Theresa Marquez of Fontana is all smiles after receiving the gold medal and a $3,000 scholarship in The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s Best Teen Chef competition held Saturday, March 14. (Chris Sloan Photo)
Theresa Marquez of Fontana cooks up a winning meal during The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s Best Teen Chef 2009 competition.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) –The new Best Teen Chef in the Inland Empire – Fontana’s Theresa Marquez, accepted her applause and beautiful medal with tears of joy pouring down her cheeks as the room erupted in applause and congratulations.
One judge told her, “Your meal and preparation were flawless. You have a wonderful career ahead of you. I’m honored.” Chef Eyad Joseph, academic director for the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire commented, “I saw you get past your nerves after 10 minutes, then you settled into a zone. It was brilliant.
Coming in second was Brittain Madrid, also of Fontana and third was Briannah Clark of Claremont, who also enjoys drag racing.
They were among 11 area high school seniors, many veterans of the school’s Passport to a Tasty Future program giving them a taste of the Institute’s culinary program and the ins and outs of a career. They were chosen from 20 applicants who submitted original recipes plus a 250-word essay on why they wanted to attend The International Culinary School.
Their challenge? To properly prepare equal dishes to their best ability and to the judges’ delight. But, snowing the judges would be no easy task, since these men were among the world’s best executive chefs and restaurant general managers. They included Claude Dhubert with 45 years as a chef, Fred Bambadji with decades at Europe’s finest eateries, Gilles Dirat with 30+ years experience, Thomas Sandi whose quarter-century in the culinary profession includes many of the great restaurants and resorts and The Art Institute’s pastry chef Laurent Baillon. Bystanders heard more French spoken than English.
Aiding these gentlemen was 19-year-old Kevin Agra, 2008’s Best Teen Chef who is now in his first year with the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire.
In addition to the aspiring chefs, at least 40 friends and family members showed up to encourage one or another teen. Competitors were Anton Pishchanellsky of Adelanto, attending Victorville’s Silverado High; from Sultana High in Hesperia was Christopher Crawford; Alex Shaffer was from Yucaipa High School; Ashlee Keane of Highland, and Redlands East Valley High; from Fontana’s A. B. Miller High was Brittain Madrid; Jasmine Cervantes of Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley; Theresa Marquez of Fontana High; Angelo Cordova of Victorville came from Hesperia’s Sultana High; Melissa Meza from Eisenhower High in Rialto; Claremonts’ Brianna Clark of Options for Youth in Ontario and coming from San Diego County was Ricky Keoman of Escondido High School.
Hosting the day’s event was Chef Eyad Joseph. “Each young competitor will be preparing a four-ounce sautéed chicken breast, sauteed broccoli, rice pilaf and a creative garnish, a sauce of their own, and a shrimp cocktail,” he explained. To the students he said, “You’ll use only the ingredients on your table in the kitchen, and there will be no talking among yourselves. And no giving up; you’ve come a long way to get this far, so don’t quit.”
He reminded the students the importance of safety in kitchens, that when they carry knives they must hold them down at their sides with the other arm out to clear the way in front. “Any other way,” Joseph reminded them, “is grounds for disqualification. Safety and sanitation come first here; cooking is second.”
The group gathered that morning at 9 a.m. for the introduction to the day’s competition, then entered the Institute’s state-of-the-art kitchen at 10:15 until 12:45. As the teens sliced, diced, peeled cooked, prepared and even wiped off the ill-placed grain of rice, the judges strolled among them, clipboards in hand to award points for preparation and cooking technique, knife skills and knife sharpener reviews & presentation while guests gazed intently through the wall-length window in silence.
“This is the only culinary school in the nation, and maybe the world,” Chef Joseph said, “doing this. All of our 33 campuses with culinary programs are competing on this same day across the country. While The Art Institute has been holding these competitions for, maybe, 10 years, here in the Inland Empire it’s our third. And with the response we’ve gotten, there’ll be many, many more.”
Marquez, as the top chef, receives a $3,000 scholarship, but, more important, will represent the school at the May 9 National Best Teen Chef final round competition in Charlotte, North Carolina against the best all the other Art Institutes send. At stake is a full tuition scholarship valued at $80,000 with all combined scholarships worth more than $250,000.
The national competition menu will be a lot harder, but (the school’s) Chef Laurent will be your personal trainer for the next two months. He’ll work with you every week.”
And Theresa, while still in thrilling shock, can’t wait.
Theresa has already enrolled in The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, and will begin her education there in the summer term, after she graduates from Fontana High School. The $3,000 scholarship will help, but she’s definitely hoping to win the full-tuition scholarship offered as the winning prize at the national competition.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire
. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information or a tour, call Richard Green at 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.
Keeira Ford of 909models.com models a dress designed by a student from The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire during a fashion show at the Toyota North American Distribution Center. Photo by Miguel Zaragoza of Graceful Visions Photography.
Adrianna Diaz, a Fashion Design student at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, was proud to see her friend Tiffany Leilani model a designer gown Diaz had designed and created herself. A fashion show at the Toyota North American Distribution Center in Ontario provided the friends with this opportunity. Photo by Miguel Zaragoza of Graceful Visions Photography
Students in the fashion programs at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire recently put on their first fashion show, for employees of the Toyota North American Distribution Center in Ontario. Fashion Design students and outside professional designers designed and created the clothes, while Fashion & Retail Marketing students assisted in many ways, including styling models’ hair. The models were professionals from 909 Models.com as well as friends of The Art Institute students. Photo by Miguel Zaragoza of Graceful Visions Photography
(ONTARIO, Calif.) – The Toyota North American Parts Center usually focuses on car parts. But for a few hours recently, employees found themselves gazing on flirty spring dresses and designer formal gowns.
“Legends of the Apollo Theater,” a fashion show created by The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s Fashion Design program, was the lunchtime entertainment. This was one of the ways this Toyota facility celebrated Black History Month 2009 throughout February.
“People may wonder what a parts distribution center has in common with fashion,” said Ed Huante, manager of the distribution center. “But diversity is very important to Toyota and this fashion show is a celebration of Black history and its diversity.”
For The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, this was a first opportunity for its six-month old Fashion Design program to showcase student work. Six of the 11 designers participating are enrolled in the Fashion Design program. The others are a student from the Art Institute of California – Orange County and four professional designers.
“Our students were overwhelmingly enthusiastic,” said Sherry West, academic director of the fashion programs at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “They enjoyed it from start to finish.”
Most of these students had never been involved with a fashion show before, and none had gone through the process of taking an idea and turning it into a garment worn by a model, West said. As a long-time industry professional, she’s been involved in numerous fashion shows, but this was her first as a fashion instructor.
“Now they understand why they had to do sketches, why they had to make patterns and why they had to fit different models into several different outfits,” she said. “To see them work so hard and be so thrilled, was the best.”
“We want our students to see that if they work hard, they can have exciting careers doing what they love best,” said Art Institute of California – Inland Empire President Emam El-Hout. “Our Fashion Design and our Fashion & Retail Marketing students experienced a taste of this by participating in the show for Toyota.”
West is African-American, but said creating a fashion show to celebrate Black History Month was a challenge because most students in the Fashion Design program are of other races.
“One of the students came up with an idea to have the fashions inspired by the Apollo Theater,” she said. “They love Billie Holliday and the other Black jazz artists who came from that theater in the 1940s and 50s, and were inspired by them when creating their clothes for this show.”
West headed a team of 16 models, 11 designers, and about 25 other behind-the scenes workers, including a model coordinator, makeup artists, hair stylists, photographers and model dressers. Other than the four professional designers these were all students.
Adriana Diaz, one of the student designers, called this fashion show an incredible opportunity. She made a silver formal gown in a matter of days, then watched as her hand-selected model and good friend, Tiffany Leilani, paraded it down the runway as part of the Legends of the Apollo Theater fashion show.
“I want to open a haute couture (exclusively designed fashions) business after graduation,” she said. “This experience taught me how to work on a quick deadline with my clients’ needs in mind.”
While Diaz and several of the other designers asked friends to help with the modeling, members of the Inland Empire’s 909Models.com also delivered. This modeling agency matches professional models with clients for such diverse projects as television commercials, print advertisements, sales and event promotions, and artistic paintings.
“When many of these models joined the agency, they were looking forward to opportunities to be runway models,” said Carl Dameron, owner of 909Models.com “As an Inland Empire agency, these opportunities were limited before The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire began its Fashion Design program in September 2008. We look forward to working with The Art Institute on additional projects in the future.”
This was the first of many fashion events the fledgling Art Institute of California – Inland Empire Fashion Design program intends to hold. It is already planning another, larger show on June 6 at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center in Rancho Cucamonga. That show will be open to the public, and will feature completely different creations by these and other Art Institute designers, as well as fashions available for purchase in the retail stores of Victoria Gardens.
“Our students can hardly wait for the next show,” West said.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Ani
mation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information, or to arrange a tour, call The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.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.
Founding Art Institute of California – Inland Empire President Byron Chung returns to San Bernardino on Friday, March 27 as the guest speaker for the school’s first graduation ceremony. Among the graduates to be recognized there will be Alyssa Mees, who completed her requirements for an associate degree in Graphic Design a year ago, making her The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s first graduate. In the past 12 months, dozens more students have completed their requirements for associate and bachelor’s degrees to become The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s first graduating class. Chung is currently president of The Art Institute of California – San Francisco.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – Former Art Institute of California – Inland Empire President Byron Chung will return to San Bernardino on Friday, March 27 to help commemorate a milestone in some of his past students’ lives. They too are leaving The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire to begin new lives as college graduates.
Chung will be the keynote speaker for these graduates’ commencement ceremony, the first ever for The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. This ceremony takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Manuel Santos Student Union at California State University, San Bernardino.
“Most of these students started at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire in 2006, when we were just starting our programs in San Bernardino, so they are almost like family” said Chung, who now serves as president of The Art Institute of California – San Francisco. “It is my honor to come back to see them complete their educational goals and receive their bachelor’s and associate degrees.”
“Byron Chung is the best choice to send our graduates into their new lives as working professional people,” said Emam El-Hout, current president of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “It was his vision, combined with the dreams of these students, that made this Graduation Day possible.”
When he was president of The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire, Chung oversaw a team that built the school literally from the ground up. Under Chung’s leadership, the school moved into a 38,000 square foot campus at 630 Brier Avenue in 2005, and opened its doors to students in 2006.
Classes started 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 that year, and in Culinary Arts and Culinary Management in 2007.
Most recently, the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire added Fashion and Retail Management and Fashion Design to its programs. The school now has grown to more than 1,000 students and 70,000 square feet of building space, with more expansion planned in the near future.
Under Chung’s leadership the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire blossomed into an important community resource. Its students now lend their great talents to the community in many ways, such as graphic design, Web site building, event catering and helping non-profit organizations throughout the region.
Prior to serving as president of the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire, Chung was a vice president and admissions specialist for Educational Management Corporation. He also previously worked as admissions director at the Art Institute of California-Santa Monica.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information, or to arrange a tour, call Richard Green at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/InlandEmpire.
Tracy O’Bannon of San Bernardino is about to receive her bachelor’s degree in interior design from The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. She will present this design concept she created in one of her advanced courses, as will other soon-to-be graduates, on Tuesday March 24 at the Riverside Art Museum.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire will host its first off-campus Graduate Portfolio Show on Tuesday, March 24 at the Riverside Art Museum.
“This is an opportunity to present our students and programs to area employers that may be learning about us for the first time,” said Cindy Jones, director of Career Services for The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “We also celebrate with our students and honor this important milestone as they begin their journey into professional lives.”
Employers looking for talented, newly graduated professionals in the fields of Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media and Interior Design are invited to attend this reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside. They’re asked to RSVP with Brenda Medina at (909) 915-2192.
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the party continues its focus on the graduates, but with a different emphasis. The guests joining them during this portion of the event will be their own friends and family. These three hours are also open to the public
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire will serve hors d’ouvres and beverages.
The six Interior Design students who will be showing their work are the program’s first graduates. These students are Marissa Louden of Riverside, Cesar Bahena of Hesperia, Tracy O’ Bannon and Paige Petersen, both of San Bernardino, Alysha Cintas of Palm Desert and Bob Chen of Claremont.
Other graduates are Michelle Cossota of Highland, who is receiving her bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design; Marcia McClellan of Riverside and Richard Macias of Highland who are receiving associate degrees in Graphic Design and Mary Nina Gonzales and her brother Patrick Gonzales of Moreno Valley and David Dresner of Redlands, who are receiving bachelor’s degrees in Web Design & Interactive Media.
The Graduate Portfolio Show is now a quarterly tradition for The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. It began holding this event last December, when most of its first 10 graduates completed their degrees. Thirteen more students graduate in March, with the numbers growing even more rapidly the rest of 2009 and beyond.
“Our numbers of graduates could reach more than 100 per quarter a year from now,” Jones said.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information, or to arrange a tour, call The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.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.
Students David Dresner (left), Niklas Meijer (right) and recent graduate Rachel Makowski, (center) of the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, earned three of four gold medals given to students during the first-ever student ADDY Awards competition, held in 2008. Meijer and 11 other current students hope to win more gold Friday, March 20 when the Inland Empire Ad Club holds its 2009 ADDY Awards Ceremony at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, and The Art Institute’s students participate in the second annual student competition. The ADDY awards, at both the student and professional levels, recognize excellence in advertising.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) A year ago Niklas Meijer of Riverside designed one of the best advertisements of any student in the Inland Empire. He’s one of a dozen Art Institute of California – Inland Empire students who hope to receive this honor in 2009, as they participate in the student portion of the Inland Empire Ad Club’s ADDY awards.
The other Art Institute students participating are Scott Kruger of Apple Valley, Andrew Hernandez of Pomona, Ron Mason, David Monge and Bart Welt, all of Fontana, Karen Pavon and Dante Guib of Moreno Valley, Rodolfo Godinez and Jesse Hoffman of Riverside and Marsee Smith of Bloomington.
This year’s ADDY Awards, recognizing the finest advertising in the Inland Empire, are scheduled for Friday, March 20 at Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga. The annual competition is sponsored by, Inland Empire Ad Club, the local chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF).
A cocktail reception with hors d’ oeuvres begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Cultural Center, followed by the awards presentation at 8 p.m. The ADDY’s honor creative excellence in advertising, graphic design, web design, photography and illustration.
According to AAF board member and program chair John McCarthy, “This is our opportunity to showcase the winners who were recently selected during very competitive judging.”
Last year, The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire swept the student portion of the competition. Meijer and fellow students David Dresner and Rachel Makowski (who has since graduated) received three of the four gold awards. Meijer and Welt also were among the Art Institute students receiving nine of the 10 silver awards.
Last year was the first time the Inland Empire Ad Club had offered a student competition.
Gold winners, in both the student and professional categories are those judged the most outstanding in various categories. They will represent the Inland Empire Ad Club at a regional competition, and if they win there at the American Advertising Federation’s national ADDY Awards competition.
Silver winners are also judged to be worthy of recognition, and can also advance to the regional and national levels of the competition.
Tickets for the ADDY evening are $55 apiece. By ordering online, the price drops to $40 for local AAF chapter members, said McCarthy. Student members of the local AAF chapter can purchase tickets for $30. Everyone is encouraged to purchase tickets online: aaf-inlandempire.com/events.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information, or to arrange a tour, call Richard Green at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/InlandEmpire.
Who will receive the next gold medal and inherit the title of Best Teen Chef of the Inland Empire from Kevin Agra? One of 10 current high school students will be so honored when The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire holds its Best Teen Chef 2009 competition. This year’s winner receives an all expense-paid trip to Charlotte, NC for the national competition, and a chance for a full scholarship. Local first, second and third place winners receive scholarships of up to $3,000.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – Ten local high school seniors will show off their culinary expertise Saturday, April 12 as they vie for the honor of Best Teen Chef at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.
Students entering the 2009 contest, and their high schools are Anton Pishchanellsky of Adelanto (Silverado High School, Victorville), Christopher Crawford of Hesperia (Sultana High School, Hesperia), Alex Shaffer of Yucaipa (Yucaipa High School), Ashlee Keane of Highland (Redlands East Valley High School), Brittain Madrid of Fontana (A.B Miller High School, Fontana), Jasmine Cervantes of Moreno Valley (Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley), Theresa Marquez of Fontana (Fontana High School), Angelo Cordova of Victorville (Sultana High School, Hesperia), Melissa Meza of Rialto (Eisenhower High School, Rialto) and Briannah Clark of Claremont (Options for Youth, Ontario)
This year, those participating in the Best Teen Chef competition are only half of those who entered. As part of their entry, contestants submitted their own original recipes and a high school transcript. Chef Eyad Joseph, academic director of The International Culinary School, considered the grade-point averages and the quality of these submitted recipes to narrow the field from 20 contestants to 10.
This is the third year The International Culinary School has held the competition, and it has grown each year, to the point this year that The International Culinary School selected 10 finalists from the total of 20 entries.
“This is in part fueled by The International Culinary School’s Passport to a Tasty Future program for high school students, but also reflects the growing popularity of Culinary Arts as a career choice,” said Chef Joseph.
The winner of this annual competition earns a trip to Charlotte, NC on May 9 to compete in a national Best Teen Chef competition sponsored by The Art Institutes. That winner will receive a full-tuition scholarship to the International Culinary School of his or her choice.
“The top prize is worth more than $75,000, which would make a promising culinarian’s dream come true, to one day become a professional chef,” said Chef Joseph. “The process is hard and long but promising for an up and coming culinary student.”
Each student will cook from the same menu, Chef Joseph said. They will demonstrate how well they can use certain basic cooking techniques to make shrimp cocktail, sautéed chicken breast, rice pilaf and broccoli.
The competition is an all-day event, lasting from 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m., Chef Joseph said.
The Art Institutes have sponsored a Best Teen Chef Competition for nine years. The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire first participated in 2007, a few months after opening its culinary program.
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information, or to arrange a tour, call The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.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. -end-
Who will receive the next gold medal and inherit the title of Best Teen Chef of the Inland Empire from Kevin Agra? One of 10 current high school students will be so honored when The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire holds its Best Teen Chef 2009 competition. This year’s winner receives an all expense-paid trip to Charlotte, NC for the national competition, and a chance for a full scholarship. Local first, second and third place winners receive scholarships of up to $3,000.
Robert Delgadillo at one of his art shows with the likeness of Julie Newmar, who became a famous “pussycat” when she played Catwoman in the orignal Batman.
Photo by Alan Mercer
Penelope Cruz portrait by Robert Delgadillo
Julie Newmar portrait by Robert Delgadillo, depicting her role in Batman
Amy Winehouse portrait by Robert Delgadillo
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – His advertising art, layout and design for the Beverly Hills boutique Kitson have appeared on billboards across the country, on E! Entertainment News and The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nichole Richie, and in such high-profile publications as Vogue, In Style, People and Vanity Fair. Clearly Robert A. Delgadillo, recognized best as “RAD,” knows what he’s doing.
Aside from his talented success in the ad industry, Delgadillo has had a long career with celebrity portraiture, including pieces for Paris Hilton, Demi Moore, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Seacrest, Ashton Kutcher and Nicole Richie. “I use my art to pay homage to the very people who inspire me,” he says. “My work is a fusion of Hollywood, fashion and contemporary design.”
His work of art, “Temptation,” for instance, depicts Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as Adam and Eve, garnering Delgadillo international coverage in Hello! Magazine, National Ledger and In Touch Weekly. “I strive to capture the essence of the celebrities I chose to draw. My work is an embodiment of what’s hot, but it’s not purely about aesthetics.” “Temptation” was auctioned off at Kitson in 2005, raising “tens of thousands of dollars” from an anonymous collector, the funds benefiting cancer research.
“Years from now,” he continues, “my art will serve as a time capsule that chronicles all that was popular in mainstream culture.”
The 37-year-old artist/instructor will bring his years of detailed experience and hard-won knowledge back to the Graphic Arts Department of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire when he rejoins the faculty in January. Rejoins, after intensive chemotherapy.
Last September Delgadillo was diagnosed with testicular cancer. A tumor was removed, but by then the disease had spread to his stomach and was poised to move throughout his body. “It was serious, and spreading fast,” he says. There are four chemotherapy cycles for him spread out over twelve weeks; his current final cycle is what he calls the toughest.
“Chemotherapy kills all the body’s cells, good as well as bad,” Delgadillo explains. “We’re in the home stretch now, and I’m feeling pretty well. My doctor says the cancer cells are almost undetectable, and that’s a welcome relief. There’ll be follow-up exams and treatment for years to come, though.”
In mid January, at the first quarter of the new year at The Art Institute’s Inland Empire campus, RAD steps into a teaching load with three classes instead of his usual five or six, as a way to tip-toe back into the school’s workforce, though as a member of the Graphic Design faculty he could be facing around 30 students. “Three courses is a great way to return to teaching, but by spring of 2009 I expect to be back to my former course level,” the Los Angeles native feels.
His parents, of Mexican and Chilean descent, have supported Delgadillo’s art/illustration interest since he was a child. “He was drawing before he could walk,” they say.
Delgadillo began his career in art as a Production Assistant with Walt Disney Feature Animation in Burbank where he aided the layout, story and editorial departments on the feature film, “Treasure Planet.”
He then spent several years with a high end fine art printing company where he supervised and trained artists, headed department meetings and oversaw the art firm’s quality control department.
In 2005 in Beverly Hills Delgadillo had his first solo exhibition, including works based on such contemporary pop idols as Gwen Stefani and film legends including Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. This was the same year he launched a nation-wide ad illustration campaign for the well-known boutique Kitson. His fashion illustrations for the store, especially a large mural, have been displayed at Glendale’s popular Americana outdoor shopping center. As Kitson’s Fraser Ross says, “Robert is this generation’s Andy Warhol.”
In 2006 RAD accepted the complex assignment of developing branding for the popular Los Angeles-based talent agency Sutton, Barth and Vennari (SBV Talent), including redesigning the company’s corporate image. His work for SBV was also featured in the printed programs that year for the Hollywood Reporter’s Key Art Awards for the best in motion picture marketing efforts and the Golden Trailer Awards event for top movie previews.
The following year saw the summer issue of Warning Magazine’s cover featuring Delgadillo’s portrait interpretation of the recording artist and fashion designer Gwen Stefani. At the same time, in addition to media coverage throughout Europe and Japan, the Mexican newspaper La Reforma chose him for the cover of their Famous People section, including a lengthy interview, with photos of him and his celebrity-based artwork.
This past June, the artist d
ebuted a new direction in his work. A collection of prints titled “The Pussy Collection” featured portraits of actress Julie Newmar, the original Catwoman from the mid-‘60s “Batman” television series that starred Adam West and Burt Ward. A highly successful autographing party with Newmar and Delgadillo was held at A Different Light bookstore in West Hollywood.
In 2009, the art world will see Delgadillo’s celebrity portraits from 2004 to the present collected in a lavish coffee-table book. “This is something,” he says, “that has been requested by my collectors for years. I’m very excited about this new project. I’ve been involved with it all year.”
It’s been non-stop ever since; ever since, that is, until September of 2008.
But RAD is ready now; ready to jump back into the classroom. As The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire President, Emam El-Hout says, “We are grateful to have (Robert) working with our students. His talent and experience will show students many hands-on, practical ways to have a career in graphic design.”
Delgadillo explains, “One of the great things about this school is its focus on not just learning for the sake of learning, but its goal of guiding students toward being employable in a career they can love.”
And who better to lead graphic design students in that direction than a man with Disney studio experience, with award-winning ad agency work on his resume, with international recognition for his art, with illustrations appearing in many of America’s biggest magazines and on major TV shows. A man who is winning one of the toughest battles anyone could face.
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.
It’s not too late to start the new year at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
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. -end-
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Sunil Thankamushy has what most young men would consider to be the dream job. He gets paid to design and play video games like “Call of Duty: Finest Hour.”
Thankamushy, founder of the video game studio Spark Unlimited, is a guest speaker at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, located at 630 E. Brier in San Bernardino, at 11:50 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25. He is talking to students about how to break into the video game industry. Everyone is welcome. Please check in at the front desk.
“Sunil is a veteran insider of the video game industry,” said Santosh Oommen, Academic Director for Game Art and Design at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “He offers our Game Art and Design students valuable tips on how to break into this business.”
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s Game Art and Design program prepares young people for jobs as video game designers and animators.
Thankamushy was one of the first animators selected by Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks Interactive Studio. Thankamushy was one of a handful of people chosen to create the best-selling World War II video game “Medal of Honor.” As animation director of “Medal of Honor,” Thankamushy helped turn Spielberg’s ideas into a multi-billion dollar video game franchise.
“Medal of Honor” is loosely based on Spielberg’s Oscar-winning movie “Saving Private Ryan.” Imagine Games Network (IGN), a web site covering the play games online industry, ranked “Medal of Honor” as one of the top 25 games of all time for the PlayStation console.
After leaving DreamWorks Interactive, Thankamushy also worked at video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) before starting his own studio, Spark Unlimited. The studio has launched two originals games, “Turning Point: Fall of Liberty” and “Legendary.”
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information, or to arrange a tour, call The Art Institute at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.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.
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Pictured from left to right are Alex Alonso and his father Alonso Alonso.
Alonso Alonso stands in front of the entrance of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire recently enrolled its 1,000th student, a benchmark of the school’s recognition as a major force in creative college-level education.
The 1,000th student is Alonso Alonso, 34, from San Bernardino. He’s a culinary student and a single father of Andrew, 6.
“I did not have any background in the culinary field,” he recalls, “but even in junior high the Home Economics class fascinated me. Then when I got to high school I became hooked on cooking classes. So, that’s six years of culinary background before I even thought about college and a degree.”
Alonso entered quite a few local baking competitions while attending Calipatria High School in Imperial County, as well as drafting contests since he was also interested in architecture at the time.
He went on to enroll at California State University, San Bernardino, majoring in psychology. However, he dropped out to find a job in order to support his son.
After 13 years at an Ontario distribution warehouse, Alonso was laid off this past September. “I knew the company was in trouble,” he says. “There were around 40 layoffs, all without warning. I had to do something. I could go back to school and finish my degree in business administration, but I’d soured on the distribution thing. It was time to do what I really loved.”
What he loved was cooking and food preparation, and though he did consider various colleges, it became clear The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s award-winning culinary program could provide exactly what Alonso wanted and needed with a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Management.
“My focus was too spread out,” he remembers. “I couldn’t narrow down where I should concentrate for my education. But now, with The Art Institute’s culinary program, I’m on target.”
This 1,000th student has his sights set on being a chef after graduation in 2011, and with a B.S. under his arm.
“Alonso Alonso will do well here at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire,” said President Emam El-Hout. “In his first term here, we have seen his dedication to learning the basics of culinary arts so that he can provide a better life for himself and his son. We know his dedication will ultimately result in him managing or owning a fantastic restaurant where we can all look forward to enjoying gourmet meals.”
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 Marketing & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Fashion Design. 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 the new year at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin Feb. 19 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information or a free tour of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire call (909) 915-2100 or go on line to artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire.
Sandra Hugh, an eighth-grader at Ruth O. Harris Middle School in Bloomington, presents “Fashion Passion,” her concept of a pre-teen’s dream room, to judges in the Interior Design portion of the student organization FHA-HERO’s Region 10 Competitive Recognition Events held recently at Ontario High School. Judges included Sara Sandoval (left), academic director of Interior Design program at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire and Susan Thomas (right). Some of the drawings on Sandra’s presentation board were created with Auto-CAD (Computer Aided Design) software. Photo by Chris Sloan
(ONTARIO, Calif.) Before a young person commits to obtaining a college degree at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, something sparks their creativity.
For students who are pursuing degrees in Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Interior Design, Fashion Design and Fashion & Retail Management, that spark of creativity is often an organization they belonged to in high school, FHA-HERO. With that in mind the academic directors of these Art Institute of California – Inland Empire programs, Eyad Joseph, Sara Sandoval and Sherry West, helped judge a regional FHA-HERO competition held recently at Ontario High School.
Just as they would be able to continue doing at The Art Institute after high school graduation, the teenagers gain from FHA-HERO an opportunity to learn about and succeed in home economics-related fields. In fact, the HERO part of FHA-HERO means “Home Economics Related Occupations.”
The FHA part of the organization’s name means “Future Homemakers of America,” but that’s a tribute to their long history as an organization for students enrolled in home economics. Its only bearing on the home economics curriculum in 21st Century high schools in California is that a portion of the curriculum strives to prepare youth for personal success at home and in a career.
This curriculum is officially known as “Home Economics Careers and Technology.” It heavily emphasizes preparing students for careers in home economics, which is what The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire also wants to do for its Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Interior Design, Fashion Design and Fashion & Retail Management students.
Educators at both levels agree. The Home Economics Careers and Technology program is a great first step, but college is also important for those who seek more than an entry-level career in these industries.
“These students are looking for educational opportunities in the local colleges,” said Sara Sandoval, academic director of the Interior Design program at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. “Competitions like the one sponsored by FHA-HERO influence students entering The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. They come to our school having already experienced an opportunity to positively influence other people’s lives through their skills, and are ready to take those experiences to a new level.”
As an Interior Design instructor, Sandoval was impressed to see middle school students using Auto-CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to create their entries in FHA-HERO’s Interior Design competition. Auto-CAD is a program The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire teaches its third-quarter Interior Design students, after they first take two quarters of paper and pencil drafting.
But for the young teens who did this, learning Auto-CAD from family members was just one of the many ways they have enriched their lives through learning. To create entries that showed the judges their concepts of an ideal room for a pre-teen child, the students also relied on freehand drawing, math and public speaking to create entries that included display boards, cost and materials analyses and five-minute speeches.
“Their thirst for knowledge and interest in developing lifelong professional skills also coincides with their interest in supporting the wellbeing of a community by becoming involved in a school organization such as FHA-HERO,” Sandoval said. “As industry professionals and educators, it is our responsibility to channel their great productive energy into well-rounded designers.”
The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.
The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.
It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin April 6 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.
For more information, or to arrange a tour, call The Art Institute at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.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.
Theresa Marquez of Fontana cooks up a winning meal during The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s Best Teen Chef 2009 competition.
