Congratulations class of 2023!
05.31.2023
One hundred and thirty-five students walked across the stage in the C. Stephen Metzler Hall at the Folly Theater on May 13 and received their BFA from Nerman Family President Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar. It was especially meaningful to celebrate the next generation of artists, designers, and makers in a place named after Steve, a former Board Chair and long-time board member.
The students heard life advice from our keynote speaker, the iconic Susan Kare, who is known as the designer that gave the Mac a smile. Her inspirational speech was peppered with advice from creative leaders she worked alongside throughout her historic career. Susan has a cult following for her pioneering work in iconography and graphic design and is known as the woman who designed the infamous smile for the original Macintosh computer. They were also inspired by messages from Nick Sparger ('23 Filmmaking) and the Joyce C. Hall Chair of Graphic Design, tyler galloway.
During the ceremony, we honored outgoing board members Dan Musser, Cathy Brents, Howard Harris, and Herb Kohn and thanked them for their dedication to the college and our students. Their contributions have made KCAI a better place to study and work.
After commencement, students took photos outside the theater in their decorated caps and gowns and said goodbye to faculty and friends before they headed off to start their lives as KCAI alumni. We can only imagine what the world has yet to see from the class of ‘23!
View the inspirational opening video and photos here.
