On Thursday, Jan. 17, the annual CalArts Animation art show and reception kicked off gallery nights in 2019.
Held in the Main Gallery, students from both the Character and Experimental animation programs were invited to present their personal artwork. Chia-Hsin Lee (Film/Video BFA 20), one of the character animators showcasing her work, said that the show gave animation filmmakers a chance to showcase another side of their art. “It shows the school what we’re doing,” she noted.
Attendees could also collect a wide variety of zines, stickers and trading cards designed by the students.
Continuing with tradition, the student-run event included live drawing. The animators from the School of Film/Video drew caricatures of attendees. Gallery-goers even got their chance to sit and draw with friends and students.
One of the night’s highlights was a concert performance by NM8 (aka Justenian Truong [Film/Video BFA 20]) on the steps in the Main Gallery. For the reception, he prepared a sequence of animated and live action projections, including his original song Sun Tan Lotion. NM8 walked down the stairs clad in all-black and sunglasses to a screaming crowd. He began dancing and singing along with the moving projections.
After the concert, the night ended in the early hours of the morning with dancing and live music mixing.
Click through the photo gallery above for images from the Animation Art Show.
—Brigitte Ugarte