As we know, the creative and cultural industries has its roots in a variety of industries that connect with and affect one another in a myriad of ways. While this exciting truth means that the skills, knowledge, and experiences we gain at Chapman can be used in a number of imaginative ways, it sometimes helps to narrow down the field a bit and look at one discipline or area. In doing so, it becomes easier to examine and admire the many exciting things that are being created and innovative ideas that are being explored by individuals in that field. This is where the Alumni Art Series comes in. The Alumni Art Series; organized by the Wilkinson College of Humanities and the Department of Art, with assistance from the Career Advising Center, features six speakers, all of which are Chapman alumni who have majored or minored in art. Since leaving Chapman, they have gone on to enter a variety of careers relating to education, design, consulting, business, art directing, film & television, and more. I sat down with Wilkinson College’s Career Advisor, Erin Berthon, to learn more about the series and some of the amazing Alumni that are being featured.
Since the launch of the Alumni Art Series on September 14th, Chapman students have already had the opportunity to speak to three alumni, and learn
how each of them have used their own experiences at Chapman, combined with their passion for art, to shape the trajectory of their careers.
Tyler Park, an Art Major who graduated with a B.F.A. in Studio Art from Chapman in 2012, gave a lecture on September 29th where he talked about several of his post grad jobs. This included, the art department notes, “several director level positions at some of the most prominent galleries in Los Angeles including Francois Ghebaly, The Pit, and
Klowden Mann.” Most recently, Tyler opened up his own art gallery called Tyler Park Present, in the Silver Lake area, where he hopes to provide the space and resources for domestic and international artists to feature their work through a variety of disciplines.
Students were also able to speak with Rebecca Taylor, a Business Major and Art Minor who earned her degree from Chapman University in 2003. Professionally, Rebecca Taylor has gone on to serve in the art world as a leader, art advisor, patron, and council member
at several well known art organizations and institutions, including the Getty, MoMA, and American Friends of the Louvre, to name a few. As stated by the department of art, “By combining her expertise in both business and art, Rebecca has had the opportunity to advise clients –– including museums, galleries, art fairs and luxury brands activating in the arts –– on major strategic issues facing their organizations.” After serving as the executive vice president of FITZ & CO, a creative communications firm specializing in arts and culture, Rebecca now heads her own consulting agency called The Real Rebecca Taylor, where she develops efficient and effective strategies to spearhead different challenges faced by her clients in the industry.
The series is only half way done which means that there are still many intriguing speakers to hear from. Ms. Berthon believes that students from all majors and minors can learn from the experiences and careers that these Chapman Art Alumni will be sharing, and would like to encourage students to attend the remaining lectures. She highlights that “not only can students learn a lot from alumni in the art world, but students will also be surprised to explore the ways in which business, science, technology, and many other industries intersect with art.”
Upcoming speakers include Katie Peck; a 2018 Studio Art graduate, as she speaks on her creative process of using art to bring awareness to the current climate crisis. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to converse with Alessandra Rosser, a 2017 graduate in Studio Art, about how her career has led her to growing her own studio practice full-time. Finally, the series will close with a lecture from Sydney Snyder, a 2010 graduate who majored in both Art and Creative Writing. In her lecture Sydney will talk about her career as an art teacher teaching “students of all intellectual and physical abilities through adaptive art experiences,” in addition to overseeing an art studio for students and developing “culturally responsive curriculum resources and organizing events.”
We don’t want to spoil anymore of the series so be sure to attend the upcoming lectures, the next one being this Wednesday, October 27th. Don’t miss out on the chance to gain some insight on the many exciting places a career in the arts could take you.
We encourage CCI students to check out the series, you can see the schedule below for more information including the zoom link for all the lectures.
