Class

Spring ’24 – Final

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
Carla Dauden, Film + Commercial Director
Stanley A. Meyer, Stage Design
Sophie Cheung, Art Direction
Portrait of one student and one faculty from all colleges, plus coach and athlete from Athletics for Beach magazine.
Theme is No Barriers, It’s In Our DNA
Brenden Mukanos (COTA-Student), Giovanni Cardenas (CLA-Student), Glenn Zucman (COTA), Chris Fritz (COE-Student), Susan Nachawati (COE), Jessica Gertz (Women’s Basketball), Suzanne Marshall (CHHS), Jeff Cammon (Women’s Basketball), Banafsheh Behzad (CBA), Ifeoluwa (Jonathan) Aderinto (CHHS-Grad-Student), Che Vasquez (CBA-Student), Deepali Bhandari (CNSM), Jennifer Nolasco (CCPE), Stacy Macias (CLA), Peter Nguyen (CNSM-Student), Edwin Ochola (COED), Rayna Yvars (CCPE-Student), Irene Kang (COED-Student)

Sean DuFrene / Photographer
Strategic Communications, California State University, Long Beach

Great Resources

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

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

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

Neal Stephenson, The Atlantic, Interview on A.I.
Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon
Why You, Why Me, Why Now by Rachel Toor. This one wasn’t mentioned today. It’s a new book just published by the University of Chicago Press. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but it sounds like it might be a valuable career resource for us.
And, of course, the standard: Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines, by Graphic Artists Guild

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

SOA Portfolios

Section 1

  1. Josue BonaparteObscure Photography
  2. Anthony Cornejo2D Animation
  3. Ian EspinozaChildren’s Books & Vehicle Illustration
  4. Quinn Garity3D Animation
  5. Kiana LangeAnimation
  6. Shayna Lerner
  7. Juan Mendoza Graphic Design
  8. Diana MorenoPainting & Drawing
  9. Enrique RamirezIllustration
  10. Alexa SaavedraMetalworks & Jewelry
  11. Noah SchekmanFilm & Television Prop Fabricator
  12. Jose SotoLifestyle + Automotive Photography
  13. Amanda StanalandCommunication + Graphics
  14. Michael ToombsAnimation
  15. Leah WedmanMultimedia Entertainment Design
  16. Kalani WilkinsAnimation

Section 4

  1. Fiona BrunettoBackground Art + Visual Development
  2. Kamilah CadenaScreen Printing
  3. Jocelyn CarranzaGraphic Design
  4. Emma EthingtonPainting, Printmaking + Queer Activism
  5. Bradley FewellSculpture
  6. Swadhriti GhoshPortrait Photography
  7. Yuna HondaGraphic Design
  8. Angela MejiaPainting & Drawing
  9. Destini MontgomerySurrealist Painting, Fiber + Printmaking
  10. De’acko OliverArt Education
  11. Katalina PhosithongConcept & Game Art + Twitch Elements
  12. Jimmy RuizContemporary Art
  13. Madeline SheldonTextile Designs
  14. My Tran
  15. Olivia WellsWearable Art inspired by Nature & the Occult

Faculty

Happy Trails

Best wishes on your post-SOA career from Emma and Glenn!

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