By Nina Tabios

When life hands you lemons, sometimes the lemonade turns out sour. In Wilson, a film adapted from comic book writer Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel of the same name, the titular character (played by Woody Harrelson) brushes through his days sowing the seeds of his cynicism. After his father dies and his only friend moves away, Wilson faces a rude awakening when he realizes how lonely he truly is and seeks to fill the hole his own grouchy tendencies dug for himself.

Earlier this month, the redshirt sophomore defended his 60m title at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships

By Rob Garcia

After earning West Region Track Athlete of the Year award, then National Championships in both the 60m and 200m at Indoor Nationals on March 11, Mobolade Ajomale became the first male athlete in program history to be named NCAA Division II Indoor Men’s Track Athlete of the Year after an announcement by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on March 14. 

The next generation of designers will now be able to hone their craft in NASAD-certified programs

By Nivetha Sundar and Alexey Timbul

Responding to the growing market need for textile, surface and graphic print designers, the School of Fashion at Academy of Art University has created the associate, undergraduate and graduate degrees in the specialized field of textile design, which were recently certified by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). These research-based programs focus on comprehensive design development to empower the next generation of designers.

By Dorothy O’Donnell

Director Tom McGrath and producer Ramsey Naito won’t be offended if you think their latest animated comedy, The Boss Baby, looks like a throwback to an old Disney movie. They’ll take it as a compliment. McGrath and Naito were recently at 620 Sutter Street to show a large group of animation students clips from The Boss Baby and talk about making the DreamWorks Animation film. They also shared information about their backgrounds and offered advice for students hoping to launch a career in animation.

Hired by the Mongol Ecology Center, Jeff Colhoun spent six weeks creating the spectacular film

By Dorothy O’Donnell

Few people get the chance to travel to Mongolia, a sparsely populated Asian country bordered by China and Russia. Even fewer get the opportunity to experience the rugged beauty of Darkhad Valley, one of the most remote places in Mongolia and the world. The difficult-to-access valley is home to the nomadic Dukha people and endangered species such as snow leopards and ibex (a type of mountain goat). 

Last year, Academy of Art University alumnus Jeff Colhoun was hired by the Mongol Ecology Center, a nonprofit government organization, to create the documentary Darkhad Valley. “I spent six weeks in Darkhad Valley shooting a film about the rangers there and the work they’re doing to protect endangered species,” said Colhoun, who graduated with an M.F.A. in photography in 2012.

By Peg McClellan

Academy of Art University School of Motion Pictures & Television (MPTV) alumna Carly McCarthy’s talents were spotted early by Executive Director of Immersive Technology James Egan and MPTV instructor Jonathan Crosby. They suggested that McCarthy submit her short film, Good Grief, to The Smithsonian Institution’s 2015 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Her film was selected as a finalist from hundreds of submissions from all over the country. Another one of her short films, Hey Mom, had been selected at the Academy’s own 2015 Media Awards.

Taking her talent and the skills she learned while studying cinematography at the Academy, McCarthy was able to land an internship working with United States Senator Bernie Sanders in Washington, D.C. 

McCarthy recently spoke about how different opportunities followed after graduating from the Academy as well as being inspired by the senator from Vermont contributed to her path to D.C.

By Kiyomi Mitsuda

Little. Black. Chiron. These are the three parts that make up the underdog movie of the year, Moonlight.

Moonlight follows a young African-American boy named Chiron in the projects just outside of Miami, Florida. The film focuses on how Chiron deals with his mother, who has a crack addiction, his struggles with his sexuality in an African-American society and growing up not knowing exactly who he is.

By Courtney Peter

“There is nothing like taking the audience on a journey,” said Amanda Casarella, a final-semester M.F.A. acting student cast in the School of Acting’s graduate performance of Almost, Maine. “The willingness of the audience to jump into the story with you is palpable to the actors on stage. You don’t get that immediate response when you’re working in front of a camera.”

"The Power of Dreams" campaign features celebrities before they were famous

By Dorothy O’Donnell

Before they were household names, many American celebrities had their fashion faux pas and bad hairstyles memorialized in high school yearbooks, just like the rest of us. Jason Sperling, senior vice president and executive creative director of ad agency Rubin Postaer and Associates, tapped into this rite of passage for the popular Super Bowl commercial his team created for Honda’s latest campaign, “The Power of Dreams.” The ad also introduced viewers to the car manufacturer’s latest version of its top-selling utility vehicle, the CR-V.

By Dorothy O’Donnell

Each winter, the University Resident Theatre Association holds a series of auditions and interviews for prospective M.F.A. candidates. Known as the URTAs, the events are held in Chicago, New York and San Francisco. This year, Academy of Art University’s School of Acting hosted the San Francisco URTAs. The event took place Feb. 4–5 and provided some 150 aspiring actors with the opportunity to audition for dozens of recruiters from 39 URTA member universities and other prominent institutions.

By Bob Toy

The term “starving artist” is more often related to an amateur artist. Yes, everyone has talent in art, but not everyone will have a successful career without a good education in art. Your talent and passion is one thing, but you also need to be well-educated and have knowledge about your chosen field. Art school is where you can receive the education as well as see beyond what you think you know and be able to communicate and execute your creativity into reality. It’s a place that can help you push yourself.

By Celeste Sunderland | photos courtesy of the school of fine art

Each year, Academy of Art University’s School of Fine Art organizes a summer study abroad program welcoming students from all majors to become immersed in the history, culture and art of one of the world’s most historically stunning Renaissance cities—Florence, Italy. While the seven and a half week program is centered upon instruction, coursework, day trips and three-day weekends, there’s plenty of room for spontaneity.

Kristen Stewart stars in the unnerving, multifaceted Personal Shopper

By Rosalea Collinge

Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, Personal Shopper is a psychological thriller that explores identity while toying with the paranormal. Kristen Stewart stars as Maureen, a personal shopper who hates her job, and her wealthy clients. Since the death of her twin brother, who they both believed could communicate with the spirit world, Maureen has been waiting for a sign from him that confirms an afterlife. When she is not running around after the volatile celebrity Kyra (Nora von Waldstätten), she spends time in her brother’s old house in Paris, listening to eerie creaks, dripping taps, and searching for his presence.

COM-150 will introduce students to the “fastest growing form of audience entertainment in the world”

By Dorothy O’Donnell

The popularity of podcasts continues to soar. According to Edison Research, some 35 million people listened to a weekly podcast in 2016, and members of this group downloaded an average of five podcasts per week. Academy of Art University recently added COM-150—a beginning podcasting class—to its liberal arts curriculum. Previously, the course was offered mainly to School of Communications & Media Technologies (COM) students who had to meet certain prerequisites before enrolling in the course.