(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire will host an award-winning animator who has worked on the upcoming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Eagle Eye films, as well as other projects.
Hock Hian Wong will visit Room 154 of The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire on Saturday, Sept. 27at 12:30 p.m.
“He’ll talk about his experience working with producers and directors like Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich and also his experience directing cinematics and doing animation for games and films,” said Santosh Oomen, academic director for the Media Arts & Animation department at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.
Bay is the producer of Transformers and its 2009 sequel, Pearl Harbor and other films. Emmerich directed Independence Day, Godzilla and other films.
Besides animation, Wong is also an expert in pre-visualization, a concept used by many producers to create scenes before they begin shooting a film. This process can be as simple as filming the “story board” and as complex as creating 3-D renditions that might be used to create the film’s scenes and characters.
Wong created pre-visualization for both Transformers 2 and Eagle Eye, as well as for a Harry Potter ride at a theme park. He’s now working with Emmerich on the film 2012, which will be released next year.
As a freelance animator, Wong primarily works with film producers and directors, but his clients also produce both shows and commercials on television.
Prior to becoming a freelance animator last year, Wong worked in the cinematics department of Sony Computer Entertainment, where he supervised animation of such games as Warhawk, Lair, Killzone, Socom and many others.
Wong’s visit is combined with an end-of-quarter party for The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire, so visitors can also enjoy a pizza lunch while there.
Visitors enjoy a previous Taste of Korea in southern California.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – A taste of ancient Korean culture is coming to downtown San Bernardino’s Court Street on Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Taste of Korea is designed to acquaint Inland Empire residents with Korean culture.
Events will focus on Korean Royal Cuisine, food of kings and queens of ancient Korea. Largely through the efforts of Hwang Hae-seong, founder and director of the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, these ancient recipes have been kept alive and passed onto the public, first in Korea and now throughout the world.
The Korean General Consulate of Los Angeles and the Korea Agro-Trade Center of Los Angeles are sponsoring this event, along with the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire and the City of San Bernardino.
“The Korean sponsors want to make people aware of Korean food,” said Chef Eyad Joseph, academic director of The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “There are no festivals like this in the Inland Empire and there isn’t much awareness about Korean food here, yet kimchi, a staple of the Korean diet, is becoming one of the most popular Asian foods worldwide.
“We at the International Culinary School want people to know a lot more about Korean food as well,” Chef Joseph added.
The Korea Agro-Trade Center is an agency of the Korean government and its purpose is to promote Korean agriculture. It has done this by holding cooking festivals in the Los Angeles area, Chef Joseph said, but this is its first time the Taste of Korea will be held in the Inland Empire.
Han Bok-Ryeo, president of the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, and 61-year-old protégée of Hwang Hae-seong Hwang, is the featured guest of the Taste of Korea.
She will give a cooking demonstration of Korean Royal Cuisine during the festival, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. She will be accompanied by a team of six additional professional chefs who are highly trained in this cuisine, three from Korea and three from Los Angeles.
The festival begins at 10 a.m. with Korean cultural performances from the Korean Classical Music & Dance Co. This organization is directed by University of California Los Angeles professor Dr. Don Kim, and is comprised mainly of UCLA students, and will give musical demonstrations of traditional Korean dances and drum routines throughout the day.
Opening ceremonies will be held at 12:30 p.m. In addition to the music demonstrations by the Korean Classical Music & Dance Co., the team of chefs assisting in the Korean Royal Cuisine demonstration by Han Bok-Ryeo will prepare other Korean dishes at various times during the day.
A cooking competition is also planned, with eight two-chef teams from the International Culinary School, two from Arroyo High School in San Bernardino and two from Los Angeles-area high schools, representing the Korean Consulate. Students are competing for the chance to win a combined $5,000 scholarship to the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire in San Bernardino.
In this competition, students will prepare kimchi, the pickled vegetable dish that has been a staple of Korean diet for more than 3,000 years. The students will also use kimchi to prepare a fusion dish.
“Fusion is incorporating another culture into the dish,” Chef Joseph explained. “They could make kimchi pizza, kimchi burritos, kimchi sandwiches or anything else they can imagine.”
The third requirement in this timed, Iron Chef style competition, is to use Korean mushrooms to prepare an appetizer. If time permits, the students will also use Asian pears to make a dessert.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Fashion & Retail Management and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
The Art Institute has the Inland Empire’s only degree programs in Fashion Design, Fashion & Retail Management, Culinary Arts and Culinary Management.
It’s not too late to start classes at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin October 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information or a tour, call (909) 915-2100 or visit www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire -end-
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), with more than 40 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – Emam El-Hout has been named president of the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.
“I am looking forward to great accomplishments with the team already here,” El-Hout said. “The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is an important source for developing the talents of those who want to work in the technology, design, fashion and culinary fields.”
El-Hout was previously the Western Region Vice President for Finance of Educational Management Corporation (EDMC), the parent company for The Art Institutes. In that role, he had spent most of the past year serving as interim president, first at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco, and since April, at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.
Emam joined EDMC in 1997 as a Business Manager and was a member of the start-up team for The Art Institute of California Los Angeles. He became Director of Administrative and Financial Services at the Art Institute of California, Los Angles and helped that school grow to more than 2,000 students in a five-year period.
Prior to joining EDMC he worked with other educational institutions in financial aid, accounting and finance for more than 10 years and was also a senior auditor for the federal government.
The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire began offering classes three years ago and has already seen great transformations in its curriculum, brought on by the popularity of the college. In less than three years, it has grown to almost 800 students.
Classes started in 2006 with 40 students in Graphic Design, Web Design and Interactive Media, and Interior Design. Programs in Media Arts and Animation and Game Arts and Design were added later in 2006, Culinary Arts and Culinary Management in 2007 and Fashion & Retail Management and Fashion Design in 2008.
The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire has blossomed into an important community resource during its three years. One of its most recent accomplishments is sending a team of Interior Design students to assist in the design, construction and installation of bathroom and kitchen fixtures and children’s closets for a house built by the Riverside chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire are two of the Art Institutes (artinstitutes.edu) with 40 educational institutions throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals.
For more information or to arrange a tour of the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire, call (909) 915-2100.
Students and faculty Chefs from The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire will prepare an Italian-themed dinner for the Route 66 Rendezvous VIPs for the entire weekend.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – The Route 66 Rendezvous taking place this weekend is largely about cars and food, and this year The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire will serve its best to the event’s VIPs.
Student culinarians from The International Culinary School will serve honored guests at the VIP (Very Important People) Tent during the opening day of the Rendezvous from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18. Then on Saturday, Sept. 20, Chef Eyad Joseph, director of The International Culinary School, will serve as a judge in the Route 66 Culinary Cook-off.
The VIP tent provides refreshment during the Rendezvous to city officials, council members, event sponsors and other specially invited guests, as well as credentialed members of the media. This year they will enjoy an Italian-themed sit-down dinner.
The menu for this event will include a tossed salad with champagne vinaigrette; a Milanese-style stuffed chicken breast with a filling of four Italian cheeses and spinach, baby zucchini and baby carrots; penne pasta in a Bolognese sauce; and an Italian dessert.
It’s the first year The International Culinary School has served a meal to the VIP guests of the Rendezvous, although they did so for the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau’s inaugural Berdoo Bikes & Blues Festival held in May. In 2007, The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire participated in the Rendezvous by providing information to visitors about its culinary program and the other degrees it offers.
The Culinary Cook-off is a new event sponsored by Stater Brothers. It features teams from the San Bernardino police, fire and development services departments. “The teams will receive a mystery bag of groceries to cook with,” Chef Joseph said. “They won’t know until the day of the competition what’s in the bag, but it will be based on a Route 66 cookbook that is available in bookstores.”
The team members may have received some hints from department supervisors, and Chef Joseph has assigned an International Culinary School student to each team to act as a consultant.
“The students won’t be allowed to help the teams with the actual cooking, but they can give advice,” Chef Joseph said. “They may make suggestions on menu development, preparation and cooking techniques.”
Other judges in this event are San Bernardino Mayor Patrick Morris; KTIE radio show host and food critic Allan Borgen, actor Paul Peterson and former Route 66 Hall of Fame recipient JC Agajanian.
Chef Joseph is pleased with the growing involvement The International Culinary School has with San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau events. “We have a great relationship with the Visitors Bureau,” Chef Joseph said. “They have really embraced the International Culinary School and The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.”
“We continue to develop our strong partnership with the Culinary Institute,” said Karen Blanco, director of communications for the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Not only do they provide us with savory food, it also gives the Institute the opportunity to develop their students in a real-life experience while providing the community with a sample of their accomplishments.”
The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire opened in January 2007 and prepares students in Culinary Arts and Culinary Management. Its director, Chef Joseph, is a certified executive chef, certified culinary educator and certified culinary administrator.
The Culinary Arts program, from which some are about to graduate with an associate degree, prepares students to work as entry-level chefs at restaurants, cruise ships and resorts, or to have their own restaurants or catering businesses. The students have won numerous national awards for their culinary skills.
The 19th annual Route 66 Rendezvous takes place Thursday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 21. It celebrates cars, both vintage and new, and San Bernardino’s place in history as one of the key cities on the western edge of Route 66, the “Mother Road” that many took when they first came to California in the early 20th century.
The Art Institute of California–Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion and Retail Management and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start classes. Courses begin Oct. 6, offering day, evening and weekend classes for new and reentry students. For details or a tour of the campus call (909) 915-2100, or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire.
The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is only one of more than 40 educational institutions within The Art Institutes system, located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) A master decorative book artist, Jill Timm, will exhibit some of her works and answer questions at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire library Thursday, Sept. 18, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on the opening day of her exhibit.
“Her books are works of art,” said Denise Westcott, library director at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire. “In one of the courses they take, our Graphic Design students explore book design and its many different formats, so Jill Timm’s visit will help them gain a deeper appreciation for the art they create, and show them outstanding ways in which to create it.”
“Each artist’s book is unique, but most of Timm’s focus on nature and its elements” Westcott continued. “One of them is about gemstones, and its cover is a slab of a cut and polished gem.”
Timm is the owner of Mystical Places Press in Wenatchee, Washington, which specializes in these types of books. Previously, she was a professional multimedia instructional and graphic designer for IBM after receiving her Master of Fine Arts in Computer Graphic Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY.
She took book making classes at the Visual Studies Workshop with Hedi Kyle and Scott McCarney while in Rochester. As she is always interested in learning from the experts, Timm enrolled in classes from a number of book making masters.
Timm is listed in Who’s Who Among Young American Professionals and Who’s Who in California, and has earned a good share of awards and professional achievements for her work in fine arts graphics, book arts, photography, graphic design and art direction. She has received several grants and fellowships.
Her work is included in corporate and university collections across the United States. This will soon include The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire, as Westcott plans to purchase some of Timm’s books.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Fashion & Retail Management and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
The Art Institute has the Inland Empire’s only degree programs in Fashion Design, Fashion & Retail Management, Culinary Arts and Culinary Management.
It’s not too late to start classes at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin October 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information or a tour, call (909) 915-2100 or visit www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire -end-
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – Two industry experts, one in movie animation and the other in video game character modeling, will share their talents with Art Institute of California-Inland Empire students and the public at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30.
Their presentations take place in Room R-154 at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire. The experts are Brian Wells, an animator with the Los Angeles studio Rhythm and Hues; and Anwar Taylor, a character modeler for the game company Blizzard.
“Brian Wells is a respected leader in animation,” said Santosh Oommen, academic director of the Media Arts & Animation, and Game Art & Design programs at the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “He represents one of the bigger animation studios in Los Angeles, Rhythm and Hues.”
Students in the senior year of their bachelor’s degree program will meet with Wells after the presentation for a private portfolio critique.
Wells served as animator for a dozen or more movies. His work appeared in “The Golden Compass,” “Evan Almighty,” the 2006 version of “Charlotte’s Web,” “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties” and its predecessor, “Garfield: The Movie,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” “Cat in the Hat” and many others.
“Anwar Taylor is working at Blizzard, which has the best game seller of all times World of Warcraft,” Oommen said. “He will show you how he approaches character modeling in Autodesk Mudbox, which is software designed by professionals in the film and games industries that allows artists to ‘sculpt’ three-dimensional characters digitally, without having to worry about the technical details.”
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Design and Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
For more information or a tour, call The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), with more than 40 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
“Learn how to draw the human form at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire’s Life Drawing class on Saturday, Aug. 16.”
(SAN BERNADINO, Calif.) Being able to draw a live human model is an important skill for any artist, however, not all artists have the change to practice this type of drawing.
In the spirit of leading by example, the Art Institute of California –Inland Empire is hosting an artists’ workshop on Saturday, October 18, from 1-5 p.m.
This workshop gives local artists a chance to try their hand at life drawing and will be held at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire free charge to the public.
“Many artists are greatly creative but lack focus,” Santosh Oommen, Academic Director of Media Arts & Animation. “Our goal is to help make better artists. Offering workshops give these artists a chance to focus their raw creative talent.”
Life Drawing workshops are usually offered on the third Saturday of every month. There are 21 seats available for each class. The workshop is open to the public; the only requirement is that you are 15 years old or above and that you bring your own pencils and drawing paper.
“Our commitment is to helping artist in the Inland Empire improve their talents. This workshop, for artists as young as 15 years old, will help them to further their development of with the skills they need.” Said Oommen, academic director of media artist animation of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire.
The workshop involves drawing from a live figure and covers topics such as anatomy and gestures. To sign up for the Life Drawing workshop, or for more information, call The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100.
Ron Husband shows how he starts the animation process with pen and paper sketches.
(SAN BERNARDINO Calif.). Hundreds of animation sketches and a dozen of his few hundred filled sketch pads packed the tables in a lecture hall at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire July 11 as Disney animator Ron Husband delighted a room of 30 student animators as part of the institute’s week-long Invasion of Infinite Creativity workshops and seminars.
The 33-year Disney veteran lists major credits as long as his arm: The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid, Rescuers Down Under, two versions of Beauty and the Beast, Atlantis: Search for the Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, The Small One, Fantasia 2000, Pocahontas, Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Aladdin, Fat Albert The Movie and so many more, even including creation of the Cool Cat in singer Paula Abdul’s music video “Opposites Attract.” “I’ve worked on nearly all Disney animations except Tarzan from 1975 through 2005,” Husband said (he’s currently an illustrator with Disney’s publishing group).
Husband’s almost countless awards span a Father of the Year, a Teacher of the Year, a Man of the Year, a National Achievement in Art honor, Best New Artist, and the Centurion Award from the National Religious Broadcasters in Washington, D.C.
But Ron wasn’t at the institute to sing his own praises; that was left to Academic Director of Media Arts & Animation Santosh Oommen, the session’s organizer and host. “Success such as his requires incredible talent,” he has said, “but breaking Disney’s color barrier 33 years ago proves he also has great determination.” Oommen recalled, “I met Ron in 1995 at an art gallery, his sketchbook in his hand.”
“I always have one with me,” Husband said. “I’ve been drawing since I was five, and I have hundreds of books by now, with more to come. Drawing is what I do and enjoy doing. Like a baseball player who practices to keep his talents sharp, I do the same with drawing.”
Prior to joining Disney in 1975, Husband, his University of Nevada Las Vegas Bachelor of Arts degree in hand, landed a job with Honeywell in West Covina, slugging along doing block diagrams, he said. “I had a wife and two kids, and needed a job.” He heard about a Disney possibility and took his commercial art portfolio with him to an interview where they scanned his work and sketchbook. “I’d no animation experience,” he recalled, “but they saw movement in my drawings and gave me a chance.”
“Drawing is communicating and entertaining,” Husband explained. “If you don’t entertain, you don’t work for long. And drawings should give people information: who the character is and what it’s like, you show what they’re doing and communicate the ‘why.’ It all starts somewhere, up here,” he said touching his forehead.
The film animation process begins with what the director wants, he described. “You show the director your quick sketches to see if you’re going in the right direction,” instead of spending days finalizing a scene, “and then the director says it’s not quite right, try it again. But, if it works, and you get the anticipated reaction you wanted, then you create the full animation. So, first you do the whole movie in storyboards, then the rough sketch animation, then the cleaned-up animation and then the full animation. You can be on one movie for four or five years with each single drawing being on the screen for only 1/24th of a second.”
Making the impossible believable is some of the animator’s fun, he noted. You may have Mickey Mouse running off a cliff, realizing what he’s done and scampering back to safety before falling to his doom. “But it all seems natural,” he said.
Research plays a major role in the animator’s work, Husband pointed out. “When I was to do the Dr. Sweet character in Atlantis: Search for the Lost Empire, I studied medical tools and equipment and spoke to people in the profession. When I have to do animals at Disney, I research their anatomy and their movement first.”
Has computer-generated animation, the current rage, crept into his life? “I did some CGI animation,” he recalled, “but I really missed pushing the pencil, drawing. Little did I know CGI was going to take over as it has. I went back to drawing.”
Born in Monrovia, the San Dimas resident is happily married after 35 years to LaVonne, with three adult children and three granddaughters.
“I’m now adding a new challenge, a new direction, to my career,” he said. “I’m writing a book; it’s on quick sketching. No publisher yet, but I still have a way to go.”
With an easy smile crossing his lips, Ron Husband concluded, “I haven’t ‘gone to work’ a day in my life. I’m truly blessed to be doing what God gave me the skills to do. And to make a living at it.”
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Design and Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu ), a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
Richard Macias, a student at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire, discusses financial aid options with Bola Soyemi, Director of Financial Aid.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) “Yes, the nation is in an economic crisis,” agrees Bola Soyemi, Director of Student Financial Services for the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “But funds for college are still available. It’s just that parents and students don’t realize it.”
Students considering an education at an Art Institute school most likely have a definite career goal, as the education they provide focuses on training people to work in creative fields. But, as with almost all careers, these students need to prepare for their goals with a college education.
“I hope to have a job doing what I love, so when I awaken each morning my job is something more of an adventure, rather than something to just pay the bills,” said Alurra Hughes, a senior at Redlands High School who hopes to attend The Art Institute of California — Inland Empire after graduation.
Alurra seized a great opportunity earlier this year, when she entered and won The Art Institute of California –Inland Empire’s annual poster contest. She has already won a $3,000 scholarship, and has an opportunity to increase that amount to a full scholarship if she wins a competition of first-place winners from participating schools of The Art Institutes.
But even if she doesn’t win the full scholarship, the financial aid staff of The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire will help Alurra find the resources she needs to pursue a degree at their school. They did the same two years ago for Alyssa Mees, who is now one of the school’s first graduates and works full-time in her dream job as a graphic designer.
The Art Institute of California — Inland Empire has helped most of the more than 750 current students put together financial aid packages so that they too can pursue their education and career goals.
In some cases, Soyemi states, parents aren’t clear on the value and opportunities a higher education provides. This leads to a lack of parental support and commitment towards sending a child to college.
“I believe that more families should change their mindset towards education and embrace the opportunities that come with having a college degree,” Soyemi said. “The opportunities do come with cost, of course, but funds for college are still available.”
On the Internet, Google’s search engine spells it out. There are five million hits under “scholarship search,” two and a half million sites for “student financial aid” and in our state alone there are 700,000 sites under “California student financial aid.”
The United States Department of Education provides more than $83 billion in loans and non-repayable grants for higher education. That makes up fully 60 percent of the nation’s student aid funding. More than nine million students are dependent on this aid for their college education. And, experts point out, millions of available dollars go unused every single year.
Soyemi, who heads a staff of 10, says, “Approximately 90 percent of the students at our school were on some financial aid program last year, ranging from hundreds of dollars in support to many thousands.” These might take the form of federal, state or institution grants, depending on current budget allocations.
“My biggest task,” Soyemi adds, “is encouraging students and their parents to not disqualify themselves by simply failing to apply for aid. Particularly the parents, who may not realize that funds are available.”
“All the student or parents have to do to start the financial planning process is go to any college or university financial aid office and fill out the FAFSA form. That stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Then you simply ask what else is available.”
Every year The Art Institute of California — Inland Empire gives over $150,000 in scholarships from $3,000 to $15,000 each. For details, go to www.artinstitutes.edu/Admissions/FinancialAid.aspx
There might be scholarships from local businesses or service organizations, state supplied grants, funds from the college itself and numerous student loan programs in which interest rates are low and repayment doesn’t begin until the education years are completed.
There are basically two categories of financial aid: achievement-based, which encompasses a student’s skills, abilities or talent, qualifying him or her for scholarships; and need-based, looking at the family’s financial condition.
Within those areas, four types of financial assistance are offered:
Scholarships are essentially “gifts” not requiring repayment. There are those, of course, for high-achieving academics, but there are additionally scholarships for exceptional skill in, say, the medical arena, and for standout talent that might include athletics or theater.
In the U.S., there are more than 1.5 million scholarships available, providing in excess of $1 billion in educational assistance.
Then, there are grants, which also do not need to be repaid, for a student’s unique or proven abilities.
Loans exist as well, primarily from the schools, lending institutions, individuals or organizations. These funds do need to be repaid, but at low interest rates over a number of years, beginning when the student completes or terminates his or her education.
And fourth, schools frequently offer work-study programs in which the student takes on part-time employment to supplement income while at the same time gaining valuable experience in the workforce, what many consider the “real world.”
Soyemi stresses that if a student has the family support and the personal drive for a college education, this should never let a difficult financial situation stand in the way.
Financial aid still exists, in the billions of dollars.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Fashion & Retail Management and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start classes. Courses begin Aug. 21, with offerings in the days, evenings and on weekends for new and reentry students. For details or a tour of the campus call (909) 915-2100, or go on line to artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) In 2001, Dr. Joshua Sweet made his debut on the silver screen in the movie Atlantis: Search For The Lost Empire, and made history as the first African-American human character in a Disney animated film.
Dr. Sweet had a lot of the heart and soul of another African-American who made Disney history. Thirty years ago, Ron Husband, who worked as the supervising animator in the development of Dr. Sweet, was the first African-American animator hired by Disney.
Friday, July 11 Husband will share his animation techniques as part of The Invasion of Infinite Creativity, an event hosted by The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. His presentation from noon to 2 p.m. will describe to guests how he approaches the process of animation, and specifically, how he approaches a scene.
Husband also will show examples of his work. Besides Atlantis: Search For The Lost Empire, Husband has done animation for dozens of Disney films and television shows, and he currently works as an illustrator in Disney’s publishing group.
“Ron Husband’s experience makes him one of the top animators in Southern California,” said Santosh Oommen, academic director for the Media Arts & Animation program of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “Success such as his requires incredible talent, but breaking Disney’s color barrier 30 years ago proves he also has great determination. He will certainly motivate and challenge anyone entering the field of animation.”
Other guest speakers during The Invasion of Infinite Creativity will be April Greiman, a pioneer in the use of technology to create graphic design, and Alexander Manu, who is the author of The Imagination Challenge: Strategic Foresight and Innovation in the Global Economy,” and an expert on developing innovation and creativity in business environments.
While The Invasion of Infinite Creativity includes presentations by three guest speakers who are especially well known in their areas of design, it is primarily an opportunity for the public to learn the latest design techniques through workshops led by the award-winning faculty of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. They will present workshops in Interior Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Media Arts & Animation, Culinary Arts and Game Art & Design.
Most of these workshops are free.
Interior Design workshops cover making computerized 3-D renderings with the SketchUP program; balancing mind, body and spirit with color; and marker rendering (a $30 materials fee for the marker rendering workshops will include 12 AD markers, marker paper samples and a DVD showing how to render wood, glass and metal).
Graphic Design/Web Design & Interactive Media workshops cover print graphics using InDesign, web design basics and how to publish a design portfolio online, web design with CSS Frameworks, Flash Object-Oriented Programming, AfterEffects for motion graphics, and search engine optimization.
Media Arts & Animation/Game Art & Design workshops cover figure sculpting (participants will sculpt a female form using a live model), life drawing, character design for film and television, storyboarding and comic books, digital character painting, history and future of animation, how Heavy Iron Studios (developer of various computer games) has approached level design, using ZBrush to develop and create characters, and digital character animation,
Culinary workshops cover healthy cuisine and international cuisine along with baking and pastry techniques and artistry.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Fashion & Retail Management and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start classes. Courses begin July 14, offering day, evening and weekend classes for new and reentry students. For details or a tour of the campus call (909) 915-2100, or go on line to artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is one of the Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu/InlandEmpire), a system of more than 40 locations throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals. For more information, call (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/InlandEmpire.
