Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is proud to welcome four talented artists and designers to our campus during the 2024-25 academic year, via the VASD Program. For anyone who is new to the RMCAD community or may not have attended a VASD event in the past, here is everything you need to know about the VASD Program!
What is the VASD Program?
VASD Program stands for Visiting Artist, Scholar, and Designer Program which brings acclaimed creatives from around the globe to the RMCAD campus. The VASD Program invites a wide variety of specialists to share their one-of-a-kind wisdom with students, faculty, staff, and community members. Each speaker participates in three events: an artist talk open to the public; a student-led Q+A, where current students can ask speakers about their artwork or career journey; and additional events including portfolio reviews and workshops where students can receive individualized feedback on their artwork. Most VASD Program events are available both online and on campus.
Who Will Be Speaking This Year?
Justin Martin – October 15 – 16, 2024
Justin Martin will be the first VASD Program speaker of RMCAD’s 2024-25 academic year. He is a creative director and art director for themed entertainment and experiences. You may have seen his work at Meow Wolf Convergence Station in Denver or just about anywhere else around the country from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando to the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. Martin is a multi-disciplinary artist who has worked in various mediums and roles. His expertise includes concept design, 3D modeling, character design, art direction, model making, and set decoration. As a true jack-of-all-trades, he has been celebrated in the art community as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Themed Entertainment Design by Blooloop, a two-time winner of the Themed Entertainment Association’s Thea Award for his work on both Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay and The Twilight Saga: Midnight Ride, and the Golden Ticket Award for Meow Wolf Convergence Station. As a Savannah College of Art + Design alumni, Martin knows how to connect with today’s art students and translate that education into a thriving career. In his artist talk at RMCAD, Martin will discuss how he broke into the themed entertainment industry and how he fuels his imagination on larger-than-life projects in his small but unique industry.
Deanna Van Buren – November 12 – 13, 2024
In November, RMCAD will be joined by Deanna Van Buren. Van Buren is an esteemed interior designer and architect passionate about design as a tool for restorative justice. She is the co-founder and executive director off Designing Justice + Designing Spaces, an architecture and real estate nonprofit working to end mass incarceration through place-based solutions.. Across her 16 years in the design world, she has been a design lead and project manager in the offices of Eric R. Kuhne & Associates London, The Buchan Group Sydney, Michelle Kauffman Designs, and Perkins + Will. Van Buren’s projects can be seen all around the globe in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. For her imaginative designs centered around social justice, Van Buren has been the receipt of much acclaim in the architecture and design communities. She was awarded the Rauschenberg Artist as Activist Grant for her efforts in creating a one-of-a-kind “mobile resource village.” RMCAD is honored to host Van Buren this fall as she empowers students to use their creativity to enact social change!
Mindy Johnson – February 11 – 12, 2025
Kicking off the latter half of the academic year, RMCAD will welcome award-winning author, filmmaker, and historian, Mindy Johnson. Johnson is a scholar whose passion is sharing the history of women in animation, dating back to the early 20th century. As an artist, she has collaborated with many familiar names such as The Walt Disney Company, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the SPARK Animation Festival, and SiriusXM Radio. As a speaker, Johnson has had the honor of presenting to organizations such as The Smithsonian Speakers Series, Lucasfilm, Dreamworks, D23 Expo, and San Diego ComiCon. Johnson is a foremost scholar in the world of education, teaching courses on the history of women in the animation industry at CalArts, UCLA, and Drexel University. For her groundbreaking work, Johnson has received wide acclaim and is the recipient of the prestigious ASIFA-Hollywood June Foray “Annie” Award and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences with the Academy Film Scholar Award. RMCAD is pleased to host Johnson and her revelatory discoveries about the founding women of animation which powerfully reshape our understanding of the art form today and into the future.
Bisa Butler – April 8 – 9, 2025
Closing out the 2024-25 VASD season is the incredibly talented and celebrated Bisa Butler. Butler is an artist whose work immortalizes real-life subjects in her quilts. As a visiting speaker, art education is near and dear to Butler’s heart. She holds a BFA from Howard University as well as an M.A. from Montclair State University and an honorary Doctor of Letters from Bloomfield College. Additionally, Butler was a high school art teacher for 13 years. Now a successful artist, Butler has exhibited work all around the globe including her enthusiastically received solo exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in New York City. Additionally, her work has been featured in many renowned museums including The Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, The Katonah Museum of Art, The Orlando Museum of Art, The Newark Museum, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, and The Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Join us For VASD Program Events!
The Visiting Artist, Scholar, and Designer Program is designed to spark intrigue and imagination. Whether you are familiar with the artists joining this year’s lineup or are looking to expand your artistic influences, the VASD Program is the perfect event series for anyone interested in art, design, creativity, and culture. If you are a community member, we hope to see you on-campus or online for each of the astounding artist talks coming to RMCAD this academic year. For new or returning students, we encourage you to attend both the student-led Q+A and apply for an opportunity to join a workshop or have your artistic portfolio reviewed by a visiting speaker. For more information about each one of the upcoming VASD Program artists or to learn more about the VASD Program events hosted by RMCAD, head to the VASD Program page.
Looking For More Than An Artist Talk?
Artists’ talks can be an inspiring way for creatives to kickstart their own art and design work. If you are looking to learn from more working artists, consider enrolling at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. Join a community of creatives passionate about all things art and design. Learn more about Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design’s online and on-campus program today.
