Alumni
Alumni Awards
The Alumni Awards provide an opportunity for ArtCenter to publicly recognize the talent, service and influence of its alumni.
The 2021 Alumni Awards will be presented later this year in the following categories.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Recognizing a lifetime of professional and/or creative achievement in art and design.
Outstanding Service Award
Recognizing significant service to ArtCenter or exceptional contributions to social impact design.
Distinguished Midcareer Award
Recognizing an increasing level of influence in professional and/or creative fields.
Young Innovator Award
Recognizing a notable professional or creative innovation by a graduate within the past 10 years.
From fine art to advertising, alumna photographer and director Melodie McDaniel lets the light in
And the award goes to...
The ArtCenter Alumni Awards are an annual recognition bestowed by the College with input from internal stakeholders and our global alumni community. FullCircle board members—comprised of alumni, friends, artists
When you’re truly present, creativity and inspiration can come from so many different places.
Nikolai Cornell MFA 04
Past Award Winners (2007–2020)
Lifetime Achievement
Recognizing an alum with a lifetime of professional and/or creative achievement
- 2007 - Syd Mead BS 1959 (d)
- 2008 - Frank Nuovo BS 1986
- 2009 - Kenji Ekuan BS 1957 (d)
- 2010 - Doyald Young BFA 1955 (d)
- 2011 - Lou Danziger BFA 1948
- 2012 - Bruce Burdick BS 1961
- 2013 - Gordon Bruce BS 1972
- 2014 - Shiro Nakamura 1981
- 2015 - Drew Struzan BFA 1970
- 2016 - Michael Reese BS 1974
- 2017 - Kit Hinrichs BFA 1963
- 2018 - James Miho 1955
- 2019 - Doug Aitken BFA 1991
- 2020 - Lee Friedlander 1954
Distinguished Midcareer (established in 2019)
Recognizing an alum with an increasing level of impact in their professional and/or creative fields
- 2019 - Sterling Ruby MFA 2015
- 2020 - Melodie McDaniel BFA 1991
Outstanding Service
Recognizing an alum who has dediated significant service to ArtCenter or humanitarian design impact
- 2007 - Ramone Muñoz MFA 1990, BFA 1977
- 2008 - Mikio Osaki BFA 1961
- 2009 - Michael Osborne BFA 1978
- 2010 - Stephanie Sigg MS 1998
- 2011 - Wendy MacNaughton BFA 1999
- 2012 - Gala Narezo BFA 2001
- 2013 - Stan Kong BS 1983
- 2014 - Patrick Kiruki BS 2005
- 2015 - Gary Meyer BFA 1959
- 2016 - Rob Ball BS 1983
- 2017 - Julian Ryder BFA 1972
- 2018 - Paul Bielenberg BFA 1998 and Jahee Kim Lee MFA 1992, BFA 1990
- 2019 - Gloria Kondrup MFA 1993
- 2020 - Allison Goodman MFA 1995
Young Innovator
Recognizing a recent alum who has achieved a notable professional or creative innovation
- 2007 - Nikolai Cornell MFA 2004
- 2008 - Dustin Arnold BFA 2004
- 2009 - Eric Benjamin Nyquist BFA 2007
- 2010 - Geetika Agrawal MS 2005
- 2011 - Jonathan Jarvis MFA 2009
- 2012 - John Niero BS 2007
- 2013 - Spencer Nikosey BS 2008
- 2014 - Katie Dill BS 2007
- 2015 - Mari Nakano MFA 2010
- 2016 - Jessie Kawata BFA 2011
- 2017 - Jacques Perrault 2014
- 2018 - Kevin Bethune MS 2012
- 2019 - Ini Archibong BS 2012
- 2020 - Parker Kuncl MFA 2009
Change Lab Podcast 31: Ini Archibong on designing to spark wonder
The responsibility of creative people is to try and offer less traditional paths of problem solving to those who might benefit from it.
Gala Narezo BFA 01
From ArtCenter to Adidas: Meet Computational Designer Jacques Perrault
How to Design a World
View photos from the 2019 Alumni Awards Celebration at The Broad and Otium
