Career Resources

Annual Spring Show

Industry Executives from Mercedes Benz Advanced Design, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Weinstein Co., Columbia Pictures, Nickelodeon, Insomniac Games, Electronic Arts, Rhythm & Hues Studios, Deutsch Inc., TBWA/Chiat Day, Primedia, Mitsubishi Motors, Volkswagen, Café FX, Hot Wheels, Colby & Partners, Kovel/Fuller, RKS Design, Brickyard FX, Bunkspeed, EVS Sports, Hunt Design Associates, Mercier, Wimberg, Ocean Visual FX, Otto Nemenz Co, Sharpe & Associates, Inc., Masked Avenger Studios, The Designory, Target Approach, BLT & Associates, Inc.

Showcasing the best emerging talent in art and design...

Each year the end of May kicks off the Spring Show, our annual event featuring juried work by the top graduates for all 13 schools of art and design.

Top professionals in photography, graphic design, illustration, advertising, media, animation, special effects, film, transportation design, architecture, fashion, fine art, interior design, product and toy design fly in, some arriving via private jet, to tour all Spring Show exhibits. Portfolio reviews, recruiting sessions and industry interviews conducted all day allow recent graduates to meet one-on-one with recruiters, agents and hiring executives, the day concludes with the private President’s Industry Reception.

The show is open to the public for the month of June.

Industry and Recruiters wishing to attend Spring Show may contact Career Resources at industryoncampus@academyart.edu.

Paul Taylor - Director, Weinstein & Co., Gar-Man Yip - Interactive Art Director, TBWA/Chiat Day,
Jon Mun - Product Designer/Developer, Speedo, Elsa Garagarza - Background Design Supervisor, Nickelodeon

Key professional artists, designers and corporate hiring managers from all over the US and abroad sound off about Spring Show...

Director, Curb Your Enthusiasm Show, CA
“This is a great event, I am amazed by the range and the quality of the work!”

Walt Disney Feature Animation, CA
“Congratulations on developing an art school that really provides great art”.

Recruitment Coordinator, Walt Disney Animation Television, CA
"Most of the students are very adept at displaying strong talent in multiple disciplines in storyboard, animation, & visual development. Amazing."

Senior Modeler, Walt Disney Feature Animation, CA
“The work just keeps getting better and better. I will definitely come back next year.”< /em>

Lighting Supervisor, Rhythm & Hues Studios, CA
"Great event, great day. Overall I was very impressed with the student's work - not just the computer animation department."

Senior VP, Feature Post Production, Columbia Pictures, CA
“I enjoy coming to this event every year! It’s a beautiful city, an amazing school, and an impressive showcase of talented students and their innovative work”.

Creative Recruiter, American Greetings, OH
“We were very impressed with your school and we look forward to growing our relationship with the Academy of Art. I just wanted to thank you so much for a great visit and congratulate you on what we thought was a very successful show.”

Director, Callison, WA
“I am blown away by the work and the level of talent at the Academy was far beyond my expectations.”

Designer, Nissan Design, CA
“The Industrial Design Department has come a long way and is a contender with the other major schools.”

VP of Lindgren and Smith, NY
"The work was amazing this year...we found two illustrators that we want to represent..."

Design Manager, Hot Wheels, CA
"There are some really great ideas here, some of these guys are exceptionally talented.”

Photographer’s Representative, CA
“The work I saw will be highly successful commercially.”< /span>

Principal, Turner and Associates, CA
“The work was better than ever. I can genuinely say that I am inspired by some of the work I saw, and that is what design is really about.”

Principal, Jeffrey Marcus and Associates, CA
“You are doing a fabulous job and a real service to the design community.”

Recruiter at CafeFx/The Syndicate, CA
“We were very impressed with the school and your commitment to the arts.”

Partner, Target Approach, CA
“Everything was excellent! Loved the Advertising teams in art and copy. Loved the New Media, where I saw better execution than professionals. Students were proud but appreciative.”

Film Writer/Producer, CA
“I visited Fine Art, Graphic Design, Photography, and Illustration and was extremely impressed by the accomplishments I saw. The work in all areas was excellent both technically and artistically.”

Head of Illustration, BLT & Associates, CA
“Thank God it’s a REAL art school! I can feel the passion of the students in what they are doing.”

Photographer's Rep, Rhoni Epstein Associates, CA
"Loved the show! Congratulations on the success of all your hard work- you are all the very best."

President, Lindgren & Smith, NY
"Thanks again for setting everything up for me to be able to be at the amazing event last week. What a special talented group of artists is emerging from your school!”

Attending companies have included...

Pixar, Hallmark, CNN, Microsoft, Walt Disney, LucasArts, American Greetings, Macy’s, Sony, Nike, Volvo, BMW, Audi of America, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, DreamWorks Pictures, Electronic Arts, Mercedes Benz, Lucas Film, Nissan, Deutsch, TBWA Chiat Day, Vogue, Warner Brothers Animation, Volkswagen, Ogilvy & Mather, Hewlett Packard, Pendulum, Honda, Mitsubishi, Weinstein & Co., General Motors, Columbia Pictures, NCsoft, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Klasky Csupo, Activision, Blue Sky Studios, Rhythm & Hues Studio, Schematic, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, Square Design, Viva Design, Insomniac Games, Masked Avenger Studios, Costume Designers Guild, Sharp & Associates, Lindgren & Smith, MJSA Architects, Perkins & Will Architects, Academy of Dramatic Arts, Hot Wheels, Ocean Visual FX, The Orphanage, Turner & Associates, BLT & Associates, Kovel/Fuller, Smash Media, Target Approach, Colby & Partners, Foote Cone & Belding, High Moon Studios, Brickyard, Bunkspeed, Frog Design, Fox Racing, Chronicle Books, Café FX, Tippett Studios.

Exposure to such a spectrum of artistic insiders is an unparalleled opportunity for Academy graduates, who can be rewarded with artistic representation or a job offer.

Happy Graduates say...

Jon, BFA-IDS
“The interview tips from Career Services helped me get an internship.”

Ryan, BFA-IDS
“Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to show my portfolio at the Spring Show. It was a good experience overall. I got to meet with Nike and RKS design. The interviews went well and both interviewers seemed to like my work.”

Edwin, MFA-ANM
“My experience presenting my portfolio at the Spring Show was very productive. I interviewed with eight different companies and received great feedback.”< /span>

Chanik, MFA-ANM
“It was great to show my demo at the Spring Show. I am in contact with Midway, HighMoon Studios, Sony Entertainment, NCsoft, and Warner Bros. I guess they all liked my portfolio.”

Derek, BFA-ILL
“It was an absolutely amazing and invaluable experience. I was able to not only network but interview with so many AAA game companies and get lined up for potential job positions. I’m currently following up on my leads and I have positions with 3 different game companies that I am being considered for.”

Michael, MFA-MPT
“It was a great experience. The exhibition was an exceptional collaboration between the MPT, Illustration, Graphic Design and several administration departments and, best of all, I met fantastic, supportive and patient mentors along the way. Importantly, the industry executives and other talented students that stopped by the exhibit supplied positive feedback in an open forum for the exchange of ideas and networking.”

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