SAN FRANCISCO -- In its annual event honoring the year's best work from more than 40 areas of art and design, Academy of Art University invited industry leaders, recruiters, and the local community down its red carpet into the 2019 Spring Show this past May. Numerous ART U student-athletes had the opportunity to interact with those individuals while showcasing their talents and portfolios at this grand finale to the 2018-19 academic year.

Two friendly faces from the School of Advertising were former baseball pitcher Alexander Kuisel and former women's cross country/track & field runner Justice Hinojosa. Kuisel (portfolio) demonstrated the universality of Google with a campaign driven by celebrities like Pharrell and Wiz Kalifa that involved access to special events and offers when participants typed "Skateboarding" into a Google search.

 

"It was my first spring show, so I definitely felt excited for it," said Kuisel. "Naturally, it's just so cool to see how much one improves. Over the years, I did feel like I was improving and getting a firm understanding of what my industry expects and needs. Some feedback I got about my work and portfolio definitely lifted my spirits and made me feel comfortable. After some industry interviews, I feel like I'm in good hands for the future."

Working as a part of Academy of Art's ad agency, Young & Hungry, Hinojosa (portfolio) delivered materials to Goodwill, the class client, in preparation for multiple seasonal social media campaigns used online. The two Instagram series aimed at driving traffic to the used goods dealer highlighted Halloween with "Goodwill Haunting" and the holidays with "12 Days of Ugly Sweaters." Collaborating with photographers, cinematographers, and fashion stylists, Hinojosa served in a writing capacity with Young & Hungry in the project.

Not one, but three works from Hinojosa's fellow former women's cross country/track & field runner Jamie Morris (portfolio) could be found throughout the School of Fine Art exhibit. Next to a golden "Abstract Award" ribbon, Morris' piece titled "Awoken" caught many eyes. Emerging from concepts taught and rules strategically broken in her Surrealism, Stylization, and Expression class, Morris' implementation of cubism and exaggeration were just some of ideas at play.

"This painting was an exercise in which the fundamentals of fine art were pushed, stressed, and even lost," said Morris. "There are cubist elements as well as realism, color, composition, caricature, and everything in between."

 

A specialist in landscapes, Morris also put oil to canvas while looking through a cave at the "Sutro Bath Ruins" and gazing over "Rocks in Marin," two works which explore composition, atmosphere, movement, and texture.

Offering one of the most dynamic and interactive presentations at Spring Show, the School of Communications & Media Technologies brought several student-athletes onstage for various awards and honors. Baseball infielder Josh Carlin and men's cross country/track & field runner Nicolas Boffman each earned Best Undergraduate Focus Awards while women's tennis twins Alma Thell-Lenntorp and Klara Thell-Lenntorp were each selected for Best Undergraduate Editor Awards. Baseball also had pitcher Ben Clegg receive Best Undergraduate Producer while the tandem of volleyball defensive specialist/outside hitter Talia Thompson and men's soccer midfielder Isiah Quiros each took home Achievement Awards for work that helped them secure positions with NBC Sports Bay Area.

Continuing the annual tradition, the department produced a live version of "Academy's Got Talent" with the assistance of softball alumni and current School of Communications & media Technologies studio and editing manager Shampayne Clay, baseball alumni and the department's current studio production & editing coordinator Chris Petrosie, his former teammate pitcher Ben Kaser, and men's basketball forward Brenden Otero.

In a collaboration that brought together numerous majors, women's tennis student-athlete Mariacristina Andrisani assisted in the design and presentation of visions of what Subaru will be in 2030. Academy of Art's Schools of Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Advertising, Web Design & New Media, and Andrisani's own Interior Architecture & Design met with Los Angeles-based Subaru clients on nearly a weekly basis to coordinate and Andrisani's group specifically took the concept of transforming Subaru from a car brand to a lifestyle brand: "VOYAGE: Your Gateway To Adventure." Her focus was on building the exterior and later interior part of these potential Subaru buildings, termed as "Summits," that would be spread out throughout the United States, offering a chance to learn more about Subaru and rent branded gear.

 

Taking on another aspect of the same Subaru class, another pair from the School of Interior Architecture & Design, track & field multi's specialist Hannah Hensley (portfolio) and softball utility Dominique Seva'aetasi, were assigned to create a residential home that would describe the persona of her group's Subaru client, Dave. Taking into account Dave's enjoyment of the outdoors and his desire for a modern and sustainable living space that felt larger than it actually appeared, a 750 square-foot home was designed utilizing concrete for the floor and Forest Stewardship Council certified wood planks for the ceiling. The end result was then modeled under the "ROAM: Find Your Journey" section of the presentation.

More unique ideas came out of the School of Industrial Design as well. Former men's cross country/track & field runner Joshua Thorson (portfolio) made his second Spring Show appearance, displaying his concept of "SUMM Modular Furniture." A 2019 Industrial Designers Society of America West District Graduate Student Merit Award winner, Thorson's furniture innovation provided efficient customization while helping reduce waste.

Inspired by the American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist that was Maya Angelou, Industrial Design major and women's golfer Elan Hawkins gave life to a colorful shoe, clothing, and poster design encapsulating "The Untold Story of Maya Angelou."

The School of Fashion featured one-of-a-kind t-shirts from former women's soccer defender Makayla Godden (portfolio) whose textile design illustrated her concept of embracing who we are and supporting one another no matter the differences.

Though she works specifically as a Fashion Design major, women's cross country/track & field's Ashley Brown delved into jewelry making and had her "Rocking Horse Ring" on display. The interactive piece which entertained with the simple movement of one's fingers developed out children's toy ideas and the beads were specifically added from the inspiration of the how she wore her hair as a child.

 

Perusing the School of Animation & Visual Effects section, one might have caught a glimpse of the work of former men's cross country/track & field runner Brett Bermudez (portfolio). Inspired by the popular video game series Mega Man, Bermudez incorporated elemental effects such as fire and water into his character animation. Seizing the opportunity to network, Bermudez spoke with representatives from Nickelodeon and Netflix at Spring Show.

Interactive portfolios from a trio of men's soccer student-athletes were found in the School of Web Design & New Media display. Midfielder David Sigurdarson (portfolio), defender Connor Henrichs (portfolio), and goalkeeper Kris Jensson (portfolio) showed various concepts ranging from Sigurdarson's "Lineful," a service designed to inform users about line conditions at the airport, Henrich's "Ascend," a personal-effects storage system for the homeless to grow themselves, and Jensson's "AÏZA," a product for beekeepers to track their bees. The group, who collectively guarded the ART U line at times in their career, spent hours mingling with Apple representatives during the show.

"There is a definite sense of pride having a project selected for Spring Show," said Henrichs. "As designers, we're passionate about what we are creating and then too receive recognition for a design or piece work is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Although most all of our teachers have professional experience, it is reassuring to hear from those that are currently in the industry as well. We grow through critique, whether positive or negative, because there are lessons to be learned and having a fresh set of eyes talk about different elements of our work helps us to further our designs to make see we are 100 percent prepared for the professional world upon graduating."

Academy of Art School of Visual Development major and volleyball middle blocker Sadie Emery had her work at the forefront of the entrance to Spring Show. Walking in to greet many "characters" from the School of Fine Art Sculpture, Emery's piece was from her fall semester Figure Modeling class.

Adding to her growing portfolio, women's golfer Han-Chuan "Vicky" Kuo had her short film, "The Mix Up," on the rotation inside the School of Motion Pictures & Television area. A suspenseful three and a half minutes sees a novelist's characters turn against her as process of composing the plot develops first hand.

Also from the School of Motion Pictures & Television, a duo from women's track & field, sprinter Hava Turner and multi's specialist Briaunna Caver (School of Writing for Film, Television, & Digital Media), had their piece, "Crown of Curls," available. Exploring new territory with the implementation of virtual reality technology, the experience puts you (the viewer) in the shoes of a young, mixed-race girl who, while straightening your hair, sees "a controversial dispute on societal racism breaks out between your parents and how it might impact the upbringing of you." Turner served as the film creator and director, utilizing the help of Caver as her screenwriter.

In addition to Caver, the School of Writing for Film, Television, & Digital Media was represented by former men's cross country/track & field runner Jarred Gregory-Grimes who made his second appearance at Spring Show. The film he wrote, entitled "The Better Half of Us," was about "a bunch of misfits growing up in high school while trying to find their voice and something they can all be passionate about together" and, in his own words, "is a lot like the writing process."
 
"It was really cool to see my work around that of my peers," said Gregory-Grimes. "Writing is a lot of hard work with long nights and hours sometimes sitting there not writing which is weird to say. You are the only person who knows how much work goes into what you do so you feel proud of it. My journey here started with weird sci-fi short films with bad plot premises and developed into more grounded human stories about myself and people around me."

 

 On the stage itself, Academy of Art School of Acting had former men's track & field sprinter Michael Houston and softball infielder Brenna Youngquist deliver memorable performances in Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights" under the direction of Clark Houston Lewis. Captivating audiences inside the Sutter Theater with their passion and energy, Houston and Youngquist brought the characters of Benny and Nina Rosario to life over the course of seven shows in the third week of May. Highlights of their work from this production and others could be found at Spring Show.

When she wasn't on the softball field this past season, utility Katie Tablada could likely be found working on her final project in the School of Architecture. Focused on a commuter residential location in Point Richmond, she used a multi-tier approach that ultimately led to scenic views of San Francisco. For the second consecutive year, women's golfers Iveta Posledni and Anahi Servin also had their designs featured.

After having the rare opportunity to have one of her foundation pieces in the Spring Show as a freshman, D2CCA Softball All-West Region First Team catcher Lauryn Henderson from the School of Game Development returned with five more pieces in 2019 and remains determined toward the future.

"It's always a huge honor to see your art on the wall," said Henderson. "It makes all the effort and long nights worth it. It's truly our school's best and I want to be the best of the best. I might be crazy, but it actually makes me want to work even harder. I definitely want to try my best in the years to come and keep improving at the rate I have been. I love my major deeply and it's nice that I'm so passionate about something that requires so much work."