College for Creative Studies
Encyclopedia
College for Creative Studies (CCS) is an art education institution
in the United States
and was cited by BusinessWeek
as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. It is a private, fully accredited, four-year college
located in Detroit, Michigan
. CCS is credited with having one of the world’s most recognized programs in transportation design and for placing possibly more graduates in automotive design than any other school. The school is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
(AICAD), a consortium of thirty-six leading art schools in the United States.
The college had its origin in 1906 with the formation of the Society of Arts and Crafts. In 1926, the society became one of the first Arts and Crafts organizations in America to offer an educational program in the arts. In 1962, when the Michigan Department of Education
authorized the granting of a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree in Industrial Design
, the school officially became a college. In 1975 the School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts changed its name to the Center for Creative Studies-College of Art and Design and in 2001 it assumed its present name.
Currently CCS offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in 11 majors: Advertising Design, Entertainment Arts(Character and Expiremental Animation
, Video and Live Action, and Game Art), Art Education
, Crafts, Fine Arts, Graphic Design
, Illustration
, Interior Design
, Photography
, Product Design
, and Transportation Design
.
The College also offers noncredit courses in the visual arts
through its Continuing Education programs and opportunities for youth through Community Arts Partnerships.
On January 8, 2006, Richard Rogers, President of the school, announced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show
that Josephine Ford, the only granddaughter of Ford Motor Company
founder Henry Ford
, bequeathed $50 million to CCS upon her death the previous June. This gift stands as the largest single gift ever made to a private arts college in the United States, and the largest gift to any private school
in Michigan.
The official mascot is the Screaming Peacock and the school colors are cardinal and eggshell.
The university has many unique facilities such as extensive studio space, art gallery for student exhibitions, foundry
, computer studios, wood shop, metals shop, glassblowing
studio, ceramic
studio, fiber
studio.
year for CCS graduate programs.
The two year MFA degrees in Design
and Transportation Design
are terminal degrees that prepare students for leadership in the design industries. The MFA degree programs share core curriculum, with variations in technology
components, and the focus and content of industry sponsored projects.
The MFA program’s focus on business is directly related to CCS roots. Founded as part of the Arts and Crafts movement
a century
ago, CCS has always been practical, professional
and business
oriented. Students will experience the basic “Boot Camp
” immersion required of MBA’s as well as courses in marketing
, within an environment steeped in business culture. The objective is to give students the tools and vocabulary
necessary to think in business terms and to communicate effectively in the business world: verbally, in writing and through quantitative research
thinking. Learning will be applied and tested on team-based, client-sponsored projects in studio classes.
The CCS graduate program is directed and taught by professionals with extensive experience in design and the business of design. CCS' approach starts with designers: talented, trained, experienced professionals interested in deepening their theoretical and practical design knowledge and competence, and learning the business of design at a management level. The College's goals are to give graduates the knowledge and skills to advance their careers as innovators in the field of design, shorten the time frame typically required to learn business practices on the job, build and lead creative teams that drive business results, and become active participants in corporate strategy
and decision making.
CCS MFA graduates acquire the background for integrating design into the corporate planning stream that connects market research, engineering, finance, production and marketing. MFA core study areas are design, business and culture, structured in a systems approach designed to relate and integrate learning across disciplines. While other programs tend to focus on the analysis of research and the verbalization of criteria and concepts, the CCS MFA focuses on doing. The designer as Maker is at the heart and soul of this institution. Students will learn to take research findings, new knowledge about the human/technology interface, basic business principles, and an understanding of social, economic and cultural contexts, and transform them into applicable results.
In a project totaling about $145,000,000, the world-renowned College redeveloped the historic Argonaut Building
in 2009 as a second campus site and reorganized and upgraded its existing campus in the Cultural Center. The Argonaut Building houses undergraduate and graduate programs in design, community outreach activities, student housing, research and professional activities in the design fields, and a charter middle school and high school with a special focus on art and design.
General Motors
, which built the 760000 square feet (70,606.3 m²) Argonaut Building
as its first research facility, has donated it to the College and provided substantial assistance in planning the project. GM has also donated three adjacent pieces of property. The building was designed by Albert Kahn in 1927, and an addition was constructed in 1936. The first design department in the history of the auto industry, directed by legendary designer Harley Earl
, was located in the building.
CCS programs and departments occupy approximately 70 percent of the Argonaut Building (now known as the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education) with other partners making up the remainder of the facility. The campus will be home to all of CCS’s design-based majors - Transportation Design
, Product Design
, Interior Design
, Graphic Design
, and Advertising
Design. When they launch in 2009, CCS’s Master of Fine Arts degree programs in Design and in Transportation Design will be housed in the facility. These innovative new programs prepare students for leadership in design industries by building upon CCS’s strong tradition of educating highly skilled designers. In addition to a full design curriculum, MFA students take business courses through a partnership with University of Michigan
’s Ross School of Business
. The New Center site will be home to CCS’s Community Arts Partnerships program, which serves approximately 3,000 Detroit youth annually in partnership with local schools and community organizations, as well as the Continuing Education
department, which provides youth and adult art and design programs.
The new campus also allows the College to meet the housing demands of current and incoming students, with the addition of 300 beds of student housing, added to the 265 beds at the Cultural Center site. A conference center with a 400-seat auditorium, which will be available for public use, and a 360-seat dining hall are included in the project.
Innovative Middle and High School Educational Community
The Argonaut building is the home of an art and design-based charter middle school and high school for Detroit students. CCS is partnered with the Thompson Educational Foundation and Henry Ford Learning Institute to develop high-performance schools that will provide a pathway for artistically-talented Detroit students to careers in the design fields and the creative economy. They also address the need for more minority
students at CCS and other art and design colleges around the country, and for greater minority representation in the design professions. Both of these partners have built successful models for education and are considered leaders in changing education in the city of Detroit and the region.
Black Artists Researching Trends (B.A.R.T.)headed by Cliff Harris - CCS Advisor and Director of Multi-Cultural Affairs
B.A.R.T. focuses on the work of artists outside the mainstream. All students are welcome to join. The group sponsors lectures and local exhibits, and performs community service work.
Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA)
The GSA is composed of students, faculty, and staff. The main goal of this organization is to provide a forum for the CCS community to discuss Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender (GLBT) topics in a safe place. The group also organizes campus wide events to provide educational opportunities for the entire community on GLBT issues.
Innovative, Diverse Educational Activities (IDEA)
This student group meets with the Student Programming Coordinator to provide input on activities held on campus. It offers opportunities for students to learn event planning processes and leadership skills.
English Conversation Group
International students are paired with English Speaking students to improve their conversational skills and assist them in acclimating to the United States and Detroit in particular.
Multicultural Student Collective
The Multicultural Student Collective is a committee of students who work closely with faculty and staff to develop culturally diverse programming for CCS students. From workshops conducted by guest artists and designers, to exhibitions featuring the work of multicultural CCS students, programs highlight minority involvement in disciplines represented at CCS.
Student Budget Committee
This student group meets with the Vice President of Administration and Finance to learn more about the CCS budgeting process and provide student input.
Student Government
The Student Government is the formal link between CCS administration and students, and provides students a forum in which to voice opinions and concerns. Meetings are held once a week. Student Government takes on special projects as necessary.
Departmental Organizations
American Society of Interior Designers
(ASID)
The CCS student chapter of this national design organization focuses heavily on careers in interior design. Members design show houses, raise funds for charities, tour manufacturing facilities, and attend trade shows and career events held at the Michigan Design Center. Members serve on various boards, with one student serving as representative to Michigan's A.S.I.D. board.
Children's Book Society
The Children's Book Society promotes the profession of children's book illustration by providing informational resources, organizing exhibitions of student work, and bringing professionals to campus to speak about the business, review portfolios, and conduct workshops.
Glass Odyssey Organized Society for Enrichment (G.O.O.S.E )
This group aims to further students' education through its meetings with glass artists outside CCS. Members have the opportunity to promote themselves through networking, while gleaning new information and learning about current techniques and materials used in the glass world.
Industrial Designers Society of America
(I.D.S.A.)
The CCS student chapter of this national design organization sponsors regular visits to national galleries and corporations, ensuring students are well-informed about current events and developments in the industrial design profession.
SIGGMO
The CCS student chapter of the national SIGGRAPH organization links students with the Association for Computing Machinery
, the world's oldest and largest educational and scientific computing society. The Association's mission is to promote the exchange of ideas and theories and advance information technology, while promoting professional standards. SIGGMO focuses on building a sense of community among animation and graphics students on campus, and on linking students with industry professionals. The group also sponsors guest speakers and social events.
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was cited by BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. It is a private, fully accredited, four-year college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
located in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. CCS is credited with having one of the world’s most recognized programs in transportation design and for placing possibly more graduates in automotive design than any other school. The school is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
The Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design is a non-profit consortium of 41 leading art and design colleges in the United States and Canada. All AICAD member institutions have a curriculum with full liberal arts and sciences requirements complementing studio work, and all are...
(AICAD), a consortium of thirty-six leading art schools in the United States.
The college had its origin in 1906 with the formation of the Society of Arts and Crafts. In 1926, the society became one of the first Arts and Crafts organizations in America to offer an educational program in the arts. In 1962, when the Michigan Department of Education
Michigan Department of Education
Michigan Department of Education is a state agency of Michigan, in the United States. MDE oversees public school districts in the state. The agency is headquartered at 608 West Allegan Street in Lansing. The Department of Education is overseen by the State Board of Education. The Board of...
authorized the granting of a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
degree in Industrial Design
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
, the school officially became a college. In 1975 the School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts changed its name to the Center for Creative Studies-College of Art and Design and in 2001 it assumed its present name.
Currently CCS offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in 11 majors: Advertising Design, Entertainment Arts(Character and Expiremental Animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, Video and Live Action, and Game Art), Art Education
Art education
Art education is the area of learning that is based upon the visual, tangible arts—drawing, painting, sculpture, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc. and design applied to more practical fields such as commercial graphics and home furnishings...
, Crafts, Fine Arts, Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
, Illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
, Interior Design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
, Photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, Product Design
Product design
-Introduction:Product design is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. It is concerned with the efficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products.Product designers conceptualize and...
, and Transportation Design
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
.
The College also offers noncredit courses in the visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
through its Continuing Education programs and opportunities for youth through Community Arts Partnerships.
On January 8, 2006, Richard Rogers, President of the school, announced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
that Josephine Ford, the only granddaughter of Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
founder Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
, bequeathed $50 million to CCS upon her death the previous June. This gift stands as the largest single gift ever made to a private arts college in the United States, and the largest gift to any private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
in Michigan.
The official mascot is the Screaming Peacock and the school colors are cardinal and eggshell.
The university has many unique facilities such as extensive studio space, art gallery for student exhibitions, foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
, computer studios, wood shop, metals shop, glassblowing
Glassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
studio, ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
studio, fiber
Fiber
Fiber is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread.They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissues together....
studio.
CCS MFA Master of Fine Arts
Fall 2009 is the inauguralInauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....
year for CCS graduate programs.
The two year MFA degrees in Design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and Transportation Design
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
are terminal degrees that prepare students for leadership in the design industries. The MFA degree programs share core curriculum, with variations in technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
components, and the focus and content of industry sponsored projects.
The MFA program’s focus on business is directly related to CCS roots. Founded as part of the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
a century
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
ago, CCS has always been practical, professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
oriented. Students will experience the basic “Boot Camp
Training camp
A training camp is a place, usually with an army-camp-type environment, where people go to learn skills, usually skills involving physical action rather than book subjects, usually for an armed force or an action sport...
” immersion required of MBA’s as well as courses in marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, within an environment steeped in business culture. The objective is to give students the tools and vocabulary
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
necessary to think in business terms and to communicate effectively in the business world: verbally, in writing and through quantitative research
Quantitative
A quantitative property is one that exists in a range of magnitudes, and can therefore be measured with a number. Measurements of any particular quantitative property are expressed as a specific quantity, referred to as a unit, multiplied by a number. Examples of physical quantities are distance,...
thinking. Learning will be applied and tested on team-based, client-sponsored projects in studio classes.
The CCS graduate program is directed and taught by professionals with extensive experience in design and the business of design. CCS' approach starts with designers: talented, trained, experienced professionals interested in deepening their theoretical and practical design knowledge and competence, and learning the business of design at a management level. The College's goals are to give graduates the knowledge and skills to advance their careers as innovators in the field of design, shorten the time frame typically required to learn business practices on the job, build and lead creative teams that drive business results, and become active participants in corporate strategy
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
and decision making.
CCS MFA graduates acquire the background for integrating design into the corporate planning stream that connects market research, engineering, finance, production and marketing. MFA core study areas are design, business and culture, structured in a systems approach designed to relate and integrate learning across disciplines. While other programs tend to focus on the analysis of research and the verbalization of criteria and concepts, the CCS MFA focuses on doing. The designer as Maker is at the heart and soul of this institution. Students will learn to take research findings, new knowledge about the human/technology interface, basic business principles, and an understanding of social, economic and cultural contexts, and transform them into applicable results.
CCS Expands to Argonaut Building (A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education)
The College for Creative Studies (CCS) launched a major expansion that transformed the institution while providing new educational opportunities for Detroit youth and advancing the renewal of the City’s New Center, Detroit area.In a project totaling about $145,000,000, the world-renowned College redeveloped the historic Argonaut Building
Argonaut Building
The Argonaut Building, renamed in 2009 the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education , is a large office building located in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. The building is located at 485 West Milwaukee Avenue, and is located across the street from Cadillac Place...
in 2009 as a second campus site and reorganized and upgraded its existing campus in the Cultural Center. The Argonaut Building houses undergraduate and graduate programs in design, community outreach activities, student housing, research and professional activities in the design fields, and a charter middle school and high school with a special focus on art and design.
General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, which built the 760000 square feet (70,606.3 m²) Argonaut Building
Argonaut Building
The Argonaut Building, renamed in 2009 the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education , is a large office building located in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. The building is located at 485 West Milwaukee Avenue, and is located across the street from Cadillac Place...
as its first research facility, has donated it to the College and provided substantial assistance in planning the project. GM has also donated three adjacent pieces of property. The building was designed by Albert Kahn in 1927, and an addition was constructed in 1936. The first design department in the history of the auto industry, directed by legendary designer Harley Earl
Harley Earl
Harley J. Earl was first Vice President of Design at General Motors. He was an industrial designer and a pioneer of modern transportation design. A coachbuilder by trade, Earl pioneered the use of freeform sketching and hand sculpted clay models as design techniques...
, was located in the building.
CCS programs and departments occupy approximately 70 percent of the Argonaut Building (now known as the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education) with other partners making up the remainder of the facility. The campus will be home to all of CCS’s design-based majors - Transportation Design
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
, Product Design
Product design
-Introduction:Product design is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. It is concerned with the efficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products.Product designers conceptualize and...
, Interior Design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
, Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
, and Advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
Design. When they launch in 2009, CCS’s Master of Fine Arts degree programs in Design and in Transportation Design will be housed in the facility. These innovative new programs prepare students for leadership in design industries by building upon CCS’s strong tradition of educating highly skilled designers. In addition to a full design curriculum, MFA students take business courses through a partnership with University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
’s Ross School of Business
Ross School of Business
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business is the business school of the University of Michigan. Numerous publications have ranked the Ross School of Business' Bachelor of Business Administration , Master of Business Administration and Executive Education programs among the top in the country and the...
. The New Center site will be home to CCS’s Community Arts Partnerships program, which serves approximately 3,000 Detroit youth annually in partnership with local schools and community organizations, as well as the Continuing Education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
department, which provides youth and adult art and design programs.
The new campus also allows the College to meet the housing demands of current and incoming students, with the addition of 300 beds of student housing, added to the 265 beds at the Cultural Center site. A conference center with a 400-seat auditorium, which will be available for public use, and a 360-seat dining hall are included in the project.
Innovative Middle and High School Educational Community
The Argonaut building is the home of an art and design-based charter middle school and high school for Detroit students. CCS is partnered with the Thompson Educational Foundation and Henry Ford Learning Institute to develop high-performance schools that will provide a pathway for artistically-talented Detroit students to careers in the design fields and the creative economy. They also address the need for more minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
students at CCS and other art and design colleges around the country, and for greater minority representation in the design professions. Both of these partners have built successful models for education and are considered leaders in changing education in the city of Detroit and the region.
Campus Organizations
Student OrganizationsBlack Artists Researching Trends (B.A.R.T.)headed by Cliff Harris - CCS Advisor and Director of Multi-Cultural Affairs
B.A.R.T. focuses on the work of artists outside the mainstream. All students are welcome to join. The group sponsors lectures and local exhibits, and performs community service work.
Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA)
The GSA is composed of students, faculty, and staff. The main goal of this organization is to provide a forum for the CCS community to discuss Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender (GLBT) topics in a safe place. The group also organizes campus wide events to provide educational opportunities for the entire community on GLBT issues.
Innovative, Diverse Educational Activities (IDEA)
This student group meets with the Student Programming Coordinator to provide input on activities held on campus. It offers opportunities for students to learn event planning processes and leadership skills.
English Conversation Group
International students are paired with English Speaking students to improve their conversational skills and assist them in acclimating to the United States and Detroit in particular.
Multicultural Student Collective
The Multicultural Student Collective is a committee of students who work closely with faculty and staff to develop culturally diverse programming for CCS students. From workshops conducted by guest artists and designers, to exhibitions featuring the work of multicultural CCS students, programs highlight minority involvement in disciplines represented at CCS.
Student Budget Committee
This student group meets with the Vice President of Administration and Finance to learn more about the CCS budgeting process and provide student input.
Student Government
The Student Government is the formal link between CCS administration and students, and provides students a forum in which to voice opinions and concerns. Meetings are held once a week. Student Government takes on special projects as necessary.
Departmental Organizations
American Society of Interior Designers
American Society of Interior Designers
The American Society of Interior Designers is the oldest and largest professional association for interior designers. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate...
(ASID)
The CCS student chapter of this national design organization focuses heavily on careers in interior design. Members design show houses, raise funds for charities, tour manufacturing facilities, and attend trade shows and career events held at the Michigan Design Center. Members serve on various boards, with one student serving as representative to Michigan's A.S.I.D. board.
Children's Book Society
The Children's Book Society promotes the profession of children's book illustration by providing informational resources, organizing exhibitions of student work, and bringing professionals to campus to speak about the business, review portfolios, and conduct workshops.
Glass Odyssey Organized Society for Enrichment (G.O.O.S.E )
This group aims to further students' education through its meetings with glass artists outside CCS. Members have the opportunity to promote themselves through networking, while gleaning new information and learning about current techniques and materials used in the glass world.
Industrial Designers Society of America
Industrial Designers Society of America
Industrial Designers Society of America is an organization of professional industrial designers primarily in the United States. Recently IDSA has started chapters in Canada and in China...
(I.D.S.A.)
The CCS student chapter of this national design organization sponsors regular visits to national galleries and corporations, ensuring students are well-informed about current events and developments in the industrial design profession.
SIGGMO
ACM SIGGRAPH
ACM SIGGRAPH is the New York–based Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. It was founded in 1969 by Andy van Dam ....
The CCS student chapter of the national SIGGRAPH organization links students with the Association for Computing Machinery
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
, the world's oldest and largest educational and scientific computing society. The Association's mission is to promote the exchange of ideas and theories and advance information technology, while promoting professional standards. SIGGMO focuses on building a sense of community among animation and graphics students on campus, and on linking students with industry professionals. The group also sponsors guest speakers and social events.
Notable Alumni
- Harry BertoiaHarry BertoiaHarry Bertoia , was an Italian-born artist, sculptor, and modern furniture designer....
- Italian-born artist, sculptor, and modern furniture designer. - Bob Boniface - Director of Design for the Chevrolet VoltChevrolet VoltThe Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors. The Volt has been on sale in the U.S. market since mid-December 2010, and is the most fuel-efficient compact car sold in the United States, as rated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency...
- Doug ChiangDoug ChiangDoug Chiang is an American film designer and artist. He was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1962 and grew up in the United States.Chiang studied film at UCLA and industrial design at the College for Creative Studies. During the late 1980s he worked at various production studios including Rhythm and Hues...
- American film designer and artist - Ralph GillesRalph GillesRalph V. Gilles, born on January 14, 1970 in New York City, is a Haitian-Can-American automobile designer.Gilles is currently the President and CEO of the SRT Brand and Senior Vice President of Design at Chrysler Group LLC...
- President and CEO of the DodgeDodgeDodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
and Senior Vice President of Design at Chrysler Group LLC - Tyree GuytonTyree GuytonTyree Guyton is an artist from Detroit, Michigan, born on August 24, 1955. He is married to Jenenne Whitfield and lives within Detroit city limits. Before becoming an artist, Guyton worked as a firefighter and an autoworker and served in the U.S. Army. Guyton studied art at Marygrove College,...
- Noted artist behind the Heidelberg ProjectHeidelberg ProjectThe Heidelberg Project is an outdoor art project in Detroit, Michigan. It was created in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton and his grandfather Sam Mackey as an outdoor art environment in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood on the city's east side, just north of the city's historically African-American Black... - Kevin Hunter - Vice President of Design and Studio Operations at Calty Design ResearchCalty Design ResearchCalty Design Research Incorporated is a Toyota design studio established in 1973. They have two facilities: one in Newport Beach, California and another in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Calty's primary focus is exterior styling...
- Tom Kearns - Chief Designer of Kia Design Center America
- Taru Lahti('88?)
- Bill Morrison - co-founder of Bongo ComicsBongo ComicsBongo Comics Group is a comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Steve and Cindy Vance, Bill Morrison, and Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening. It publishes comics related to the animated television series The Simpsons and Futurama, along with original material...
- Ryoji Okazaki('93)
- Camillo Pardo('85)
- Joel Piaskowski ('90)
- Patrick SchiavonePatrick SchiavonePatrick Schiavone is currently Vice President, Design, North America Region for Whirlpool Corporation. Patrick was formerly an automobile designer, in charge of trucks for North America at Ford Motor Company...
- Vice President, Design, North America Region for Whirlpool Corporation - Kevin SiembiedaKevin SiembiedaKevin Siembieda is an American artist, writer, designer, and publisher of role-playing games, and the co-founder and president of Palladium Books....
- co-founder of Palladium BooksPalladium BooksPalladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games perhaps best known for its popular, expansive Rifts series . Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin Siembieda, and is presently based in Westland, Michigan... - B. K. TaylorB. K. TaylorB. K. Taylor is an American illustrator, cartoonist, writer, production designer, costume designer, puppeteer, and musician known for his work on the Odd Rods collector stickers of the late 1960s, his covers for Sick magazine, his comics in National Lampoon, and for his work as a staff writer on...
- Illustrator and writer noted for his Odd RodsOdd RodsOdd Rods was a group of non-sports trading card/sticker series created by the Donruss company beginning in 1969. The original series, entitled Odd Rods, introduced the theme of the series in 44 stickers: Monsters in cars. Done by cartoonist/illustrator/writer B.K...
trading stickers, illustrations for SickSick (magazine)Sick was a satirical-humor magazine published from 1960 to 1980, lasting 134 issues. It was created by comic-book writer-artist Joe Simon, who also edited the title until the late 1960s. Sick was published by Crestwood Publications until issue #62 , when it was taken over by Hewfred Publications...
magazine and National Lampoon, and his writing for Home Improvement. - Crystal Windham('94)
- WylandWylandRobert Wyland , known simply as Wyland, is an artist best known for painting large, outdoor murals of whales and other ocean life.-Personal life:...
- Artist famous for murals of whales
Notable Teachers
Past and Present- Dale K. MyersDale K. MyersDale K. Myers is a computer animator, author, and John F. Kennedy assassination researcher. He was honored in 2004 with an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his computer animated recreation of the Kennedy assassination featured in ABC News' 40th anniversary...
- award winning computer animator. - Harvey OvshinskyHarvey OvshinskyHarvey Ovshinsky is a journalist, story consultant media producer, film maker, and self described "Detroit Story Teller". Ovshinsky was raised in Detroit, Michigan and attended Mumford High School. In 1965, at age 17, he founded and edited Fifth Estate, one of the longest running underground...
- journalist, story consultant media producer, film maker. - Syd MeadSyd MeadSydney Jay Mead, commonly Syd Mead, is a "visual futurist" and concept artist. He is best known for his designs for science-fiction films such as Blade Runner, Aliens and Tron...
- concept artist and visual futurist.