Cleveland Institute of Art to host panel that explores technology’s role in art, design and the creative economy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2024

CLEVELAND—The Cleveland Institute of Art will host The Art of Disruption: Exploring the Role of Technology in Art + Design and the Creative Economy, a panel discussion in which industry leaders from across the country will bring a new lens to how art, design and technology permeate sectors of the creative economy such as automotive design, health care innovation and entertainment manufacturing.

Featured panelists will include Irina Zavatski, Vice President of Design for Chrysler at Stellantis in Detroit and a 2001 CIA alum; Jennifer van Dijk, CEO of Superplastic in Los Angeles; Kipum Lee, Vice President of Enterprise Strategy & Innovation for UH Ventures at University Hospitals in Cleveland; and Steven Gutierrez, Associate Professor in Game Design at CIA. The discussion will be led by CIA President + CEO Kathryn J. Heidemann.

"The cornerstone of innovation is rooted in creativity, and creativity manifests itself in so many different ways. The panelists each uniquely demonstrate how they bring creativity into their work to solve problems differently, leverage technology to advance new developments in their fields, and harness their artist/designer mindset to catalyze regional innovation," Heidemann says. "I can't wait to explore the insights they will bring in this fascinating conversation."

The Art of Disruption: Exploring the Role of Technology in Art + Design and the Creative Economy will take place from 6 to 8pm Wednesday, November 6 in CIA's Peter B. Lewis Theater. Doors open at 5:30pm.

This event is free and open to the public but registration is required.

The event will also serve to launch the public phase of CIA's Transformation Campaign, a comprehensive campaign that focuses on five mission-defining impact areas: technology and innovation, student access and success, teaching and learning, community, and campus facilities. Heidemann will deliver a State of the College address in advance of the panel discussion.

A centerpiece of the Transformation Campaign is CIA's Interactive Media Lab, a state-of-the-art facility that will feature an extended reality (XR) studio, leading-edge virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, an innovation studio, an arcade that invites students to develop and test their own video games, and more. Following the panel discussion, attendees—led by CIA students and faculty—will have an opportunity to experiment with some of the same technology that will be central to the IML.

The IML is slated to open in early 2025 as part of the Cleveland Foundation's MidTown Collaboration Center, where it will share space with Northeast Ohio companies and institutions leading the way in fields such as healthcare, software development, entrepreneurship and community-based arts.

"As CIA's enterprise campus, the Interactive Media Lab is a key element to the College’s value proposition and relevance. At a time when the value of a college degree is increasingly questioned, it’s important that we deliver a curriculum that is future-facing, offers a deeper connection to industry and community, and propels our students with unique opportunities for hands-on learning," Heidemann says. "With cutting-edge technology, direct application to industry and articulated linkages to the community, there is nothing like the IML in the state. This is a game changer for CIA, for Cleveland and for Ohio."

Contact
Cleveland Institute of Art
Michael C. Butz, Director of College Communications + External Relations
mcbutz@cia.edu / 216.421.7404