Office of the President

Following the snow-shortened first week of classes, it’s my pleasure to welcome you back to CIA and wish you a happy, healthy and productive New Year. I hope winter break brought you much-deserved relaxation and restoration, and that you're recharged for a new semester filled with ambitious goals and renewed purpose.

 

For me, the New Year always brings forth a lot of reflection, which is consequently accompanied by learning, gratitude and resolution. While my break involved spending time with loved ones back in Pittsburgh and here in Cleveland, it also came with some personal grief and loss. It is especially during these times that I'm able to gain deeper perspective, mindfulness and gratitude for what’s important in my life.

 

Likewise, in ways that are meaningful and personal to you, I encourage everyone to focus on gratitude, remain mindful and seek ways to gain deeper perspectives as you navigate this semester. We're fortunate that we learn, study and work at CIA, where our peers' creative expression and differing perspectives offer us daily opportunities to do just that. We might lose sight of that at times—after all, we all get busy or stressed—so I call on students and employees alike to support one another and invest in our community's collective success.

 

Looking ahead, this promises to be an exciting semester in terms of learning. As a College, we're furthering our investigation into artificial intelligence and its implications on creativity, teaching and operations. Also, we're further exploring neurodiversity in support of student success through a cross-College learning community led by the Jane B. Nord Center for Teaching + Learning.

 

Outside the classroom, we continue to make substantial progress on work within CIA's Strategic Plan, on opening the Interactive Media Lab and on publicly launching our comprehensive campaign. I'm also proud that we have been able to convene and engage in civil discourse and celebrate differences, all in pursuit of learning and mutual understanding. I expect that to continue.

 

As always, spring semester brings several of CIA's hallmark events: the Student Independent Exhibition, Spring Show, the BFA Exhibition and Commencement. I'm also excited about what's becoming a new CIA tradition: the Black Scholars and Artists' annual Black History Month exhibition. This year's show, Is It Because I’m Me BLACK!!?, opens in about two weeks. I hope to see you there. 

 

I'm looking forward to another rewarding and fulfilling semester at CIA, and I hope you share my enthusiasm. After all, it's inspired by all of you and the culture of creativity, innovation and compassion we continue to build together.

 

Kathryn J. Heidemann
President + CEO