CalArts Alumni

Our alums makin' history 👏👏

When the Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago on June 19, visitors will encounter major works by alumni Mark Bradford (BFA 95, MFA 97) and Carrie Mae Weems (BFA 81).

Bradford contributes CITY OF THE BIG SHOULDERS, a three-story painting mapping Chicago through an embrace of fragmentation and perspective. He will also be participating in a public conversation at the Center exploring his artistic practice and commissioned work on Tuesday, July 7.

Weems presents THE COOL BLUE WIND, a photographic collage accompanied with original music referencing President Obama’s 2008 election victory, reflecting on the pivotal moment in American history.

Find the full story at 24700: https://calarts.pulse.ly/wmwph6obd6
Image: President Barack Obama with CalArts alum Carrie Mae Weems (Art BFA 81) during a tour of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Courtesy of The Obama Foundation.

Punk made outsiders visible. This exhibition makes that visible too. Co-curated by Graphic Design faculty and alum Michael Worthington.

This month, a new exhibition co-curated by Graphic Design faculty Michael Worthington (Art MFA 95) opened at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

OUTSIDERS, OUTCASTS, REBELS + WEIRDOS: PUNK CULTURE 1976-86 features more than 500 objects and pieces of ephemera, including handmade flyers, posters, zines, photographs, video, clothing, and artifacts connected to influential punk figures and bands.

The exhibition examines punk as a visual and cultural movement, with particular focus on the relationship between Jewish musicians and the punk scene.

Worthington describes punk as "a way to find your own voice and your own tribe."

📅 On view through Sept 6, 2026
📍 Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA

Read more at 24700: https://calarts.pulse.ly/tfvhf8ymjc

Image: Alice Bag performing with The Bags in Los Angeles, 1978. Photograph by Melanie Nissen. Courtesy of the Skirball Cultural Center.

Cheers to alums Soo Kim and Todd Gray!