CCS Spring 2022 Alumni Magazine

COV E R TO COV E R From studying in Motown, to making their mark on the entertainment industry, CCS alumni are the star of the show. Transportation Design alumnas drive the future of car design. It’s “Game On!” for these alums who have worked on some of the most popular games in the industry.

A Craft & Material Studies alum takes the Next Step with his business.

An Art Practice alum tackles the complexities of race within his work.

And Photography alums get down to the defining second with these picture-perfect moments.

THESE ARE CCS ALUMNI. ONE DAY, YOU WILL BE ONE OF THEM.

COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES offers 13 undergraduate majors and a Visual Arts Teacher Certification program, but as you’ll see, the possibilities are limitless.

Jak Wonderly ’99, Industrial Design, Freelance Photographer. “Caught by Cats,” First Place in the prestigious BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

“This project was one I was proud to be a part of,” said Wonderly. “I took that on because it was the most ridiculous creative challenge anyone had thrown at me as a photographer — ‘We have more than 200 frozen dead animals and we need a really great photo of them.’ It was a challenge to envision something somber, dignified, truthful and not causing revulsion.”

1.

FRANK SYNOWICZ

’06, Entertainment Arts, CG Supervisor at Ghost VFX, created some of the VFX for Lady Gaga’s surrealist music video, “911.” Later that year, Gaga dominated at the 2020 Video Music Awards, where she took home five awards, including the inaugural Tricon Award.

🤩❤

Lady Gaga’s “911” video

ROCK STARS

D OZ E N S O F M U S I C I A N S G OT T H E I R STA RT,

W E L L- K N OW N STA R S TO DAY — CC S A LU M N I A R E M A K I N G A M A R K I N T H E E N T E RTA I N M E N T I N D U ST RY.

Gwen Stefani’s jewelry line

❤❤

2.

‘95, Photography, Staff Photographer, Getty Images Sport and owner of Gregory Shamus Photography, captured the Super Bowl LVI halftime show featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent.

GREGORY SHAMUS

3.

SAMANTHA BANKLE SCHEFMAN

‘09, Craft & Material Studies, began her career immediately following graduation designing jewelry for Gwen Stefani’s line, “Harajuku Lovers.”

😎😎😎 Royce da 5’9” Lil Uzi Vert

🤩❤

6.

JENNY RISHER ’97, Photography, Freelance Photographer and CCS adjunct faculty, has captured some of the most influential music artists and DJs that range from of Detroit’s Motown and hip-hop scene to international rock legends.

JAKE KELLER

’09, Entertainment Arts, was the online editor for the three-part documentary series Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine.

TO C R E AT I N G FO R S O M E O F T H E M O ST

🔥🔥🔥

🔥🔥🔥

Diplo at Coachella 2019

5.

F R O M ST U DY I N G I N M OTOW N , W H E R E

Super Bowl LVI halftime show

4.

’14, Entertainment Arts, is the Founder and Creative Director of M99 Studios in Los Angeles, California. Mauro has led the creative direction including, lighting, video, set design, pyrotechnics and interactive elements for some of the music industry’s top names, such as Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, Diplo, SZA, Erykah Badu, ASAP Rocky, Joey Bada$$ and Lil Uzi Vert.

MICHAEL MAURO

7.

DAVE CHOW

’87, Illustration, creates art for two of Detroit’s most popular exports – cars and music.

Just one of his notable music memories was creating storyboards for Eminem’s music video, “8 Mile.”

SHIFTING GEARS:

use of autonomous technology, vehicles

the female faculty and mentors. She

for rideshare or shared ownership, to

even joined the Automotive Women’s

low-cost electric vehicles.

Alliance, a nonprofit set on empowering

Before making it to the market, the manufacturing, logistics, delivery,

“My goal in my position, as well as

materials and other factors have to

future positions, is to keep progressing

be considered as they pertain to the

and inspiring brands and vehicles to

effects on the environment.

explore new areas of mobility with an

“We have to look at not only how

How Women Are Driving the Future of Movement

women in the automotive industry.

emphasis on efficiency and sustainabili-

it actively affects the environment,

ty,” Nowicki said. “I also look to inspire

but also how it is produced, and how

others, especially women, to get

industries related to the product affect

involved in the industry. I want other

the environment, such as mining for

women to see me and know my story

cobalt, installing new infrastructure

and goals to hopefully inspire them.”

for charging stations, the disposal and

Still, in the early stages of their

reuse of components and products, and

professional careers, they’ve learned

the expected longevity and lifespan of

a lot in the past few years:

the product,” said LEXIE NOWICKI

“Throughout my professional career,

(‘20, Transportation Design), Creative

I’ve learned that design is not just about

Designer at General Motors. “Our job

what it looks and feels like,” Suh said.

focuses on so many more things than

“Design is about how it works and

just styling the car.”

involves the user’s desirability and

Although Nowicki is a few years out from reveals and releases of what she

technology possibilities.”

“Being on these teams, I have worked

has been working on, she can say that

not only as a designer sketching on

she’s part of two advanced teams

multiple programs,” Nowicki said, “but

exploring ways to make proposals

also strategizing for brand identity, brand

more sustainable through powertrain,

progression, sustainability, customer

efficiency, size, aerodynamics and

and marketing progression, and so many

consumer/industry demands.

other subjects outside of just sketching.”

Women in the industry aren’t only

“Transportation design has so many

working toward solutions for the future

facets. It is an extremely complex

of the environment, but are also

industry, and that is one reason it is

navigating a field dominated by men.

so exciting to be a part of it,” Ross said.

“Transportation design... is an extremely complex industry, and that is one reason it is so exciting to be a part of it.”— Eva Ross

According to Zippia, men represent

C H A N G I N G T H E WAY W E M OV E ,

about 70% of designers in the industry, In the past, mobility was seen as taking

is to create sustainable solutions for

a person from point A to B. The future

a range of vehicles, like urban delivery

needs to hold a shifted focus of

vehicles (UDV), mobility scooters and

women in class on her first day at CCS,

T I V E I N D U ST RY, I S I M P E R AT I V E

sustainability, connectivity and a

drones through modular design.

but found comfort and community in

TO H E L P R E D U C E O U R C A R B O N

ence, according to automotive Designer

carbon emissions with quick battery

HYEYOUNG “JESSICA” SUH

change, and parts of the truck being

FO OT P R I N T A N D L E S S E N T H E

(‘18, Transportation Design). Suh works

shipped in knock-down kits that can

for IDEENION Design AG, a design and

be assembled in local micro-factories.

development company that explores

The mobility scooter was designed to

solutions for the future of mobility,

assist aging populations in remaining

located in Gaimersheim, Germany.

active and independent as they age.

S P EC I F I C A L LY I N T H E AU TO M O -

L AST I N G E F F EC TS O F C L I M AT E C H A N G E . T H E WO M E N CO M I N G O U T O F CC S’S T R A N S P O RTAT I O N

personalized transportation experi-

Suh designed the exterior of the

The UDV was aimed at reducing

From her internships with Tesla and

Apollo EVision S and presented the

Uber ATG, to her current position as

DESIGN PROGRAM ARE LEADING

design concepts in November 2021.

Strategic Interior Designer at Ford,

She says that the EVision S takes the

EVA ROSS (‘18 Transportation

T H AT C H A N G E .

first step for Apollo vehicles toward

Design and Product Design) has aimed

an electrified future. Suh also had her

to lower the barrier for sustainable

hand in the development of Universal

mobility through the vehicles that she

Mobility Electrified (UME). UME’s goal

works on. The vehicles vary from the

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while women represent 25%.

Nowicki recalls being one of the only

Opposite: Nowicki’s designs for a 2030 Chevrolet 2 + 1 Electric Sport Coupe. This page (above): Ford Motor Company’s all-electric 2022 Mustang Mach-E. Below, clockwise: Suh’s renderings for UME’s Urban Delivery Vehicle, which was awarded the “Best of Best” in the “Commercial” category in the Automotive Brand Contest 2021 in Germany; EVision S concept, a premium electric sports coupe.

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N O E M A G

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GLAZED AND EXTRUDED

CCS: How did you get to this

CCS: Can you talk about a

point in your career — owner

project that helped catapult

of a major studio and gallery,

your career?

exhibiting your work all over

KS: I did a big job for Mercedes-

the country?

Benz. I was up against five other

KS: I started working with clay

artists, and we all wrote proposals

in eighth grade, and I fell in love

and they chose mine. The CEO

with it in high school. I didn’t

wanted something for their

T H E E VO LU T I O N O F

come to CCS as soon as I

headquarters in Stuttgart,

CCS: Have you mentored

graduated. I worked for a few

Germany, and I was allowed total

any promising artists?

A DY N A M I C C A R E E R

years, put together a portfolio,

creative freedom. It was huge,

KS: That’s why I call the studio

applied and got in. The

the installation had 200 pieces.

“Next Step Studio & Gallery”

IN CERAMICS

opportunity to go to CCS was

I don’t push the commission

instead of my first and last name,

something that I’d never thought

thing, but if it’s worth it, I’ll do it.

because everyone has their first

I’d be able to do or afford. Going

step in whatever they want to

When you walk into Next Step Studio & Gallery

there was one of the best things

do. I’ve even taken a few CCS

for the first time, it’s immediately evident that it is

I’ve done. Now, I’m working on a

students under my wing and

operated with an extreme sense of pride — from the

scholarship fund in my name.

promoted their careers here.

meticulous curation of work, to the alluring gardens —

There was one student that I

there is intention behind every detail of this important

took in as soon as he graduated,

community space owned and operated by CCS alumnus

and I sold a ton of his work — I

Kaiser Suidan. And this sense of pride is a shining example

even took him to national shows

that this successful career as an entrepreneur and

in Chicago. I took in people that

ceramicist didn’t happen overnight.

I thought deserved an audience.

I’ve also taught at CCS and at the

KAISER SUIDAN (‘93, Craft & Material Studies),

Birmingham Art Association.

owner of Next Step Studio & Gallery and internationally acclaimed ceramicist, has celebrated a long and successful career as an entrepreneur, studio artist,

CCS: What is it like running a

instructor and mentor. His journey began early,

gallery?

experimenting with clay at a young age and, eventually,

KS: It’s a lot of work. You have to

earning a full scholarship to CCS where he created

set up, make sure that the work

award-winning work, graduated with honors and

is represented correctly, make

CCS: Any advice for students

was discovered during his final Student Exhibition

sure that the walls are painted,

thinking about becoming

Opening at CCS.

make sure that you don’t have

art practitioners?

too much work out. Every gallery

KS: Stick with your passion.

is different, so sometimes you’ll

That might be too general, but

go in and it’s a mix of things — you

it’s kind of true. Whether you’re

can’t see anything that way, so

a writer or a musician, you have

the work here fits my aesthetic.

to give 200%. The entire time

Some advice I’d give to someone

I was at CCS, I didn’t have a life.

aspiring to open a gallery would

I was in class all day, waiting

be to realize how expensive rent

tables and doing art fairs. It all

can be, and that you learn as you

comes down to determination.

Join us as we walk through Suidan’s illustrious career …

go as well as make mistakes CCS: How did you come to owning your own business?

KS: I was renting a space with two other artists for about 10 years, and I was just driving around and saw this building [Next Step Studio & Gallery] and my heart dropped. I had to have it. It was just a garage then, so the entire place has been renovated.

along the way.

A LWAYS WA N T ED TO C R EAT E A RT T H AT TO L D STO R I E S THROUGH REALISM, AND H E D O E S T H AT T H R O U G H 22”x30” (below), all works by Taurus Burns.

canvas, 24”x24” (far right); “Self Portrait as a Panther” ink and gouache on paper,

“The Graduate,” oil on canvas, 48”x48” (right); “Brother in a Cornfield” oil on

Influence of race, Politics & History

TAU R U S B U R N S H AS

H I S D I S C U S S I O N S O F B L AC K H I STO RY I N H I S W O R K .

After an elementary school teacher called attention to and encouraged his budding talent, TAURUS BURNS (‘02, Art Practice) knew that he wanted to be an artist when he grew up. An “Army brat” whose father was in the military, he had lived in four different states and two countries by the time he was 13 years old. Along the way, he took to drawing as a form of self-expression and to record his experiences.

“Growing up, I yearned to make art about my upbringing in a way that felt deeply personal, yet of the moment,” he recalled.

After graduating from CCS, Burns stayed in Detroit and became active in the local arts scene. Over the next decade,

said elephant in the room. His next exhibit, “Racism

organizing shows with the exhibition committee at a popular

Sweet Racism,” was held at the Elijah Wheat Showroom

gallery, painting murals, and other public art projects — all

in Brooklyn, New York. It featured portraits of Black and

while regularly exhibiting his art throughout Metro Detroit.

Trans women killed by law enforcement, as well as

In 2012, he began a series that eventually grew to be 300 urban landscape paintings inspired by the city.

“Even though I had lived here for 10 years, I still felt like an

paintings that examined his ideas about a relationship between patriotism and institutional racism.

During the next couple of years, he continued to

outsider,” Burns said. “I wanted to feel like a part of this city,

make art that touched on these subjects. And then, in

to understand what it meant to be a Detroiter. I started going

2020, George Floyd was murdered, sparking an outrage

out to explore the landscape, and got to learn more about the

that swept across the nation and around the world.

city through the people I met at my art shows.”

As he continued to build a life in Detroit, events around the

Floyd was a Black man who a Minneapolis store clerk suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Shortly

country began weighing heavily on him. Stories and videos of

thereafter, he was arrested by police and died after an

Black people being killed by law enforcement had been surfacing

officer kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes.

for years. With the murder of Philando Castile, Burns says,

Burns later attended a protest with his stepson, and

“Something in me broke.” Castile, a 32-year-old Black man, was

couldn’t stop thinking about the effect that seeing the

shot and killed at a traffic stop in Minneapolis. His last moments

video of Los Angeles Police Department officers

were caught on camera by his girlfriend beside him in the car.

beating Rodney King had on him in 1991, at 17 years old,

This event caused a shift in Burns’ work toward confronting

and that his stepson was experiencing George Floyd’s

America’s ongoing problems with race.

murder at that same age now.

This led to a groundbreaking solo show, “Troublemaker,”

“It just solidified the importance of making work

where he challenged the general perception of Black people

about this issue. America’s continued distortion of Black

as troublemakers in society, while celebrating Black artists,

lives is disheartening, and it’s pushed me to continue

entertainers and leaders who had made an impact on identity

fighting against this systemic problem,” Burns stated.

and American culture. Of this exhibit, he says, “I have dealt

2

Since “Troublemaker,” Burns has continued to tackle

he could be found street painting at area art festivals,

Recent exhibits, “The Panther in Me” and “DEFEN-

with that negative perception throughout my life. With this

SIVE” continue the discussion of race in America.

exhibit I was trying to do two things at once: address the

Burns surmises, “Because I’m biracial, I feel like I grew

ongoing deadly incidents of police violence toward Black

up between two races, but it’s like my life was set up

men and also come to terms with my own experiences

for me to talk about race in this particular way. It’s not

of racism. That show was the first time I pushed back

always easy, but it feels incredibly rewarding to finally

against both.”

be able to make this art.”

C H AS I N G A DV E N T U R E THROUGH THEIR LENS These CCS Photography alumni set their focus on thrill-seeking, nature-loving adventurers, and the payoff is intense.

1.

PATRICK DALY

’09, Photography,

Freelance Advertising

and Editorial

Photographer. Daly works directly with brands like New Balance,

3.

GREGORY SHAMUS ‘95, Photography, Staff Photographer,

Getty Images Sport and owner of Gregory Shamus Photography.

Shamus has traveled all over the world covering some of the

most elite athletes, teams and events, including the Tokyo 2020

Summer Olympics. As one of the nation’s top sports photographers, Shamus covers high-profile events such as the NBA All-Star Game, Stanley Cup Finals,

Reebok, Velocio and Bern Helmets

Super Bowl and the World Series. His portrait and action photographs have

and says, “Adventure/outdoor

appeared on the pages of Sports Illustrated, ESPN Magazine, USA Today,

photography constantly pushes

The New York Times and several other publications around the world.

me beyond my comfort zone. It’s

When asked what’s next, Shamus said he’ll be covering the 2022 Masters

a privilege to even call this ‘work’.”

Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. “It’s a bucket-list event,” he said.

4.

CHRIS ARACE ’01, Communication Design,

Owner and Photographer, Arace Photographic.

As an avid outdoorsman, Arace has created

outdoor campaigns for brands including RAM,

Ford, HGTV, GM and Jeep. He’s also the photographer behind the award-winning “Pure Michigan” campaign.

5.

EMILY TROMBLY ‘20, Photography,

Freelance Adventure and Lifestyle Photographer.

After graduation, Trombly packed her whole

life into the back of her Subaru Forester in

order to pursue rock climbing photography — a sport she naturally loves. She spent every day climbing and hanging on a static line taking photographs. Her shots made it into Climbing Magazine and marketing for outdoor companies including Swiftwick Socks, Cypher Climbing, Beal and Singing Rock. Trombly also participated in the Eddie Adams Workshop, which gave her an opportunity to work with some of the best sports photographers and photojournalists in the world.

2.

JAK WONDERLY

’99, Industrial Design,

Freelance Photographer.

Wonderly admits,

“There are a lot of challenges to what I do, but I love the lifestyle.”

Wonderly’s hard work and sharp eye have paid off. Whether he’s on assignment in the Himalayas photographing for the Snow Leopard Conservancy — which he says “was probably my favorite project ever” — to an orangutan research station on the Indonesian Borneo Island called Kalimantan, he’s seen, photographed and traveled to many remote areas of the world. His award-winning work has been featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian, The Today Show, LIFE, The Nature Conservancy, bioGraphic, Sunset and American Cowboy.

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COVER ARTWORK Michael Mauro (‘14, Entertainment Arts) leads the creative direction behind hip-hop’s most influential live concert performances. On the cover: Russ’ “I See You Part 2” tour, designed and produced by M99 Studios.

The College for Creative Studies is a nonprofit, private college authorized by the Michigan Education Department to grant bachelor’s and master’s degrees. CCS is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Documents regarding accreditation are available in the Executive Office upon formal request.

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