Otis College of Art and Design will host its annual O-Launch weekend on Friday, May 10, to Sunday, May 12.
The weekend includes a campuswide exhibition of student work, and culminates with a commencement ceremony celebrating graduating students and this year’s honorary degree recipients, artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby and architect and urban planner Janet Marie Smith, executive vice president of planning and development for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Every year I am astounded by the work I see during O-Launch weekend,” said Otis College President Charles Hirschhorn.
“Otis prepares creative students for success — over 90% of our graduating students will go on to work in art and design. They will be the driving force behind leading brands, inspiring exhibitions, and beloved games, products, films, characters, and toys. It all starts here.”
The annual exhibition on Otis College’s Los Angeles campus is free and open to the public from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 10, and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 11.
Graduating students from Otis’s nine BFA programs — animation, environmental design, fashion design, fine arts, game and entertainment design, graphic design, illustration, product design and toy design — will be available to discuss their work, which will be displayed in galleries, showrooms, interactive displays and digital presentations.
There will also be a concurrent group exhibition in the campus’s Bolsky Gallery featuring graduating MFA Fine Arts students, all of whom held solo exhibitions throughout the spring.
Friday night will end with the annual fashion show at 8 p.m., which will feature the work of junior and senior fashion design students in a full runway show of projects for mentors including Mike Amiri, Revolve, J. Crew, and Katherine Ross/LACMA.
Graduating students from Otis’ nine BFA programs will be on hand to discuss their work, which will be displayed in galleries, showrooms, interactive displays, and digital presentations.
The fashion show demonstrates the mastery of skills developed under the tutelage of these seasoned industry professionals during the academic year.
In addition, MFA fine arts and MFA graphic design students will host open studios during O-Launch weekend, offering an intimate view of their workspaces and creative output. There will also be a book sale hosted by the campus library and a ceramics sale featuring work by students and alumni.
O-Launch weekend culminates in the commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 12, at El Camino College’s Marsee Auditorium.
Established in 1918 as Los Angeles’ first professional school of the arts, Otis College of Art and Design is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) institution and a national leader in art and design education.
The college educates a diverse community of 1,300 creative students. Alumni and faculty are Fulbright, MacArthur, and Guggenheim grant recipients, Oscar winners, legendary costume designers, leaders of contemporary art movements, entrepreneurs, and design stars at influential companies including Apple, Abercrombie & Fitch, Pixar, DreamWorks, Mattel, Nike and Netflix.
