Special Guests

We’re lucky to have some special guests joining us for our final critique:

1. Carla Dauden, Film + Commercial Director
2. Stanley A. Meyer, Stage Design
3. Sophie Cheung, Art Direction
4. Sean DuFrene, Photographer

Great Resources

Thanks to everyone for a great final critique today! Our guests recommended some resources, here they are:

One of the first applications of any new technology is making things even shittier for artists.

Neal Stephenson, The Atlantic, Interview on A.I.

The Final

• Section 1 Final — Friday, May 17, 2024
• 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. PDT
• zoom: csulb.zoom.us/my/glennz
• password: soa
• Section 4 — if possible, please join us at the S1 final where we will have a big conversation with our guests. If that’s not possible, then come to our normal s4 final time: Wed, May 15, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. If you can make it on Friday, then skip Wednesday.

Zoom Potluck

Do feel free to bring food and drink to our “Zoom Potluck” final! We hope you’ll turn your cameras on! It’s so much easier to talk to human faces than black rectangles. Please don’t let a messy room, bad hair, or eating lunch keep you from turning your camera on. Bring some fun food or drink “to share” with the class!

Congratulations!

Congratulations on finishing your art degree at Long Beach State! This is a true life milestone. You will now move on to walk a new path. There will be challenges and work to do. But be sure to take a moment to reflect on what you have achieved. You’ve accomplished something that many Americans and people around the world have not. Have a party! Celebrate with family and friends. Or go for a walk in nature. Finals, the holidays, and your career will all exert their pressure on you. But don’t let them squeeze out the time to appreciate the big chapter of life you are completing.

Big Finish

We know that the pressure of your last semester can be intense. Heavy loads. Too many units. So much rushing at the end to finish projects and classes. So many things to juggle. And then all this Art 490 career talk. It can be overwhelming.

Try not to clump things together into a big, insurmountable mountain. Instead, break things into small units. Organize your career plans into small, achievable tasks. Do your best. Persevere! You can do it!

The Next Chapter

In the book of life, we turn the last page of one chapter and find ourselves on the first page of a new chapter. We’re excited for you as you embark on your career journey. You might wind up on a non-art path, and that’s fine. Our hope for you is that whatever path you follow, it will be a path of your choice. We hope that “imposter complex”, feelings of insecurity, or of not knowing how to network your way into new career circles, won’t hold you back from trying.

The last time Glenn had a non-art job was his sophomore year in college. Since then he’s developed multiple art careers. He’s been a set designer, graphic designer, and a gallery artist. Plenty of artists have done a better job than him! But he still managed to spend a life in art, media, and communication. If you want to, we believe that you can too.

Keep updating your portfolio. Get into the world. Go to conferences, art events, and art galleries. Meet people. Sometimes, people who seem promising end up not being able to help your career. And people who don’t look to be helpful or interested in your work can, over the longer term, come around and work with you. Connect as much as possible and think in the long term.

Good luck!

~ Emma and Glenn

• A few more Art & Life tips: A Long Career & A Healthy Life

SOA Portfolios

Section 1

1. Josue Bonaparte – Obscure Photography
2. Anthony Cornejo – 2D Animation
3. Ian Espinoza – Children’s Books & Vehicle Illustration
4. Quinn Garity – 3D Animation
5. Kiana Lange – Animation
6. Shayna Lerner
7. Juan Mendoza – Graphic Design
8. Diana Moreno – Painting & Drawing
9. Enrique Ramirez – Illustration
10. Alexa Saavedra – Metalworks & Jewelry
11. Noah Schekman – Film & Television Prop Fabricator
12. Jose Soto – Lifestyle + Automotive Photography
13. Amanda Stanaland – Communication + Graphics
14. Michael Toombs – Animation
15. Leah Wedman – Multimedia Entertainment Design
16. Kalani Wilkins – Animation

Section 4

1. Fiona Brunetto – Background Art + Visual Development
2. Kamilah Cadena – Screen Printing
3. Jocelyn Carranza – Graphic Design
4. Emma Ethington – Painting, Printmaking + Queer Activism
5. Bradley Fewell – Sculpture
6. Swadhriti Ghosh – Portrait Photography
7. Yuna Honda – Graphic Design
8. Angela Mejia – Painting & Drawing
9. Destini Montgomery – Surrealist Painting, Fiber + Printmaking
10. De’acko Oliver – Art Education
11. Katalina Phosithong – Concept & Game Art + Twitch Elements
12. Jimmy Ruiz – Contemporary Art
13. Madeline Sheldon – Textile Designs
14. My Tran
15. Olivia Wells – Wearable Art inspired by Nature & the Occult

Faculty

• Emma Lies, TA
• Glenn Zucman, Instructor

Happy Trails