Otis College’s Black Creatives Institute Connects Students to Black Industry Leaders in Art and Design

In a post-event survey 100% of participants indicated that they felt they had the tools and resources to be a Black creative.

Otis College recently completed its fifth annual Black Creatives Institute (BCI), a five-day summer bridge program that included a keynote address, a series of conversations and panels with Black creatives from across a spectrum of art and design industries, site visits, and art activations. As colleges across the country reduce DEIB programming and staff support, a program like Otis’s BCI is more important than ever. Dr. Theresa Lucas, the College’s new Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, organized this year’s BCI to foster a sense of community among incoming Black-identified students by supporting their personal growth, identity formation, cultural development, and career development. 

“BCI offers underrepresented students a unique opportunity to connect with peers, mentors, faculty, staff, alumni, and Black industry creatives who share similar cultural and creative experiences, helping them see a future in which they can thrive both personally and professionally,” Dr. Lucas says. “The students showed up authentically, and really engaged with the activities and speakers. Students shared that they appreciated the community-building aspects of BCI, and left with a strong sense of belonging at Otis and of personal empowerment.” 

According to the program’s post-survey, completed by 83% of all participants, 100% of attendees felt they left with the tools and resources to perform as empowered Black creatives. Additionally, 96.7% felt prepared and supported at Otis College. The overwhelming majority also left BCI knowing how to take advantage of College resources to support their personal, academic, and social success. 

“The involvement of the Otis alumnx who participated as panelists and vendors and contributed great insights with the students, like that of all of our renowned speakers, provided students with tangible role models and inspiration from accomplished Black creatives who once stood in their shoes,” adds Dr. Lucas. 

2024 Black Creatives Institute Speakers

• Natasha DesRuisseaux, Lead of Emerging Creators NORAM at Meta, who spoke about how Black creators can use social media to engage in multiple ways within their art practices, as well as how to use and maximize social media as a pathway to entrepreneurship.
• Twin brothers Teran Evans, Global Head of Brand Design at Amazon Music, and Teman Evans, Global Chief of Design at General Mills, who also are co-instructors at Harvard University, shared their pathway to art and design school, their career journey, and experiences.
• A Black creatives industry panel that featured:
   
  • Will Ragland, Creative Director at AppleTV+;
  • DeeDee Wright-Ward, founder and CEO at Purpose Toys;
  • Mike Chubb, lead artist at Treyarch/Activision;
  • Billy Hicks (’02 BFA Digital Media), Senior Writer Producer for Creative Marketing at Disney Branded Television; 
  • Michael White, Creative Director, Riot Games; and
  • Leo Lawson, CEO of VFILES, partner of FIFA 1904, and founder of BOND Creative MGMT (and an Otis College Trustee).
• Launi King, founder and CEO of Creative Play, who has overseen product development and brand merchandising for Mattel, Warner Brothers, Motown, Disney, and 20th Century Fox, and spoke about her passion for fostering innovation and uplifting inventors within marginalized communities.
  
  

The 37 BCI students also attended a series of site visits throughout Los Angeles, including to game and entertainment company Riot Games; Leimert Park’s Sole Folks; and BLT Communications, an entertainment marketing firm founded by Dawn Baillie (’86 BFA Communication Arts, Illustration), who also is an Otis Trustee. Dreamhaus L.A., the arts nonprofit co-founded by Otis College alumni Nikkolos Mohammed (’13 BFA Fine Arts) and Mike Reesé (’14 BFA Communication Arts), engaged the BCI participants in an art activation workshop on the Otis campus. 

“I saw many students gain confidence in their artistic passions, having previously shared with the group that they struggled with self-doubt and anxiety. Additionally, multiple students expressed a profound sense of belonging at Otis,” says Dr. Lucas. 

I heard students say over and over again that before BCI they weren’t sure where or if they would belong at Otis, and that they hadn’t ever felt like they belonged anywhere, but after BCI they found a home and they found friends who make them feel more confident and excited for the future.”

In addition to the five-day event, each BCI attendee was paired with a mentor who works in the art and design industry as a mid- to senior-level creative. The students are also supported throughout the academic year by meeting one-on-one each week with a BCI peer mentor, and by reconvening once a month for lunch to be in community with each other and with Black faculty and staff at Otis.

Students who participate in the Black Creatives Institute gain invaluable insights into career development, creative expression, and community building, empowering them to reach success both at Otis College and in their future careers.

“I loved seeing all of the campus work together—from Institutional Advancement ensuring we had the funds to host a successful program, to the dining staff who made sure everyone was well-fed, to the many faculty and staff who attended various parts of the program,” says Dr. Lucas. “This was an Otis team win, not just one for the DEIB office.” 

More information about Black Creatives Institute.

 

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