February 26, 2026

ArtCenter College of Design's 2026 Entertainment Design Expo (ENTX) Presents Rising Stars in Animation, Game Design and Concept Design

Free Exhibition Spanning the College’s Iconic Hillside Campus Offers an Unprecedented Look at ArtCenter’s Student and Alumni Talent

Special Talks with Industry Leaders Include a KPop Demon Hunters Presentation with Co-Director Chris Appelhans, and an ArtCenter Alumni Spotlight Panel

Pasadena, CA – ArtCenter College of Design presents the 2026 Entertainment Design Expo (ENTX 2026), a full-day celebration of animation, concept design, game design and themed entertainment. This free event and multimedia showcase features work by more than 200 students and alumni and brings together industry professionals, students, alumni and the public for gallery exhibitions, industry talks, special screenings, game playtesting and more.

ENTX 2026 takes place on Sunday, March 22, 2026 at ArtCenter’s iconic Hillside Campus (1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, CA 91103.) Doors open at 11:00 a.m. with programming running from noon to 5:00 p.m. General admission is free, but advance registration is requested.

A must-attend event for aspiring creators, entertainment industry professionals and fans of animation, games, TV and film, ENTX 2026 offers a unique opportunity to explore cutting-edge, professional-quality work, discover emerging talent and connect with industry leaders.

Exhibitions and Interactive Experiences

Visitors can explore a wide range of student, faculty and alumni showcases, designed to engage, entertain and inspire:

• Concept Design Showcase
• Model Gallery
• Alumni Gallery
• Stop Motion Studio: A Sneak Peek Behind the Scenes
• Animation Gallery & Shorts – “Making of” Exhibit
• Production Design Gallery
• “KPop Demon Hunters” Fan Art Gallery – Celebrate fan-created artwork inspired by the hit animated film
• Game Playtesting

Screenings

ENTX 2026 includes screenings of student work as part of its Animation Shorts Showcase.

The animated short Boy, I’m Scared will be presented as part of the showcase. Created as a capstone short by recent ArtCenter animation graduate Lindsey Tenaglia, the film was named a semifinalist in the Animation category at the 2025 Student Academy Awards.

Industry Talks

In addition to screenings and gallery exhibitions, ENTX 2026 features exclusive industry conversations, including a special KPop Demon Hunters Presentation and Q&A with ArtCenter alumnus Chris Appelhans, co-director of the award-winning animated film, which was a global phenomenon, attracted hundreds of millions of viewers and was reported to be Netflix’s most popular film of all time.

The event will also feature an ArtCenter Alumni Spotlight Panel, showcasing accomplished ArtCenter alumni working across animation, video games and themed entertainment, including:

• Saiful Haque – Founder, Kalpana Studios
• Royce Li – Concept Outsource Supervisor, Blizzard Entertainment
• Erin Shin – Visual Development Artist, Netflix
• Thomas Zenteno – Visual Development Artist, House of Cool Inc.
• Lola Zhang – Senior Concept Artist, Sucker Punch Productions
• Lucas Zung – Lead Concept Artist, Bad Robot Games

Both industry talks are ticketed events. Please purchase tickets in advance.

For a sneak peek at the types of work to be featured at ENTX 2026, visit the ArtCenter Entertainment Design student gallery page here.

To see a highlight reel from ENTX 2025, please click here.

Event Details

2026 Entertainment Design Expo (ENTX 2026)
ArtCenter College of Design (Hillside Campus)
1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, CA 91103
Sunday, March 22
Noon to 5:00 p.m. (Doors open at 11:00 a.m.)

KPop Demon Hunters Presentation and Q&A with Co-Director Chris Appelhans
Ahmanson Auditorium
Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Anmation Shorts Showcase
Ahmanson Auditorium
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

ArtCenter Alumni Spotlight Panel
Ahmanson Auditorium
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

General Admission:
General admission to ENTX 2026 is free with advance registration. Food trucks will be available on campus during the event.

Industry Panel Admission:
Paid tickets are required for both industry panels.

Registration/ticket:
https://www.artcenter.edu/connect/events/2026-entertainment-design-expo.html#register.

About Entertainment Design
Entertainment designers bring stories to life by creating conceptual worlds, memorable animated characters and immersive gaming experiences. ArtCenter students go on to work in the video game industry, feature and TV animation, live action film, and themed parks and attractions.

ArtCenter’s Entertainment Design department offers tracks in Game Design, Concept Design and Animation. Combined, the three tracks create an exciting production ecosystem for working on collaborative projects such as video game prototypes and animated shorts. These projects reinforce the need to work in a team and simulate real-world production pipelines. The Entertainment Design program is unique in that it culminates in a Bachelor of Science degree, not a Bachelor of Arts. This underscores the confluence of storytelling, gameplay and visual development alongside the technical rigor required for success. Alumni work in the video game, animation, theme park, live-action film/television and toy design industries. Graduates have been sought out by leading companies such as Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation, Blur, 343, Riot Games, Paramount, Activision Blizzard, Santa Monica Studio, Netflix, and Marvel.

For more information about admissions requirements, visit artcenter.edu/admissions or call 626 396-2373.

About ArtCenter College of Design
Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. With a mission to educate, inspire and empower creative and design leadership, the College is renowned for its undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning industrial design, media and technology, as well as visual and applied arts. With deep industry relationships, state-of-the-art facilities and a strong faculty roster, ArtCenter provides real-world experience aligned with industry needs. Through rigorous, hands-on, practitioner-led instruction, the College prepares students for meaningful creative careers. For nearly 100 years, ArtCenter alumni and faculty have shaped many of the world’s most iconic products, vehicles, campaigns and creative works, leaving a lasting impact across art, design and culture.

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