ArtCenter100, a financial support group of ArtCenter College of Design, recently reached a major milestone with more than $2.4 million raised to directly support student scholarships. Established in 1986, ArtCenter100 was founded by Pasadena resident Alyce de Roulet Williamson to provide much-needed scholarship assistance to the college’s talented art and design students. In addition, the group introduces community members to the college through social gatherings and educational programs. ArtCenter President Karen Hofmann, acknowledged the $2.4 million milestone at the group’s annual meeting on Nov. 3 at ArtCenter’s Hillside Campus in Pasadena. “I’m deeply grateful to the many generous members of ArtCenter100 for their unwavering decades of support for our students,” said Hofmann. “Funding scholarships to increase access to an art and design education is a top priority at ArtCenter. One of the most meaningful ways to support our next generation of talented and deserving students is to make this specialized education more affordable. We are grateful for the strong partnership of ArtCenter100 and the college for nearly four decades.” ArtCenter100’s financial contributions to the college have directly impacted approximately 500 students spanning across the college’s undergraduate programs including Mark Kakunegoda, a transportation design major from Los Angeles. “Education has the power to transform lives, but not everyone gets the opportunities they deserve due to financial barriers,” said Kakunegoda. “Programs like the ArtCenter100 scholarship I received make it possible for individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams and access the education they need to thrive.” Recent graduates have established careers in their chosen fields such as Travis Cantrell, who is now a UX designer at Oracle in San Francisco, Chase Ghiglia, who is now at General Motors as a color, materials and finishes designer, and Alyssa Spelios Hudson, who works as a graphic designer at Dynamic Dynosaur. Another ArtCenter100 scholar, Ximena Amaya from Mexico City, is currently a fellow at ArtCenter’s Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography and was recently featured in VoyageLA magazine, a publication created to authentically feature the best of Los Angeles. At ArtCenter100’s Nov. 3 annual meeting, Hofmann presented the honorary ArtCenter donor pencil, recognizing the momentous milestone, to current ArtCenter100 President Janice Bea and ArtCenter100 founder and ArtCenter Trustee Emeritus Williamson. The pencil will be displayed on donor walls on both ArtCenter campuses. Williamson founded ArtCenter100 as a support group of mission-driven individuals committed to funding scholarships and easing the financial burden of earning a degree from ArtCenter. ArtCenter100 is the college’s largest community support group. In addition to raising funds for scholarships, ArtCenter100 members have influenced countless other significant gifts including several members who have established their own endowed scholarships. ArtCenter100 continues to support the next generation of artists and designers through their financial support and community engagement. To learn more about the group, please contact Chris Allen, director of annual giving at (626) 396-2490 or chris.allen@artcenter.edu.
