Highlights from Otis College’s Illustration Program

A visit from artist Gary Baseman, a new internship class launches, and more.

Through new courses, city-wide projects, industry connections, and the accomplishments of its faculty and alumni, the Illustration program at Otis is connecting creative practice with professional experience. By grounding its work in research, storytelling, and community engagement, the program prepares students to contribute meaningfully to the evolving field of illustration.

Program News

This past fall, the Illustration program launched its new Concept Art emphasis, with more than 40 students declared across three class years. The emphasis expands pathways within the Illustration major and supports students interested in world-building, character development, and visual storytelling for entertainment and related industries. 

The program is also piloting a new internship course, taught by Renée Fox, designed to give junior- and senior-level Illustration students direct exposure to professional opportunities. The course prepares, guides, and coaches students through an eight-week internship with local nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and independent artists. Students gain professional experience relevant to their major while developing practical skills and industry awareness.

The Illustration 4: LA Campaign course challenges students to engage directly with the city. Each student is assigned a Los Angeles neighborhood and tasked with creating a multi-dimensional campaign that responds to the area’s culture, history, architecture, inhabitants, and location. Deliverables include pole banners, a poster, and an Instagram reel, integrating research with visual development.

“I created this course to get second-semester juniors out into our surrounding neighborhoods, while learning about the unique histories and cultures of these spaces,” says instructor Allen Brewer. 

“Student Maeve Haber’s campaign was successful on all fronts, and a challenge, given the fires in the Palisades had just occurred,” says Brewer. “In order to not seem like an outsider investigating this horrible tragedy or appearing insensitive, we discussed her leaning into actual engagement with first responders and firefighters, which she did. This visible connection and resulting campaign work left our room silent and in awe during critique.”

Events and Community

On January 27, artist Gary Baseman spoke with Illustration students, sharing insights from the wide-ranging history of his practice. Baseman’s career includes illustrations for clients such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and the bestselling board game Cranium. Baseman’s talk offered students perspective on sustaining a multidisciplinary career in art and illustration. 

MakeShift is a weekly workshop open to all majors and facilitated by Brewer. Launched in the spring of 2026, the workshop creates a project-free environment where students can make, experiment, and explore analog materials through interpretive play. The workshop encourages process-driven exploration outside of assigned coursework.

In fall 2025, seven Illustration students were featured in a multi-store event at Bloomingdale’s Los Angeles. The campaign engaged guests across three store locations, with Otis students live-painting and taking cues from shoppers. The event provided students with a public-facing platform to apply their skills in a retail environment.

Faculty and Alumni News

Allen Brewer has been selected as a Chief Judge for the 2026 Hong Kong International Youth Art Awards, taking place this spring.

Kohshin Finley (’12 BFA Communication Arts) recently concluded a solo exhibition at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery in Los Angeles. Finley is currently teaching Portraiture in Illustration and is the first in a series of alumni-in-residence hosted by the program.

Alum Noah Humes (’17 BFA Communication Arts, Illustration) was selected to have his work shown in Ahmanson Hall on the Otis campus. A special reception was held on February 19 to celebrate his new work.

Tiffany Lin was appointed to the full-time faculty in fall 2025. 

Read more about the Illustration program at Otis College.

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