Alumni Profiles

George Kozmon ’82, the internationally collected artist who created a brilliant alpine landscape on an 80-foot-long canvas in real time at Cleveland’s 2013 Ingenuity Fest, is the subject of this new film by videographer Jeff Mancinetti ’09. In it, Kozmon talks about his 30-year career, his bodies of work, and what he gained from his CIA education.

Kirk Lang

Title Studio Artist
Major Craft + Design

• Website

Seattle-based sculptor and metalsmith Kirk Lang is a 2002 graduate from CIA’s Jewelry + Metals department, and went on to earn his MFA from the University of Washington in Seattle.

His work can be seen in such publications as MJSA Journal, 500 Metal Vessels, 500 Necklaces, 1000 Rings and Metalsmith Magazine. In 2012, he was awarded an Artist Trust Fellowship and Artist Trust GAP Grant.

Most recently, he received a First place Saul Bell Design Award in the Alternative Metals/Materials category. Recurring themes in his work include time, space and mythology, in the form of wearable and interactive sculptural objects.

As Chief of Design at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., Michael Lawrence holds a singular position at a beloved institution.

Lawrence’s trajectory was set at CIA and at Case Western Reserve University, which collaborated at the time to teach Art Education majors. He worked at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and eventually earned his master’s degree in architecture from Catholic University of America in Washington. After spending years at an architectural firm that held some museum contracts, he joined the Smithsonian nine years ago.

Jack Lew is Vice President and Dean of Visual Communication at the Laguna College of Art and Design. He has worked in the entertainment industry for over 10 years combined with an academic career that spans 24 years. Jack has a unique perspective to share on arts education. He has worked for two of the world’s leading entertainment companies, Disney Animation and Electronic Arts (EA). At EA, the world leader in developing and publishing video games, he was responsible for developing relationships with art schools and strategies for identifying top global art talent. In his work with colleges throughout the US and Canada, he has delivered presentations along with developing collaborative educational programs.

Before joining EA, Jack was Sr. Manager of Artist and Professional Development at Disney Feature Animation Florida, and in that role, he was responsible for all training initiatives, continuing education and enrichment programs as well as evaluating all new art applicants.

Heather Moore ’93 founded a Cleveland-based jewelry company, Heather Moore Jewelry, that has national following, multiple awards, an amazing studio and production facility, and more than a dozen CIA grads among its staff of some 65. Heather shows us her award-winning lines of customized charm and bridal jewelry and talks about the evolution of her jewelry and the influence of her CIA education.

Alex Pakis '04 is the designer and owner of Greenpoint Craftworks, a custom jewelry and bike boutique in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to launching his company, Alex worked with an international fashion label. At Greenpoint Craftworks, Alex has created a sought-after line of jewelry, and he is regularly commissioned to create one-of-a-kind pieces. In addition to developing wearable art, Alex is well-known for his bicycle restoration work. In December 2009, he was featured in the Japanese magazine, Pedal Speed.

Brian Peterson is a transportation designer at Kia and the creator of Faces of Santa Ana, a project in which he paints portraits of the homeless in Santa Ana, California. His work is being displayed in downtown Santa Ana and proceeds from sales of the portraits go to rehabilitation efforts for the individuals portrayed.

Zack Petroc

Title Model Supervisor
Major Sculpture + Expanded Media
Organization Disney Feature Animation

• Website

Zack Petroc graduated from CIA in 1997 with a BFA in sculpture. Now he’s at the top of the digital sculpture and animation fields, working as a model supervisor at Disney Feature Animation. Through Zack Petroc Studios he creates unique new content and offers training for digital artists around the world. He spoke with us after the release of Big Hero 6, which won the Oscar for best animated film and which earned Zack the award for Outstanding Performance of an Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture from the Visual Effects Society for his work on the character Baymax. Read more about Petroc here.