20121912

:The Art Institute of Boston Celebrating 100 years of Educating Artists and Designers

The Art Institute of Boston

The Art Institute of Boston The Art Institute of Boston, with its rich history and vibrant outlook, has been helping visual artists to give shape to their ideas for 100 years–a century of evolving and expanding venues and ventures, and we haven't even started yet.

That year saw the sinking of the Titanic and the official opening of Fenway Park within five days of each other, two totally disconnected and dissimilar events that have created a lasting impression here. It was also the year when Columbia University approved plans for the awarding of the Pulitzer Prize. And a month later, Massachusetts passed the first minimum wage law in the United States. In May of that year, The Blue Rider Almanac was published in Munich, containing reproductions of more than 140 multi-ethnic artworks, articles on the visual arts and music, and Vasilly Kandinsky’s experimental theater composition, The Yellow Sound. During the period of May 25th through September 30th, the Third International Art Exhibition organized by Sonderbund westdeutscher Kunstfreunde und Künstler (Ausstellungshalle der Stadt Cöln am Aachener Tor) was held in Cologne, featuring works by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Henri-Edmond Cross, Paul Signac and Edvard Munch. And, on this side of the pond, American artists Jackson Pollock, Tony Smith, and Morris Louis were born.Meanwhile, quietly and without much fanfare, Roy Atherton Davidson, a pioneer in the field of commercial art education established the School of Practical Art, later renamed The Art Institute of Boston. He sought to make the education of illustrators and designers more formal and more accessible than the apprenticeship model that was common at that time. And here we are one hundred years later, a thriving, creative art college putting our educational stamp out locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally—a far cry from Mr. Davidson’s vision. So we celebrate our 100-year anniversary with pride, excitement, and an eye to a very promising future as we begin our next 100 years.

What an eventful year!

:1912

So, what does this new art school look like?

Early catalogues state with no baloney, “The

School of Practical Art as its name implies is

devoted to the teaching of only such branches

of drawing as have a commercial value and fills a

long felt want among art students with a living

to make.”

It is interesting to note that Roy Davidson’s

father worked as a blacksmith and carriage

manufacturer. Talk about earning a living!

So, it’s not surprising to hear Roy advocating

that “the School of Practical Art provides “a

practical art course where a livelihood is assured

upon completion.” Before founding his new

school, young Roy lives in Boston and works

as a magazine illustrator, doing cover art for

Adventure and illustrating The Noble Criminal in

the style of Howard Pyle.

From the onset, with its in-your-face pragmatism,

the School of Practical Art offers an ambitious

range of courses, aimed at being both

professional and comprehensive, covering all

possible venues of drawing—pen and ink, wash,

crayon, tempera, oil and water color—for use

in advertisements, magazine and newspaper

illustrations, book plates, trademarks, fashions,

caricatures, posters, cover designs, letter heads,

and lettering.

Fulfilling the needs of professional working artists

is key. The Boston Herald writes then, “This seems

to be a school for students of moderate means

who wish to make art a business and it has the

endorsement of some of the largest buyers of

commercial art in the city.”

It is hard to believe that a full semester’s tuition

costs only $110 back in the day. To give students

a big bang for their buck, each year finds the

school expanding its course offerings and fields

of application. This institution teaches to the

students’ needs, always moving with the times.

But art is more than a business. During the

1920’s, the only school in the state to specialize

exclusively in commercial art speaks to the heart

as well as the head of the artist. As an artist and

teacher, Roy Davidson embraces a deeper and

larger vision. In a personal message, he reaches

out to encourage artists who follow their interests

and talents to “find expression” as they acquire

the necessary skills and practices to produce

professional work.

:1919After WWI, the stock market crashes.

:1920’s :1930’s

The School of Practical Art mirrors conservative American

taste. The popular Gibson pen style is in vogue. Life

drawing and advertising design still hark back to the

19th century. The school catalogues use symmetrical

layouts with decorative borders.

With the Bauhaus years coming to a close and its masters moving

to America, the school catalogues now reflect European modernist

style. Layouts are asymmetrical and bolder sans serif typefaces

have replaced the elegant, long-dominating serif fonts. Illustration

is still basking in the “Golden Age” narrative tradition.

:1940’s :1945After the death of Roy Davidson in 1940, Harold

Pollock becomes Director and, later, President of the

School from 1941 to 1945. His son Winslow is the

financial officer, who stays with the school until the

1970’s. A new path begins with the introduction of a

course in “Constructional Design.” Student posters

of this era demonstrate awareness of the late 1930’s

American modern poster movement. Can I say, as a

school, we were “modernist” before I was even born?

After WWII, the introduction of the G.I. Bill swells enrollment. The

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act remains in effect until 1956, by which

time 7.8 million veterans participate in education or training programs!

MacIvor Reddie becomes Director. Along with successful practicing faculty

artists like well-known watercolorist Murray Wentworth, Reddie sets the

standards for a generation of commercial artists and realist painters. In his

honor, we name our gallery after him. The “Golden Age” of illustration

glows brighter than ever.

:1950’s

Illustration and design are going as strong as ever,

and now we introduce the first photography courses.

Life has never been the same since. And, we wouldn’t

want it any other way.

:1960’s

In 1966, we establish a program in Fine Arts featuring painting,

printmaking, clayworking, and 3-D courses of study—a whole galaxy of

orbits to explore.

Let’s consider what this means. One could argue that the entire history

of art began as illustration—or, to put it precisely, art with a story and

a purpose. Historians marvel and wonder over the first cave paintings.

What were they for? We see a story of the hunt, and we can imagine the

Cro-Magnon equivalent of relishing and retelling the moment, “Man, that

was some mammoth!” What about the monks who illuminated biblical

texts with lavish illustrations and patrons who commissioned altarpieces?

This decade of the 1960’s is proliferated with manuals on typography and

design. All of these are forms of applied or commercial art. Think about it.

Now we have art standing upon its own integrity. It doesn’t need a

reason; it’s just there; it’s art! Our fine arts program is supported by the

thriving museum and gallery scene in Boston: the Museum of Fine Arts,

the Gardner Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art—all within

a mile radius of each other. And, these are joined by the rich diversity of

galleries, especially on Newbury Street. Scads of other museums and sites

beckon. What a hopping art scene to be a part of!

:1967

What’s in a name?

Almost a half century ago in 1967, under the leadership of William

Willis Sr., we become a non-profit institution of higher education

renamed The Art Institute of Boston. During his tenure as president,

which begins in 1962, AIB advances its pedagogy by expanding and

adding programs in fine arts, photography, and liberal arts.

:1968

Photography is huge, and its new program focuses on all

its aspects: documentary, commercial, and fine art. Over

the course of the past 40 or so years, the facilities of the

photo program are continually upgraded and developed

to meet the needs of this rapidly changing field.

:1973 :1980’s

By the mid-seventies, we establish a liberal arts program and hire

its first chair, Robert Simon. He later oversees our accreditation

by NASAD and our degree granting authority by the state of

Massachusetts. Robert also serves as our first Dean of Faculty and

Academic Affairs and later as Vice President of Academic Affairs. We

owe him a debt of gratitude.

In 1977, Senior Willis steps down and William Willis Jr.,

known as Tuck, succeeds him. Facilities come and go as we

move and rent various much-needed satellite spaces around

Kenmore Square. In 1986, we start a year-long renovation

of our main building at 700 Beacon Street. And, toward the

end of the decade, we purchase our first Mac computers to

inaugurate our first computer lab. Under Tuck’s guidance,

we become accredited by the National Association of

Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and receive authority to

grant the BFA degree in 1988!

Starting in the mid-eighties, the Office of Admissions

launches one of the most important community outreach

programs. The Pre-College Program at AIB offers courses

for high school students. We make these professional art

courses available to thousands of students from the Boston

metropolitan area. Eight-week sessions offered during

the fall and winter as well as four-week summer sessions

provide students with credit courses in the areas of artistry,

technology, and professions in the visual arts.

:1970’sWe move from leased space at 718 Beacon Street to

our very own building at 700 Beacon Street. Art-making

requires so much space, and it’s all so varied. The library

is one of the most prized assets of The Art Institute of

Boston. Germinating from a small facility to a sanctuary

of over 11,000 monographs and artists’ books, 80 current

art journals, and online access to scholarly articles through

our full-text arts and image databases, it is integral to the

growth of the institution through the decades.

Although not quite a Parnassus on Wheels, the library gets

around. When AIB moves to 700 Beacon Street in 1970,

the library is housed in a small space on the third floor.

Then, in 1984, it moves to a larger room with a view at

21/25 Burlington Avenue. And then again in 1989, it leads

AIB to its current location on the first floor of 700 Beacon.

The collection continues to grow in size and relevance

through the sincere efforts of our highly competent staff.

In 1971, Nathan Goldstein, who proceeds to write just

about every book on the subject of art education, brings

vision, coherence, and joy to the foundation program.

Students are given a sturdy springboard to dive from, into

waters of their choice.

During this decade, AIB becomes one of the institutions

that serve to educate our returning veterans from

the Vietnam War. They bring with them a breadth of

experience and a sense of purpose like no other.

:1990’sA new era is launched. Stan Trecker begins his tenure as

President of AIB. During the period from 1991 to 1998,

our enrollment grows from fewer than 300 full-time

students to more than 500. And, as a non-profit school

of higher education, our college budget nestles firmly in

the black—a very nice, secure color. Stan has the foresight

to see how we could grow and what we might become.

With his firm hand and integrity, he will guide AIB in

search of a partner to become part of a bigger picture.

:1998

In addition to offering affordable courses, a scholarship program

is piloted in 1998. Since then, AIB continues to fund tuition

scholarships, furnish art supplies, and provide stipends to financially

disadvantaged Boston area youth. Our youth programs are being

celebrated with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts as

well as many local donors and private foundations.

After years of enriching and expanding its programs from within,

AIB looks outwards for new ways to meet its students diversifying

needs. We find kindred spirits in Lesley University. The synergies and

fit between our two institutions are remarkable. Our complementary

strengths and missions mesh. And, as they say, the rest is history, or

do I mean the rest is future?

Many are the reasons people come to AIB. Yes, students continue

to nourish their souls as artists or launch their careers in art and

design. The visual arts take on many shapes and designs. But, many

students also discover better who they are and choose to seek readily

available opportunities found within AIB and Lesley—to explore new

pathways in art history, art therapy, and art education.

:2000’s

What we can no longer do alone we can accomplish together.

Alike in humanistic ways, AIB and Lesley merge to better serve our

students. We are metamorphosing into a flexible, entrepreneurial

institution of higher education that maintains its small class sizes,

student-centered focus, individual attention, field-based strengths,

faculty practitioners, and professional orientation. This new

collaboration creates a richer academic and social exchange. Our

students avail themselves of all the expertise of a professional art

college, a wide array of liberal arts offerings, the powerful resources

of a university, as well as state-of-the-arts photographic, digital, and

animation laboratories.

Following AIB’s merger with Lesley in 1998, the library becomes

automated. The card catalog, now replaced by digital resources,

enables AIB to join the Fenway Libraries Consortium, offering

students access to the collections of neighboring academic

institutions. Inter-library loans between the area art schools nearly

triples the resources previously available. Today, in addition to

serving its own population, the AIB library caters to a large number

of students and scholars outside the institution.

:2002

AIB introduces a low residency MFA in Visual Arts

program. This is one of only a half dozen master-in-art

programs in the country working in this model. It is a

fabulous success, initially with Tony Apesos at the helm

and currently directed by Judith Barry.

We are delighted to be accredited by NASAD to offer a BFA program in

animation. What started out in 1992 as an evening course in our Continuing

Education Program becomes a full-fledged focus within the illustration

department. In 2004, animation becomes a major, first spearheaded by

illustration chair Robert Kaufman and now directed by John Casey.

We take a big leap forward, piloting two new youth programs in 2004. The first

of these exciting options, the Young Artist Residency Program, allows a high

school junior or senior to live on campus and enroll in the intensive 4-week

summer session, simulating a glimpse of campus life. Students from all over the

world join our commuter population to study art and design, visit area galleries

and museums, and attend visiting lectures. The second opportunity, ArtsFirst is

a free event for juniors in metro area high schools. ArtsFirst features day-long

workshops by AIB finest practitioners and hosts a panel of alumni speakers who

share their portfolios and career paths.

Now, through the Office of Extended Programs, our youth programs grow

steadily and become more integrated with other programs for art teachers and

adults. These programs serve an increasingly important role in our community—

helping young artists follow their passion to create and find pathways to

meaningful careers in the visual arts, design, education, and art therapy.

:2004

In 2006, AIB creates its first non-studio art major and

begins offering a BFA in Art History championed by Susan

Ashbrook and the faculty from art history and critical

studies. A BA in Art History is also offered through AIB’s

history department to the students of Lesley College.

:2006 :NowLet’s not forget that all departments within the College continue

to forge ahead and flourish—blooming and evolving. We are

gifted with our program leaders. Christopher James focuses our

photographers. Michael David shapes our fine artists. Susan LeVan

gives voice to our illustrators. Nathan Felde challenges our designers.

John Casey sparks our animators. Susan Ashbrook hones our

historians. Arlene Grossman awakens our foundation freshmen.

So many dedicated and diverse people with tremendous vision and

energy help to make us who we are. And like seeing an iceberg, you

couldn’t hold your breath long enough to look beneath the surface

and discover all the facets that make up the shining kaleidoscope

that we have become.

Carlos EverhardFine Arts (year of graduation)Title of workYear Created

Behind

AIB

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Those who made AIB:

Emily HetzelEmily Hetzel (’89) is the first person to receive the BFA degree from newly accredited AIB in 1989. While matriculated as a photo major, she also served as the Director at AIB’s Gallery East. After graduating, she moved back to her hometown of Pittsburgh where she used her curatorial skills on a variety of high-profile exhibitions at important venues, such as the Andy Warhol Museum, Frick Fine Arts Gallery, and the Carnegie Museum. She has continued and advanced her practice as a photographer, including documentary work in Haiti last year. In 1991, she and her husband opened the Caliban Book Shop in Pittsburgh, beginning what would become a long and successful business selling rare and used books.

From 1973 until his retirement in 1988, Jason Berger taught at The Art Institute of Boston. He was an inspiring teacher—monumental, yet modest. With self-deprecating humor, he’d scoff at himself and say, “I just sit in the back of the room and, somehow, my students learn to paint.” With no pun intended, Jason was such a colorful presence. For many productive summers, he led AIB students in a program of plein air painting in France. He painted landscapes in the United States, Europe, and Mexico and used those motifs in abstracted studio paintings. Although often connected to the Boston Expressionists, the energy and color of his work is more reminiscent of Matisse. Renowned for his humor, his love of jazz, and his upbeat approach to painting, Jason’s paintings express the joy of life and love of place. His work has received many awards and has been exhibited and collected internationally.

Jason Berger

1973-1991

Cynthia Von BuhlerMultimedia artist and illustrator Cynthia Von Buhler’s work ranges widely from her children’s books like The Cat Who Wouldn’t Come Inside to her underground performance troupe “The Women of Sodom.” In paintings, sculptures, video, or performance, Cynthia (’91) explores the nature of the outsider in society, the limits of gender roles, and the mystery of existence with fierce humor and a surrealist’s eye. Among her many awards and honors are Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals from the Society of Illustrators; the Gold Medal from the Visual Club; and her selection by the Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll.

Christopher JamesChair of photography department and University Professor Christopher James revitalized the AIB Photo Foundation program, which consistently attracts talented students from across the nation. Christopher, a former Harvard University professor, has galvanized AIB’s photographers into a feverous adventure in learning. Recently he has founded AIB’s second and only full-time Master’s degree program. His Book of Alternative Photographic Processes, now in its second edition, is the definitive text on its subject. After these accomplishments and his dedicated engagement in numerous AIB and University committees, it becomes easy to overlook one important fact—Christopher is an incredible artist. Whether working in conventional photography, alternative processes, or painting, he maintains the same innovative and exciting approach that he brings to his teaching.

After service during World War II in the Army Air Transport Command, Murray Wentworth (’50) took off to follow his dream to become an illustrator. He was graduated from the School of Practical Arts in 1950 and returned in 1963 to become one of our premier educators, teaching illustrators in our new incarnation as The Art Institute of Boston until 1977. This award-winning and devoted landscape painter had a stellar career spanning more than half a century. Murray’s watercolors display brilliant bravura brushwork that was linked to a profound and rigorous study of color. His paintings were exhibited widely, across the United States, Mexico, and China, and earned him memberships to the National Academy and the American Watercolor Society. With his wife and painter, Elaine Wentworth, he co-authored Watercolor for All Seasons, which is illustrated with their work. A fun fact: his many times great grandfather was the owner of the Jackson Homestead, a stop along the Underground Railroad.

Murray Wentworth

The Art Institute of Boston was founded by Roy Davidson in 1912 as the School of Practical Arts. Davidson was born in 1887, a few years after his parents emigrated from Nova Scotia. He lived and was educated in Boston. He was a working illustrator, proudly listing himself as an “artist” in the city directory. A pioneer in the field of commercial art education, Davidson sought an alternative to the traditional art training of his day, which was an apprenticeship system with long years of menial, repetitive labor. Davidson was influenced by art critic and social thinker John Ruskin, in particular his notion: “fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of a man go together.” AIB’s early philosophy was based on Davidson’s own belief that

“beauty comes from the use.” The school opened in Davison’s own studio, three small rooms in Boston’s Back Bay. Davidson remained the director of the school until 1940.

Roy Davidson

1912-1971

Guess who attended AIB? Caroll Spinney needs no introduction—as long as you call him by the name of his Sesame Street persona—Big Bird. He has been the soul of the gentle eight-foot two-inch tall bright primrose-yellow bird since 1969. But Spinney’s range as a puppeteer extends to the very different character of Oscar the Grouch. Over the past 36 years, Spinney has been honored with four Day Time Emmy Awards for his portrayals on the series and two Grammy Awards for his related recordings. His memoir, The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch) Lessons Learned from a Life in Feathers, is published by Viking Books. In 1994, Spinney received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2000, the Library of Congress honored him with a Living Legend Award. Caroll has continued to employ his skills as an illustrator, honed at AIB, in his whimsical paintings often featuring Big Bird.

Caroll Spinney

Geoff Koetsch

Geoff Koetsch has been teaching sculpture and art history for 45 years, some of which time he chaired the fine arts department. But, what may be most extraordinary about this great teacher is his always-evolving studio practice. From success as the founder of the kinetic art group, The World’s Sculpture Racing Society, which received national attention, Geoff has moved on through large scale steel meditations on sacred spaces of the East and West to photographic polyptychs that explore his personal involvement in Buddhist meditation. At the same time, Geoff dramatically expanded the AIB’s 3-D facilities to include two new studios and a woodshop. In recent work, Geoff has returned to the figure, which he uses in complex installations, reflective of his inquiries into the nature of consciousness and archetypes that underlie the structures of reality.

Nathan GoldsteinProfessor Emeritus Nathan Goldstein created one of the nation’s most rigorous foundation programs centered on his conviction that drawing was the wellspring of all of the visual arts. He is renowned for many books on art including Painting: Visual and Technical Fundamentals, Design and Composition, and Figure Drawing: The Structural Anatomy and Expressive Design of Human Form. Now in its 6th edition, The Art of Responsive Drawing is perhaps the pre-eminent book on drawing that surpasses others in that it helps its reader to draw well by teaching how to see well. Writing and teaching never kept Nathan from his great passion for the practice of perceptual painting in which he deftly recorded his subtle responses to the nuances of color.

Fine artist Stephanie Pierce (’96) came from Tennessee to enter the Art Institute of Boston as a Presidential Scholar. She did not disappoint this early promise as she grew as a painter and printmaker. Her vigorously painted figurative works earned her a nomination for a scholarship to the Yale-Norfolk summer program, and she was the first AIB student to be accepted to attend it. After graduation and receiving her MFA at University of Washington, she has continued to exhibit, including a one woman show at the Alpha Gallery in Boston. She now teaches painting at the University of Arkansas. From her dark and moody paintings as a student, her work has changed into more abstracted vision, shown in complex canvases consisting of small and brilliant shards of harmonious color.

Stephanie Pierce

Lucas GuerraGraphic designer Lucas Guerra (’96) is a three time Emmy Award-winner. He founded Argus Communications in 1994 while still in his first years at AIB. Lucas has, among many other accomplishments, developed Argus into a full service advertising and multicultural marketing agency that specializes in the development and implementation of marketing campaigns on issues such as healthcare, mental health, AIDS education, domestic violence, and more. Most recently, he was recognized as one of “20 on the Move,” an award given by the Boston Business Journal and El Planeta, honoring the top 20 Hispanic executives making a difference in Boston.

1996-2001

Sunanda K. Sanyal

Sunanda K. Sanyal’s scholarly specialty is contemporary art of Africa and South Asia, but he is known for the vigorous intellect and deep knowledge of the theory and history of art which he brings to bear in all of his teaching, whether to studio majors, to art history majors, or to MFA students. He has expanded his scholarly endeavors, recently, into film making, creating a feature length documentary, A Homecoming Spectacle. The film records the making of the temporary public installations produced for an annual religious festival in his native India, through which he examines the issues of global awareness, cultural identity, and the place of handcraft in a technological world.

Kristina Lamour SansoneKristina Lamour Sansone has dedicated her professional life to ways that graphic design can function as an aid to educators. Kristina has been consulted by schools in New Haven, San Francisco, and Austin, and is currently on the design team that will incorporate graphic design into the total curriculum. The goal of her work is to help teachers apply visual approaches to all content areas in order to more fully engage all styles of student learning. Her passion for art and education made her one of the founders of the dual degree program at AIB/Lesley where students can begin M.Ed. coursework while completing their BFA degree.

Hailing from the Dominican Republic, alumnus Rob Castillo (’01) has become a prolific, sought-after, and award-winning director, animator and illustrator, and storyboard artist. Shortly after graduating from AIB, while attending graduate school in New York, Rob Castillo received a Student Academy Award for his short film S.P.I.C.—The Storyboard of My Life. The film which has been screened in dozens of film festivals consists of five short stories—some funny, others sad—based on Rob’s memories. He continues making his personal creative work while being extraordinarily busy as a storyboard artist of music videos and films, including working with actor/director Steve Buscemi on the TV show The Sopranos.

Rob Castillo

Judith Barry

Jen WarrenJen Warren (’02) began her career as a documentary photographer while still an undergraduate photography major. The images from Uganda that she recorded then already had the calm clarity of classics. Since then, she has continued to record the aftermath of catastrophic events in Africa as well as New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. She has made unforgettable photo essays on the rehabilitation of victims of landmines, the AIDS crisis in Africa, and the distribution of mosquito nets. Her work has appeared in the Sunday Times Magazine, Al Jazeera, and Rolling Stone. Jen’s humanitarian concerns have led her to move beyond recording suffering to actively helping. She is now information and communication officer in Southern Sudan for Save the Children.

In 2005, Judith Barry took the helm of AIB’s new, but thriving MFA program to raise it to a higher level of national visibility. Judith’s innovations include the semi-annual catalog of student work and a high-profile visiting artists program featuring a speaker series of internationally-prominent artists. Meanwhile, and typical of AIB’s tradition of teachers who are working professionals, she has continued to show installations and videos nationally and internationally, including exhibiting in the international art fair Documenta 13. Judith received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011 for her video explorations of the role of women throughout the world today.

2005-2009

Peter ZierleinIllustrator Peter Zierlein’s editorial cartoons frequently appear in the New York Times. But, not satisfied with his success, while teaching illustration at AIB, he chose to become a student again in the Art Institute’s low residency MFA program. As a teacher, professional illustrator, and then as a student, Peter began to rethink his practice as an artist. Through the synergistic confluence of all three endeavors, he discovered a new medium for himself—paper cut outs. Peter still draws and paints, but his paper cut outs, which made up his MFA thesis work, have added another dimension to his illustrations and teaching. Invariably symmetrical, much like paper dolls, his cut outs have led him to depict the dynamic balances of power in contemporary society with a sharper edge.

Tim Finn’s involvement with comics and animation is total. He creates and self-publishes micro comics, has had his animated films screened at international film festivals, has worked as storyboard artist and animator for TV’s Home Movies, and is completing a major illustrated book on G.I. Joe. As an active member of the New England animation scene, he keeps AIB linked into local screenings and events, and in addition to all of this, he is now the owner of Hub Comics Bookstore. The wit he brings to all these activities is crystallized in the deceptively simple, but actually very sophisticated, drawing style he employs in his comics and films.

Tim Finn

Alison WilliamsAlison Williams (MFA ’09) was a painter/photographer, but as an MFA student, her work expanded in ways no one could have guessed. Now, to “painter/photographer” one would have to add “installation artist” and, for lack of another term, “alchemical gardener.” Alison’s work goes in all directions, but always from the same deep core: a love of nature and growing things. All the while, she has been a professor at the Art Institute of New Hampshire. While a student at the MFA program, she received the very prestigious Joan Mitchell Prize. Since then, her work has continued to strengthen as evidenced in her exhibited work.

Brianne DupuisFine Arts (2012)

‘Images of Men’2012

Brianne DupuisFine Arts (2012)

‘2005 to 2011’2012

What excitement! We now have the tremendous opportunity to build a new art facility to serve our College, the University, and the greater Boston/Cambridge community.

For a century, both The Art Institute of Boston and Lesley University have recognized the vital role of the creative arts—its importance in student growth and its importance in stimulating the minds and uplifting the spirits of all. We will begin building the Lesley University Arts Center just across the Charles River near Porter Square in Cambridge, the new home of The Art Institute of Boston. We will advance engagement with the arts across the University’s colleges, the surrounding community, and everywhere our graduates pursue their professions. This project embraces both old and new: refurbishing the architecture of the North Prospect Church closer to its former historic aspect and incorporating the current University Hall into the new designs.

How do you make a historic church into a beehive of arts activity? You link the repurposed former church to a new four-story Arts Center building via a three-story dynamic, busy-as-a-bee, what-can-you-think-of-next Arts Commons Connector. The interior space configuration will foster dialogue and sharing among students and faculty from The Art Institute of Boston, Lesley College, the Graduate School of Education, and the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences. A new, gracious plaza on Massachusetts Avenue will invite Cambridge neighbors and other visitors to get into the action—to visit the commons area, exhibition galleries, and Arts Library.

An exciting news flash for our students is that the new complex will increase the space in which they can study, view, and make art by a whopping 50%. State-of-the-art facilities have been designed with significant input from current students, faculty, and staff. These facilities will effectively support and advance the learning experience for faculty and student alike. In addition to giving every student access to studio space, interior spaces are being designed to inspire collaboration—to forge creative synergies among students and faculty, across different arts media and academic disciplines.

As we grow and transform, we reflect the world and envision it anew. AIB is indeed a place where ideas take shape.

What an interesting century!

Bolstering our already vibrant programs involving the community, the new Arts Center will allow us to grow activities at The Art Institute of Boston. It is yet another pathway along our voyage. Starting with our dedication to working artists, we have branched out and blossomed into the professional fields of art. And, like Johnny Appleseed, we keep looking over the horizon and planting new ideas. My, to think of the number of people we have touched and friends we have made along the way! With our new Arts Center and a breathtaking range of art courses for people of all ages, we are adding an expanded offering of exhibitions, visiting artist lectures, conferences, symposia, and public events to excite one and all. This venture will allow collaborations to flourish with local artists, arts organizations, and public school arts programs—and maybe even you will join us on our journey—strengthening the Lesley and AIB communities and deepening the art experience for all.

What’s in sight?

AIB Centennial Events100 Years: Where Ideas Take ShapeNote: all events times subject to change.

Fall 2012In Depth: Contemporary Letterpress in Art and DesignTuesday, September 4 - Sunday, October 21Reception: Wednesday, September 19, 5:00pm - 7:00pmMain Gallery, 700 Beacon Street

AIB Illustration and Animation Faculty ExhibitionTuesday, September 4 - Saturday, September 29Reception: Thursday, September 6, 6:00pm - 8:00pmUniversity Hall Gallery, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue

100 Years, 100 Days, 100 BooksWednesday, September 5 - Thursday, December 13Reception: Thursday, December 13, 5:00pm - 7:00pmAIB Library, 700 Beacon Street

Massachusetts Avenue Storefront ProjectSunday, September 16 - Saturday, October 13Massachusetts Avenue

Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE)Saturday, September 29, 10:00am - 7:00pmUniversity Hall, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue

100 Prints Celebrating 100 Years: Student Works fromthe Printmaking Department at AIBMonday, October 1 - Friday, November 30Reception: Saturday, October 20, 3:00pm - 5:00pmState Transportation Building, 2nd Floor Atrium, 10 Park Plaza

AIB Photography Faculty ExhibitionThursday, October 11 - Saturday, November 3Reception: Thursday, October 11, 6:00pm - 8:00pmUniversity Hall Gallery, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue

Masterwork: AIB Honorary Degree Recipients.Thursday, November 1 - Thursday, December 13Reception: Thursday, November 1, 5:00pm - 7:00pmMain Gallery, 700 Beacon Street

AIB Foundation Faculty ExhibitionTuesday, November 8 - Friday, November 30Reception: Tuesday, November 8, 6:00pm - 8:00pmUniversity Hall Gallery, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue

MFA in Photography Visiting Artist Lecture: Luis Gonzales PalmaTuesday, November 13, 12:30pm - 1:30pmRoom 215, 700 Beacon Street

MFA in Photography Visiting Artist Lecture: Keith CarterFriday, November 16, 11:15am - 12:15pmRoom 215, 700 Beacon Street

Strauch-Mosse LectureArtist and date to be announced

Seminar / Symposium Series (AIB Discourses)Topic and date to be announced

Department Guest Speaker: Illustration/AnimationArtist and date to be announced

Department Event: PhotographyLocation and date to be announced

Spring 2013MFA in Visual Arts Graduation ExhibitJanuary (exact date to be announced)Main Gallery, 700 Beacon Street & University Hall Gallery, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue

MFA in Visual Arts Art TalksJanuary (exact date to be announced)565 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 101

MFA Alumni ExhibitFriday, January 4 - Sunday, January 13Reception: Friday, January 4, 5:00pm - 7:00pmWashburn Hall

AIB BFA Student ExhibitLocation and date to be announcedAIB Fine Arts Faculty ExhibitionThursday, January 24 - Saturday, February 16Reception: Thursday, January 31, 6:00pm - 8:00pmUniversity Hall Gallery, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue

AIB Alumni BFA Invitational ExhibitionMonday, January 28 - Sunday, March 3, 2013Reception: Thursday, February 7, 5:00pm - 7:00pmMain Gallery, 700 Beacon Street

Exhibition at Boston Public Library: BPL Collects AIBFebruary - MarchExact dates to be determinedBoston Public Library

AIB Design Faculty ExhibitionThursday, February 21 - Friday, March 15Reception: Thursday, February 21, 6:00pm - 8:00pmUniversity Hall Gallery, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue

MFA in Photography Visiting Artist Lecture: Holly RobertsTuesday, March 19, 12:30pm - 1:30pmRoom 215, 700 Beacon Street

Community of Scholars (Arts Focus)Wednesday, March 27Lesley University Cambridge campusesAIB Undergraduate Senior ExhibitThursday, May 9 - Saturday, June 15Reception and Awards Ceremony: Thursday, May 9, 5:00pm - 7:00pmMain Gallery, 700 Beacon Street

Lesley University CommencementSaturday, May 18Bank of America Pavilion, South Boston

Strauch-Mosse LectureArtist and date to be announced

Centennial Fundraising GalaLocation and date to be announced

MFA in Photography Visiting Artist Lecture: Lyle RexterLocation and date to be announced

MFA in Photography ExhibitionLocation and date to be announced

Seminar / Symposium Series (AIB Discourses)Topic and date to be announced

Department Event: Fine ArtsLocation and date to be announced

Department Event: DesignLocation and date to be announced

Department Event: Animation ShowLocation and date to be announced;

Summer 2013MFA in Visual Arts Graduation ExhibitJune (exact date to be announced)Main Gallery, 700 Beacon Street & University Hall Gallery, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue

MFA in Visual Arts Art TalksJune (exact date to be announced)565 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 101

Alumni WeekendFriday May 31 - Sunday, June 2

Pre-College ExhibitFriday, August 2, 6:00pm - 8:00pm700 Beacon Street

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