interesting and rewarding. Everyone was very helpful and excited by […]

CCE Instructor Profile: Justin Quinn’s combination of creativity, a love of knowledge, and a knack for all things digital

Do you love marketing and want to learn more about how to utilize it in a digital space? This fall, PCA&D is offering an adult professional class Digital Marketing Fundamentals on Tuesdays starting Sept. 13. This course will examine the underlying fundamentals of each branch of digital marketing and explain how they can be incorporated […]

College’s first-ever Ampersand Day a success

Our thanks to the hundreds of students who turned out on Thursday to make the College’s first-ever celebration of National Ampersand Day a huge success! “It was exciting to celebrate the additive and inclusive power of the ampersand with our community, and see so much creative expression and art making throughout the day,” President Michael […]

Illustration: Multidisciplinary artist TLaloC visits PCA&D Sept. 9

The artist TLaloC, who also goes by his given name, Eduardo Corral, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work can be hard to pin down to a single medium — or even multiple mediums. Illustration and design, he says, were his “first loves,” and they continue to inform and shape the path that has forked into […]

Graphic designer Jeff DeSantis paying a virtual visit to PCA&D Sept. 13

Jeff DeSantis’ day job is designing packaging for mass retail toys that find their way to the biggest stores in America … but he has an affinity for designing collectible toys, too. His career, with Just Play during the day and with his own company, BxE Buttons, allows him to pursue both. The packaging/production graphic […]

Senior Frankie Reed’s summer internship puts graphic design into practice

The summer between Frankie Reed’s junior and senior years at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design was full of graphic design assignments: social media graphics and event branding and club logos. And the Graphic Design major couldn’t have been happier. All the work was part of their internship with the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition, an organization […]

Faculty Grant series: Prof. Eric Weeks goes off-grid for Montello residency

Prof. Eric Weeks’ summer Montello Foundation art residency took him about 2,300 miles west, down a 20-mile dirt-and-stone road and into Nevada’s Great Basin Desert. It pulled him out of cellphone range and off the power grid, leaving PCA&D’s Photography & Video Chair to rise with the sun, work solo, and completely focus. And, Weeks […]

Faculty Grant series: Filmmakers invite Prof. David Spolum for extended London studio visit

Prof. David Spolum spent part of his summer in London, diving deep into the film work of the Quay Brothers. His trip, made possible in part through a Faculty Life Research and Practice Grant, gave the Liberal Arts Department professor the chance to study work that these filmmakers have yet to release. Invited by Stephen […]

A message to our BFA alumni: National Arts Alumni Project survey

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is partnering with the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) to learn about how studying art and design has influenced the lives and careers of our alumni. The information we gather will be used to strengthen the College’s academic programs and student experiences, and it will also be used by […]

Paige Alana Bowermaster’s America250PA project heads to classrooms across the Commonwealth

The work of Graphic Design senior Paige Alana Bowermaster will soon be in front of thousands of Pennsylvania schoolchildren. Simple line drawings by Bowermaster — worlds away from her typical, highly detailed work — fill a coloring book that both celebrates and educates, in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The project is an official […]

Faculty Grant series: Prof. Robert Young presents at ICON11 national illustration conference

Robert Young, Chair of Illustration at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, was all set to present a paper on discussing and developing style at ICON11, a national conference for illustrators and designers, in June 2020. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic intervened. Young finally had the opportunity to present the results of his experience and research […]

College announces 10×10 exhibition at PCA&D-York

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) is pleased to announce 10×10, an exhibition of 10-inch-by-10-inch works by artists from York and PCA&D faculty, staff, and students, will be on display at PCA&D-York, 133 S. Duke St., York, September 4 through October 22. 10 x 10 exhibitions are a great way to see and […]

Meet the 2022 Orientation Leaders

Some of the first faces a new PCA&D student meets when they arrive on campus are those of our Orientation Leaders. Part guide, part cheerleader, an OL not only takes the student through their first activities, they’ll also serve as a sounding board and guide as the semester gets underway. Here’s a glimpse at the […]

Almanzar-Oree honored by YWCA as 2022 Woman of Achievement

Salina Almanzar-Oree, Program Coordinator at the College’s Center for Creative Exploration, has been named one of five Women of Achievement honorees by YWCA Lancaster. This event — the 6th annual — showcases the accomplishments of women and gender expansive individuals who, through career and volunteerism, live out the YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering […]

The Center for Creative Exploration kicks off a new year of Art Recess for Adults

Kids get recess: So should grownups. Adults have a chance to fuel their creativity and tend to their emotional well-being at Art Recess, a lunchtime art-making break sponsored by Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Center for Creative Exploration (CCE). Participants can bring their lunch and make some art, or bring a craft they’re already […]

Aubrey Maurer ’22 sculpts a future in an Emerging Artist Residency

For Aubrey Maurer, 3D design and sculpture with ceramics have been a natural fit with her artistic leanings. “The handmade element, the 3D element of sculpture expands that flat 2D feel, and it just comes to me.” The 2022 Fine Art BFA graduate has been selected for Millersville University’s Emerging Artist Residency and will bring […]

PCA&D announces new Board of Trustees leadership

Russell D. Urban was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design at the Board’s July meeting. He replaces Audry K. Carter, who will serve as Past Chair. Urban has served as Vice Chair of the Board for the past three years. James Warner has been elected to serve […]

Admissions Counselor Osmyn Oree ’11 selected as artist-in-residence at Franklin & Marshall College

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design Admissions Counselor Osmyn Oree isn’t a flashy, theatrical photographer when it comes to the portraits he creates. Instead, the fine art photographer says, “I like to keep things relatively simple. That’s me, as a photographer, being real with people.” Since the start of 2022, Oree — a 2011 BFA […]

Summertime student interns building brands with The Agency in York

Completing a classroom project for a grade is one thing. Completing a project on behalf of a client? Making your pitch, adjusting your designs, accommodating special requests, and taking into account everything from print costs to client deadlines? That’s a whole other level of real-world challenge that designers and artists face on a regular basis. […]

Logo by Alicia Groff ’22 debuts at Threshing Wheat Ale release party

A new beer collaboration between Winding Path Brewing Co. in York County and Lancaster’s Tellus360 Irish pub and community space is a nod to the traditional methods of Amish and Irish farmers, to wheat ales, and to community partnerships. But how to represent all of that in a logo? Add PCA&D art and design students […]

‘Self Conscious’: Artist in Residence Karin Wengenroth ’17, Fine Art, pushes her boundaries in new exhibition

At the beginning of her tenure as the 2021-22 Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence, Karin Wengenroth said she planned to use her yearlong position to “explore what feels like a new medium.” Now, nearly a year later and with the opening of her exhibition, Self Conscious, a dozen works in the College’s gallery bear […]

Catching up: Recent accomplishments in our PCA&D community

A mural by Salina Almazar-Oree, Program Coordinator at the Center for Creative Exploration, recently was unveiled at the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem. De Boriken, al Mundo is a tribute to baseball star Roberto Clemente in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his death while on a humanitarian mission. “I admire (Clemente) for his dedication to his […]

Pennsylvania Art & Design programming explores York

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is establishing partnerships in York, Pennsylvania, and working to understand and learn from the larger arts-based and educational community within this dynamic and diverse region, thanks to the generous and visionary leadership of The Powder Mill Foundation. This is an initiative of the College’s current strategic plan as the […]

Art Alley events, a partnership between Center for Creative Exploration and the city, debut July 1 First Friday

This summer, the Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design will partner with the City of Lancaster to program free make-and-go offerings and creative experiences for all ages in the newly branded Art Alley. The partnership launched with May’s First Friday and will continue through October 7th. CCE will bring […]

Rain Supple ’20 building whole new worlds with Obsidian

Pulling inspiration from real life and from nature, Rain Supple has stepped into the chance to design immersive environments we’ve never seen before. Earlier this year, the 2020 Animation & Game Art BFA graduate joined Irvine, Calif.-based Obsidian Entertainment as an Assistant World Builder — a position that has stretched her skills and made use […]

Free two-day online workshop June 23-24 open to all educators

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Center for Teaching & Learning will be holding a free, fully virtual, two-day workshop for educators, Supporting the Whole Professor: Overcoming Obstacles and Cultivating Curiosity, Thursday and Friday June 23-24. This event is open to all educators, says Mariah Postlewait, Director of the College’s Center for Teaching & Learning, and […]

Recent accomplishments in our PCA&D community

Salina Almanzar-Oree, Center for Creative Exploration Program Coordinator, was awarded an Equity Partner Grant by Lancaster County Community Foundation’s Equity Council. The grant will support Taller Pa’lante: Art in Parks, return pop-up engagements in neighborhood parks that will encompass mini murals, make-and-take projects, and investing in a youth mentee who will learn how to conduct […]

Super Nikki: How a mural project united and healed a community

Can art heal? Can a mural painted by artists, friends, and community continue, even after nearly two decades, to unify people in tribute and remembrance? In Berks County’s Wilson School District, the answer is a resounding yes. Art can have a profound and lasting impact on those who view it — and on the artists […]

Art Garden grows creativity of a new kind

The PCA&D Art Garden has been the location of murals and memorials, art classes, critiques, and public art installations. This summer, it’s the location for creativity of a different kind. Four raised-bed gardens have been planted with vegetables, herbs, and flowers, a joint project between the city police Office of Community Engagement and The Mix, […]

Applications now open for 2022-2023 Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence

Applications are now open for 2022-2023 Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence position at PCA&D. Those who apply must be graduates of the BFA Fine Art program at PCA&D, and artists who work in any medium are invited to apply. Some basic details The residency runs the academic year, from the start of classes in […]

Not into game design? Here are 3 other ways to combine art & gaming

Without art, the games we have come to know and love would be nothing but lines of script on a screen. It takes teams of artists many years to create the expansive and immersive worlds, characters, and weapons in our favorite games like Elden Ring. However, artists are needed in the industry for far more […]

Commencement 2022: The Class of 2022 joins the ranks of PCA&D alumni

The Class of 2022 became Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s 46 newest alumni on May 6, receiving their BFA degrees in front of a standing-room-only audience of family and friends at the Barshinger Center for Musical Arts. A recording of Commencement can be found below. PCA&D was honored this year to welcome […]

PCA&D’s The Agency providing design work to five York non-profits this summer

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has partnered with Give Local York to select five York non-profits to receive design services this summer. The winning York non-profits were announced during the big Give Local York event on May 6. Each organization will receive valuable design services that they otherwise could not afford from The Agency, […]

Lancaster Museum of Art and PCA&D’s CCE pair up to lead summer art camp ‘From Making to Museum’

Lancaster Museum of Art and Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) are partnering on a unique in-person summer art camp for students in Grades 2-6 that uses the museum’s permanent collection not only to teach about what it’s like to work in the museum world, but also to inspire new […]

Class of 2022 Commencement scheduled for May 6

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is proud to celebrate our 40th Commencement with the Class of 2022 Friday, May 6, at 10 am at Barshinger Center for Musical Arts, 620 College Ave., Lancaster. Ceremonies also will be live-streamed, at pcad.edu/stream. Noted future-of-work strategist and author Heather McGowan will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine […]

Young Artist classes a la carte is back for 2022: Build your own art camp at the Center For Creative Exploration

This Summer the Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) is offering a buffet of diverse opportunities for weeklong and multi-day, youth art classes on the PCA&D campus and beyond. Students in grades 1-9 have the opportunity to piece together morning and afternoon classes along with a selection of intergenerational classes for the whole family. A mixture […]

PCA&D and CCE use art to capture interest and motivate young students’ academic achievements

Art classes that stretch the imagination of students who already see themselves as creative are rewarding all by themselves. But art has a deeper impact even than that: Studies continue to show that taking art classes positively affects student performance in other subjects, too: Math and reading scores are higher for 8th-grade students who reported […]

‘Skill Set’, art by CCE instructors, opens exhibition

Skill Set, an exhibition of art by Center for Creative Exploration instructors, has opened at Garden Spot Village, New Holland, and runs through the end of April. CCE instructors whose work is on display include Bill Cifuni, Dobe, Sheri Hansen, Rich Johnson, Adam Leitzel, Abigail Saurbaugh, Adam Serrano, Leah Limpert Walt, and Jason Ward. The […]

PCA&D expands its articulation agreement with Harrisburg Area Community College

HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, and the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) recently signed an expanded articulation agreement that gives additional HACC students a seamless pathway to a bachelor’s degree at PCA&D. HACC President and CEO John J. “Ski” Sygielski, MBA, Ed.D., and PCA&D President Michael Molla were joined by representatives of both […]

CCE and PCA&D counseling collaborate to bring Art as Self-Care to educators

The profession of teaching has never been a low-stress career: Add in a pandemic (and its resulting toll on physical and mental health) and it’s been a rough few years for educators. Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Center for Creative Exploration and PCA&D Counselor Michael Hoober recently paired up to present Art as Self […]

Recent accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Seniors in the Fine Art and Photography & Video departments in April presented Artist Lectures outlining their senior thesis work. The April 4 event is connected to the Professional Practices 2 class taught by Prof. Matt Chapman. Presenting students include Cassandra Aaron, Isiah Bates, Adelaide Biehn, Woodrow Clapper, Kylie Hileman, Ryn Martino, Aubrey Maurer, Na’Chelle Morris, Callie Morton, Emily Reifsnyder, Cheyenne Snow, Nicole Stoltzfus, Kennedy Toomey, and Jaymi Vilardo. Otherworldly, […]

Make and Create Weekend a chance for immersion with the Center for Creative Exploration and the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen

Learning a fine art or fine craft skill may seem like a high barrier to overcome: Where do you find the materials? The facilities? The instructors? The time? PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration and the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen are teaming up to provide all of that during the weekend of April 23-24. For those […]