CalArts Podcasts Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:08:58 -0400 https://calarts.buzzsprout.com en-us © 2026 CalArts Podcasts yes b802d508-59ea-5900-8680-cf0d86f5330f California Institute of the Arts episodic false Listen to stories from the CalArts community of artists. Meet our alums, faculty and students who are transforming the world through their art practices. 

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) California Institute of the Arts https://storage.buzzsprout.com/lqtdhjfbho0murcbgsplx8y5j0l3?.jpg CalArts Podcasts Beyond the Blue Wall: A Conversation with School of Film/Video Dean, Ranu Mukherjee Beyond the Blue Wall: A Conversation with School of Film/Video Dean, Ranu Mukherjee This is the second episode in a series of conversations we’re having with the deans at CalArts. 

Henderson sits down with Ranu Mukherjee, the dean of CalArts’ largest School Film/Video, who was appointed dean in August 2024.

View the slideshow used during the discussion.

Our Season 3 theme music was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> This is the second episode in a series of conversations we’re having with the deans at CalArts. 

Henderson sits down with Ranu Mukherjee, the dean of CalArts’ largest School Film/Video, who was appointed dean in August 2024.

View the slideshow used during the discussion.

Our Season 3 theme music was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-16917984 Fri, 04 Apr 2025 14:00:00 -0700 3195 BTBW, s3 3 12 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: A Conversation with School of Art Dean, Steven Lam Beyond the Blue Wall: A Conversation with School of Art Dean, Steven Lam This is the first episode in a series of conversations we’re having with the deans at CalArts. 

Henderson sits down with Steven Lam, who has been dean of the School of Art and the Kraus Family Endowed Chair in Art since 2022. Recorded in October 2024, this conversation delves into Steven’s approach to leadership, his perspective on art education, and his vision for the School of Art at CalArts.

Learn more about the School of Art


Our Season 3 theme music was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> This is the first episode in a series of conversations we’re having with the deans at CalArts. 

Henderson sits down with Steven Lam, who has been dean of the School of Art and the Kraus Family Endowed Chair in Art since 2022. Recorded in October 2024, this conversation delves into Steven’s approach to leadership, his perspective on art education, and his vision for the School of Art at CalArts.

Learn more about the School of Art


Our Season 3 theme music was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-16564204 Tue, 04 Feb 2025 13:00:00 -0800 2602 BTBW, s3 3 11 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: 50+50 Beyond the Blue Wall: 50+50 50+50: A Creative Century from Chouinard to CalArts is an alumni and artist-led scholarship endowment initiative launched in 2020, as the Institute prepared to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. In this episode, we explore this unprecedented project with Associate Dean of the School of Art, Michael Ned Holte, and artist, Andrea Bowers (Art MFA 92).

The Beyond the Blue Wall theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Learn more about Beyond the Blue Wall on the CalArts website.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> 50+50: A Creative Century from Chouinard to CalArts is an alumni and artist-led scholarship endowment initiative launched in 2020, as the Institute prepared to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. In this episode, we explore this unprecedented project with Associate Dean of the School of Art, Michael Ned Holte, and artist, Andrea Bowers (Art MFA 92).

The Beyond the Blue Wall theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Learn more about Beyond the Blue Wall on the CalArts website.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-16271353 Thu, 12 Dec 2024 17:00:00 -0800 1669 BTBW, s3 3 10 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Tori Danner Beyond the Blue Wall: Tori Danner Tori Danner (Theater MFA 19) was born in Benin City, Nigeria and raised in Kuwait. She received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Mass Communications and Media from the American University of Kuwait. Her dream from an early age, however, was to become an actress, so she decided to pursue an MFA in Acting at CalArts. Shortly after graduating, Tori booked a recurring role on the hit CBS comedy series, Bob Hearts Abishola.

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Tori Danner (Theater MFA 19) was born in Benin City, Nigeria and raised in Kuwait. She received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Mass Communications and Media from the American University of Kuwait. Her dream from an early age, however, was to become an actress, so she decided to pursue an MFA in Acting at CalArts. Shortly after graduating, Tori booked a recurring role on the hit CBS comedy series, Bob Hearts Abishola.

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-15063002 Mon, 13 May 2024 16:00:00 -0700 3104 BTBW, s3 3 9 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Kataneh Vahdani Beyond the Blue Wall: Kataneh Vahdani Kataneh Vahdani (BFA Character Animation 05; MFA Experimental Animation 08) grew up in Iran. She is a director, animation creator, story artist, and educator, and came to the US with her mother and brother when she was a teenager, beginning her journey at CalArts when she was just 16 years old.

You can learn more about Kataneh on her website.

Please note this episode contains a discussion about suicide. Please listen with care.
If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the 988 Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Kataneh Vahdani (BFA Character Animation 05; MFA Experimental Animation 08) grew up in Iran. She is a director, animation creator, story artist, and educator, and came to the US with her mother and brother when she was a teenager, beginning her journey at CalArts when she was just 16 years old.

You can learn more about Kataneh on her website.

Please note this episode contains a discussion about suicide. Please listen with care.
If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the 988 Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Kataneh Vahdani Buzzsprout-14898881 Tue, 16 Apr 2024 09:00:00 -0700 2203 BTBW, s3 3 8 full true Beyond the Blue Wall: World Music Festival Beyond the Blue Wall: World Music Festival Launched in 1978, The World Music Festival has its roots in CalArts’ World Music program in the Herb Alpert School of Music. As we prepare for the The 2024 World Music Festival in April, we are joined by the co-directors of the World Music Program specialization, Yeko Ladzekpo-Cole and Andrew Grueschow, who talk about the history of the World Music Festival, how it has evolved, and what we can expect for 2024.

The intro music used in this episode is titled “Bamaya” 
The outro music used in this episode is titled "Jera” 

These live performances were recorded in Accra, Ghana.  Produced by retired CalArts faculty, Kobla Ladzekpo, under his record label Zadonu Records (copyright 2001)  Co-produced by Andrew Grueschow.

"Bamaya" is danced by men dressed as women.  This tradition began as a way to please the gods so they would bring rain. 

 "Jera" is music that is sometimes performed at large funerals. The dance that accompanies it is not very common.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Launched in 1978, The World Music Festival has its roots in CalArts’ World Music program in the Herb Alpert School of Music. As we prepare for the The 2024 World Music Festival in April, we are joined by the co-directors of the World Music Program specialization, Yeko Ladzekpo-Cole and Andrew Grueschow, who talk about the history of the World Music Festival, how it has evolved, and what we can expect for 2024.

The intro music used in this episode is titled “Bamaya” 
The outro music used in this episode is titled "Jera” 

These live performances were recorded in Accra, Ghana.  Produced by retired CalArts faculty, Kobla Ladzekpo, under his record label Zadonu Records (copyright 2001)  Co-produced by Andrew Grueschow.

"Bamaya" is danced by men dressed as women.  This tradition began as a way to please the gods so they would bring rain. 

 "Jera" is music that is sometimes performed at large funerals. The dance that accompanies it is not very common.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-14721981 Tue, 19 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0700 2098 BTBW, s3 3 7 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Jinal Sangoi Beyond the Blue Wall: Jinal Sangoi Jinal Sangoi (Art MFA 18) is an artist and educator, currently living in Mumbai, who weaves art, design, pedagogy, and community through her participatory and collaborative practice, designing creative methodologies for experiential learning with a particular interest in the ideas of care, home, nature, gender, and resistance. 

While at CalArts, Jinal was the recipient of the Tim Disney Prize for the Storytelling Arts, among other awards and scholarships. After receiving her MFA, Jinal participated in a program for recent CalArts graduate students known as the REEF Residency, where she received a stipend and free studio space for one year in downtown Los Angeles. 

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Jinal Sangoi (Art MFA 18) is an artist and educator, currently living in Mumbai, who weaves art, design, pedagogy, and community through her participatory and collaborative practice, designing creative methodologies for experiential learning with a particular interest in the ideas of care, home, nature, gender, and resistance. 

While at CalArts, Jinal was the recipient of the Tim Disney Prize for the Storytelling Arts, among other awards and scholarships. After receiving her MFA, Jinal participated in a program for recent CalArts graduate students known as the REEF Residency, where she received a stipend and free studio space for one year in downtown Los Angeles. 

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-14491095 Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0800 2071 BTBW, s3 3 6 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Esteban Ramón Pérez Beyond the Blue Wall: Esteban Ramón Pérez Esteban Ramón Pérez (Art BFA 17) taps into his experience as a professional upholsterer, often working with leather to produce works that intertwine the cultural and artistic sensibilities of his Chicano heritage with issues he identifies as rooted in postcolonial history. Esteban’s work embodies facets of art histories, popular icons, subjectivity, spirituality, and social issues.

Esteban’s work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the United States and around the world. In 2023, his work was featured as part of Made in L.A., the Hammer Museum’s biennial exhibition highlighting the practices of artists working throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

To learn more about Esteban’s practice, visit his website.

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Esteban Ramón Pérez (Art BFA 17) taps into his experience as a professional upholsterer, often working with leather to produce works that intertwine the cultural and artistic sensibilities of his Chicano heritage with issues he identifies as rooted in postcolonial history. Esteban’s work embodies facets of art histories, popular icons, subjectivity, spirituality, and social issues.

Esteban’s work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the United States and around the world. In 2023, his work was featured as part of Made in L.A., the Hammer Museum’s biennial exhibition highlighting the practices of artists working throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

To learn more about Esteban’s practice, visit his website.

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-14312212 Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0800 2073 BTBW, s3 3 5 full false BONUS: Beyond the Blue Wall: How your gift supports our students BONUS: Beyond the Blue Wall: How your gift supports our students A lot that goes into creating a world class institution like CalArts, and your support of our mission helps to make that happen. In this bonus episode, Henderson explains the various ways that your gift to CalArts greatest need helps our students.

Thanks for being a part of our community of artists!

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> A lot that goes into creating a world class institution like CalArts, and your support of our mission helps to make that happen. In this bonus episode, Henderson explains the various ways that your gift to CalArts greatest need helps our students.

Thanks for being a part of our community of artists!

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-14146970 Thu, 14 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0800 597 BTBW, s3 3 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: The Feminist Art Program Exhibition Beyond the Blue Wall: The Feminist Art Program Exhibition In this episode, we’re joined by REDCAT’s Chief Curator, Daniela Lieja Quintanar and Assistant curator, Talia Heiman to talk about their new exhibition celebrating and honoring the groundbreaking effort of the Feminist Art Program pioneered by Judy Chicago in 1970. The Feminist Art Program (1970–1975): Cycles of Collectivity, which is on view through February 18, 2024 at REDCAT, CalArts’ downtown center for contemporary arts, presents an ever-growing feminist contribution to art and pedagogy with a multiplicity of voices, contexts, and identities, with an intergenerational collective of scholars, artists, activists, and curators contributing to the research, memory, syllabi, and artworks on display.

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> In this episode, we’re joined by REDCAT’s Chief Curator, Daniela Lieja Quintanar and Assistant curator, Talia Heiman to talk about their new exhibition celebrating and honoring the groundbreaking effort of the Feminist Art Program pioneered by Judy Chicago in 1970. The Feminist Art Program (1970–1975): Cycles of Collectivity, which is on view through February 18, 2024 at REDCAT, CalArts’ downtown center for contemporary arts, presents an ever-growing feminist contribution to art and pedagogy with a multiplicity of voices, contexts, and identities, with an intergenerational collective of scholars, artists, activists, and curators contributing to the research, memory, syllabi, and artworks on display.

The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> REDCAT Buzzsprout-14129361 Tue, 12 Dec 2023 07:00:00 -0800 1883 BTBW, s3 3 4 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Austin Beutner Beyond the Blue Wall: Austin Beutner Trustee Emeritus, Austin Beutner, served as chair of CalArts Board of Trustees from 2006- 2014. He is a fierce supporter of arts education, including CalArts’ own Community Arts Partnership (CAP) program, as well as the landmark 2022 California ballot initiative, Proposition 28, which creates a guaranteed annual funding stream for music and arts education that equals 1% of the state’s general fund. In 2023, that amounts to almost $1 billion of funding for the arts statewide.

Host Henderson Blumer spoke with Austin about these issues, as well as his own experience with the arts, why he believes so strongly in supporting arts education, and how he sees CalArts as ideally positioned to lead the arts education revival in California and beyond.


The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Trustee Emeritus, Austin Beutner, served as chair of CalArts Board of Trustees from 2006- 2014. He is a fierce supporter of arts education, including CalArts’ own Community Arts Partnership (CAP) program, as well as the landmark 2022 California ballot initiative, Proposition 28, which creates a guaranteed annual funding stream for music and arts education that equals 1% of the state’s general fund. In 2023, that amounts to almost $1 billion of funding for the arts statewide.

Host Henderson Blumer spoke with Austin about these issues, as well as his own experience with the arts, why he believes so strongly in supporting arts education, and how he sees CalArts as ideally positioned to lead the arts education revival in California and beyond.


The Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro“Lima” and the outro “Salta”) was created and performed by 2018 graduate, Nicolas Savignano. You can learn more about Nico by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-13969171 Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0800 1488 BTBW, s3 3 3 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Halloween at CalArts Beyond the Blue Wall: Halloween at CalArts CalArts’ annual Halloween party occupies a unique place in the hearts of most CalArtians. In this episode, we talk with past and current producers of Halloween to give you a unique look at what it takes to put on this remarkable event. We trace how the Institute has turned this epic rager into an extraordinary learning experience for students.

Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 3 intro music, “Lima,” was created and performed by Nicolas Savignano (Film/Video MFA 18). You can learn more about Nico and his work by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 


Additional music for this episode from Pixaby by:
Coma Studio
Keyframe Audio
Anton Kornienko
Yrii Semchyshyn
Sound Reality

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> CalArts’ annual Halloween party occupies a unique place in the hearts of most CalArtians. In this episode, we talk with past and current producers of Halloween to give you a unique look at what it takes to put on this remarkable event. We trace how the Institute has turned this epic rager into an extraordinary learning experience for students.

Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 3 intro music, “Lima,” was created and performed by Nicolas Savignano (Film/Video MFA 18). You can learn more about Nico and his work by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 


Additional music for this episode from Pixaby by:
Coma Studio
Keyframe Audio
Anton Kornienko
Yrii Semchyshyn
Sound Reality

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Buzzsprout-13790431 Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:00:00 -0700 1779 BTBW, s3 3 2 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Patty Disney Center for Life and Work Beyond the Blue Wall: Patty Disney Center for Life and Work Host Henderson Blumer is joined by the Director of the Patty Disney Center for Life and Work (PDCLW), Jen Hitchings, and the Assistant Director for Career Connections & Development, Lonnie Woods III.

Jen and Lonnie discuss the programs and services offered by the PDCLW as well as what it means to be a working artist.

To learn more about the Patty Disney Center for Life and work, and the career services opportunities offering to CalArts students and alumnx, visit calarts.edu/clw


Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro is “Lima” and the outro is “Salta") was created and performed by Nicolas Savignano (Film/Video MFA 18). You can learn more about Nico and his work by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 


Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Host Henderson Blumer is joined by the Director of the Patty Disney Center for Life and Work (PDCLW), Jen Hitchings, and the Assistant Director for Career Connections & Development, Lonnie Woods III.

Jen and Lonnie discuss the programs and services offered by the PDCLW as well as what it means to be a working artist.

To learn more about the Patty Disney Center for Life and work, and the career services opportunities offering to CalArts students and alumnx, visit calarts.edu/clw


Beyond the Blue Wall Season 3 theme music (the intro is “Lima” and the outro is “Salta") was created and performed by Nicolas Savignano (Film/Video MFA 18). You can learn more about Nico and his work by visiting him on Instagram at @_oknico. 


Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-13614341 Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0700 2022 BTBW, s3 3 1 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Bijan Berahimi Beyond the Blue Wall: Bijan Berahimi Bijan Berahimi (Art BFA 13) is a Graphic Design graduate and founder of Fisk, a design firm based in Portland, OR. Fisk has worked with CalArts on the Strategic Framework website and the 50th anniversary website and logo. They also assisted with the design for the 2022 gala and other projects, including the REDCAT website.

Want more?


Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 2 original theme music was composed and performed by Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20). Learn more about their work at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Bijan Berahimi (Art BFA 13) is a Graphic Design graduate and founder of Fisk, a design firm based in Portland, OR. Fisk has worked with CalArts on the Strategic Framework website and the 50th anniversary website and logo. They also assisted with the design for the 2022 gala and other projects, including the REDCAT website.

Want more?


Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 2 original theme music was composed and performed by Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20). Learn more about their work at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-13090063 Thu, 22 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0700 1904 BTBW, s2 2 7 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Emara Neymour Jackson Beyond the Blue Wall: Emara Neymour Jackson To learn more about Emara Neymour-Jackson (Dance BFA 20) and her practice, as well as to view some of her work, visit emaraneymourj.com

Check out this 2020 profile of Emara in VoyageLA

Learn more about the CalArts School of Dance

Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 2 original theme music was composed and performed by Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20). Learn more about their work at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> To learn more about Emara Neymour-Jackson (Dance BFA 20) and her practice, as well as to view some of her work, visit emaraneymourj.com

Check out this 2020 profile of Emara in VoyageLA

Learn more about the CalArts School of Dance

Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 2 original theme music was composed and performed by Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20). Learn more about their work at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-12808193 Mon, 08 May 2023 11:00:00 -0700 2494 BTBW, s2 2 6 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Chad Hamill Beyond the Blue Wall: Chad Hamill Chad Hamill/ čnaq'ymi (Music BFA 93; MFA 97 ) is the Executive Director for Indigenous Arts and Expression and Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous Affairs at CalArts. During the 2021-22 academic year, Chad was named the inaugural CalArts Presidential IDEA Fellow. Chad led the effort to establish a partnership between CalArts and the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA). He has also developed and taught the first Indigenous Studies and Native arts course in CalArts history, as well as organized numerous cultural events across the CalArts community.

Chad previously served as chair of the Department of Applied Indigenous Studies and Vice President of Native American Initiatives at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff. While at NAU, where he began teaching in 2007, Chad led innovative and impactful initiatives focused on a variety of areas, including tribal leadership, K-12 engagement with Native-serving schools, global Indigenous partnerships, wifi infrastructure on Native lands, and environmental sustainability in Indian Country. 

Chad received his BFA in World Music Performance and his MFA in North Indian Classical Music from CalArts and went on to earn his PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Colorado.

A descendant of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Chad is the co-founder of the Spokane Language House, a nonprofit tribal organization focused on language revitalization. 

Chad’s research and publications focus on music and sovereignty, music and spirituality, Indigenous ecological knowledge, performative scholarship, and the Indigenization / decolonization of academic structures. 

His book, Songs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau (OSU Press), explores song as a vehicle for spiritual power among tribes of the interior Northwest. Chad continues to write, record, and perform musical works centered on Spokane ways of knowing and being in the world.

Learn more

Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 2 original theme music was composed and performed by Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20). Learn more about their work at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Chad Hamill/ čnaq'ymi (Music BFA 93; MFA 97 ) is the Executive Director for Indigenous Arts and Expression and Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous Affairs at CalArts. During the 2021-22 academic year, Chad was named the inaugural CalArts Presidential IDEA Fellow. Chad led the effort to establish a partnership between CalArts and the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA). He has also developed and taught the first Indigenous Studies and Native arts course in CalArts history, as well as organized numerous cultural events across the CalArts community.

Chad previously served as chair of the Department of Applied Indigenous Studies and Vice President of Native American Initiatives at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff. While at NAU, where he began teaching in 2007, Chad led innovative and impactful initiatives focused on a variety of areas, including tribal leadership, K-12 engagement with Native-serving schools, global Indigenous partnerships, wifi infrastructure on Native lands, and environmental sustainability in Indian Country. 

Chad received his BFA in World Music Performance and his MFA in North Indian Classical Music from CalArts and went on to earn his PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Colorado.

A descendant of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Chad is the co-founder of the Spokane Language House, a nonprofit tribal organization focused on language revitalization. 

Chad’s research and publications focus on music and sovereignty, music and spirituality, Indigenous ecological knowledge, performative scholarship, and the Indigenization / decolonization of academic structures. 

His book, Songs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau (OSU Press), explores song as a vehicle for spiritual power among tribes of the interior Northwest. Chad continues to write, record, and perform musical works centered on Spokane ways of knowing and being in the world.

Learn more

Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 2 original theme music was composed and performed by Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20). Learn more about their work at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-12603244 Thu, 06 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0700 2302 BTBW, s2 2 5 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: REEF Residents Fía Benitez and Simone Zapata Beyond the Blue Wall: REEF Residents Fía Benitez and Simone Zapata The REEF Residency is a collaboration between the School of Critical Studies, School of Film/Video, and School of Art.  Learn more about the REEF Residency. 

In this episode, we speak with 2022 REEF Residents, Fía Benitez and Simone Zapata. Their exhibition, Tense Renderings: the will and won’t of spatial logics, opened at The REEF Los Angeles, June 24–July 24, 2022. Tense Renderings interrogates the motivations, conditions, and limitations of maps and mapmaking. The range of works include axonometric projection drawing; feminist, communally-woven textile; speculative sea and space colonization; and interventions into legal language delineating exclusion and belonging.

Tense Renderings features 14 artists across time zones and disciplines: Jumanah Abbas, C. Bain, Amy Chiao, Natan Diacon-Furtado, Jen D’Mello, Alexsa Durrans, Christine Imperial, sj kim-ryu, Wesley Larios, Julia Saenz Lorduy, Sonya Merutka, Amanda Teixeira, Sarah Sophia Yanni, and Bz Zhang.

View Tense Renderings

Press:
24700: New Exhibition Interrogates Mapmaking in Tense Renderings: the will and won’t of spatial logics

Simone Zapata is a poet and educator from San José, CA. Her work can be found, or is forthcoming in Foglifter, The Quarterless Review, Tiny Spoon, Reed Magazine, and The Vassar Review. She serves as Managing Editor for The Beat Within, and as a poetry editor for MAYDAY. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from California Institute of the Arts. 

Fía Benitez is an artist and educator living in Los Angeles. Their ongoing body of work, Root Rot, encompasses large-scale graphite drawings, collage, turn of the century artifacts, and bisque-fired ceramics. Incorporating research from public archives, works in Root Rot index the legacies of the California citrus industry and its history of indigenous dispossession, erasure of immigrant labor, and privatization of land management practices. Fía is a 2022 REEF Artist-in-Residence and a 2020 Research & Practice Fellow, with recent solo and group exhibitions at The Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles, NÉVÉ, The Reef, Tin Flats, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, 7313 Melrose, Newhall Crossings, Other Places Art Fair, and CalArts. Publications include re:connections, water / relic / spices, as well as Baest Journal, Sublevel Magazine, The Kitchen Blog, and The Vassar Review. Fía holds degrees from Vassar College and CalArts.

Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 2 original theme music was composed and pe

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> The REEF Residency is a collaboration between the School of Critical Studies, School of Film/Video, and School of Art.  Learn more about the REEF Residency. 

In this episode, we speak with 2022 REEF Residents, Fía Benitez and Simone Zapata. Their exhibition, Tense Renderings: the will and won’t of spatial logics, opened at The REEF Los Angeles, June 24–July 24, 2022. Tense Renderings interrogates the motivations, conditions, and limitations of maps and mapmaking. The range of works include axonometric projection drawing; feminist, communally-woven textile; speculative sea and space colonization; and interventions into legal language delineating exclusion and belonging.

Tense Renderings features 14 artists across time zones and disciplines: Jumanah Abbas, C. Bain, Amy Chiao, Natan Diacon-Furtado, Jen D’Mello, Alexsa Durrans, Christine Imperial, sj kim-ryu, Wesley Larios, Julia Saenz Lorduy, Sonya Merutka, Amanda Teixeira, Sarah Sophia Yanni, and Bz Zhang.

View Tense Renderings

Press:
24700: New Exhibition Interrogates Mapmaking in Tense Renderings: the will and won’t of spatial logics

Simone Zapata is a poet and educator from San José, CA. Her work can be found, or is forthcoming in Foglifter, The Quarterless Review, Tiny Spoon, Reed Magazine, and The Vassar Review. She serves as Managing Editor for The Beat Within, and as a poetry editor for MAYDAY. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from California Institute of the Arts. 

Fía Benitez is an artist and educator living in Los Angeles. Their ongoing body of work, Root Rot, encompasses large-scale graphite drawings, collage, turn of the century artifacts, and bisque-fired ceramics. Incorporating research from public archives, works in Root Rot index the legacies of the California citrus industry and its history of indigenous dispossession, erasure of immigrant labor, and privatization of land management practices. Fía is a 2022 REEF Artist-in-Residence and a 2020 Research & Practice Fellow, with recent solo and group exhibitions at The Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles, NÉVÉ, The Reef, Tin Flats, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, 7313 Melrose, Newhall Crossings, Other Places Art Fair, and CalArts. Publications include re:connections, water / relic / spices, as well as Baest Journal, Sublevel Magazine, The Kitchen Blog, and The Vassar Review. Fía holds degrees from Vassar College and CalArts.

Beyond the Blue Wall’s Season 2 original theme music was composed and pe

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-12401789 Wed, 08 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0800 2317 BTBW, s2 2 4 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: The Story of A-Block Beyond the Blue Wall: The Story of A-Block On Saturday, June 5, 2021, a cooling tower on the fifth floor of CalArts’ A-block overflowed, flooding several locations  below and causing much damage to the Character and Experimental Animation areas. This is the story of that flood, as well as the resurrection of this critically important space on the CalArts’ campus.

To follow the progress of construction in A-block, visit this page on the School of Film/Video website.

Learn more about CalArts’ Character Animation and Experimental Animation programs.

____

Beyond the Blue Wall's Season 2 original theme music (the intro and outro) was composed and performed by 2020 Music alumnx, Socks Whitmore. You can learn more about Socks at sockswhitmore.com. 

Additional music in this episode includes:

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> On Saturday, June 5, 2021, a cooling tower on the fifth floor of CalArts’ A-block overflowed, flooding several locations  below and causing much damage to the Character and Experimental Animation areas. This is the story of that flood, as well as the resurrection of this critically important space on the CalArts’ campus.

To follow the progress of construction in A-block, visit this page on the School of Film/Video website.

Learn more about CalArts’ Character Animation and Experimental Animation programs.

____

Beyond the Blue Wall's Season 2 original theme music (the intro and outro) was composed and performed by 2020 Music alumnx, Socks Whitmore. You can learn more about Socks at sockswhitmore.com. 

Additional music in this episode includes:

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-12102841 Mon, 23 Jan 2023 11:00:00 -0800 1706 BTBW, s2 2 3 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Ochion Jewell Beyond the Blue Wall: Ochion Jewell Ochion Jewell (Music MFA 07) is a jazz saxophonist and composer from Appalachian Kentucky. He studied classical music as an undergraduate at the University of Louisville and studied jazz, free improvisation, and composition at CalArts.

Ochion's debut album "First Suite for Quartet'' was released by Mythology Records in 2010 to positive acclaim. The album was heralded by the New York City Jazz Record as "an ambitious, beautifully rendered album...exhilarating in every facet." His followup, with the Ochion Jewell Quartet, “Volk,” was released in 2015.

Ochion lives in Brooklyn and  teaches at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. He is also the co-host of the Brooklyn Living Room Sessions video podcast, which was partially funded by a CalArts Alumnx Seed Grant.

Our original theme music was composed and performed by 2020 Music alumnx, Socks Whitmore. You can learn more about Socks at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Ochion Jewell (Music MFA 07) is a jazz saxophonist and composer from Appalachian Kentucky. He studied classical music as an undergraduate at the University of Louisville and studied jazz, free improvisation, and composition at CalArts.

Ochion's debut album "First Suite for Quartet'' was released by Mythology Records in 2010 to positive acclaim. The album was heralded by the New York City Jazz Record as "an ambitious, beautifully rendered album...exhilarating in every facet." His followup, with the Ochion Jewell Quartet, “Volk,” was released in 2015.

Ochion lives in Brooklyn and  teaches at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. He is also the co-host of the Brooklyn Living Room Sessions video podcast, which was partially funded by a CalArts Alumnx Seed Grant.

Our original theme music was composed and performed by 2020 Music alumnx, Socks Whitmore. You can learn more about Socks at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-11692556 Mon, 14 Nov 2022 11:00:00 -0800 2317 BTBW, s2 2 2 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Andrea Bowers Beyond the Blue Wall: Andrea Bowers As The New York Times noted in a 2021 profile, “for a quarter-century, through the ever-changing social and cultural climate, [Andrea] Bowers has forged lasting bonds with queer and trans folk, fighters for abortion rights, radical environmentalists, immigration advocates, Native activists and scholars across generations.”

In its 2022 retrospective of Bower’s work, the Hammer Museum said that she “has built an international reputation as a chronicler of contemporary history, documenting activism as it unfolds and collecting research on the front lines of protest.”

Bowers (Art MFA 92) sat down with host Henderson Blumer at her Highland Park studio for a conversation about her experience at CalArts as well as her work as an artist and activist over the past three decades.

Go deeper:

Beyond the Blue Wall’s original theme music was composed and performed by Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20). Learn more about their work at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> As The New York Times noted in a 2021 profile, “for a quarter-century, through the ever-changing social and cultural climate, [Andrea] Bowers has forged lasting bonds with queer and trans folk, fighters for abortion rights, radical environmentalists, immigration advocates, Native activists and scholars across generations.”

In its 2022 retrospective of Bower’s work, the Hammer Museum said that she “has built an international reputation as a chronicler of contemporary history, documenting activism as it unfolds and collecting research on the front lines of protest.”

Bowers (Art MFA 92) sat down with host Henderson Blumer at her Highland Park studio for a conversation about her experience at CalArts as well as her work as an artist and activist over the past three decades.

Go deeper:

Beyond the Blue Wall’s original theme music was composed and performed by Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20). Learn more about their work at sockswhitmore.com. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-11516579 Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:00:00 -0700 2333 BTBW, s2 2 1 full false 24700: Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe on Making 'The Mitchells vs. the Machines' 24700: Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe on Making 'The Mitchells vs. the Machines' The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) is the Oscar-nominated animated sci-fi comedy directed by Mike Rianda (Film/Video 10) and co-directed by Jeff Rowe (Film/Video BFA 11). The two also wrote the script, which follows Katie Mitchell and her quirky family as their road trip to drop her off at film school is unexpectedly interrupted by a robot apocalypse.

Rianda and Rowe were the guests of honor at the 2022 Character Animation Producers’ Show on May 4 at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, addressing students in the audience where they once sat a decade before.

In this episode, Rianda and Rowe talk about the highs and lows of making the movie, their time at CalArts, and how Mike's Mom won Oscar night.

Content Warning: Language

Host: Christine Ziemba
Music: Erick "Pepper" Rivera (Music MFA 12)

Featured in CalArts' The Pool, Issue 11

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) is the Oscar-nominated animated sci-fi comedy directed by Mike Rianda (Film/Video 10) and co-directed by Jeff Rowe (Film/Video BFA 11). The two also wrote the script, which follows Katie Mitchell and her quirky family as their road trip to drop her off at film school is unexpectedly interrupted by a robot apocalypse.

Rianda and Rowe were the guests of honor at the 2022 Character Animation Producers’ Show on May 4 at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, addressing students in the audience where they once sat a decade before.

In this episode, Rianda and Rowe talk about the highs and lows of making the movie, their time at CalArts, and how Mike's Mom won Oscar night.

Content Warning: Language

Host: Christine Ziemba
Music: Erick "Pepper" Rivera (Music MFA 12)

Featured in CalArts' The Pool, Issue 11

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-10999637 Wed, 20 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0700 1196 full false 24700: Chris Porter and Jenny Curtis on 'Solar' the Podcast 24700: Chris Porter and Jenny Curtis on 'Solar' the Podcast In late March, podcast network CurtCo Media launched Solar, a 12-episode, immersive sci-fi drama created by CalArts alums Chris Porter (Music MFA 09) and directed by Porter and Jenny Curtis (Theater BFA 12). 

The audio drama follows crew members on the ill-fated solar research probe Aethon, who are disconnected from earth and trapped on separate parts of their spacecraft. As they face a literal and physical abyss, their painful memories, forgotten dreams and realities collide during their fight for survival. 

Listen to the 24700 podcast interview—preceded by the Solar trailer—with Porter and Curtis about the development of Solar, which  features a number of CalArtians on the mic and behind the scenes.

Host: Christine Ziemba
Music: Erick "Pepper" Rivera (Music MFA 12)

Featured in CalArts' The Pool, Issue 11

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> In late March, podcast network CurtCo Media launched Solar, a 12-episode, immersive sci-fi drama created by CalArts alums Chris Porter (Music MFA 09) and directed by Porter and Jenny Curtis (Theater BFA 12). 

The audio drama follows crew members on the ill-fated solar research probe Aethon, who are disconnected from earth and trapped on separate parts of their spacecraft. As they face a literal and physical abyss, their painful memories, forgotten dreams and realities collide during their fight for survival. 

Listen to the 24700 podcast interview—preceded by the Solar trailer—with Porter and Curtis about the development of Solar, which  features a number of CalArtians on the mic and behind the scenes.

Host: Christine Ziemba
Music: Erick "Pepper" Rivera (Music MFA 12)

Featured in CalArts' The Pool, Issue 11

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-10990684 Tue, 19 Jul 2022 20:00:00 -0700 1386 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx David O Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx David O In this episode of Beyond the Blue Wall, Henderson Blumer talks with David O (Theater BFA 92) about their time at CalArts, life as a music director, and what it is like working on a Broadway production.

David O is the music director for Mr. Saturday Night, a musical comedy starring Billy Crystal. It is currently playing at the Nederlander Theatre in New York.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> In this episode of Beyond the Blue Wall, Henderson Blumer talks with David O (Theater BFA 92) about their time at CalArts, life as a music director, and what it is like working on a Broadway production.

David O is the music director for Mr. Saturday Night, a musical comedy starring Billy Crystal. It is currently playing at the Nederlander Theatre in New York.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-10667907 Mon, 23 May 2022 11:00:00 -0700 1674 BTBW, s1 1 7 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: The Legacy of Charlie Haden Beyond the Blue Wall: The Legacy of Charlie Haden Director of the Jazz Program, David Roitstein, joins two of his former students: Scott Colley (Music BFA 88) and John Schwerbel (Music BFA 14) to talk about the extraordinary legacy of Charlie Haden at CalArts and beyond, including the annual Charlie Haden/CalArts Artist in Residence program.

Learn more about Charlie Haden at charliehadenmusic.com
Learn more about David Roitstein at davidroitstein.com
John Schwerbel currently serves as Director of Administration at Thomas Safran and Associates and is the Founding Chair of the CalArts Alumni Council
Learn more about Scott Colley at scottcolley.com
Watch Carla Bley and Steve Swallow as part of the 2021 Charlie Haden / CalArts Artists in Residence

Music Credit:  "Turnaround" (composed by Ornette Coleman) from 80/81 (ECM) with Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, and Jack DeJohnette. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Director of the Jazz Program, David Roitstein, joins two of his former students: Scott Colley (Music BFA 88) and John Schwerbel (Music BFA 14) to talk about the extraordinary legacy of Charlie Haden at CalArts and beyond, including the annual Charlie Haden/CalArts Artist in Residence program.

Learn more about Charlie Haden at charliehadenmusic.com
Learn more about David Roitstein at davidroitstein.com
John Schwerbel currently serves as Director of Administration at Thomas Safran and Associates and is the Founding Chair of the CalArts Alumni Council
Learn more about Scott Colley at scottcolley.com
Watch Carla Bley and Steve Swallow as part of the 2021 Charlie Haden / CalArts Artists in Residence

Music Credit:  "Turnaround" (composed by Ornette Coleman) from 80/81 (ECM) with Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, and Jack DeJohnette. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-10363495 Fri, 01 Apr 2022 17:00:00 -0700 3558 BTBW, s1 1 6 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx Socks Whitmore Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx Socks Whitmore Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20) talks about the ins and outs of starting your career as a freelance artists.

Socks (they/them/theirs) is a Los Angeles-based singer, stage and voice actor, lyricist-composer, and writer. They have done voice over work on projects like the Narwhal & Jelly audiobook series (Penguin Random House) and the fiction podcast "Georgie Romero Is Done For." Socks has also written the book, lyrics, and music to original musicals like "We Are Here" (New Voices Project winner 2019) and "Back to One," as well as originated roles in new works like the ballet operetta "Children Cannot Sleep" and the new musical "The Bully Problem."

Learn more about Socks at sockwhitmore.com

Check out Building Your Freelancing Career, a new specialization from Coursera for CalArts, offered FREE to all students, alumnx, faculty, and staff at CalArts.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Socks Whitmore (Music BFA 20) talks about the ins and outs of starting your career as a freelance artists.

Socks (they/them/theirs) is a Los Angeles-based singer, stage and voice actor, lyricist-composer, and writer. They have done voice over work on projects like the Narwhal & Jelly audiobook series (Penguin Random House) and the fiction podcast "Georgie Romero Is Done For." Socks has also written the book, lyrics, and music to original musicals like "We Are Here" (New Voices Project winner 2019) and "Back to One," as well as originated roles in new works like the ballet operetta "Children Cannot Sleep" and the new musical "The Bully Problem."

Learn more about Socks at sockwhitmore.com

Check out Building Your Freelancing Career, a new specialization from Coursera for CalArts, offered FREE to all students, alumnx, faculty, and staff at CalArts.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-10340673 Tue, 29 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0700 2533 BTBW, s1 1 5 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx K Rocka Knittel and the Other Places Art Fair Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx K Rocka Knittel and the Other Places Art Fair Henderson Blumer talks with K Rocka Knittel (Art MFA 10) about their experience at CalArts, Other Places Art Fair (OPaf), and what it takes to make an independent art fair happen (with some help from funding awarded by the Alumnx Council).

The next OPaf will take place on Saturday, May 14, 2022 in Santa Rosa, CA. OPaf 5 is happening in San Pedro on September 17 and 18, 2022. Learn more at Other Places Art Fair and visit them on Instagram. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Henderson Blumer talks with K Rocka Knittel (Art MFA 10) about their experience at CalArts, Other Places Art Fair (OPaf), and what it takes to make an independent art fair happen (with some help from funding awarded by the Alumnx Council).

The next OPaf will take place on Saturday, May 14, 2022 in Santa Rosa, CA. OPaf 5 is happening in San Pedro on September 17 and 18, 2022. Learn more at Other Places Art Fair and visit them on Instagram. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-10170361 Tue, 01 Mar 2022 16:00:00 -0800 3702 BTBW, s1 1 4 full false 24700: Douglas Kearney 24700: Douglas Kearney If you’ve been to a reading by poet, librettist, and former CalArts faculty Douglas Kearney (Critical Studies MFA 04), you know that Kearney doesn’t merely recite and read poetry. He performs it, lives it, breathes it, on stage or at the lectern, with an energy that’s more akin to hip hop and jazz with varied rhythms and turns of phrases.  

Kearney has published seven poetry collections, including this year’s National Book Award nominee, Sho (Wave 2021). A Foundation for Contemporary Arts Cy Twombly awardee and Cave Canem fellow, he currently teaches Creative Writing at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.

In October 2021, Kearney returned to CalArts as a visiting guest artist and lecturer for the Creative Writing Program’s Writing Now Reading Series.

Before Kearney’s lecture, we chatted with him for the 24700 podcast about his book, Sho, the performance of poetry, his writing influences, and teaching.  (And because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, masks were required on campus, which Kearney wore during this interview.)

Music by: Erick Pepper Rivera (Music BFA 12)

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> If you’ve been to a reading by poet, librettist, and former CalArts faculty Douglas Kearney (Critical Studies MFA 04), you know that Kearney doesn’t merely recite and read poetry. He performs it, lives it, breathes it, on stage or at the lectern, with an energy that’s more akin to hip hop and jazz with varied rhythms and turns of phrases.  

Kearney has published seven poetry collections, including this year’s National Book Award nominee, Sho (Wave 2021). A Foundation for Contemporary Arts Cy Twombly awardee and Cave Canem fellow, he currently teaches Creative Writing at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.

In October 2021, Kearney returned to CalArts as a visiting guest artist and lecturer for the Creative Writing Program’s Writing Now Reading Series.

Before Kearney’s lecture, we chatted with him for the 24700 podcast about his book, Sho, the performance of poetry, his writing influences, and teaching.  (And because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, masks were required on campus, which Kearney wore during this interview.)

Music by: Erick Pepper Rivera (Music BFA 12)

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-9715104 Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:00:00 -0800 1349 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx Casey Baden and Minga Opazo Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx Casey Baden and Minga Opazo We talk with Casey Baden and Minga Opazo, co-founders of Textile Resource LA and current residents at the CalArts REEF Residency. 

You can learn more about Casey Baden at caseybaden.com

You can learn more about Minga Opazo at mingaopazo.com

For more information about Baden and Opazo’s Textile Resource LA project, visit textileresourcela.com

For more information about Baden’s Full Service project, visit  fullservicearts.com

Watch Baden and Opazo’s Craft Contemporary conversation here.  

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> We talk with Casey Baden and Minga Opazo, co-founders of Textile Resource LA and current residents at the CalArts REEF Residency. 

You can learn more about Casey Baden at caseybaden.com

You can learn more about Minga Opazo at mingaopazo.com

For more information about Baden and Opazo’s Textile Resource LA project, visit textileresourcela.com

For more information about Baden’s Full Service project, visit  fullservicearts.com

Watch Baden and Opazo’s Craft Contemporary conversation here.  

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-9368637 Thu, 14 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0700 2632 BTBW, s1 1 3 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx Arturo Márquez and Ryan Bancroft Beyond the Blue Wall: Alumnx Arturo Márquez and Ryan Bancroft In this episode we bring together Arturo Márquez (Composition MFA 90) and Maestro Ryan Bancroft (Trumpet BFA 11, MFA 13) who emerged from CalArts’ hotbed of avant garde music to headline classical music programs on the most venerated world stages. 

They will discuss the value of CalArts culture of creative freedom, and how its cross-disciplinary pedagogy transformed their vision for their artistic practice, and continues to influence their craft and collaborations with artists and orchestras.  

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> In this episode we bring together Arturo Márquez (Composition MFA 90) and Maestro Ryan Bancroft (Trumpet BFA 11, MFA 13) who emerged from CalArts’ hotbed of avant garde music to headline classical music programs on the most venerated world stages. 

They will discuss the value of CalArts culture of creative freedom, and how its cross-disciplinary pedagogy transformed their vision for their artistic practice, and continues to influence their craft and collaborations with artists and orchestras.  

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-9316131 Tue, 05 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0700 3105 BTBW, s1 1 2 full false Beyond the Blue Wall: Experimental Animation MFA Student, Yara Elfouly Beyond the Blue Wall: Experimental Animation MFA Student, Yara Elfouly In this premier episode of Beyond the Blue Wall, the podcast of the Office of Advancement at CalArts, we talk with Yara Elfouly, an MFA2 in Experimental Animation and the beneficiary of two scholarships from the Institute. 

Yara is Egyptian and grew up in Qatar, receiving her undergraduate degree in Painting and Printmaking from VCUArts Qatar. She talked to us about her experiences as an artist as well as her transition into animation and filmmaking at CalArts. She also discussed finding her own identity and her desire to see more women from her cultural background represented in the arts. 

 You can learn more about Yara Elfouly and her art at yaraelfouly.com or at Instagram. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> In this premier episode of Beyond the Blue Wall, the podcast of the Office of Advancement at CalArts, we talk with Yara Elfouly, an MFA2 in Experimental Animation and the beneficiary of two scholarships from the Institute. 

Yara is Egyptian and grew up in Qatar, receiving her undergraduate degree in Painting and Printmaking from VCUArts Qatar. She talked to us about her experiences as an artist as well as her transition into animation and filmmaking at CalArts. She also discussed finding her own identity and her desire to see more women from her cultural background represented in the arts. 

 You can learn more about Yara Elfouly and her art at yaraelfouly.com or at Instagram. 

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-9248205 Thu, 23 Sep 2021 10:00:00 -0700 933 BTBW, s1 1 1 full false 24700: Claire Vogel and <em>Artists in Isolation</em> 24700: Claire Vogel and <em>Artists in Isolation</em> For this episode, we had the opportunity to talk to CalArts alum Claire Marie Vogel (Film/Video BFA 10)  about her online exhibition called, Artists in Isolation. 

Over the past year or so, Vogel interviewed 31 musicians, including Allen Stone, Suzi Analogue and Silversun Pickups, about their lives and work during the pandemic. 

She conducted photoshoots via Facetime and interviews over text, and the resulting work is a thoughtful time capsule of an unforgettable moment in our collective history. 

We also chatted about Reflective Refuge, her artist collective that focuses on the relationship between music and technology, her thoughts on the post-COVID music industry and a  pandemic rescue pup named after a famous personal injury lawyer. 

You may hear him a time or two during the interview (the dog, not the lawyer).

To see more of Vogel's work, visit CalArts alumni magazine, The Pool (Issue 9).

Music by: Erick Pepper Rivera (Music BFA 12)

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> For this episode, we had the opportunity to talk to CalArts alum Claire Marie Vogel (Film/Video BFA 10)  about her online exhibition called, Artists in Isolation. 

Over the past year or so, Vogel interviewed 31 musicians, including Allen Stone, Suzi Analogue and Silversun Pickups, about their lives and work during the pandemic. 

She conducted photoshoots via Facetime and interviews over text, and the resulting work is a thoughtful time capsule of an unforgettable moment in our collective history. 

We also chatted about Reflective Refuge, her artist collective that focuses on the relationship between music and technology, her thoughts on the post-COVID music industry and a  pandemic rescue pup named after a famous personal injury lawyer. 

You may hear him a time or two during the interview (the dog, not the lawyer).

To see more of Vogel's work, visit CalArts alumni magazine, The Pool (Issue 9).

Music by: Erick Pepper Rivera (Music BFA 12)

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-8513855 Thu, 13 May 2021 08:00:00 -0700 1148 1 2 full false Radical Practice: Somi Kim Radical Practice: Somi Kim 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role. 


For more information: https://radicalpractice.calarts.edu/

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role. 


For more information: https://radicalpractice.calarts.edu/

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-5035025 Mon, 17 Aug 2020 11:00:00 -0700 2899 1 6 full false Radical Practice: Tasheka Arceneaux Radical Practice: Tasheka Arceneaux 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-4740227 Mon, 27 Jul 2020 15:00:00 -0700 2944 1 5 full false Radical Practice: Margaret Anderson Radical Practice: Margaret Anderson 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role. 



Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role. 



Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-4552253 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:00:00 -0700 1813 1 4 full false Radical Practice: Brooke Irish Radical Practice: Brooke Irish 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role. 


For more information: https://radicalpractice.calarts.edu/

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role. 


For more information: https://radicalpractice.calarts.edu/

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-4484780 Tue, 07 Jul 2020 21:00:00 -0700 2268 1 3 full false Radical Practice: Kate Johnston Radical Practice: Kate Johnston 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role. 

For more information: https://radicalpractice.calarts.edu/

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> 24700 presents Radical Practice a special podcast series: a podcast about finding growth and agency in design practice. In each episode, current CalArts Graphic Design students interview program alumnae to discuss how they have defined success for themselves and how their education might have played a role. 

For more information: https://radicalpractice.calarts.edu/

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> California Institute of the Arts Buzzsprout-4263077 Sun, 21 Jun 2020 17:00:00 -0700 1918 1 2 full false 24700: Erick Pepper Rivera 24700: Erick Pepper Rivera
Erick Pepper Rivera (Music BFA 12) is a composer and cartoonist. He talks about his graphic novel, The Hat Boyz, growing up in Watts and then moving to the Santa Clarita area to attend CalArts. Erick currently writes music for picture and draws comics/zines in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife and lazy dog.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]>
Erick Pepper Rivera (Music BFA 12) is a composer and cartoonist. He talks about his graphic novel, The Hat Boyz, growing up in Watts and then moving to the Santa Clarita area to attend CalArts. Erick currently writes music for picture and draws comics/zines in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife and lazy dog.

Beyond the Blue Wall is a production of the CalArts Office of Advancement. You can find all of the episodes at https://calarts.edu/about-calarts/newsroom/podcast.

]]> Christine Buzzsprout-3638230 Thu, 21 May 2020 11:00:00 -0700 832 1 1 full false