Alumni Profiles

Lisa Clague is an internationally known sculptor. She received her BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and her MFA from California College of Arts and Crafts. She has been the recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship and twice received the Virginia Groot Foundation Grant. Clague's work has been exhibited at the Macon Museum of Art, Georgia; The DeCordova Museum & Sculpture Park, Massachusetts; The John Elder Gallery, New York and The Udinotti Museum of Figurative Art, Arizona.

She recently participated in the World Ceramic Biennale, Trans Ceramic Art in Korea. Clague also teaches workshops all over the county. Presently, she is working on work for SOFA Chicago and will be teaching multiple workshops at the Estudio Paloma in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico.

Less than 10 years after graduating from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Scott Colosimo's design and manufacturing company, Cleveland CycleWerks, is selling motorcycles around the world. For Scott, studying Industrial Design at CIA helped him develop the skills to create amazing motorcycles with classic designs and new technology.

Working in a professional glass studio, Nate Cotterman '07 learned the ropes of running a glass business, while also having access to a studio to produce his own work. Now Nate runs his own studio, creating production glass sold across the country as well as lighting and custom commissions.

Courtenay Finn

Title Art Curator
Organization MOCA Cleveland

Courtenay Finn '05 is the chief curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art (moCA) Cleveland. Appointed in 2018, she returns to Cleveland after serving as curator of the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) in Colorado.

Recent curatorial projects at the AAM include group exhibitions A Fragile But Marvelous Life (2015-16) and The Blue of Distance (2015) and British artist Alice Channer's first U.S. Museum solo exhibition R o c k f a l l. From 2011-2014 she was the curator at Art in General where she commissioned new work by Lisa Oppenheim & Lisa Tan, Letha Wilson, robbinschilds, Katrin Sigurdardottir, and curated Art in General's first International New Commission with Lebanese artist Mounira Al Solh. In 2013 she was the co-curator of North by Northeast, the Latvian Pavilion for the 55th edition of the Venice Biennale. From 2008–2010 she was the programs manager at Lower East Side Printshop, New York, where she worked in-depth with artists to create new work in printmaking.

The world met Josette Galiano as Gigi on the 2019 reality TV competition "Wrap Battle," but we know her as the CIA alum who's a strategist at Nottingham Spirk and the creative force behind Florette by Josette. Hear how her experience at CIA has helped her flourish in both.

Kevin Geiger has over 25 years experience in the arts & entertainment, including 15 years with Disney in Burbank and Beijing. Resident in China since 2008, Kevin has enjoyed an eclectic creative career as artist, animator, technician, teacher, consultant, entrepreneur, producer and executive. Throughout, Kevin has employed lateral thinking to innovate and forge new paths. In 2009, Kevin co-founded Magic Dumpling Entertainment in Beijing, developing original Chinese content for global markets. In 2012, Kevin formed Disney’s Greater China Local Content team as VP & Head of Creative. Kevin once again resumed his independent endeavors in 2015.

Amy Goldberg, a co-founder of Fastspot, is a gifted designer, visual artist, organizer, and solutions provider. She has the ability to combine traditional graphic design awareness and new media technologies with classic, fine art sensibilities and applies this to all of our clients’ projects.

Goldberg and her partner Tracey Halvorsen co-founded creative agency Fastspot, and have a client roster unparalleled in the industry.

After graduating from CIA, Ben Grasso '03 pursued a Master's degree in Painting at Hunter College. His training has landed him solo and group exhibitions around the U.S. and Italy. Ben credits his versatile education at CIA for developing his aesthetic and skill level. His sought-after work is represented by Thierry Goldberg Projects gallery in New York. Ben spends his time in New York with fellow CIA alums, including well-known painter, Dana Schutz '00.