ISSUE 25 FALL / WINTER 2016 The Alumni Magazine of Columbia College Chicago How TV professionals shaped the hit show Empire NASA writer Sarah Schlieder explores our universe Thelonious Martin brings the beats YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Scholarships make “When I become successful, I will Columbia educations look back on everyone who helped me, and this scholarship will possible. Would you give today inspire me to also help a student to help students follow their in need.” HELEN LOPEZ creative passions? Scholarship Recipient You can give securely right now at colum.edu/giving CONTENTS ISSUE 25 DEMO FALL /WINTER 2016 42 26 FEATURES SPOT ONS DEPARTMENTS 10 Building an Empire 26 Jennifer Farrington ’93 encourages 5 Vision Ayanna Floyd ’98, CeCe Destefano ’94, kids to learn through play at Chicago Questions for President Kwang-Wu Kim David Leonard ’97 and James Carter Children’s Museum. ’09 play critical roles in the production 6 Wire of Fox series Empire. 29 Genndy Tartakovsky celebrates the News from the Columbia community 20th anniversary of his cartoon creation, 18 Live Wire Act Dexter’s Laboratory. 38 Alumni Shorts Six alumni turn live music into Quick looks at cool projects unforgettable experiences. 30 Sarah Schlieder ’16 found a cave on Mars. Now she writes for NASA. 50 Alumni News & Notes PORTFOLIO Featuring class news, notes 33 Scot O’Hara MFA ’95 and Dale Boyer and networking 42 Monster Mash honor a fellow alumna through their Heidi Unkefer ’14 designs press, Oh Boy Books. everywhere from The Onion to on- campus murals to HBO’s Last Week 34 Thelonious Martin uses late-night Tonight with John Oliver. television as the inspiration for his hip-hop beats. 46 Just Bead It Stephan Wanger ’94 turns trash 36 Jen Beeman ’09 makes it big into treasure with his recycled Mardi with her patternmaking company, Gras bead mosaics. Grainline Studio. DEMO 25 fall / winter 2016 3 DEMO ISSUE 25 FALL / WINTER 2016 MAGAZINE STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Megan Kirby EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Negesti Kaudo LEAD DESIGNERS Chris Reyes Stefan Coisson DESIGNER Alex Martinez GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Madeleine Bennett ’16 STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Philip Dembinski ’08 ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES MANAGER Chuck Lira ’08 RESEARCHER Amy Wilson COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES BRAG ON William E. Wolf PRESIDENT Kwang-Wu Kim, DMA VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS YOURSELF Deb Maue EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS AND ANNUAL GIVING Miriam Smith Visit colum.edu/classnotes to submit your updates. DEMO (volume 11, number 2) is published by Columbia College Chicago. DEMO is mailed free of charge to alumni and friends of the college two times per year. The ideas You could even end up in the and opinions expressed are those of the writers alone and do not necessarily reflect those of Columbia College Chicago. ©Columbia College Chicago 2016. next DEMO. Contact us: For address changes or deletions, email your first and last name, mailing address, city, state, zip code and phone number to [email protected] and spec- ify if your request is an address update or a request to stop receiving DEMO. For other inquiries, email demo@ colum.edu, call 312-369-1000, or mail DEMO magazine, Columbia College Chicago, 600 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 527, Chicago, IL 60605. colum.edu/demo VISION Questions for President Kwang-Wu Kim DEMO: What do you think would sur- can also reach out either to the Career prise alumni about Columbia right now? Center or to a favorite faculty member and PRESIDENT KIM: Meeting alumni and find out if there is a way for them to recon- hearing their stories is one of the most nect with Columbia, perhaps by providing enjoyable parts of my job. It’s especially internships or other practical learning op- rewarding to talk with alumni who come portunities for our students. It’s really about back to campus for events like Columbia alumni getting involved in some fashion Weekend after being away for a long time— with how we support student success. they’re just amazed at Columbia’s develop- ment. I’m pleased that there seems to be DEMO: What makes Columbia alumni a correspondence between the alumni’s unique? hopes for the school and the direction in PRESIDENT KIM: In almost every in- which we’re heading; I really want them to stance in which I connect with alumni, get a clear sense that their school is moving I’m meeting people who are doing exactly to the next level. In particular, I hope that what we hope that Columbia graduates will our renewed focus on student success is a do: they are innovating and creating. So for positive surprise for them. me, it’s refreshing to interact with them. They always seem to have retained their DEMO: What changes are in store for the excitement and enthusiasm. college in the coming year? PRESIDENT KIM: We’ve just formally DEMO: What does an active alumni com- launched the Career Center, which will munity bring to Columbia? be a major link between current students PRESIDENT KIM: The professional re- and alumni. The faculty is in the midst sources that they command because of their of rethinking the curriculum from top experience, the example of their personal to bottom, and we’re moving ahead with histories and—in some cases—financial plans for the new student center. So we’re support. Above all, I think it’s so important really putting some concrete pieces of the for alumni to constantly share their stories strategic plan in place this year. with students and show them—model for them—what success looks like after Colum- DEMO: How can alumni become mentors bia. The greater the variety of these stories for students or other young alumni? that students hear, the better, because it PRESIDENT KIM: One reliable way would reinforces the point that we are all trying be to contact Development and Alumni Re- to get across to them, that there is no one lations, which has been setting up alumni path to that success. roundtables, visits and events. But alumni DEMO 25 fall / winter 2016 5 Wire NEWS FROM THE COLUMBIA COMMUNITY MOCP CELEBRATES 40 YEARS WITH EXHIBITION Columbia College Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) cel- ebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016 with a showcase of its vast collection of pho- tographic art in MoCP at 40. The floor-to- ceiling, wall-to-wall display included artists such as Elliot Erwin, Sally Mann, Robert Mapplethorpe and Myra Greene. Even then, only a fraction of the museum’s 14,000 pieces were on display. The MoCP is one of two photography museums accredited by the American Alli- ance of Museums. The museum also serves as a starting point in the careers of many national and international photographers. “It’s important that we can be flexible and respond to contemporary artists. After all, it’s the artists that dictate the future,” says Executive Director Natasha Egan MFA ’98. 1 2 18 NEW MURALS JOIN WABASH ARTS CORRIDOR The Wabash Arts Corridor (WAC) held its inaugural Big Walls Festival celebrating street 1. Amuse 126 is a Chicago street artist who art culture during the first two weeks of May 2016. WAC partnered with local galleries captures the attention of an everyday audience with his abstract typography and illustration. and sponsors to bring 18 local and international street artists to install large-scale murals. The artists included notable street artists Eduardo Kobra from Brazil and Ozmo from Italy. 2. Make Your Own Luck was created by the Throughout the course of the Big Walls Festival, the 18 artists—including students and Brooklyn artistic duo ASVP. The mural was part of Vertical Gallery’s “The Power alumni—installed more than 40,000 square feet of building murals, adding to the WAC’s of Paint” series which focused on the 20 existing murals around campus. The festival included street art tours, live art making theme of using art to help others. and an artist panel. Several of the artists created work specific to the city, including Kobra’s colorful mosaic of legendary Chicago blues musician Muddy Waters and Collin van der Sluijs’ From Bloom to Doom mural depicting two endangered Illinois birds among native flowers. The murals can be found throughout the South Loop. 6 DEMO 25 fall / winter 2016 WIRE “The brand is a way of telling our story to the world.” COLUMBIA UNVEILS NEW BRAND DEMO MAGAZINE WINS CASE GOLD AWARD In summer 2016, Columbia College Chicago launched a new brand. More than a logo or color palette, our brand is the total experience V for Victory! DEMO, Columbia’s alumni magazine (that you’re created for key audiences—a unique-to-Columbia experience that reading right now), was awarded the Council for Advancement embodies the college’s mission and aims to help the world see us and Support of Education (CASE) Gold Award for Special Issues the way we see ourselves. for its Fall/Winter 2015 23rd issue. The issue celebrated 10 years “The brand is a way of telling our story to the world,” says Pres- of DEMO with an A-to-Z guide of all things Columbia. The CASE ident and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim. “It’s an organizing principle, a Awards of Excellence recognize superior accomplishments in the way of pulling everything together to tell a consistent story so the field of education. Out of 41 entries, four institutions were awarded world can appreciate who we are and what we do for our students.” for special issues. The brand is already helping amplify and strengthen Columbia’s The issue’s illustrated A-to-Z guide highlighted and celebrated key messages in communications.