Spring Show

The most exciting art & design exhibition of the year

Spring Show is the annual student art and design exhibition showing the best of the best student work from all 22 different schools at Academy of Art University.

From paintings and sculptures to fully developed video games and car models, there is no shortage of talent and skill on display.

For the first time in our history, the 2020 Spring Show will be done virtually—bringing thousands of students, industry leaders, educators, and community members together to celebrate student accomplishments and make career connections with people around the globe.

2000 +
Student work presented
1000 +
Industry leaders attend every year
75 +
Creative disciplines

See 2020 Spring Show

What to expect at Spring Show

  • See the best of the best student work spanning all our 22 different schools at the Academy in one central location
  • Discover how an accredited degree from the Academy can help turn a passion into a profession. 
  • You’ll meet industry leaders and recruiters who will review your portfolios and provide  feedback on your work. Be ready; companies have been known to hire graduating students on the spot!

Why is Spring Show important?

Simply put, our goal at Academy of Art University is student success. We want you to get good jobs when you leave here. We want you to get the most out of your career, and to live a purpose-filled life of your own choosing and making. Students have access to a job board listings to find career opportunities where at least 20 new employment opportunities are posted daily by top art and design companies. While we pack the student experience with a number of career-building opportunities, our Spring Show event is the most effective. This is due, in part, to strong, long-time relationships we have with a number of industry leaders and innovative companies. These opportunities give Academy students a distinct advantage as they embark on their professional journeys. Spring Show also helps career-seekers in the following ways:

Student Work

Meet the future of art & design

Spring Show 2020

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Pixar
Samsung
Nike
Company Logo
Apple
Google

Companies that hired our graduates

We look at Academy of Art University as one of the premier design schools especially on the west coast and we’re always trying to have close ties with those schools and find talent for our future design programs. – Andre Frey, Mercedes Benz Advanced Design

I come to Spring Show every year. There are such diverse skill sets here that I have never seen in any other school. We are looking for people who stand out and games that stand out, and Spring Show is the best place to actually find all of. It just blows my mind how creative everybody is here. – Dave Markowitz, Lead Animator at Jam City

We love seeing new talents and we can help them navigate the beginning of their career. – Ralph and Diane Waterhouse, Owners of Waterhouse Gallery

What alumni are saying

1/5
An Nguyen
MA, Web Design and New Media
The best thing about being a part of Spring Show is that you get to meet people from many different industries here. It’s all about connections. You get to talk with people. It’s a good way to create connections, and maybe like an internship or even a full-time job.
Alpa Sheth
MFA, Jewelry and Metal Arts
Getting into Spring Show is very exciting because it’s presenting the work that you’ve worked hard on and you’ve spent nights and days working on, and people are actually coming to see it. It boosts your confidence and elevates your artistic sense.
Ruqayah Baroudi
BFA, Interior Architecture & Design
It’s a real honor. I am really grateful to be here. There is a lot of preparation that goes into it and we honestly cannot do it without our instructors. They really put a lot of time and effort into helping us make this possible. It is a great privilege to showcase your work to the public.
Hugo Ugaz
MFA, Graphic Design
You can talk to the people in the industry so that they can take a look at your work and see if you could be a good fit for their agency or a design studio.
Juan M. Corredor
MFA, Graphic Design
You see the different levels of design. Different classmates have different talents — some are illustrators, some are better in color, some are better in type. And it’s helpful when you come and look at all their work and you get inspired as well.
1/5

Past Spring Shows

Message from faculty

1/3
Phil Hamlett
Director of School of Graphic Design
Spring Show is the most important day of our year. Students get to see a lot of people in a relatively casual setting. We spend quite a bit of time coaching them about how to present their work. Throughout the program, students are asked to speak about their works, define their choices, document their process.
Antonio Borja
Director of School of Industrial Design
Spring Show is our opportunity to highlight the best of our students’ work to the industry and allow them to get direct feedback from the industry, and hopefully placing them in internships and jobs.
DC Scarpelli
Associate Director of School of Web Design and New Media
A lot of industry folks have been by our area, and they are really interested in a lot of the VR staff and IOT staff that they may not have seen too much of before, certainly not produced at a student level. Our students get to talk about their projects because those projects are new to people, which is particularly exciting.
1/3

Meet the future of art & design

Spring Show 2020

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