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Events
Alumni gather at ArtCenter during Alumni Reunion weekend to reconnect and celebrate. Join us in September for the 2025 Alumni Reunion weekend.
September 26, 27 and 28, 2025

Alumni Reunion 2025: Connect. Celebrate. Commemorate.

Reunion magic, unlocked.

When our extended creative family comes together — alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends — it’s always a celebration of stories, studio tours and spontaneous bursts of inspiration. From welcome gatherings and art markets to the ArtCenter Awards and Design Invitational, every moment reminds us what makes ArtCenter so unique: creativity, connection and community.

Thank you to everyone who makes these gatherings possible, both on stage and behind the scenes. Each spark of connection helps ignite future collaborations and strengthens the ArtCenter family.

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Email: alumni@artcenter.edu

Gallery

Moments from Past Reunions & Events

Alumni Award Recipients Included Luis Fitch, Rafael López, Bijan Machen, Robert Matsumoto, Thomas Mueller, Nidhi Singh Rathore, Matthew Rolston and Diana Thater.

Alumni Awards

Accomplished and inspirational alumni and faculty honored at the ArtCenter Awards, the college’s most prestigious evening

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ArtCenter Awards

Chair Emeriti

Wendy Adest (BFA 87)

Laura Cooper

Stewart Reed (BS 69)

Faculty Emeriti

Lita Albuquerque

Louis Danziger (48)

Gaylord Eckles (BS 70) posthumous

Simon Johnston

Gloria Kondrup (MFA 93)

Gary Meyer (BPA 59) posthumous

Ramone Muñoz (BFA 77; MFA 90)

Robert Schureman

2024 Alumni Award Winners

Outstanding Service
Luis Fitch

Young Innovator
Bijan Machen

Distinguished Midcareer
Thomas Mueller

Lifetime Achievement
Diana Thater

2023 Alumni Award Winners

Outstanding Service
Robert Matsumoto

Young Innovator
Nidhi Singh Rathore

Distinguished Midcareer
Rafael Lopez

Lifetime Achievement
Matthew Rolston

ArtCenter Award Recipients

%3Cp%3E%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.luisfitch.com%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3ELuis+Fitch%3C%2Fa%3E+%28BFA+90+Graphic+and+Packaging+Design%29+is+internationally+renowned+Mexican+artist%2C+mentor%2C+and+creative+entrepreneur+specializing+in+visual+art+and+working+across+gallery+and+urban+art+settings.+%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3ELuis%27s+artwork+has+garnered+widespread+recognition+both+nationally+and+internationally.+His+art+pieces+are+featured+in+over+500+private+and+institutional+collections+throughout+the+United+States%2C+Europe%2C+Dubai%2C+Mexico%2C+and+Latin+America%2C+including+prestigious+institutions+such+as+the+Cooper+Hewitt%2C+Smithsonian+Design+Museum+in+New+York%2C+the+Minneapolis+Institute+of+Art+in+Minneapolis%2C+the+Minnesota+History+Museum+in+Saint+Paul%2C+the+National+Museum+of+Mexican+Art+in+Chicago%2C+The+Minnesota+Museum+of+American+Art%2C+The+City+of+Albuquerque%2C+National+Hispanic+Cultural+Center%2C+and+the+Tamarind+Institute.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3ELuis%27s+creative+journey+continues+to+evolve%2C+marked+by+recent+milestones+that+underscore+his+indomitable+spirit.+Notably%2C+he+was+commissioned+to+illustrate+four+stamps+for+the+United+States+Postal+Service%2C+a+testament+to+the+profound+impact+of+his+artistry+on+a+national+scale.+Additionally%2C+Luis+crafted+the+first-ever+art+collection+by+a+Mexican+artist+for+Target+stores%2C+commemorating+the+revered+D%C3%ADa+de+Muertos+%28Day+of+the+Dead%29+tradition.+In+2024%2C+Luis+was+awarded+the+prestigious+Distinguished+Mexicans+Award+by+the+Institute+for+Mexicans+Abroad+%28Instituto+de+los+Mexicanos+en+el+Exterior%29.+His+involvement+as+the+Commission+Chair+of+the+State+Flag+and+Emblem+Redesign%2C+appointed+by+the+Minnesota+Council+on+Latino+Affairs%2C+further+exemplifies+his+dedication+to+shaping+cultural+narratives.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3ELuis+Fitch%27s+legacy+transcends+barriers%2C+cultivates+cross-cultural+connections%2C+and+infuses+design+with+meaning+and+purpose.+His+relentless+commitment+to+bridging+divides+through+his+creative+endeavors+inspires+the+world%E2%80%94a+testament+to+the+enduring+power+of+art+and+design+to+foster+unity+and+understanding.%3C%2Fp%3E
Outstanding Service Award, 2024

Luis Fitch
%3Cp%3E%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bijanmachen.com%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3EBijan+Machen%3C%2Fa%3E+%28MFA+18+Art%29+is+a+Los+Angeles-based+multidisciplinary+artist+whose+work+exists+at+the+luminous+intersection+of+abstraction%2C+sound%2C+and+social+impact.+He+holds+a+Master%27s+degree+in+Fine+Art+from+ArtCenter+College+of+Design%2C+as+well+as+a+Bachelor%27s+degree+in+Science%2C+Technology%2C+and+Culture+from+The+Georgia+Institute+of+Technology.+As+the+founder+of+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weuplifttheworld.com%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3EWe+Uplift+The+World+Foundation%3C%2Fa%3E%2C+Machen+has+emerged+as+a+guiding+force+in+the+contemporary+art+and+education+landscape%2C+championing+access+to+creativity+and+wellness+for+creative+entrepreneurs+through+programs+that+integrate+fine+art%2C+emerging+technology%2C+and+personal+development.+To+date%2C+We+Uplift+The+World+has+worked+with+thousands+of+artists+and+creative+entrepreneurs+globally%2C+fostering+purpose-driven+careers+and+sustainable+creative+ecosystems.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EMachen+is+the+author+of+%22%3Cem%3EWhat+Is+My+Why%3A+How+You+Can+Use+Ikigai+to+Clarify+Your+Purpose%3C%2Fem%3E%2C%22+a+widely+appreciated+art+%26+personal+development+book+that+reimagines+ancient+Eastern+philosophy+through+the+lens+of+creative+self-actualization.+His+voice+also+resonates+through+The+Abundance+Universe+Podcast+and+its+broader+wellness+community%2C+where+he+explores+consciousness%2C+purpose%2C+and+the+role+of+art+in+the+cultivation+of+collective+abundance.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EClassically+trained+as+a+saxophonist+and+vocalist%2C+Machen%E2%80%99s+visual+art+language+is+profoundly+musical%E2%80%94his+abstract+paintings+vibrate+like+compositions%2C+echoing+the+improvisational+cadence+of+jazz+and+the+layered+structure+of+symphonic+scores.+He+often+describes+his+unique+drawing+%26+painting+style+as+%22deconstructed+music+notes%2C%22+and+indeed%2C+each+canvas+bears+the+imprint+of+rhythm%2C+gesture%2C+and+emotional+tonality.+As+a+house+music+composer+and+DJ+under+the+moniker+LAMBO+M%C4%80CH%2C+he+furthers+this+synesthetic+dialogue+between+sound+and+image%2C+creating+immersive%2C+multidimensional+experiences+that+transcend+traditional+boundaries.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EMachen%E2%80%99s+abundant+interdisciplinary+practice+embodies+a+rare+synthesis+of+aesthetic+rigor%2C+visionary+purpose%2C+and+widespread+community+impact.+Whether+through+color%2C+sound%2C+or+educational+mentorship%2C+he+cultivates+a+world+in+which+art+is+not+only+seen+and+heard%2C+but+deeply+felt+as+a+force+for+healing%2C+empowerment%2C+and+transcendence.%3C%2Fp%3E
Young Innovator Award, 2024

Bijan Machen

%3Cp%3EOriginally+from+Germany%2C+Thomas+Mueller+%28MFA+95+Communication+and+New+Media+Design%29+began+his+career+in+the+US+after+completing+a+MFA+in+Media+Design+at+the+Art+Center+College+of+Design%2C+and+spent+10+years+at+Razorfish+in+New+York+where+he+worked+as+Design+Director.+After+time+at+Havas%E2%80%99+Arnold%2C+Martha+Stewart%E2%80%99s+living+Omnimedia+as+Sr.+Creative+Director%2C+more+recently+he+acted+as+Chief+Experience+Officer+at+Siegel%2BGale+before+joining+Accenture+Interactive+as+General+Manager+of+Fjord+in+Europe.+%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3ENowadays+he+is+looking+after+design+as+Global+Lead%2C+Accenture+Design+with+a+mission+to+build+the+industry%E2%80%99s+leading+team+driving+meaningful+transformation+and+delivering+business+results+via+human+impact.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EIn+his+life+at+Accenture%2C+he+splits+his+time+between+three+main+pursuits.+Firstly%2C+creating+the+environment+necessary%2C+as+well+as+removing+obstacles%2C+in+order+for+design+teams+to+be+innovative+and+inspired.+Secondly%2C+managing+key+client+relationships%2C+and+building+up+a+a+global+design+network.+Thirdly%2C+working+on+new+business+development+including+speaking+at+events%2C+interacting+with+the+media%2C+and+helping+Accenture+leading+iconic+design+pitches.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EA+huge+fan+of+simplicity%2C+Thomas+loves+using+design+as+a+process+to+both+facilitate+people+and+ultimately+create+clarity+in+both+form+and+function.+He+believes+that+design+is+key+ingredient+in+modern+adaptive+strategy%2C+because+it+puts+people+first.+He+wants+to+give+people+something+to+smile+about%2C+and+make+the+world+a+better+place%2C+and+design+is+one+precious+approach+that+has+the+power+to+do+this.%3C%2Fp%3E
Distinguished Mid-Career, 2024

Thomas Mueller
%3Cp%3ESince+emerging+in+the+early+1990s%2C+Los+Angeles%E2%80%93based+artist+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.DianaThater.com%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3EDiana+Thater%3C%2Fa%3E+%28MFA+90+Fine+Arts+Painting%29+has+pioneered+the+use+of+film%2C+video%2C+light%2C+and+sound%2C+continually+challenging+the+boundaries+of+time-based+media+and+installation+art.+Her+work+explores+the+relationship+between+the+natural+and+man-made+worlds+while+critically+examining+the+structures+of+mediated+reality.+Drawing+on+a+wide+variety+of+sources%2C+including+literature%2C+animal+behavior+sciences%2C+mathematics%2C+chess%2C+and+sociology%2C+her+evocative+works+directly+engage+their+surroundings%2C+producing+an+intricate+relationship+between+time+and+space.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EBorn+in+San+Francisco%2C+Thater+studied+Art+History+at+New+York+University%2C+before+receiving+her+MFA+from+the+Art+Center+College+of+Design+in+Pasadena%2C+California.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3ESince+1992%2C+Thater+has+had+92+solo+exhibitions+and+has+been+included+in+over+200+group+exhibitions.+In+June+2024%2C+a+solo+exhibition+of+Thater%E2%80%99s+work%2C+%3Cem%3EPractical+Effects%3C%2Fem%3E%2C+opened+at+LUMA+Arles%2C+France%2C+where+it+was+on+view+through+May+2025.+In+2018%2C+a+solo+presentation+of+the+artist%E2%80%99s+work+was+held+at+the+ICA+Watershed%2C+Boston.+The+artist%E2%80%99s+solo+show+%3Cem%3EA+Runaway+World%3C%2Fem%3E+was+first+exhibited+at+The+Mistake+Room%2C+Los+Angeles%2C+in+2017%2C+and+later+traveled+to+the+Borusan+Contemporary%2C+Istanbul%2C+and+the+Guggenheim+Bilbao%2C+Spain.+In+2015%2C+a+comprehensive+mid-career+survey+of+her+work%2C+%3Cem%3EThe+Sympathetic+Imagination%3C%2Fem%3E%2C+was+organized+by+the+Los+Angeles+County+Museum+of+Art+and+later+traveled+to+the+Museum+of+Contemporary+Art+Chicago.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EAdditional+institutions+that+have+hosted+solo+exhibitions+of+Thater%E2%80%99s+work+include+the+Aspen+Art+Museum%2C+Colorado+%282015%29%3B+San+Jose+Museum+of+Art%2C+California+%282015%29%3B+Institute+of+Modern+Art%2C+Brisbane+%282011%29%3B+Santa+Monica+Museum+of+Art%2C+California+%282010%29%3B+Kunsthaus+Graz%2C+Austria+%282009%29%3B+Natural+History+Museum%2C+London+%282009%29%3B+Kunsthalle+Bremen%2C+Germany+%282004%29%3B+Museum+f%C3%BCr+Gegenwartskunst+Siegen%2C+Germany+%282004%29%3B+Dia+Center+for+the+Arts%2C+New+York+%282001%29%3B+and+Secession%2C+Vienna+%282000%29.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EIn+July+of+2025%2C+Thater+was+awarded+a+Milestone+Grant+from+the+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trellisartfund.org%2Fprogram%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3ETrellis+Art+Fund%3C%2Fa%3E.+In+2018%2C+the+artist+was+received+an+Art+%2B+Technology+Lab+Grant+from+the+Los+Angeles+County+Museum+of+Art.+Other+notable+awards+and+fellowships+include+a+California+Community+Foundation+Fellowship+for+Visual+Artists+%282014%29%2C+as+well+as+an+award+for+artistic+innovation+from+the+Center+for+Cultural+Innovation%2C+Los+Angeles+%282011%29%2C+the+James+D.+Phelan+Award+in+Film+and+Video+%282006%29%2C+a+John+Simon+Guggenheim+Memorial+Foundation+Fellowship+%282005%29%2C+and+a+National+Endowment+for+the+Arts+Fellowship+%281993%29.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EA+prolific+writer%2C+educator%2C+and+curator%2C+Thater+lives+and+works+in+Los+Angeles.+She+is+currently+the+Chair+of+the+Art+Department+at+ArtCenter+College+of+Design%2C+an+institution+at+which+she+has+taught+since+1995.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EWork+by+the+artist+is+represented+in+museum+collections+worldwide%2C+including+the+Art+Gallery+of+Ontario%2C+Toronto%3B+The+Art+Institute+of+Chicago%3B+Berkeley+Art+Museum+and+Pacific+Film+Archive%2C+University+of+California%3B+The+Broad%2C+Los+Angeles%3B+Carnegie+Museum+of+Art%2C+Pittsburgh%3B+Castello+di+Rivoli+Museo+d%E2%80%99Arte+Contemporanea%2C+Turin%3B+Centre+national+des+arts+plastiques%2C+Puteaux%2C+France%3B+CU+Art+Museum%2C+University+of+Colorado%2C+Boulder%3B+Fonds+R%C3%A9gional+d%E2%80%99Art+Contemporain+%28FRAC%29+Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes%2C+Institut+d%E2%80%99art+contemporain%2C+Villeurbanne%2C+France%3B+Friedrich+Christian+Flick+Collection%2C+Hamburger+Bahnhof+-+Museum+f%C3%BCr+Gegenwart%2C+Berlin%3B+Hirshhorn+Museum+and+Sculpture+Garden%2C+Washington%2C+DC%3B+Kunsthalle+Bremen%2C+Germany%3B+Kunsthaus+Z%C3%BCrich%2C+Switzerland%3B+Los+Angeles+County+Museum+of+Art%3B+Montreal+Museum+of+Fine+Arts%3B+Mus%C3%A9e+d%E2%80%99Art+Moderne+et+Contemporain+de+Strasbourg%2C+France%3B+Museum+Ludwig%2C+Cologne%3B+The+Museum+of+Contemporary+Art%2C+Los+Angeles%3B+Museum+of+Contemporary+Art+San+Diego%2C+California%3B+Museum+f%C3%BCr+Gegenwartskunst+Siegen%2C+Germany%3B+National+Gallery+of+Canada%2C+Ottawa%3B+Orange+County+Museum+of+Art%2C+Newport+Beach%2C+California%3B+Pinault+Collection%2C+Paris%3B+Portland+Art+Museum%2C+Oregon%3B+Sammlung+Falckenberg%2C+Deichtorhallen+Hamburg%3B+Santa+Barbara+Museum+of+Art%2C+California%3B+San+Jose+Museum+of+Art%2C+San+Jose%2C+California%3B+Solomon+R.+Guggenheim+Museum%2C+New+York%3B+Stedelijk+Museum%2C+Amsterdam%3B+Mus%C3%A9e+d%E2%80%99art+moderne+et+contemporain%2C+Strasbourg%2C+France%3B+The+Museum+of+Modern+Art%2C+New+York%3B+Thyssen-Bornemisza+Art+Contemporary%2C+Vienna%3B+Vancouver+Art+Gallery%3B+Walker+Art+Center%2C+Minneapolis%2C+Minnesota%3B+and+the+Whitney+Museum+of+American+Art%2C+New+York.%3C%2Fp%3E
Lifetime Achievement Award, 2024

Diana Thater
Outstanding Service Award, 2023

Robert Matsumoto
%3Cp%3ENidhi+Singh+Rathore+%28MFA+19+Media+Design+Practices%29+is+a+South+Asian+designer%2C+researcher%2C+and+educator+who+explores+the+application+of+design+methodologies+to+civic+engagement+and+social+innovation.+She+is+an+Assistant+Professor+of+Design+at+the+Corcoran+School+of+the+Arts+%26+Design+at+George+Washington+University%2C+where+she+centers+equity+and+ethics+in+design+practice.+Also+serving+as+one+of+the+GW+Public+Interest+Technology+Scholars%2C+Rathore+is+currently+asking%3A+How+might+we+go+beyond+theoretical+critiques+and+provide+evidence-based+insights+into+whether+AI+is+fulfilling+its+promise+of+democratizing+opportunity+or+reproducing+colonial+patterns+of+technological+dependency%3F%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EWith+a+value-centered+approach%2C+her+work+deconstructs+nebulous+concepts%2C+brings+people+together%2C+and+breaks+down+intricate+challenges+to+create+better+and+more+equitable+interventions.+Her+unique+blend+of+creative+expertise%2C+analytical+rigor%2C+and+social+consciousness+positions+her+as+a+leading+voice+in+the+realm+of+civic+design+and+social+impact.+Rathore+also+writes%2C+publishes%2C+and+forwards+the+discussion+on+design%27s+relationship+with+power+hoarding+to+critique+design+practice+through+a+lens+of+race%2C+gender%2C+and+privilege.+This+understanding+comes+from+her+lived+experience+as+a+public+servant%2C+where+she+developed+an+understanding+of+the+ways+marginalization+and+inequity+stand+in+the+way+of+civic+participation+and+the+role+design+can+play+in+activating+democracy.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3ERathore+holds+a+Postgraduate+certificate+in+Aesthetics%2C+Criticism%2C+%26+Theory%2C+Jnanapravaha%2C+Mumbai%3B+a+Masters+of+Fine+Arts+from+Art+Center+College+of+Design%3B+and+a+Graduate+Diploma+from+National+Institute+of+Design%2C+Ahmedabad.+%3C%2Fp%3E
Young Innovator Award, 2023

Nidhi Singh Rathore
%3Cp%3ERafael+L%C3%B3pez+%28BFA+85+Illustration%29+is+an+award-winning+illustrator+and+muralist+whose+work+is+rooted+in+social+justice%2C+and+community+empowerment.+Born+in+Mexico+City+to+architect+parents%2C+he+draws+on+his+rich+cultural+heritage+to+create+books+that+honor+the+lives+of+all+young+people%2C+especially+those+too+often+left+out.+An+advocate+for+representation%2C+he+is+the+illustrator+of+three+%3Cem%3ENew+York+Times%3C%2Fem%3E+bestsellers%2C+three+Pura+Belpr%C3%A9+Medals%2C+the+Jane+Addams+Book+Award%2C+the+Schneider+Family+Book+Award%2C+and+the+Tom%C3%A1s+Rivera+Book+Award.++Rafael%E2%80%99s+art+doesn%E2%80%99t+just+live+in+books%2C+it+lives+on+walls+and+in+communities.+He+created+two+official+Artists+for+Obama+posters+in+2008+and+2012%2C+using+art+to+mobilize+the+pivotal+Latino+vote.+As+a+founder+of+the+Urban+Art+Trail+he+works+with+communities+around+the+nation+transforming+city+streets+with+murals+that+uplift+and+unite.+As+the+first+guest+artist+of+the+Smithsonian+National+Postal+Museum+in+2022+he+continues+to+redefine+the+role+of+the+artist+as+activist.+That+same+year+he+created+57+portraits+documenting+Latino+heritage+and+culture+in+the+U.S.+for+the+Smithsonian+National+Museum+of+the+American+Latino.+Rafael+splits+his+time+between+a+downtown+San+Diego+loft+and+his+studio+in+the+historic+town+of+San+Miguel+de+Allende%2C+Mexico.%3C%2Fp%3E
Distinguished Mid-Career Award, 2023

Rafael López
Lifetime Achievement Award, 2023

Matthew Rolston

Reunion Sponsors

Thank you to our generous sponsors for supporting the 2025 ArtCenter Reunion.

Platinum Sponsor

Reunion Sponsor: Alyce Williamson

Gold Sponsor

Reunion Sponsor: FullCircle

Silver Sponsor

Reunion Sponsor: Haworth

Joe and Rebecca Tseng Family