Letter from the President and Provost

Dear Otis Alumnx and Friends, 

We are excited to introduce you to Grid at Otis College, the new alumnx and friends magazine of Otis College of Art and Design. It debuts at an extraordinary time in the College’s history. Storytelling is more important than ever, and we hope that Grid will remind the Otis Community what makes it special and unique in the world. 

Since we joined Otis College as the new President and Provost this summer, all of the in-person traditions and daily interactions that would normally mark the fall semester have been virtual, and most of our encounters with alumnx, students, faculty, and staff have been through Zoom. We have not let that deter us. We see technology as an opportunity to meet with as many members of the Otis Community as possible. We have learned what’s on your mind and what makes Otis special. Our community is stronger than ever and is moving forward together. 

We hope Grid helps inspire thoughts about our future. Over the past several weeks all of us across the College have started to have conversations about what we would like Otis College to look like in 2022. These conversations are important because with the unprecedented changes this year, we know that Otis College will evolve and not return to what it was, even in our most recent past. There have been many ideas and we welcome yours.

On October 22, we held a public forum on Race & The Creative Economy, with over 700 people registering for the event. The forum included an update from Beacon Economics that stated California has lost nearly 300,000 jobs in the Creative Economy this year. The Creative Economy is wounded, both by a pandemic and social injustice. It’s up to artists and designers to help repair these wounds, and rebuild a stronger, more just Creative Economy. An Otis education has never been more useful or important in helping organizations and communities think creatively about these new challenges. You can read a recap in this issue. 

We’ve launched Grid online with the hope that the magazine will move into print in the coming years and join the rich tradition of the former alumnx and friends magazine, O-Mag, which was published at the College from 2005 to 2015. Enjoy reading this magazine as if you received it in the mail. There is much to appreciate. 

Special thanks to Anna Raya, Editorial Director, and Sheharazad Fleming, Creative Director, who worked with Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Jeffrey Perkins, along with John Mandeville and Alex Devivye from the web team, and others in the Communications and Marketing department, who conceived and built Otis College’s first online magazine.

Thanks to them and to you for all that you do in the world and for Otis. 

Sincerely, 

Charles Hirschhorn
President

Jiseon Lee Isbara
Provost