Education
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) / BFA
SEPT 2015 - MAY 2020, Valencia, CA
Riverside Community College
SEPT 2013 - MAY 2015, Riverside, CA
Bio/Affiliation
Mollie Ong is a first generation Chinese American multidisciplinary artist from the Inland Empire in Southern California. Her art practice consists of animation, painting, and often a mix of the two. She received her BFA in Character Animation from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in 2020, and has been teaching at her two alma maters (CalArts and Riverside City College) since 2022. Mollie appreciates the impact of education at all skill levels, and seeks to teach animation and painting in order to share her love for the craft while offering an inside look at her technical approach. In addition, she has been working as a Freelance 2D Animator, Painter, Art Director, Storyboard Artist, and Illustrator for the last 6 years. Her previous clients and employers include Watcher Entertainment, HBO, Ephipheo, Starburns Industries, Six Point Harness, Amazon Music, Netflix, ToonBoom, and Charlie Kaufman.
Awards and Honors
- 2022 Society of Illustrators 65th Annual: Silver Medal - Editorial Series
- 2021 Finalist - Portrait Society of America - The Future Generation
- 2019 Princess Grace - Stephen Hillenburg Award Nominee
- 2015 RCC Student of Distinction: Art Department
- 2014 RCC Art Department Student Honors Exhibition: Honors Award
Professional Accomplishments and Exhibitions
Exhibition Experience
- 2023 Society of Illustrators - Annual Show New York
Riverside Arts Council Art Scape Exhibition Riverside, CA - 2022 Pain Sugar Gallery - “Interruptions” Group Show Riverside, CA
- 2021 Gramercy Co. - “Fall Group Show” Riverside, CA
- 2020 RCC Quad Gallery - “Creme De La Creme” Alumni Show
Riverside, CA - 2019 CalArts - “Faces and Other Stuff: 25902” Duo Show Valencia, CA
- 2018 CalArts - “Homesick for a Place You Can Never Go” Group Show
Valencia, CA
Pain Sugar Gallery - “Display Visceral” Group Show Riverside, CA - 2017 CalArts - Character Animation Group Show Valencia, CA
- 2016 CalArts - Character Animation Group Show Valencia, CA
- 2015 RCC Quad Gallery - RCC Annual Honors Art Show
- 2014 RCC Quad Gallery - RCC Annual Honors Art Show
Personal Filmography
- 2014 “Stop” - RCC Student Film
- 2015 “Clock Out” - RCC Student Film
- 2016 “The Similar, Familiar End” - CalArts Student Film
“Growth Sports” - CalArts 48 Hr Film
“The World’s Best Secretary” - CalArts Student Film - 2017 “There’s A Dog to Blame” (In Progress) - CalArts Student Film
“Speaker Spacker” (In Progress) - CalArts Student Film - 2020 “Sorry Man” (In Progress) - CalArts Student Film
Six Point Harness/Storyboard Artist
MAY 2022 - OCT 2022
Full Time Storyboard Artist for “How to Become…” on Netflix.
Riverside Community College/ Adjunct Professor
AUG 2022 - PRESENT, Riverside, CA
Part Time Art Department Faculty
CalArts Extended Studies/ Animation Instructor
JUN 2022 - JULY 2022, LA, CA
Animation Instructor for two classes in CalArts’ Animation Intensive Program.
ToonBoom Harmony Commercial/Art Director, Animator
MAR - APR 2022, Canada
Directed, Designed, and 2D Animated 10 seconds of animation.
Charlie Kaufman/ Art Director, Animator
APR 2019 - JAN 2020, NY, NY
Directed animation for the Ghost Pig character in “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”
on Netflix
Epipheo / Animator
MAY 2021 - OCT 2021, CI, OH
2D animated cow walk cycles at 3 different health stages.
Watcher Entertainment/ Illustrator
JAN 2020 - PRESENT, LA, CA
“Ghost Files”, “Are You Scared?”, “Puppet History”, “Dish Granted”.
Amazon Music/ Animator
APR 2020 - AUG 2020, NY, NY
Animator for Amazon Music’s “Asian Heritage Month Highlights” 2020, and “Cardi B’s
Behind the Hit”.
Starburns Industries/Animator
JUL 2018 - DEC 2018, LA, CA
Concept, Storyboarding, and Animation on Lumos Documentary.