Pennsylvania College of Art & DesignGeneral News Archives - Page 2 of 5

Four named winners of PCA&D faculty development grants

Four Pennsylvania College of Art & Design faculty members were awarded Fall 2021 grants through the College. These funding opportunities, awarded twice annually, are open to all full-time and part-time PCA&D faculty as well as instructors in the College’s Center for Creative Exploration. Awarded grants in this most recent round are: Research & Practice Professional […]

Book covers by two PCA&D juniors published by Sunbury Press

A book cover needs to be original while still fitting in with a specific genre; striking enough to grab attention from the books around it on a bookstore shelf, yet not so off-kilter that it alienates potential readers; and ultimately, distinct enough that it creates an identity for the title. It’s a tall order. And […]

Cheers! Two PCA&D artists tapped for Spring House Brewing collaboration

The work of Sami Halfpenny ’23, Illustration and Brigitte Errickson ’19, Fine Art, will be featured on Spring House Brewing products this year. Their art joins that of Center for Creative Exploration instructor Zack Wilkinson, whose Thirst For Adventure piece was tapped for July’s Artist Collaboration beer. The PCA&D artists were among the dozen chosen […]

Joanna Becker ’21 exploring the wide-ranging world of book illustration

Lancaster-based artist Joanna Becker only graduated from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in 2021, and she already has wrapped up illustrating her third book, with more projects and art passions in the wings. How is that even possible? Well, for starters, her string of projects began even before she received her diploma, working on […]

Sculptor and theater group with PCA&D ties selected for Lancaster’s PACE Neighbors project

An almnus and a theater group with collaborative ties to the College and our Center for Creative Exploration program are two of the five local artists chosen to participate in the City of Lancaster’s PACE (Public Art Community Engagement) Neighbors project. Congratulations to Matty Geez ’14, Illustration, as well as Lancaster’s Teatro Paloma for their […]

December accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Rebecca Adey, Assistant Director of Admissions, is exhibiting four works at Millworks, Harrisburg, through Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. The four pieces focus on two birds, the phoenix and peacock, featuring a mount of each along with a matching papercut portrait. “With the closing of 2021 and emergency of a new year, both birds are perfect representations of […]

Chris Morris ’19 dives into virtual reality as a 3D artist with MajorMega

The kickoff to Chris Morris’ career was thanks to attending a guest speaker program on campus. The longevity of his career has been thanks to his embrace of all aspects of 3D design and willingness to jump wholeheartedly into a learning curve. And now, one of the most recent results of that work is taking […]

College announces Fall 2021 Dean’s List

Congratulations to the following 90 students who have been named to the Fall 2021 Dean’s List at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design: Omar Almanzar ’25, undecided, Lancaster Abigail Altman ’24, Illustration, Rockville, Md. Aiyana Alvarado ’25, Graphic Design, Harrisburg, Pa. J. Aman ’22, Illustration, New Providence, N.J. Lauren Antanavage ’23, Animation & Game Art, […]

Dan Helwig joins College as Vice President of Development

Dan Helwig brings a long record of successful advancement and development fundraising to PCA&D as the College’s new Vice President of Development. In this position Helwig, who joined the College this fall, is responsible for leading and managing the College’s Development program, including individual, corporate, and foundation giving, bequests, the annual fund, grants, and special […]

Collaboration with Teatro Paloma leads CCE into workshops featuring Spanglish monologues and theater games

When you’re faced with a sense of “ni di aquí, di de allá” — being neither here nor there, culturally speaking — finding something that grounds you, and provides a sense of belonging, is a powerful thing. Maybe it’s language, shared with others in your group while forming a bridge to “the outside.” Maybe it’s […]

For Rachel McInerney ’18, Illustration, ‘creativity’ means ‘Kaos’ and life as a DJ in Shanghai

Sometimes, the creative path forward looks like befriending and learning from older, more experienced artists. Sometimes, it looks like challenging your introverted nature by venturing alone into new settings. Other times, it may feel like the world opening up when you find a creative niche — say, music — that really moves you. If you’re […]

February CCE classes: ‘small-bite’ time investments for a big impact

February’s the shortest month, and PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration has themed its February offerings to reflect this with plenty of shorter “small-bite” classes. Recognizing that the month can be filled with busy schedules, school holidays, and the always-present threat of snow, these one-or two-session classes pack a lot of fun and learning into short […]

November accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Work by nearly a dozen artists with PCA&D ties was part of a Nov. 19 community art show and silent auction to benefit the work of CWS Lancaster, a nonprofit organization that works to resettle refugees. CWS Lancaster recently partnered with NPR’s StoryCorps American Pathways program to record podcasts with local refugee storytellers. Those recordings […]

Fine Art seniors present “Avid Vanguard” at the Demuth

Avid Vanguard, a collection of works created in Senior Studio, is celebrated with an opening reception Friday, Dec. 3 at the Demuth Museum, 116 E King St. The show, says Assistant Professor and Fine Art Chair Becky Blosser, “is the culmination of focused dedication to developing a studio practice. From this, themes and formal explorations […]

Business Bootcamp a chance to refine ideas for a creative career

A business plan that lives only in your head can sometimes kind of get stuck there: Where to begin? PCA&D’s recent Business Bootcamp worked to fill out some of those ideas, get them down on paper, and push them a few steps closer to reality. Led by PCA&D instructor Holly Mosher, the full-day Business Bootcamp […]

Recent alum Benjamin Farley ’21 joins PCA&D as Esports Team coach

Benjamin Farley was 10 when he was introduced to the classic Xbox game Halo 2. He started with the game’s single-player campaign. Then he quickly switched to multiplayer. Once he went into battle head-to-head against other players, he says he was “stunned by how much fun it was.” There was a strong player community, he […]

Student Council leadership chosen for 2021-2022

The PCA&D student body has chosen its Student Council leadership for this academic year, turning to several new faces to act as liaisons with college administration and to serve as a sounding board and organization body for student initiatives. Congratulations to: President Dzifa Charity Lassey ’24, Graphic Design Vice President Mak Sherrid ’24, Illustration […]

Kelly Phan’s work will brand the 2022 Senior Show & Celebration

Congratulations to Kelly Phan ’22, Graphic Design, whose design work has been chosen to brand the 2022 Senior Show & Celebration in May. Her bold, Bauhaus-inspired peacock, tied to the College’s own branding colors, will appear on tickets, banners, social media, and other promotional materials next spring. Phan was one of six finalists, chosen after […]

Atten-TION! PCA&D students, alumni invited to sign up for Nov. 20 Business Bootcamp

Plenty of art students dream of turning their passion into a business. The knowledge of how to accomplish that, though, isn’t always easy to attain. Instead of “flying blind” toward that goal, it helps to have a strategy, feedback, and guidance that will help boost chances of success. That’s the premise behind PCA&D’s upcoming Business […]

Eric Dyer’s zoetropes are the models of a modern motion artifact

Modern art sometimes relies on cutting-edge technology to make its point, but artist Eric Dyer turns photos, 3-D objects, and kinetic sculpture into a modern reimagining of a 19th-century optical device: His zoetropes pull art into a physical 4th dimension, he says, counterbalancing the virtual, screen-filled world that surrounds our 21st-century lives. “As the material, […]

Alumna Amy Boone McCreesh ’07 brings her creative life insight to Artist Talk Thursday

For PCA&D alumna Amy Boone-McCreesh, her time in art school was a great opportunity to learn how others — her peers and already-established artists — were managing to navigate the art world. Returning to her alma mater gives her a chance to do the same for current students. The interdisciplinary artist and 2007 graduate of […]

PCA&D Admissions now accepts the Common App

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has joined the growing number of colleges and universities which accept The Common Application, known as the Common App, as part of its admissions application process. This decision simplifies the application process, allowing students to fill out one application that then is accepted by any college or university that […]

October Commencement honors the Classes of 2020, 2021

It felt more like May than October, as a sunny warm day greeted members of the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021 for their long-awaited Commencement ceremonies. With family and friends in the stands at Clipper Magazine Stadium, the event paid tribute to these two groups of new alumni who graduated in the […]

Alexia Eggleston honored with this year’s Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to announce that Alexia Eggleston of Laurel, Maryland, a junior Photography & Video major, has been selected as the 2021-22 recipient of the Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship. Eggleston’s participation in College and department activities and professionalism led to the recommendation for the scholarship. Eggleston is a […]

Curator Lauren Nye visits PCA&D Oct. 22 to present Artist Talk

When Lauren Nye graduated with her BFA in sculpture and art history, she wasn’t sure where her career would take her. What she did know was that she wanted it to be in the arts. She knew to take advantage of opportunities when they arose, and she knew to pull in experience wherever she could. […]

Meet your Alumni Council: PCA&D establishes its first alumni advisory body

After nearly 40 years, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and its predecessors have long had an unofficial network of graduates. But there’s been no official way for alumni to benefit from College initiatives — or for current students to learn from the ever-growing network of PCA&D alumni. As of this year, that’s all changed. […]

‘Hate has no place here’: A letter from President Michael Molla

Dear Campus Community, I’m writing to firmly restate our values as a College: Hate has no place here. A number of our neighboring colleges have been experiencing hate speech through social media, particularly centered around a reemerged sharing platform that is a haven known for cyberbullying, bigotry, harassment, and trolling on college campuses. Today, some […]

11 honored for their student work in computer graphics competition

Nearly a dozen recent graduates of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design have been honored in the SIGGRAPH2021 Faculty Submitted Student Work competition. SIGGRAPH is the world’s largest conference on computer graphics. The work of these Animation & Game Art and Illustration students is now shared here worldwide for educators to use in their classrooms (drag […]

September achievements in the PCA&D community

Ellie Cochran ’19, Graphic Design, has been awarded the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania Impact Award, which recognizes a woman in technology whose contributions have had a positive impact in the Entrepreneurial/Small Business sector. Cochran is Creative Director at the Lancaster LGBTQ + Coalition. Dyneisha Gross ’20, Graphic Design, has been named a Woman Designer to Watch […]

Poetry as Public Memory: PCA&D presents first program in its 2021-22 Diverse Voices series

The Liberal Arts Department kicks off its Diverse Voices Speaker Series for the year on Thursday, Sept. 30, at 7 pm. That evening the College presents Composing Culture, Poetry as Public Memory with moderator Dr. Jennie Keohane, a rhetorician and scholar of public memory texts at the University of Baltimore; Joseph Ross, the author of four books of poetry […]

CCE instructors dive deep into professional development offerings

Is something on your wishlist to learn, but you just don’t have hours upon hours free to get started? Jump-start your learning with a one-session workshop through PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration. In the space of an evening, you’ll get tips and tactics you can use, and enough information to put that new knowledge into […]

Emily Reifsnyder ’22 designs digital book for the PCA&D-Zayed University exchange and exhibition

A simple blog exchange of photos and ideas between PCA&D photographers and students in the United Arab Emirates has morphed into an ebook compiled and designed by Emily Reifsnyder ’22. The Photography & Video major recently completed PCA&D-Zayed Photography Exchange, a digital photo book that highlights the ongoing collaboration between Pennsylvania College of Art & […]

Meet Karin Wengenroth, the 2021-22 Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence

When Karin Wengenroth was a Fine Art student at PCA&D, her senior thesis centered on abstracted and contorted figure painting, she says, “oil for the most part, but also silkscreening and soft sculpture.” Now the 2017 graduate is back on campus as the 2021-22 Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence. She’s working out of the […]

Phillip Kieffer ’19 brings his talents back to PCA&D in a pair of Center for Creative Exploration classes

PCA&D is thrilled to welcome Phil Kieffer back to campus this fall to teach a pair of classes in the College’s Center for Creative Exploration. An award-winning animator and artist, Kieffer is a 2019 graduate of PCA&D’s Digital Media department, now Animation & Game Art. In the CCE program, Kieffer will be mentoring two classes: […]

CCE mural heading from Art Garden to Lancaster Museum of Art

A group of young Center for Creative Exploration students has an important message about creativity: Creativity isn’t the “possession” of any one special group. You don’t have to be “chosen” to be creative. The act of being creative, these 7th- through 9th-graders confirm, belongs to everyone. Creativity Belongs to the People, a collaborative mural made […]

Public Artist Talks are a highlight of Alumni Exhibition programming

In conjunction with the 2021 Alumni Exhibition on display in the Gallery at PCA&D through Oct. 31, a full schedule of programming has been planned by Exhibitions Director Alex Schaufele. The slate of events includes public Artist Talks (both in-person and virtual via Zoom), a public Artist Panel, and student studio visits. Be sure to […]

August accomplishments of note

PCA&D has awarded Research and Practice Grants to five members of the faculty for ongoing projects: Shwarga Bhattacharjee (2D Design Adjunct) participation in the Chautauqua Visual Arts Residency Program in Chautauqua, N.Y.; Adam Del Marcelle (Graphic Design Adjunct), project and documentary presentation to the Attend (to) Futures Conference this fall in Cologne, Germany; Troy Hollman […]

Artist Talk: Tom Whalen visiting PCA&D

Looking to build a career in an art field? Art skills are crucial, says Tom Whalen, but so is “nimble adaptability” and some familiarity with business skills. Whalen, whose graphically bold work is sought-after by clients such as Lucasfilm, Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios, The Beatles, Metallica, Primus, The Black Keys, and Microsoft, will be on […]

Introducing new PCA&D faculty; announcing new faculty positions

With the opening of a new PCA&D academic year, we also welcome new faculty and staff joining the College community, and those who are stepping into new roles: Joining PCA&D Emily Artinian (Fine Art): Artinian produces artists’ books, text-based art, installations, and audience participation works. Some of her areas of focus have included narrative and […]

Healing Arts Artist in Residence Jennifer Quigley presenting Aug. 27 talk

Jennifer Quigley, a locally based artist whose work runs the gamut from painting and photography to sculpture and mixed media, will present an Artist Talk to the PCA&D community Friday, Aug. 27, at 5:15 pm. The Q&A-style presentation is designed so that PCA&D students can learn more about Quigley’s large-scale public art installation Art Heals, […]

A snapshot look back at Orientation Week 2021

Five days of Orientation events filled the week before PCA&D’s Aug. 23 start date — five days of meetings and presentations balanced out by ice cream, walking tours, pottery painting, sketch sessions, movies, and more. It was, as President Michael Molla shared with the Class of 2025, an opportunity to “really explore what living a […]

‘Show and Tell’ kicks off 2021-2022 in CORE Gallery

CORE Gallery at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has kicked off its 2021-2022 season of shows with Show and Tell, a curated exhibition featuring the work from PCA&D’s class of 2022. Show and Tell introduces new students at PCA&D to the work of their fellow classmates, and gives the Class of 2022 the opportunity […]

Lancaster Chamber publishes article by members of BLAC

Earlier this summer, the Lancaster Chamber published an article by BLAC, PCA&D’s Black Led Art Coalition, as part of its Words That Activate Change series. The article’s three authors — Delaina Jolley ’22, Illustration; CamRyn Mickens ’23, Animation & Game Art; and Kendall White ’23, Illustration — addressed “How Art Students Respond to the Unprecedented Events.” They talked […]

Mentoring program helps bring PCA&D’s new Data Visualization Certificate to life

This is the story of mentorship, PCA&D community, and expanding the ways artists and designers can impact the world around them. The culmination of all of those elements: a new certificate program, Data Visualization, that teaches students to use effective design principles and analytics for information design. Seth Crider, a PCA&D alumnus and instructor for […]

Todd Snovel named Vice President for Student Affairs & Community Engagement

Todd Snovel has been named Vice President for Student Affairs & Community Engagement at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. A member of the College’s staff since 2019, Snovel previously served the PCA&D community as Director of Development & Strategic Initiatives. “We are delighted to have his extensive experience in higher education, government, and nonprofit […]

Learning and teaching design with data

by Tom Newmaster Adjunct Instructor, Graphic Design When it comes to teaching package design, one thing there is no shortage of is opinions. Design gurus will share what they believe works, what they think of as best practices, what’s cutting-edge. But when you get to the marketplace, it’s the consumer’s opinion that counts. […]

Young Artists, fun opportunities: Summer at the Center for Creative Exploration

From clay classes for the youngest artists just out of kindergarten to an esports camp for middle- and high-school-age artists that introduces them to that field’s careers and creativity, the Center for Creative Exploration’s summer classes and camps for young artists offer a huge range of experiences designed to spark creativity and skills. The late […]

Registration is open for college credit courses as well as literary inspiration: Check out our CCE summer sessions

PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration’s schedule of summer classes is a blend of college credit-bearing options for pre-college students, classes that use the written word to spark creativity not only for writers but for visual artists as well, and a selection of single-session workshops that provide a quick boost of inspiration or a glimpse at […]

Ultimate Art Camp for Grades 5-9 pairs the Center for Creative Exploration with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen

Picture an arts camp for kids that very well could make the parents jealous: That’s pretty much the reaction when people learn about what’s going on at Ultimate Art Camp, a weeklong August experience for young artists in grades 5-9 that pairs an instructor from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Center for Creative Education […]

Congratulations to our Spring 2021 Dean’s List students

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has announced names of students achieving Dean’s List status during the Spring 2021 semester. Congratulations to these 126 students: Abigail Altman ’24, Illustration, Rockville, Md. Jennifer Aman ’22, Illustration, New Providence, N.J. Lauren Antanavage ’23, Animation & Game Art, Frackville, Pa. Isaac Baker ’21, Graphic Design, Frackville, Pa. Charles […]

Alex Schaufele joins PCA&D as the new Director of Exhibitions

Alex Schaufele’s long experience of tying gallery and community together, and using museums to engage and educate, takes another step July 1 when she joins Pennsylvania College of Art & Design as the Director of Exhibitions. Arriving from the University of Notre Dame’s Snite Museum of Art, where she was Assistant Curator of Education, Public […]

Tempo Clubhouse forms its first job training program in higher ed with PCA&D

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design recently has partnered with Tempo Clubhouse to provide employment opportunities within the College’s Facilities Department. PCA&D is the first higher-education partner for the Tempo Clubhouse program, which provides an avenue back to employment for people who are receiving mental health services. At PCA&D, Tempo employees are trained to provide […]

Kelly Phan is winner of 2021 Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to announce that Kelly Phan of Lancaster, a junior Graphic Design major, has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship. Kelly’s participation in College and department activities and her professionalism led to the recommendation for the scholarship. According to Pam Barby, […]

PCA&D announces faculty promotions and additions

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to announce upcoming promotions and additions to the College’s faculty and staff: Michelle Fogel has been promoted to Assistant Professor in General Humanities and will also work with students this fall as a faculty persistence mentor. Fogel has been a part-time faculty member in the Liberal Arts […]

Summer esports camp is a deep dive into the careers (and the fun!) of the esports world

There’s much more to esports than fun and games (though there’s plenty of that, too): Take a look at the job listings for esports and video game production. There are team marketers and public relations managers, game designers and coders, artists and animators, writers and audio engineers…for starters. And the job opportunities just keep growing. […]

PCA&D grants BFA diplomas to the Class of 2021

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design was pleased to confer BFA diplomas on 59 members of the Class of 2021 during Senior Sendoff ceremonies on May 7, 2021. Full Commencement ceremonies, for both the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2020, are scheduled to be held Friday, Oct. 15, 2021, at Clipper Stadium in […]

PCA&D partners with Nimblist to stretch College’s LiveX major and new minors

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is excited to welcome Nimblist as the first partner of the College’s newly created Institute for Leadership, Creative Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. The Institute is the College’s new hub for multiple strategic initiatives and curricular innovations. It will merge entrepreneurship with creativity, developing opportunities for students to build leadership skills […]

“Art Heals”: Scenes from the June First Friday unveiling

On June First Friday, artist Jennifer Quigley’s exhibition, Art Heals, was officially unveiled in the College Art Garden and on the facade of PCA&D. She’s the first Artist in Residence for the College’s Healing Arts Residency, an initiative of PCA&D’s Institute of Learning, Creative Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. That institute currently is collaborating with the local […]

Black Artist Waystation holding Juneteenth celebrations in PCA&D Art Garden

This time last year, PCA&D’s Art Garden was the epicenter of Lancaster’s Black Lives Matter protests and mourning — days of anger prompted by the recorded police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and mourning the names and lives of so many others who have died in similar circumstances. This week, in the presence of […]

Grace Keefe ’22 hits a home run with new Lancaster Barnstormers merch

Step inside the stadium gift shop of Lancaster’s minor league baseball team, and you can’t miss the ballcaps bearing a new design for the 2021 Lancaster Barnstormers. It’s a contemporary swoosh of orange tones, a “LANC.” abbreviation that feels like it’s in motion, accented by a heart in the center of the “A” and held […]

Recent achievements of note in the PCA&D community

The work of Artzbeat ’21, Fine Art, was featured in the May 28 edition of The Burg, a community magazine and daily online news site that covers the Harrisburg, Pa., region. She was recognized as the Artist in Focus for her work at PCA&D as well as her work on the Harrisburg mural covering Midtown Cinema. The […]

Teaching & Learning Center hosting free 2-day workshop for educators

After a year of rapidly changing demands in the field of education, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is hosting a free, online, two-day workshop for educators at both the K-12 and college level. Under the direction of PCA&D’s Center for Teaching & Learning, the June 17-18 event features speakers who are experts in the […]

Catch up on Career Day 2021: Watch these sessions with employers and guest speakers

PCA&D’s Career Day in late April was a chance for students to learn more about careers that are their end goal after art school, to explore other options they may not have considered, and to make connections with potential employers. And, in at least one case, to immediately snag a great summer work experience. Rising […]

College holds its annual Creative Careers event with Lancaster 5th-graders

Don’t let anyone tell you that young kids aren’t interested in creative careers. PCA&D’s annual events that introduce School District of Lancaster 5th-graders to the possibilities of what an art degree and life as an artist can be like are always a flurry of activity and excited chatter. This year, those two sessions were no […]

PCA&D’s unveiling of Art Heals, with Artist in Residence Jennifer Quigley, set for June First Friday

In her sun-filled fourth-floor studio at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, artist Jennifer Quigley stands back and examines a 3D bandage leaning against the wall. About 3 feet across, the “X”-shaped Band-Aid-style is a smaller version of those that will be mounted on the facade of the College in June. Across Prince Street, in […]

‘Meet Our Majors’ events: Determining your path in art and design school

Trying to determine whether art and design school is the right move for you — and then sorting through the different pathways open to you once you arrive — is a lot easier when you can talk to people who teach and help guide students once they settle on art school, and who can explain […]

For Kelly Phan ’22, designing the Class of 2021 exhibition book was a lesson in balance and insight

If compiling a nearly 140-page book encompassing works from 58 artists, writings from College administration, and input from several editors, while working to specifications set up by senior faculty and staff and a professional printer, sounds like a massive undertaking … Kelly Phan would probably agree. While working on her other classes as well, the […]

Behind the scenes with the co-curators: “Sincerely Yours,” the Class of 2021 exhibition

Five members of the Class of 2021 were selected for a special opportunity to co-curate the senior exhibition. Nicole Denzler, Photography & Video; Mandi Hall, Fine Art; Alexis Lebesco, Illustration; Regina Marie Mehaffey, Graphic Design; and Rachel Stork, Fine Art. These students were selected out of a pool of applicants for a competitive position within […]

Behind the scenes with the student curators of the Class of 2021 exhibition, “Sincerely Yours,”

As part of an exhibition and curating internship, five members of PCA&D’s Class of 2021 collectively produced this year’s senior exhibition, featuring one work from each member of their graduating class. We asked the co-curators — Nicole Denzler, Photography & Video; Mandi Hall, Fine Art; Alexis Lebesco, Illustration; Regina Marie Mehaffey, Graphic Design; and Rachel […]

Introducing the Class of 2021: PCA&D hosts Senior Send-Off ceremonies in the Art Garden

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design welcomed its new cohort of alumni Friday during in-person morning celebrations in the Art Garden and an afternoon online conferring of degrees. Under a large white tent filling much of the Art Garden space, students and faculty gathered by major to mark an exceptional achievement: completing their final year […]

PCA&D Graphic Design and Illustration departments ranked regionally, nationally

A pair of national publications has recognized Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in their recent rankings of design and art programs: GD USA Magazine, a business-to-business source for graphic design professionals, has named Pennsylvania College of Art & Design to its list of top graphic design schools in the United States. The compilation represents […]

PCA&D wraps up Spring Lecture Series: Here’s how to watch our guest speakers

This spring, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design hosted six distinguished speakers as part of a lecture series featuring curators, art historians, and artists. The presentations brought a multitude of perspectives to our College community centering on exhibitions, history of Chicano/a/x art, and individual contemporary creative practices. “COVID-19 canceled many activities and imposed countless restrictions […]

PCA&D awarded Truist grant to support scholarships, LiveX major launch

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $125,000 from the Truist Economic Growth Fund, formerly BB&T: $50,000 of the grant will support scholarships for students who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color. The remaining $75,000 is earmarked to accelerate the launch of PCA&D’s BFA in live […]

College announces new faculty grant initiatives

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design recently announced two new tracks for Professional Development Funding open to all College faculty: full-time, part-time, adjunct, and faculty of PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration. The application process is now open, and grants will be awarded in early June. The goal is to support faculty as they achieve both […]

Virtual Career Day combines inspiration, information… and lots of employment connections

Combining employer meet-and-greets, question-and-answer sessions, opportunities to share resumes, and a keynote by design historian Gökhan Ersan, PCA&D’s second Virtual Career Day April 21 is designed to be much more than a sit-and-watch-a-Zoom-presentation event. Instead, the goal is to be useful. Eye-opening. Educational. A gateway to internships, mentorships, fellowships … and jobs. “One year after […]

CCE’s public outdoor art workshop a highlight of River Towns Plein Air 2021

The first bursts of Spring often bring an urge to be outdoors, and a renewal of creative energy — maybe even more so this year, after a year of pandemic social distancing. This year, one of the region’s major art celebrations of Spring’s return is happening in the first home of Pennsylvania College of Art […]

Recent PCA&D community achievements

Recognizing recent accomplishments by students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design: Four Graphic Design seniors have been named winners in the 2021 Graphic Design USA Student Package Design competition. Bringing home national-level honors are: Isaac Baker, Jia Bernstein, Zorina Eckman, and John Hollas. All four are members of Prof. Tom […]

Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence applications are now open

The College’s Fine Art Alumni Artist in Residence Program is now accepting applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 28. APPLY HERE This on-campus residency is open to any Fine Art graduate of PCA&D or its predecessor, the Pennsylvania School of Art & Design. Artists who work in any medium […]

Take a deeper dive into the 2021 Faculty Biennial, a showcase of wide-ranging talent

As the 2021 Faculty Biennial comes to a close, take a moment for a deeper dive into the work of our full-time faculty members featured in The Gallery at PCA&D and on our website. The Biennial has served as a celebration of the College’s tradition of mentorship and education, inspiring us with their dedication to […]

Collaborative workshops break isolation and result in community exhibition, ‘Zammesei’

Months upon months of pandemic restrictions can take a toll on anyone — especially a community that thrives on interaction, on collaboration, and on opportunities to learn and discover. The College’s Center for Creative Exploration partnered with a local senior living community to figure out how to bridge that isolation. The result is a new […]

CCE exhibition pays tribute to the connection between visual art and music

If you’re learning Photoshop fundamentals, few things would be more boring than a dry recitation of “how tos” when it comes to adjustment layers, cropping, lighting effects, and other basic skills. But if you’re imaging an album cover? And shooting photos using a green screen? And looking up musicians you love to see how they […]

Documenting the 2021 Faculty Biennial with Cameren White ’24

This is the final post in a series highlighting the creative contributions of students at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design who worked behind the scenes to make the 2021 Faculty Biennial in the Main Gallery. From Trenton, New Jersey, Cameren White ’24 is on the CORE Gallery curatorial board and does special video […]

Na’Chelle Morris ’22 documents the Main Gallery’s 2021 Faculty Biennial

This is Part II of a series highlighting the hard work and creative input of students who worked behind the scenes to make the 2021 Faculty Biennial a success. Na’Chelle Morris ’22, the official photographer of PCA&D’s student-run CORE Gallery, was assigned to document the 2021 Faculty Biennial for the Main Gallery. Charged with documenting […]

Patience, persistence, and portfolio: Advice from illustrator Eric Wilkerson

In his nearly 20-year career, illustrator Eric Wilkerson has worked in the video gaming, film, commercial, advertising, and publishing industries, as both a staff member and freelancer, providing concept art, matte painting, and art direction services. He’s designed characters and theatrical costumes, works in digital and traditional media … it’s a wide-ranging resume. And his […]

2021-2022 Fine Art Alumni Residency now accepting applications

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Fine Art Department is again sponsoring an alumni residency, for the 2021-2022 academic year. Application details can be found here. Deadline for applications is Friday, May 28. The residency, open to one graduate of PCA&D or its precursor, the Pennsylvania School of Art & Design, is an opportunity to […]

A conversation between landscape and humans: Artist Talk by photographer Sebastian Mejia, March 25

Sebastian Mejia’s love of photography, and his photographic eye, have been strong since before his teen years in Colombia, even before his father gifted him his first camera: a 1980s Canon A-1 35mm reflex. Once Mejia became a student at School of Visual Arts in New York City, his artistic insight became apparent to his […]

College announces Commencement plans for Class of 2021 and Class of 2020

A message from Michael Molla, President, Pennsylvania College of Art Design: March is a month of change and transition — we can feel the arrival of spring in the air as we shift into a new season and consider the approaching end of this academic year. This time prompts us also to think about the […]

Designathon 2021: A 12-hour sprint to create new branding for 8 regional nonprofits

The clients (and alumni) were online; the timeframe was 12 hours instead of the traditional 24; and gauging by client reactions Saturday night (yes, there were some giddy tears of happiness), Designathon 2021 was a massive success. Organizer and Graphic Design Department Chair Pam Barby, along with faculty members Bill Dussinger and Laura Korzon, and […]

4 seniors nab national packaging design honors

Four Graphic Design seniors have been honored in Graphic Design USA’s 58th Annual Package Design Awards. They all are members of Tom Newmaster‘s Packaging Design class. Congratulations to: Isaac Baker: Taino Batata Sweet Potato Chips; Jia Bernstein: Crescents Potato Chips; Zorina Eckman: Sonos Audio Entertainment; John Hollas: Holy Chip Hell Fire and Chili Lime Chips. […]

College introduces Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workshop series this spring

This semester, PCA&D presents a three-part Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Spring Workshop Series: An Inclusive PCA&D Begins with You. It features three programs open to the greater College community: The first in the series was held earlier this month. Antiracism 101: Being an Ally, Accomplice, and Co-Conspirator at PCA&D was a presentation by Justin Brown, […]

Part I: Students behind the Faculty Biennial, Jaymi Vilardo and Isiah Bates

Part 1 of a series highlighting the students who worked behind the scenes to make the Faculty Biennial. The Faculty Biennial is an important tradition that celebrates faculty members for their dedication to the College’s mission and showcases their creative talents. This year’s rendition of the exhibit has been enhanced by the hard work and […]

Center for Creative Exploration Spring classes are open for registration

Registration for the Spring session of Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) classes has opened, and it’s a long list of opportunities packed into the April-June timeframe: Adult Professional Development & Single-Session Workshops The four Professional Development classes — Effective Design: Color & Typography, Intro to Digital Marketing, Intro to JavaScript, and Intro to UX/UI — all meet twice weekly to […]

Recent notes of accomplishment in our PCA&D community

Two members of the College faculty, Becky Blosser (Assistant Professor, Fine Art) and Eric Weeks (Assistant Professor and Chair, Photography & Video), as well as alumnus Marlin Bert have work in the current Demuth Invitational: Illustrations from the Stories that Inspire. The exhibition is open for timed in-person visitation at The Demuth Museum in downtown Lancaster here, and online here, through Saturday, […]

Learning Commons: Digging into Online Critique Sessions with Jasmyn Stokes ’23

Some of the most useful parts of the learning experience can also be pretty uncomfortable when you first face them. Take the practice of critique. Showing a work in progress to other artists, taking in their constructive suggestions and criticisms, and explaining your choices, is a time-honored part of art school. It helps artists figure […]

Directions in Contemporary Art zine goes on display at Street Road Artists Space

A month after wrapping up their online exhibition, Beyond Things Left Unsaid, a collaboration with Lancaster Museum of Art, PCA&D’s Fine Art seniors are once again on display. A zine created by members of Prof. Henry Gepfer’s Directions in Contemporary Art Class is on exhibit at Street Road Artists’ Space. The Chester County project integrates […]

Zorina Eckman and Madeleine Lyash named “Students to Watch” by GDUSA

Graphic Design seniors Zorina Eckman and Madeleine Lyash have been named 2021 Students to Watch by Graphic Design USA. The online news source and magazine covers people, projects, trends, technology and products for graphic design professionals nationwide. “Maddie and Zorina fully understand the power of design,” says Graphic Design Department Chair Pamela Barby. “They are creating […]

‘Look badass’ is the most common design request: Zak Keller of Atomic Design

Zak Keller has been earning paychecks in show biz for the past 23 years. In that time, he’s been a Technical Designer, Art Director, Set Designer, Audio Engineer, Production Manager, Video Designer, Carpenter, Prop Master, and Charge Artist for hundreds of productions ranging from theater, opera, musicals, dance, episodic television, touring concerts, music festivals, sports, […]

Prof. Jason Ward’s Drawing Workshops building a community of creatives

Art students itching for out-of-classroom guidance or a practical demonstration to expand their learning won’t always find what they’re looking for sitting solo in the studio. The Learning Commons is working to remove some of those hurdles with biweekly Drawing Workshops held during Saturday Study Tables. Led by Fine Art faculty Jason Ward, the workshops […]

Admissions Ambassador Kylie Hileman ’22, Fine Art

WATCH KYLIE’S INTERVIEW MEET KYLIE HILEMAN: I am a Junior (Year 3) as of right now, I’m from Nescopeck/Berwick, PA. It’s in very rural central PA. I don’t have a minor, but if I could’ve snagged one, I would’ve loved to minor in Illustration. (Instagram: @k_j_h_art) What do you remember about your first visit […]

When Stars Are Scattered: National Book Awards finalists Jamieson and Mohamed

Visual art, combined with literature, is an immensely powerful way to tell a story. That artistic collaboration is what brought together Newbery Honor-winning graphic novelist Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, who grew up in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Their resulting graphic novel, When Stars Are Scattered, tells the childhood story of Mohamed and […]

Introducing Digital Art Drop-Ins with Prof. Natasha Warshawsky

PCA&D students who are working to expand and refine their digital art skills don’t have to work alone to puzzle out assignments, find inspiration, or practice a new technology taught in the classroom. Every Wednesday from 7:30-9 pm, an online Digital Art Drop-In gives PCA&D students a way to explore, to catch demos, to reinforce […]

Admissions Ambassador Adan Harris ’23, Animation & Game Art

WATCH ADAN’S INTERVIEW MEET ADAN HARRIS: I’m in the class of 2023, I come from a small town called Chambersburg [PA], but I actually went to a school called Waynesboro in the next town over. I don’t have a minor currently but I may take one in the upcoming semester. (Instagram: @harrisadan) What do […]

Student and alumni advice highlights PCA&D’s Spring Preview sessions

If you want to learn more about how to pace school assignments, how to figure out your creative path, and how to take advantage of what’s coming up next in your art and design school career, it makes sense to turn to the experts: Your fellow students themselves, and alumni of your college. This semester’s Spring […]

Ekphrasis: CCE class explores the practice of using art to inspire … more art

Lovers of the arts are yearning for the days of experiencing creativity of all kinds in person. Cultural institutions are struggling to maintain connections with their communities. To bring the two together, Center for Creative Exploration instructor Erin Dorney is hosting a winter ekphrasis creative writing class that offers students and institutions the chance to […]

Admissions Ambassador Kennedy Toomey ’22, Photography & Video

WATCH KENNEDY’S INTERVIEW MEET KENNEDY TOOMEY: I’m a Photo junior going for an Art History minor. I grew up around Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. (Instagram: @fallingintofocusphoto) What do you remember about your first visit to PCA&D? KT: My first time at PCA&D, I remember being super excited to see the school had a darkroom. […]

Peacocks leveling up: Introducing PCA&D’s Esports Team

Every good video game tells a story. Maybe it’s the tale of a quest. Maybe it’s the challenge of championship battle. Or maybe it’s the vision of a future you’re playing to build and defend — or even the future of video games that connect to education, healthcare, and social justice? At Pennsylvania College of […]

Facing roadblocks? That’s a great thing, says Jan Wilker of design studio karlsssonwilker

Jan Wilker, of creative studio karlssonwilker inc., will present a Virtual Designer Talk, “This is How We Do It,” Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 1 pm. karlssonwilker, based in Queens, New York, specializes in branding, signage, wayfinding, and environmental design, as well as packaging, interactive, fashion, strategy, and ideation. Their projects have been varied, from projects rebranding […]

In the news: Recent accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Tyler Barton, Program Coordinator for PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration, spent a week in December at Modern Art in Lancaster working on his next novel, as part of the gallery’s “Don’t Forget How to Write” project. Passersby could provide prompts and ideas for Barton’s novel as he worked in the gallery’s display window. His first book, […]

Admissions Ambassador Jose Rosado ‘22, Graphic Design

WATCH JOSE’S INTERVIEW MEET JOSE ROSADO: I will be graduating in the year 2022. I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [and] I am a Graphic Design major. (Instagram: @joserosado.creative) What do you remember about your first visit to PCA&D? JR: I remember a vibrant and busy day as it was an open house / […]

Fine Art senior Brittany Lare wins Demuth Foundation award

The senior Fine Art students’ recent online exhibition hosted by Lancaster Museum of Art, Things Left Unsaid, has resulted in a special award for one of the artists. The Demuth Foundation, which operates Lancaster Museum of Art, recently announced Brittany Lare ’21, Fine Art, as winner of its Artistic Impact Award for her crocheted diptych 1950 […]

College’s Learning Center expands Study Tables after Fall semester success

Juggling college classes mid-pandemic offers a special set of challenges: Handling a mix of classes that are both online and in-person — or navigating a schedule that’s completely online. Learning new ways of interacting with classmates and professors, new ways of working on collaborative projects, new ways of incorporating feedback and critique. And figuring out […]

Admissions Ambassador Alicia Groff ’22, Illustration

WATCH ALICIA’S INTERVIEW MEET ALICIA GROFF: I’m a current junior here at PCA&D! I’m from Ephrata, PA, so I have been in Lancaster County my whole life. I’m majoring in Illustration, however, I am not enrolled in any of our minors. For my extracurriculars, I have been branching out to dabble in different fields and […]

Pixar’s Erica Milsom: ‘I love being told a good story’

Erica Milsom is a storyteller at heart, using film as her medium of choice. Collaboration, she says, “is the essence of filmmaking.” On February 1, Milsom, an award-winning writer and director for Pixar Animation Studios, presents an Artist Talk online to the PCA&D community. A member of the studio’s production team for 2015’s Inside Out, Milsom […]

Liberal Arts Chair Linda King Brown named Dean of Faculty

Linda King Brown, Assistant Professor and Chair of Liberal Arts, will serve in a pilot role as Dean of Faculty. In this role Brown, who has been a faculty member at the College since 2005, and full-time since 2009, will serve as a liaison on behalf of faculty to campus stakeholders and community partners. This […]

PCA&D collaborates with Franklin & Marshall College to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Delaina Jolley ’22, Illustration, represented PCA&D in a collaborative panel discussion, “MLK and Today,” with Franklin & Marshall College. You can view a recording of the January 2021 discussion below. Jolley, a co-founder of BLAC (Black Led Art Coalition) at PCA&D, joined F&M junior English Literature major Eniyah Brown-Moore and Michael Bright, F&M’s Residential Coordinator for […]

PCA&D hosts photographer and cultural activist Lonnie Graham Feb. 4

For photographer and cultural activist Lonnie Graham, the immediacy of his chosen medium has the potential to “defy comprehension.” It can, he says, “articulate a narrative that has the capacity to surpass literature in terms of its capacity to describe.” A Pew Fellow and Professor of Visual Art at Penn State University, Graham also serves […]

Lancaster City turns to PCA&D’s Yamilet Orengo ’22 to illustrate its celebration of Three Kings Day

Yamilet Orengo ’22, Illustration, got a taste of real-world quick-turnaround projects with a special end-of-year commission for the City of Lancaster. Three works by Yamilet were used to highlight this month’s video celebration of Three Kings Day, or Feast of the Epiphany, created by the City of Lancaster and Triode Media. The 4-minute video, which […]

Alumnus Justin Carney ’20 featured in Portrait Magazine monograph

When Justin Carney was younger, a camera was always present when his family got together. “It was sort of a family member in our household,” he says, there to record what was going on … and before too long it was Carney himself doing the documentation, with a little disposable camera in his hands. That […]

Nathalie Pacheco and Steven Dinnocenti join PCA&D Admissions team

Two faces already familiar to the PCA&D community, alumna Nathalie Pacheco and former Admissions Partnership Coordinator Steven T. Dinnocenti, officially become part of the Admissions team this month. Pacheco, a 2015 PCA&D Illustration BFA graduate and freelance illustrator, joins the Admissions team full time as an Admissions Counselor. Pacheco is bilingual in Spanish. An important […]

Congratulations to the Fall 2020 Dean’s List students

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has named 114 students to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2020 semester. Congratulations to: Abigail Altman ’24, Illustration, Rockville, Md. Jennifer Aman ’22, Illustration New Providence. N.J. Lauren Antanavage ’23, Animation & Game Art, Frackville, Pa. Isaac Baker ’21, Graphic Design, Frackville, Pa. Frank Barbera ’21, Illustration, […]

New faculty joining PCA&D for Spring 2021 semester

This spring, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design welcomes seven new faculty members to the College, teaching courses in business, film, art history, science, mathematics, esports management, and drawing. Mehrnoosh Fetrat Fetrat will be directing an International Cinema course for PCA&D students this semester. She has extensive experience teaching at the university level, including courses […]

Judging books by their cover

Chances are, whether you’re looking for your next read by wandering the shelves of a bookstore or library, or scrolling through your phone, book covers have the potential to lure you to even more options than the book you started out searching for. PCA&D students in Maria Cummings-Miller’s Junior Publication Design class took on the […]

Young Artist Classes: What Kids & Parents are Saying

Art classes for kids can solve the problem of “What are we going to do today?”, but what other benefits can these creative experiences offer? At PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration, we want Young Artist classes to do more than simply occupy a young student’s attention or give structure to these long pandemic days. We […]

Socially Distant but Creatively Close: Share an art class with a friend or family member

As the pandemic forces us all to stay home, stay safe, and stay distant, that separation can be difficult, especially over the holidays. Though technology can help to keep us connected, it can’t always match the richness of sharing important moments with those we care about. But don’t despair—there’s a cheat code, a life hack: […]

Faculty member Adam DelMarcelle uses ‘Mariah’ app to turn augmented reality into activism

For years, the Sackler family has been a player in the world of global art philanthropy. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has a Sackler Wing; so does the Louvre in Paris. England’s University of Oxford has a Sackler Library, and the Guggenheim has a Sackler Center for Arts Education. But the art world has […]

“Things Left Unsaid”: A exhibition of PCA&D Fine Art seniors and Lancaster Museum of Art

Things Left Unsaid, a digital exhibition and collaboration between the Lancaster Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design features the work of the College’s Fine Art seniors in a virtual exhibition. Artists include Rachel Boldt, Sharnee Burnett, Karissa Deiter, Meranda Hall, Paige Hershey, Brittany Lare, Sarah Lennon, Danielle Parker, Spencer Robbins, […]

Deborah Barber joins PCA&D to lead Institute for Leadership, Creative Entrepreneurship, and Innovation

Deborah Barber has joined Pennsylvania College of Art & Design as Director of the College’s newly created Institute for Leadership, Creative Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. About Deborah Barber Most recently Vice President of Operations at Nimblist, a lighting and production design agency for the live entertainment industry, Barber provided overall strategic leadership, direction, and development for […]

With CORE Gallery, PCA&D adds a vibrant venue for student engagement, exhibition, and experience

Academic galleries inspire and train succeeding generations of students. For the campus community, these spaces provide greater accessibility to museum-level artworks, enable object-based learning, and broaden exposure in the scope of works shown from the local to the global level. With exhibitions of the highest caliber, academic galleries demonstrate best practices and organize curated exhibits […]

In the news: A month of accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Congratulations to these students, faculty, staff, and alumni on their recent accomplishments: Rebecca Adey (Assistant Director of Admission) was part of a group show featuring six in-house artists at Millworks, in Harrisburg. Adey’s ModSew Designs occupies one of the studio spaces at Millworks. Six of her works were featured in the exhibition: three 2D paper-cut […]

Kaitlyn McCulley ’21, Illustration, wins competition to brand the 2021 Senior Show & Celebration

A team of design professionals has chosen the work of Illustration senior Kaitlyn McCulley to brand the 2021 Senior Show & Celebration. Each year, senior Graphic Design and Illustration students compete for the honor – and the top design will be used on everything from tickets and advertising to social media and the website archive […]

PCA&D’s ExtraGive 2020

Extraordinary Give 2020, the Lancaster community’s largest one-day burst of generous donations to local nonprofits, is going largely online this year. Still, since PCA&D is all about innovation and thinking outside the box, the College has brainstormed a way for donors to create art together — and release a little stress — in person — […]

Delaina Jolley ’22 is this year’s Price Scholarship recipient

Bringing large ideas to life, and creating a network of artistic support and inspiration, is a huge motivation for Delaina Jolley ’22, Illustration, recipient of the Cynthia E. Price Memorial Scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year. It’s the kind of creative life that the scholarship’s namesake, Cynthia Price, built, too. J. Richard “Rick” Price and […]

Catching up: A month of accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Congratulations to these members of the PCA&D community of faculty, staff, and alumni! Dyneisha Gross ’20, Graphic Design, and Osmyn Oree ’11, Photography, joined two other artists with PCA&D ties whose art was commissioned to promote the nonpartisan Lancaster Votes efforts to encourage voter participation. The work of Gross and Oree (who also is […]

Goñi Montes brings vibrant illustrations to Nov. 2 Virtual Artist Talk

With gray November settling in, a vibrant Artist Talk hosted Nov. 2 by the Illustration department will be a welcome event. Goñi Montes, whose work is featured by a wide array of clients such as The New Yorker, Scientific American, The New York Times, DC Vertigo, Wizards of the Coast, Tor Publishing, and more, is […]

College Open House set for Nov. 7: Learn what being #PCADProud is all about

If you know a young, creative person who’s wondering what in the world a BFA degree is, and what value it holds, a PCA&D Open House is a great place to start asking your questions. If you’re wondering what,exactly, PCA&D teaches that enables our students to become working artists and designers, we’ll be happy to […]

Artist Heather Hart presenting Oct. 27 Artist Talk, working on collaborative archive with PCA&D students

Heather Hart calls herself a “shapeshifter,” so it’s no surprise that it’s difficult to narrow down a description of the Brooklyn-based artist. You can talk about her mediums, whether sculpture, or paint, installations, collage, or drawing. Or, you can look at her collaborative projects, such as the Black Lunch Table, developed with fellow artist Jina […]

‘Figuring out where I fit in’: PCA&D welcomes Saleem Ahmed for Oct. 26 Virtual Artist Talk

Saleem Ahmed has found art to be a way of building a community, even when he finds himself feeling like he’s straddling completing different and competing worlds. Art for the Philadelphia-based Ahmed often is a way of telling a story — and much of his work also consists of teaching other people how to use […]

NYC gallerist Laurence Miller presenting Artist Talk this week

PCA&D’s Photography & Video Department this week hosts a Virtual Artist Talk with New York City gallerist Laurence Miller. All members of the PCA&D community are welcome to attend. Known for his promotion and sale of vintage and contemporary fine art photography and photo-based art, Miller has spent nearly 40 years collaborating with artists, collectors, […]

PCA&D Presents: Online auction Oct. 23 features the work of the Class of 2020

PCA&D’s Class of 2020 has been groundbreaking in many ways, with members testing their resilience to finish their college degrees mid-pandemic. Add another first — PCA&D’s first online art auction — to their list. PCA&D Presents, an auction featuring the work of Class of 2020 members, will be held Friday, Oct. 23, beginning at 7:30 […]

Student-led BLAC — Black Led Art Coalition — established at PCA&D

Attending art school as a Black student means you may find yourself the only person of color in a room. Nationwide less than 8% of degrees awarded in visual and performing arts are awarded to Black students. At PCA&D, too, Black students know with what that statistic means at the most fundamental level. “You’re familiar […]

Four artists with PCA&D ties tapped to create Lancaster Votes campaign

A get-out-the-vote effort that’s soon blanketing our region turns out to have some pretty close ties to PCA&D. All four artists commissioned to create unique works for Lancaster Votes are either alumni, instructors, or tied in some other way to the College: Salina Almanzar, an instructor with PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration, also is a […]

Recent accomplishments in our PCA&D community

Congratulations to these students, faculty, staff, and alumni of our College! The work of Joanna Becker ’21, Illustration, is featured along with that of other Lancaster City artists, such as PCA&D instructor/alumnus Matt Chapman ’08 and alumnus Marlin Bert ’86, in the Fall 2020 issue of Fig magazine, a publication that highlights local business, culture, art, and […]

Art brings photographer/writer Jonathan Blaustein ‘into the moment’; PCA&D welcomes him Oct. 6 for Virtual Artist Talk

Photography and writing are intertwined for Taos, New Mexico-based artist Jonathan Blaustein. His work in one medium — photography — is part of collections from the Library of Congress to the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. His writing — six years as a photo critic for the New York Times Lens […]

Public invited to virtual Constitution Day program Sept. 30: Celebrate the right to vote

The PCA&D community will be exploring the right to vote, the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 during the College’s 2020 Constitution Day celebration Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 1-2 pm. Panelists include: Dr. Louise Stevenson, Professor of History and American Studies and Former Chair of Women Studies at […]

Mike Hawthorne’s new graphic novel memoir, ‘Happiness Will Follow,’ earning praise

Though next week marks Mike Hawthorne’s first appearance at the Brooklyn Book Festival, he’s certainly not a novice cartoonist, or a newcomer to the world of illustration. He’s an Eisner and Harvey award-nominated artist, honored for his creative achievement in American comic books, and he’s best known for his work with Deadpool — so much so […]

Art for Social Good tackles the pandemic (and the all-important masks)

There’s no avoiding current events when you’re taking Art for Social Good with instructor Bill Dussinger. And 2020 has no shortage of current events that are prime for subjects. Dussinger’s first project for the class this semester was to design two posters for coronavirus awareness and prevention: One was to be generic, and the second […]

Typographer/graphic designer Shivani Parasnis kicks off PCA&D’s Artist Talks for 2020-21

Shivani Parasnis is proof that there’s no one way to “be a creative.” The typographer/graphic designer from Mumbai, India, is a recent MFA Graphic Design graduate from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, true. But she spent five years as an undergraduate and grad student studying biotechnology before switching gears in 2018 […]

This fall, the Center for Creative Exploration dives into challenging the senses, the experimentation, and the thought process behind being creative

At a time when everything seems to be reassessed and redesigned, three brand-new fall classes at PCA&D’s Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) are taking a different approach to art-making, too. How can art engage and integrate multiple senses at the same time? How can artists employ resources all around them to experiment with new, no-pressure, […]

Catching up: A month of accomplishments in the PCA&D community

Congratulations to these members of the PCA&D community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni! Jen Arnold, a graduate of Pennsylvania School of Art and Design, PCA&D’s predecessor, has joined Alpha Dog Advertising, Lancaster, as a brand manager. A specialist in project management and marketing research, Arnold also is a board member of the Philadelphia Chapter of […]

The assignment: Making a Health & Safety video both informational and fun

New health and safety precautions are a given everywhere these days, thanks to COVID-19, and the PCA&D campus is no different. As part of our return to campus — a hybrid of both in-person and virtual learning — PCA&D’s Health & Safety Team compiled not only detailed guidelines for what needs to be done, by […]

Announcing 20/20 Vision: The Senior Exhibition of the Class of 2020

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to present 20/20 Vision, an exhibition highlighting the Class of 2020. The exhibition features one piece from each of the 63 members of the class, and is now on display through Nov. 20, 2020, for the College community to enjoy. 20/20 Vision, which had been postponed from the […]

Ruptura auténtica pop-up exhibition highlights 6 Latinx PCA&D artists

The annual Hispanic Festival at San Juan Bautista Catholic Church is a vibrant 37-year tradition, a celebration of culture and music and food and heritage — and all the ways they tie together into something inseparable. This year, a pop-up exhibition by PCA&D, Ruptura auténtica, adds art to that mix. Curated by Delaina Jolly ’22, […]

NY film festival screening new short film by Photo/Video Chair Eric Weeks

“epistrophy,” a digital film by Photography & Video Department Chair Eric Weeks, is an Official Selection of the NewFilmmakers New York 2020 Film Festival, and will be live-streamed on Facebook Wednesday, Aug. 26. The NewFilmmakers Short Film Program, Films on Art and Art on Film, will begin at 7:15 pm and Weeks’s 17-minute short film […]

7 PCA&D students honored in SIGGRAPH exhibition

The work of seven PCA&D students and recent alumni has been selected for the 9th Annual Faculty Submitted Student Work Exhibit at the annual conference of ACM SIGGRAPH. Congratulations to: Animation and Game Art Thesis Film: Dana Timpert, for “Petals,” and Jeff Yosco, for “Brocky VS Big Max.” Both are 2020 graduates in Animation & Game […]

Tyler Barton’s debut short-story collection, a Mary McCarthy Prize runner-up, slated for publishing next year

Tyler Barton has long been a writer, ever since high school inspiration and the demise of his teenage hardcore/metal band replaced his guitar with literature. Now his collection of short stories, “Where the Rubies Live & Other Homes,” a two-time Mary McCarthy Prize runner-up, has been acquired by Sarabande Books and will be released in 2021. […]

How to burst that creative block: Ideas from PCA&D’s faculty and staff on feeding creativity in a time of upheaval

Great art college faculty and staff know just how to help students refine their skills, examine ideas critically, assess creative choices, and find their unique voices. But, as professionals in their creative fields, they know about all those “other times,” too: What happens when you enter one of those dreaded periods when “go with the […]

Hirshhorn Museum in D.C. acquires sculpture by Sterling Ruby, ’96

Since graduating from PCA&D precursor Pennsylvania School of Art & Design in 1996, artist Sterling Ruby’s multimedia and large-scale works have established him as an international powerhouse in the contemporary art field. His work already is part of the permanent collections at museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney, Guggenheim, Tate, […]

Instructor Bill Dussinger’s newest book is a boldly illustrated window into hometown history

Bill Dussinger is a leading contender for the title of Lititz’s most fervent cheerleader. A resident of the small northern Lancaster County borough, Dussinger and his design company, Penny Lane Graphics, have been in charge of branding the town’s massive Fourth of July celebrations, the regional community development corporation, holiday festivals, local businesses and more […]

Late Summer Session: Game Art & Portfolio Prep classes for high schoolers

Feeling a little creatively restless this summer? Curious about art school, but not sure if it’s for you? Our Pre-College classes, for students in grades 9-12, serve as a great introduction to art instruction at the collegiate level. All Pre-College classes are online this summer, which means you can take the classes from anywhere, and […]

2 Virtual Town Halls scheduled for PCA&D Housing details: July 20 & 23

Are you living in PCA&D Housing this fall? If you’re looking for details, move-in information, or have any questions about the PCA&D Housing experience, Student Life is holding a pair of virtual Town Halls this week to answer all your questions — and the first is this evening. Open to both returning and new students, the town halls are scheduled for Monday, […]

Fine Art Prof. Henry Gepfer curates collaborative art book to benefit artists & foundation supporting Black women and girls

The idea behind collaborative art book “Past Lives” was simple: Help artists weather the economic crush of a pandemic through publication of their work. Now, that goal has been combined with financial support for social justice initiatives, and the potential impact of “Past Lives,” a collaborative art book curated by Fine Art Adjunct Professor Henry […]

What kids will learn how to do: Meet our Summer Youth Class instructors

After guiding kids through online instruction during the last few months of the school year, the question now looms: How to get through the rest of the summer, with so many camps, teams, and other learning and enrichment opportunities not in operation? The Center for Creative Exploration’s wide-ranging and robust slate of Young Artist classes, […]

Melanie Vera ’19, preparing to enter the world of museums

Fulfilling an internship wasn’t just a checkoff on the graduation list for Melanie Vera. In her case, working at Franklin & Marshall College’s Phillips Museum in Lancaster during her junior year launched Vera into the pursuit of her own career in museums. Now Vera ’19, Fine Art, is a student at Johns Hopkins University’s Museum […]

Quinn Waltman ’20, explores the field of art therapy

When Quinn Waltman arrived at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design four years ago from her Lewisburg hometown, she already had an inkling that art therapy was a career path that interested her … but, she says, her PCA&D experience “solidified that art therapy is what I want to pursue.” In a few months, she heads […]

Tom Newmaster named a 2020 Educator to Watch by Graphic Design USA

Tom Newmaster, an adjunct teaching packaging design in the College’s Graphic Design department, has been named an Educator to Watch 2020 by GraphicDesignUSA. Newmaster’s students have won 15 GDUSA Package Design awards, and his class has produced five Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD) Young Designers Competition finalists, since the program started entering student work in […]

Prof. Jeremy Waak’s towering AGVC3v1 is ‘Good as Gold’

Curving upward in a flight of powder-coated steel and stainless steel, Associate Professor Jeremy Waak’s AGVC3v1 is a flare of brilliant red against the sky. Waak, Chair of PCA&D’s Foundation Department, calls the large-scale AGVC3v1 a “watershed moment” in his career — scaling up from tabletop-sized to 10 feet tall, manipulating metal with the same […]

First Friday collaboration demonstrates how to build an ‘exquisite corpse’

Instagram Live: Making an Exquisite Corpse with The Center for Creative Exploration Friday, June 5, 6 pm at @pcad_ce The inspiration for the Center for Creative Exploration’s First Friday collaboration this month came from a trio of unlikely and typically unrelated factors: A pandemic-required order to stay home. Shiny grocery store delivery bags. And a social […]

PCA&D announces Spring 2020 Dean’s List

Congratulations to the following 104 students, who have been named to the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design Dean’s List for the Spring 2020 semester: Jennifer Aman ’22, Illustration, Rockville, Md. Lauren Antanavage ’23, Animation & Game Art, Frackville, Pa. Maria Barba ’20, Animation & Game Art, Lancaster, Pa. Frank Barbera ’21, Illustration, Germantown, […]

Powerhouse animation team, the Klinglers, heading up several summer classes at PCA&D

With the launch of PCA&D’s three new certificate programs — Animation, Communication Design, and Game Art — it’s a new opportunity for the College’s BFA students to gain concentrated experience in these growing fields. And it’s a chance for anyone to hone their skillsets for in-demand segments of these industries. Faculty members Norma and Johan […]

Illustration Chair Christina Hess designs U.S. Mint’s new $1 coin marking 19th Amendment

It took nearly a century of protests and petitioning for American women to earn the right to vote. Now, a century after the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, the U.S. Mint is releasing a $1 coin to commemorate the anniversary. And PCA&D’s Christina Hess, Chair of the Illustration Department, was chosen to […]

Tyler Barton joins PCA&D as Continuing Ed is reimagined, expanded into the Center for Creative Exploration

As Pennsylvania College of Art & Design expands and redefines its community enrichment courses, we have formed our first institutional center: the Center for Creative Exploration (CCE). Headed by Natalie Lascek, former Director of Continuing Education, the CCE will encompass classes that not only offer enrichment opportunities to the greater Lancaster community, but also dovetail with certificate […]

For Seth Crider ’18, art is a way of making ‘invisible’ information, visible

At some point during his freshman year, studying political science at a college in Western Pennsylvania, Seth Crider decided he’d made a wrong turn. Yes, he was interested in the subject — but he had lots of interests, and felt a pull toward pursuing something a more creative. “I wanted to do a little changeup,” […]

Continuing Education classes available to anyone, anywhere, after Spring schedule moves online

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design announces its Spring slate of Continuing Education courses, a full list of programming that runs the gamut of credit and non-credit classes with one thing in common: You can take them all online. Due to ongoing statewide coronavirus restrictions, in-person instruction is not currently permitted. But Continuing Education […]

College’s first Career Day goes virtual, with creatives from every PCA&D BFA major

Industries representing careers that lead from every PCA&D major will be present April 14 when the College hosts its first Career Day. In addition, artists and creatives from a wide variety of fields — from VFX artists and game developers to comic book writers, illustrators, graphic designers, curators, gallery directors, filmmakers, public programming, graduate studies, […]

Junior Nicole Denzler’s work featured in Art of Portrait

When Nicole Belcher Denzler combined one passion — photography — with another — fashion — it was a dynamic mix. The result turned into a four-page spread in Issue 38 of Art of Portrait, a print and online publication dedicated to photographic portraiture.

Esports team created, scholarships offered: Links here for info, tryouts

The Pennsylvania College of Art & Design announces creation of the Esports Team as an opportunity for students to engage in community and enhance critical thinking and leadership skills. In celebration, both admitted and current students will be eligible to apply for $5,000 scholarships during this 2020 founding year that will be awarded on the […]

Animation & Game Art reimagined to target the most in-demand jobs in its field

With some recent changes, one of PCA&D’s departments has aligned itself more closely with skills in great demand in its creative field. And the changes go much deeper than just the name, shifting from Digital Media to Animation & Game Art. Asked to name three aspects of the department that have changed this academic year, […]

Portfolio Merit Scholarship applications are now open!

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design announces a new portfolio-based scholarship initiative for students applying for Fall 2020 admission. A total of $25,000 in scholarship money will be awarded by the College’s Portfolio Merit Scholarships, and submissions will be juried by a panel of PCA&D faculty and admissions staff. You can find a full list […]

Work of Noel Fry, ’20, selected for international feature on women’s art

As Noël Fry ’20 gears up for her final weeks as a PCA&D student, she’s gotten word that her artwork is garnering attention from a worldwide perspective: Two single works of art, as well as a set of four prints, have been selected to appear in Create!, an independent magazine that features contemporary art from […]

Gallery exhibition awakens inspiration through 2 Continuing Education classes — one for kids, one for adults.

Being in the presence of art often inspires our own creativity — however we choose to express it, whether through writing, or music, or dance, or visual art we feel compelled to create. Two Continuing Education classes this spring take full advantage of PCA&D’s current gallery exhibition, Butterfly Effect, to kindle participants’ own creative flames.

PCA&D grad Sara Kay moves her fine art to the human form

Fine art on a canvas is one skill. Illustration on skin? They’re more closely related than you might think, says tattoo artist Sara Kay, who notes that her transition from one to the other “was kismet.” More than a decade after Sara Karpinski graduated with her BFA from PCA&D, she is known as Sara Kay […]

Graphic Design USA honors Gross, Nardo as Students to Watch

Anthony Nardo and Dyneisha Gross, both seniors in Graphic Design, have been named Students to Watch by Graphic Design USA . The magazine annually recognizes “top students ready to burst on the design scene.” Dyneisha, a Maryland native, is Student Council President and secretary of PCA&D’s AIGAchapter. Her leadership has helped establish the College’s first […]

Meet Jason Herr: PCA&D’s first Fine Art Alumni Resident

Five of artist Jason Herr‘s works still haven’t returned from the gallery where they hung during Art Basel events in Miami, but it’s hard to see where they’d fit in his studio on PCA&D’s fourth floor. Lit by late-afternoon winter sun slanting through a wall of windows, the corner studio already is full of paintings, […]

Meet Maritsa Cortes ’10 | Worldwide design experience

Maritsa Cortes is a Lancaster native and graphic designer. She was part of PCA&D’s class of 2010. Since leaving PCA&D, Maritsa has aided businesses with their marketing and branding, worked producing high-quality print ads. She even freelanced abroad for 3 years in Asia. Maritsa has since moved back to Lancaster and currently serves as Social […]

PCA&D grad Matty Geez’s spiky/soft cactus sculptures on display at Philly Airport

Artist Matty Geez is surrounded by cacti. He has a few in the apartment he shares in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood with husband Erwin and cats Panda and Uma; about 14 more cacti live in his North Philly art studio. And then there are the flamboyantly colored, towering cacti he creates in that studio, more than […]

Anthony Nardo’s packaging design talents fuel national cosmetics industry honors

Anthony Nardo has a love of the mechanical world, of cars, of mathematics, and of hands-on learning, and he recently combined all of them for a project that usually doesn’t involve any of them: Cosmetics. And it was a beautiful, glossy hit.

Building an online community of creatives, with Larissa Ramey ’19

For Larissa Ramey, making her art and building a creative life is just part of the goal: Finding ways to make that art available to communities that aren’t always included in “the art world,” or who don’t often have access to art, is just as crucial. And it’s what makes the Leesburg, Va.-based Ramey so […]

Meet Alana Coates | PCA&D’s Director of Exhibitions

For Alana Coates, who’s built a career at galleries and museums of all kinds, the role of a gallery at an art college is especially pivotal. “The enhanced hands-on learning opportunities that a gallery provides as a platform of creative exploration is crucial for students to transition to successful creative careers outside of school,” Coates […]

PCA&D signs agreement with Delaware College of Art and Design, building another path to a PCA&D BFA degree

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D), Lancaster, has entered into a 2+2 articulation agreement with Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD), Wilmington, Delaware. Officials from both institutions signed the agreement on January 22 in Lancaster.

Designathon’s 24-hour marketing blitz is an ultimate College-community partnership

If you’re passing by PCA&D on the evening of Feb. 22, you’ll spot several dozen students, faculty members, and alumni emerging into the dusk. They’ll be bleary-eyed, maybe even a little over-caffeinated, and they’ll have have earned every minute of their upcoming spring break naps. They’re Designathon veterans. Each year, in a 24-hour push of […]

Advanced Social Media Marketing Winter Course with Mia Aquino

Hello. My name is Mia Aquino and I am excited to be back at PCA&D this winter, teaching SM 102 Advanced Social Media Marketing. You might have taken SM 105 Content Creation with me, or attended a workshop here on campus. If you haven’t, I’d love to introduce myself and tell you more about the […]

Meet Beth Hacker | Critique Facilitator & Creativity Instructor

Caring for our creative minds is something that we don’t always practice as much as we should. In this season of resolutions to eat better, drink less, and clear clutter, we should also be thinking about how we are stretching ourselves and our ways of thinking as well as creating time to engage in activities […]

Meet Salina Almanzar | Design Thinking Methodology Instructor

So……what is Design Thinking? We could lay out all the academic definitions, but instead we sat down to chat with Salina Almanzar who will be teaching it in PCA&D’s Continuing Educationprogram this winter. Salina is originally from the Bronx but was raised in Lancaster, PA, where she grew up in the Southeast section of Lancaster […]

Meet Matt Hollenbach | UX/UI Winter Session Instructor

UX and UI are two important concepts that are often used interchangeably, but actually mean very different things. We sat down to talk about our winter session UX/UI class with instructor Matt Hollenbach. Matt grew up in Catasauqua, PA, graduated from Kutztown University as a Communication Design major, and has called Lancaster home for 25 […]

Meet Ellie Cochran | Pre-College Intro to Virtual Reality instructor

Do you love virtual reality and want to learn more about how to design your own VR experiences? This winter, PCA&D is offering a pre-college Introduction to Virtual Reality on Saturdays starting February 1. This course will introduce high school students to the basics of building interactive virtual reality worlds which can be shared on […]

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design announces Fall 2019 Dean’s List

Congratulations to these 91 students, who have been named to the College’s Dean’s List for the Fall 2019 semester: Jennifer Aman ’22, Illustration, Rockville, Md. Lauren Antanavage ’23, Animation & Game Art, Frackville, Pa. Isaac Baker ’21, Graphic Design, Frackville, Pa. Maria Barba ’20, Animation & Game Art, Lancaster, Pa. Joanna Becker ’21, Illustration, Fort […]

Esta Tierra Es Tu Tierra: 3 questions for artist Erick Antonio Benitez

Focusing on contemporary issues, says artist Erick Antonio Benitez, brings an immediacy to artwork, a chance to immerse an audience, to inspire reflection, and — when everything clicks — to perhaps effect change in real time. It’s the final week for Esta Tierra Es Tu Tierra (This Land Is Your Land) in The Gallery at […]

Photography & Video sophomores Toomey and Stoltzfus chosen for international conference

A pair of PCA&D students have been selected for an international photographers’ conference program in January. Kennedy Bryant Toomey (‘22 Photography & Video) and Nicole Stoltzfus (‘22 Photography & Video) have been accepted into the volunteer program at the Professional Photographers of America‘s 2020 Imaging USA Conference in Nashville. They’ll join more than 10,000 international photographers in […]

PCA&D’s Todd Snovel wins honors for his work on behalf of diversity and inclusion

Todd Snovel last week was honored as the Business Diversity Champion at the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC‘s 2019 Catalyst Awards. He was thrilled to accept the award, he says — but not on his own behalf. The award, Snovel says, “is on behalf of those brave Pennsylvanians who live in fear of losing jobs […]

Alumna Lexi Bonner ’16 captures the playful spark of childhood in her first book, ‘Ember’

When Alexandria “Lexi” Bonner wrapped up her final project for a PCA&D class on making a children’s book, she didn’t just shove the pages into a drawer and forget all about them. No, those characters lingered in her mind: A mischievous firefly named Ember. A curly-haired, button-nosed child whose daytime curiosity spills over into a […]