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

Governor’s Office taps ’23 grad Paige Alana Bowermaster for logo redesign

When Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s office needed a redesign of its Next Generation Commission logo, they wanted to turn to a designer who would have a personal affiliation with the subject. Paige Alana Bowermaster ’23, Graphic Design, got the call. Bowermaster says the experience drew on skills she’s not only developing in her […]

PCA&D announces curatorial fellowships to assist with ‘Bridging the Susquehanna’ exhibition

PCA&D is pleased to announce a call for two Curatorial Fellows to assist with planning and implementing the Bridging the Susquehanna traveling exhibition. The nine-month fellowships, supported by the Anne M. and Philip H. Glatfelter III Family Foundation, are an opportunity to work as assistant curators along with Lead Curator Ophelia Chambliss and PCA&D Director […]

Dr. Jason Hartz named Steinman Dean, Institute for Leadership, Creative Entrepreneurship, and Innovation

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has received a $500,000 grant from The Steinman Foundation to assist with the development of our new Live Experience Design & Production Major and our partnership with Rock Lititz and UK-based Academy of Live Technology (ALT). The College announced that as part of the grant, the faculty leader of […]

Student work selected for international SIGGRAPH conference

For the fifth consecutive year, work by Pennsylvania College of Art & Design students was accepted into the Faculty Submitted Student Work exhibit at the international SIGGRAPH conference. This professional event, held this year in Los Angeles and marking its 50th anniversary, gathers computer graphics and interactive professionals and educators from around the world. Senior […]

Recent accomplishments in our PCA&D community

Rebecca Adey, Assistant Director of Admissions, has five works on exhibit at Millworks, Harrisburg, through Sept. 10 (see above). The show opened in August for 3rd in the Burg. All of the works depict Sphinx cats: The three larger 2D portraits are made from mixed media, including paper cut to create the portraits and felt […]

PCA&D welcomes 13 new faculty for Fall 2023

Thirteen new faculty members have joined Pennsylvania College of Art & Design for the Fall 2023 semester: Zach Clifford (adjunct, Fine Art): Clifford is a Pennsylvania-born artist whose work is based on researching sociopolitical events within the United States including, but not limited to, gun and police violence and political discourse. They hold a bachelor’s […]

Foundation student Zeon Youngblood designs the College’s 2023-2024 T-shirt

Zeon Youngblood, a first-year student from Burke, Virginia, designed the College’s official Welcome Week T-shirt this year. Youngblood’s design, a bold peacock curved into an ampersand, won the most votes out of the seven finalists up for the honor. “I actually found out I’d won once I was here and saw the shirt,” Youngblood says. […]

Maria Hostetter named Chair of the PCA&D Graphic Design Department

Maria Hostetter‘s long and varied history with Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has taken a new turn. She earned a diploma in Communication Art and Graphic Design from the then-Pennsylvania School of Art and Design in 1993, studied Art Education at Millersville University, then returned to PCA&D to earn her BFA in Graphic Design […]

The Agency debuts Summer 2023 work at PCA&D-York

Members of The Agency, PCA&D’s student-centered branding and design firm, had a busy summer working on behalf of five York-area non-profit organizations and the College. The end results — social media templates, new branding, accessories, stickers, logos, and more — were unveiled in early August at PCA&D-York, the College’s pop-up location in the Royal Square […]

July accomplishments by alumni, faculty, and students make the news

Kay Baier ’19, Photography, is part of a group show this month, All the In Between, at North Hills Art Center, Pittsburgh. The exhibition ranges from the personal to the universal experience, and “all the in between.” See more of Baier’s work here. Congratulations to Sharnee Burnett Vega ’21, Fine Art, for creation of a new mural for Parliament Arts Organization, […]

PCA&D-York opens for exhibition, Agency reveals on Aug. 4

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design celebrates First Friday on August 4 by opening its York pop-up location to the public. Representatives from the student-run Agency will be on hand to display and explain branding work completed this summer for five York non-profits. An exhibition of book cover art, ‘Inside the Cover’, will also be […]

ACHIEVE ‘near-completer’ grant making degree possible for returning PCA&D students

When Puah Richardson took a break from her PCA&D career in 2021 with just part of her sophomore year completed, it wasn’t with any solid plan for how to return to finish her degree — she just knew that a break was needed. “I love school, and I love structure, and just from that brief […]

Shaun Clair, Todd Rucci join Board of Trustees

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to announce the addition of Shaun Clair and Todd Rucci to its Board of Trustees. Trustees voted to approve the addition of Clair and Rucci to the 17-member Board at their July meeting. Shaun Clair is Vice President of Sales at Clair Global. He joined the company […]

Delaina Jolley ’22 awarded Winterthur Artisan Market grant

When Winterthur’s Artisan Market opens its gates in Delaware July 15-16, one of its 100-plus featured artists will be Delaina Jolley, a PCA&D Illustration graduate. But Jolley won’t just be a participating artist: She was awarded an Artisan Market grant to participate, an honor that encourages emerging artists to take part in the event. “It […]

New mural coming to the PCA&D Art Garden

A temporary mural, part of a summertime, citywide mural festival, is being added to the College’s Art Garden. Under the direction of graffiti artist TEER, a giant cube was constructed on June 29 and 30, with painting of the background and lettering on to be done on July 1-2 and the final image — a […]

Los Angeles is the place to build a career for Nathaniel Gonzales ’21, Animation & Game Art

When Nathaniel Gonzales graduated in 2021 from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, it felt like Los Angeles was the place to be: It was close to animation studios and conferences, a good location for an Animation & Game Art BFA graduate to set up shop professionally. “Before moving to LA, I spent a year […]

Parker Galen ’23, Fine Art, starting Emerging Artist Residency this fall

Parker Galen’s part-time job during college did much more than provide some money — it provided inspiration and materials for his senior thesis project, too. And now, those materials, combined with the skills he gained at PCA&D and his innate creative drive, have led to an Emerging Artist Residency at Millersville University. That job — […]

‘Just a Bunch of Roadies’ pledges $130,000 in scholarships to Live Experience Design & Production students

Philanthropy isn’t just something afforded to the wealthy. It often starts with meager means. It starts with a student running her college’s radio station. It starts with a young innovator who figured out a new way to bring concert-level power to old venues. It starts with a young man emigrating with his family from Brazil […]

May accomplishments in our PCA&D community

Greetings from the Mirage, a public art installation by Matty Geez ’14, Illustration, has opened at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The installation, through June 18, features more than a dozen of Geez’s towering soft sculptures. “My work is inherently soft and inviting with its use of color and material, but the sharpness through pricks makes it guarded […]

PCA&D partnership offers former college students the chance to finish degree or certification for free

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has been chosen as one of three institutions to partner with the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board for a $2.2 million federal grant to help those who dropped out of college or a certificate program complete their degree. Participants have the potential to receive full tuition scholarships in addition […]

Bee Grissinger ’23, Fine Art, selected for full-year Emerging Artist Residency

Bee Grissinger may have graduated less than a month ago from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design with their BFA degree in Fine Art — but it’s been quite a few weeks. Grissinger is spending the summer working with Second State Press, a Philadelphia-based communal printmaking studio, in exchange for unlimited access to the studio […]

Bhattacharjee, Bowlsbey, Cochran and Johnson awarded Faculty Life grants

Four Pennsylvania College of Art & Design faculty members were awarded Faculty Life grants this Spring: Shwarga Bhattacharjee: The Philadelphia-based adjunct faculty member was recently accepted into the artist residency organized by Twelve Gates. The experience, Bhattacharjee writes, will “allow me to grow artistically and professionally, as I will participate in a group show with […]

Fine Art Alumni Residency opens to all BFA grads for 2023-2024

Applications are now open for the 2023-2024 Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence program at PCA&D. Applicants must be graduates of the BFA program at PCA&D and have a developing studio practice. All majors and artists working in any media are invited to apply. Priority will be given to applicants who can demonstrate that they […]

April accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Eight Pennsylvania College of Art & Design faculty and staff members have been selected to exhibit work in the annual Demuth Invitational. Demuth Invitational: Portraiture Through Artists’ Eyes runs through June 25 at the Demuth Museum, 120 E. King St., Lancaster. PCA&D faculty and staff whose work will be on display include Salina Almanzar (Program Coordinator, Center for Creative Exploration), Becky […]

PCA&D adds portfolio workshops to its lineup of Admissions events

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to offer an upcoming series of free week-long online workshops that will help students prepare portfolios for admission to art and design school. These workshops will give prospective PCA&D students a glimpse into the creative processes that they can expect to use as an art and design […]

PCA&D celebrates 41st Commencement with the Class of 2023

The Class of 2023 became Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s 48 newest alumni on May 5, 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 Steve Geist […]

Beret ceremony kicks off Class of 2023 celebrations

To cheers and raucous applause, members of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Class of 2023 received their berets Thursday evening, May 4. Berets, a symbol of their chosen creative path and the traditional artist’s headwear, will replace the mortarboards at Commencement Friday, May 5. Gathered in the campus’ LookOut, the soon-to-be graduates kicked off […]

Career Ready Lancaster video project puts students in the director’s chair and behind the camera

A video production doesn’t just start when the camera is turned on, or end when filming concludes. A group of PCA&D students has had the opportunity this semester to experience the full range of a production — from storyboarding to editing — creating four videos highlighting local businesses as part of a project for Career […]

New student mural provides a ‘Harmonious Transition’ in third-floor hallway

The third-floor hallway leading to the dining area has transitioned from a dim passageway to a bright, fresh space thanks to the initiative of the 2022-23 Mural Team. Harmonious Transition, inspired by the cut-out work of Henri Matisse, was dedicated in late April by President Michael Molla. The hallway has been lifted from bare concrete block walls […]

8 faculty, staff join 2023 Demuth Invitational exhibition

Eight Pennsylvania College of Art & Design faculty and staff members have been selected to exhibit work in the annual Demuth Invitational. Demuth Invitational: Portraiture Through Artists’ Eyes opens April 29 and runs through June 25 at the Demuth Museum, 120 E. King St., Lancaster. Like many artists, Lancaster native Charles Demuth explored portraiture. His […]

International photo exchange wraps up its third year with ‘The Impossible’

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has wrapped up its third year of an international photography exchange with The Impossible, featuring the work of 11 PCA&D students. The exchange, with photography students from Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, gives PCA&D students — and those from Zayed University — the chance to have a […]

Class of 2023 Commencement to be held May 5

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) is proud to celebrate its 41st Commencement on Friday, May 5, at 10 am at Barshinger Center for Musical Arts, 620 College Avenue, Lancaster. The in-person ceremony also will be livestreamed at pcad.edu/stream. This year, Steve Geist will receive the College’s Distinguished Alumni award and deliver the Commencement […]

Art for Social Good’s ‘Escape to the Movies’ prompt leads to Penn Cinema show

Lots of us head to the movie theater as an escape — for excitement, inspiration, or simply to enter another world for a couple of hours. Students in Bill Dussinger’s Art for Social Good class celebrated our relationship with the silver screen this semester, following an assignment prompt of “Escape to the Movies.” […]

Edmond Praybe: PCA&D welcomes ‘In Depth’ exhibition, still life artist

Edmond Praybe is drawn to still life painting because it combines two of his favorite aspects of painting: “responding to direct observation and fine-tuning formal abstraction.” One of 30 artists in the Main Gallery’s upcoming exhibition, In Depth, Praybe will visit campus on Thursday, April 20 to deliver an Artist Talk at 12:45 pm and […]

Recent accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Congratulations to the 13 Fine Art and Photography & Video seniors who this month deliver Senior Presentations to the full College: Cassie Carver-Peters, Alexia Eggleston, Parker Galen, Emily Hornberger, Olivia Koziel, Emily Moyer, Cheyenne Nycz, Rachel O’Brien, Kelsie Reimer, Moselyn Sandy, Mark Shyshkovskyy, Faith Stiffey, and Sabrina Worthington. Tenderness, a project by Henry Gepfer (Adjunct Professor, Fine […]

3 PCA&D Overwatch Esports teams make the playoffs

Congratulations to PCA&D’s Overwatch Esports Teams, who all have qualified for the playoffs this season. This is the first season the College’s Peacocks have competed in NACE Starleague, a national collegiate league that combines a number of gaming titles. “Overall I’m very proud of all of our teams!” said coach Benjamin Farley, a 2021 PCA&D […]

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 […]