Toy Industry Association Awards $50,000 to Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 29, 2013 -- Otis College of Art and Design is pleased to announce it has received a $50,000 grant from the Toy Industry Association (TIA). Funding will support scholarships for Toy Design students and curricular enhancements to Otis’ internationally recognized Toy Design program. “The Toy Industry Association is pleased to know that our scholarship support continues to have meaningful impact in the lives of aspiring young toy designers,” remarked Carter Keithley, President of the Toy Industry Association. “We are impressed with the inspired work that comes out of the Otis Toy Design program, and are proud to increase our support.”
The Association’s support ensures that students will have access to the most current tools, design techniques, and information, especially in toy safety, manufacturing, and marketing, which will make them highly desirable employee prospects once they graduate.
“Otis is fortunate to have the support of the Toy Industry Association,” says Samuel Hoi, President of Otis College of Art and Design. “We are committed to providing an education that prepares talented designers to succeed in this age of ideas and innovation. The Toy Industry Association clearly understands this, and their generous gift will ensure that we meet our goals.”
Adds Deborah Ryan, Toy Design Department Chair, “Otis is a major contributor of talent to the toy and entertainment industries. With TIA’s support, we will continue to develop our comprehensive Toy Design program to meet the needs of this dynamic and global industry.”
In addition to supporting curricular enhancements and much-needed scholarships, TIA is providing complimentary student memberships to Otis’ Toy Design students so that they may take advantage of industry networking and other professional development opportunities.
ABOUT THE TOY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and bringing toys and youth entertainment products to kids of all ages. More information is available at http://www.toyassociation.org.
ABOUT THE TOY DESIGN BFA PROGRAM
Toys are an important part of our history and culture. Not only is imaginative play fun, but, as psychologists have shown, it’s also crucial for the development of such high-level skills as decision-making, socialization, and creativity. The Toy Design program focuses on the essential toy categories of action figures, games, plush, dolls, preschool toys, and toy vehicles. Students begin by learning analog skills in conceptual drawing, sculpting, and prototyping, and progress into digital illustration and graphic representation, model making, and rapid prototyping. Courses are taught by accomplished faculty and guest mentors, who are toy and entertainment design professionals. Summer internships give Toy Design majors industry experience at such companies as Mattel, Hasbro, and Spinmaster.
ABOUT OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
Founded in Los Angeles in 1918, Otis College of Art and Design prepares diverse students of art and design to enrich the world through their creativity, their skill, and their vision. The College offers an interdisciplinary education for 1200 full-time students, awarding BFA degrees in Advertising, Architecture/Landscape/Interiors, Digital Media, Fashion Design, Illustration, Graphic Design, Product Design, Painting, Photography, Sculpture/New Genres, and Toy Design; and MFA degrees in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Public Practice, and Writing. Continuing Education offers certificate programs as well as personal and professional development courses. Additional information is available at http://www.otis.edu.
John Axtell, Media Relations, Otis College of Art and Design, http://www.otis.edu, 310-665-6857, [email protected]
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