Attention: NESADSU Graduates of the Past Ten Years

featureNESADSU graduates of the past ten years (at least those for whom we have current email addresses!) have just been sent a survey that is designed to provide us with current information on your whereabouts and your employment status, as well as answers to a few other questions. We’d appreciate your taking the few minutes necessary to complete the survey as the information will help us entice prospective students, convince potential employers to hire our graduates, and in general, get the word out to the public about the great job that NESADSU does educating graphic and interior designers, illustrators and fine artists.

Added enticement? For every 25 recipients who complete the survey by February 15th, we will hold a drawing for a $50 American Express gift card. In other words, if you and 200 of your fellow alums respond, we will have a drawing for eight gift cards. That means you have a 1 in 25 chance of winning! So do it!

Complexity Event at Suffolk

featureSean Solley, Associate Professor of Interior Design, has been working with Dr. Greta Meszoely, Director of the Center for Business Complexity and Global Leadership, and together they have organized a pilot event exploring issues common to their respective disciplines. The event is co-sponsored by the Suffolk Center for Entrepreneurship and NESADSU. Ben Waber of Sociometric Solutions will discuss social sensing technology and its use in measuring human behavior in the built environment. Ben’s work can be viewed at: http://www.sociometricsolutions.com. The discussion will kick off at 5:30pm and will be followed by an informal reception where participants can meet and share ideas. Please join us!

 

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Yamamoto Senior Studio & Thesis Design Award

featureJust last month NESADSU said goodbye to our very talented and beloved friend and professor, Tommy Yamamoto. Although we will all remember him in spirit, we felt that it would be wonderful to honor him by creating a design award in his memory. Both undergraduate and graduate students Tommy2will be eligible to receive this award for design excellence upon completion of their Senior Studio or Thesis project. This award will be funded by donations, and we would be grateful for any contributions you might like to give.

Checks may be sent to Robert Roetger, the Director of Development for the College of Arts and Sciences at Suffolk. Please make checks payable to ‘Suffolk University’ and mail them to the address below. Online credit card gifts are accepted as well. Please go to www.suffolk.edu/giving and in the ‘other’ category indicate ‘Yamamoto Award.’

Please send checks to:

Robert Roetger

Director of Development

College of Arts and Sciences

Suffolk University Advancement Office

8 Ashburton Place

Boston, MA 02108

1994 – Barbara Sherman

classnote1994 – Barbara Sherman (Interior Design) emailed us to say that she had retired as of December 2012. She spent most of her career at Wilson Butler Architects in Boston working on entertainment-related projects on land and at sea, participating in the design of new and restored performance venues as well as other public spaces. She will continue with the firm on a contract basis, doing projects with special appeal. Barbara also plans to travel more with her husband, spend more time with her now 9-month-old granddaughter Maddie, and continue doing watercolors of architectural details inspired by her trips to Italy and other beautiful places. Barbara also mentioned her two successful hires of NESADSU graduates for WBA – Jillian Welenc (MA in Interior Design 2009) and Rebecca Emanuel (Interior Design 2007), who are continuing the NESADSU tradition at the firm. You can reach Barbara at bfshermandesign@gmail.com.

Inventing DYAStudio: The journey of a creative mind that believes design, art and strategy can change the world

featureimage-1Five years ago Eileen Riestra (Graphic Design 2005) decided to establish a company that would provide creative solutions and strategies for businesses in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Ever since she was a teenager she had dreamt of changing the world through design, technology and innovation. During her years at NESADSU, the dream edged toward reality and DYAStudio was conceived.

imageEileen left NESADSU upon graduation and returned to Puerto Rico, where, after two years learning the intricacies of the business from some of the most competitive firms in Puerto Rico, she opened DYAStudio (www.dyastudio.com) in 2007. Through the world-wide recession, through good days and better ones, she managed to mold her business into one of the most innovative design firms in Puerto Rico.

Now, five years later, DYAStudio is celebrating its 5th anniversary and Eileen has clients from Boston to London and from Florida to Mexico and back to Puerto Rico. With five employees in equally diverse locations image-2(Puerto Rico has no design schools of its own, so the pool of local talent is small), they carry on their brand development, website design, environmental graphics, social media and new product development, if necessary by Skype and PayPal. It all works and she’s busier than ever.

In 2012 Eileen was given the opportunity to attend the prestigious Yale School of Management in New Haven. The program provided her with the tools, theory and experience she needed to become a prolific entrepreneur. The creative side of the company acquired a successful business edge and DYAStudio strengthened its position in the market through interactions with some of America’s most successful business people.

As DYAStudio continues to grow, Eileen is always willing to talk with NESADSU graduates in Graphic Design, who might be able to contribute to the firm’s continuing success. If you think you might be that candidate, contact Eileen at eileen@dyastudio.com.

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2012 – Janelle Parent

classnote2012 – Janelle Parent (Interior Design), who moved to San Francisco a few weeks after graduation, is currently working at an interior design/custom furniture store called FLIPP (Fashionable Living in Petite Places) in the city. Working closely with the owner, she is now doing a combination of sales, organizational tasks, and layout/floor plan and presentation design for clients. As she says about her move, “San Francisco is great, the people are friendly, it doesn’t get too cold, and there is so much to do and explore. Very exciting!” You can get in touch with Janelle at janellepdesign@gmail.com.

2011 – Aaliah Al-Aali

classnote2011 – Aaliah Al-Aali (MA in Graphic Design) has left her job at an advertising agency in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is currently the design leader at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Apparently the general manager of the IT department so loved the design of the Qu’ran Aaliah did as her Masters Thesis project that “he wants me to reflect the style in the Ministry. We’ll soon be redesigning the external and internal portal pages. Working in the government sector is so different but I’m liking it so far. I like giving something to the country.” Aaliah is also freelancing as well a giving stand-alone lectures on graphic design at Princess Nora University. You can reach her at aaliah.design@gmail.com.

2006 – Allison Curran

classnote2006 – Allison Curran (Interior Design) has relocated to San Francisco and is working as a furniture designer for Pottery Barn. She works with four otherimgres designers (“…a smaller team than I ever imagined for such a big line of furniture”) and is the only interior designer; the others all have backgrounds in industrial design. In a nod to her past life, Allison says, “Had I not decided to move to the West Coast, I would have stayed working for Gary [McBournie, NESAD 1973 and the Principal of Gary McBournie, Inc. in Boston.] forever as he was an incredible boss and an amazing designer.”  But Allison says she loves San Francisco because it has so much to offer and would recommend it to anyone.You can get in touch with Allison at acurran16@gmail.com.

1993 – Steinunn Jonsdottir

classnote1993 – Steinunn Jonsdottir (Interior Design) and her family spent the summer at their farm in the north of Iceland, in the company of the resident artists IMG_3166and designers at the Baer Art Center, of which she is the director (www.baer.is). In addition they managed to fit in a trip to Tuscany and a family camping rip to Skaftafell National Park, closer IMG_3258to home. Steinunn and her husband have four children: Unnar Örn, a happy 2 1/2 year old toddler who loves the outdoors; Baldur who is 6 and a dedicated soccer player; Jón Bragi, who, at 15, is headed to junior college in the fall; and Nanna Katrin, 18, who is halfway through her four years of junior college and who is more and more into music. Steinunn and her husband, Finnur, are “trying to keep up with the endless projects that pile up around family, business, farm life and the art center and are hanging in there!”. Steinunn herself is finishing up the renovation of the Baer Art Center website, and is working on new brochures as well as a Baer cookbook. You can get in touch with her at sj@sj.is.

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NESADSU Alumni Included in Exhibition at Suffolk

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Sam Spano
X’s (Bead Painting #9), Acrylic on Canvas, 38″x84″

featureAn exhibition of the works of NESADSU faculty in Suffolk’s Stahl Building at 73 Tremont Street includes the work of two alumni, Sam Spano (Fine Arts 2010) and John Roy (Fine Arts 2012). The exhibition, curated and installed by James Manning (Fine Arts 2005), is available for viewing in the public areas of the 12th and 13th floors until July 31, 2013. Also featured are works, in a variety of mediums, by Foundation, Fine Arts and Illustration faculty, including Harry Bartnick, Bebe Beard, Linda Brown, Paul Andrade, Deb Weisberg, Lydia Martin, Lisa French, Steve Novick and Susan Nichter.

John RoyWall Work No. 27, Wallpaper, interior paint, molding, Approx. 12"x12"
John Roy
Wall Work No. 27, Wallpaper, interior paint, molding, Approx. 12″x12″

As NESADSU Chairman Bill Davis said in his introduction to the exhibition: “Collectively, it [the exhibition] speaks volumes about the creativity and professionalism that permeate every aspect of The New England School of Art & Design….I would like to think that this exhibit has added a new dimension to the 12th and 13th floors, while at the same time informing and involving the entire University community.”

The exhibition spaces are open to the public on weekdays from 9am until 5pm.