A Conversation with Co-Curators Gerardo Herrero and James Meraz, "Reveal: Uncovering Layers of Creativity," ArtCenter Graduate Studies Gallery, by James Scarborough

In "Reveal," ArtCenter College of Design's first graduate exhibition explores the concept of unveiling. Co-curated by Gerardo Herrera and James Meraz, the exhibition reveals how artists create, not just their finished works. Nine graduate students from Industrial Design to Film have transformed the new Graduate Studies Gallery into a workshop of visible creation.

The exhibition shows how artists make things, not just what they finish. Installations, augmented reality elements and models connect disciplines that might otherwise remain separate.

Monthly Black Box Thesis Talks enhance this transparency, giving visitors glimpses into the creators' minds. Holding these conversations in the exhibition space shows artistic discussion and work are inseparable. "Reveal" serves as both showcase and classroom, a fitting debut for a space that complements the undergraduate gallery and broadens access to the creative process.

Exhibiting artists

• Eshan Bidwai MS Grad Transportation Design
• Oscar Chang MS Furniture Lighting Fixtures
• Yifan Ding MS Industrial Design
• Prachiti Kamath MS SXD
• Andi Li MS Furniture Lighting Fixtures
• Greta Long MFA Graphics
• Shengjie Wu MFA Graphics
• Ze Feng MFA Graphics
• Calvin Kertzman MFA Grad Film

Graduate Graphic Designer who created the visual Identity:

• Umang Ahluwalia – Will be Graduating SP25 – Master of Graphic Design, MGx

Below follows an email conversation with Gerardo Herrera and James Meraz:

JS: Your exhibition represents ArtCenter's first dedicated showcase for graduate student work. What identified gap or need prompted the creation of this new Graduate Studies Gallery, and how does it complement the existing undergraduate Student Gallery?

GH: The new Graduate Studies Gallery on ArtCenter’s South Campus is an important addition, complementing the existing undergraduate gallery on the College’s Hillside campus. Until now, the Graduate program as whole has not had a space to showcase the graduate work across all MFA disciplines in one place. The gallery features work from the following 10 department / programs.

MS

Furniture, Lighting and Fixtures

Industrial Design

Transportation Systems and DesignSpatial Experience Design

MFA

Graphic Design

Art

Media Design Practices

Film

MDes

Brand Design and Strategy

Interaction Design

The idea to create a dedicated space to highlight Graduate Student work was first proposed by ArtCenter President Karen Hofmann and Provost Dr. Anne Burdick to the Graduate Chairs. The Chair team got to work!

The Chair team began to brainstorm what this may look like and how might this be of service.

• A place to showcase all Grad Dept work to prospective students, offering tangible examples of work that they may envision doing in a Grad program at ArtCenter.
• A space for our current student body to discover and learn from the work that is being done in the graduate programs.
• A place for our Graduate students to learn from the various disciplines’ theses, creative approaches, processes and methodologies.
• A meeting point to hold conversations and creative discussion about the work and see the faces and hear the voices behind the work.

JM: Several elements intertwined to shape this exhibition. First, there was the unique architectural space in our 950 building, which we affectionately dubbed the "hover space." It delicately hovers above the grand volume of what was once a wind tunnel, now transformed into our first dedicated graduate gallery—a space the school had never had before. This, in itself, was a breakthrough. The graduate chairs began to gather, sharing ideas about what could distinguish us as a collective group of ten departments, each with its own voice, yet unified by a common vision. We reflected on the ArtCenter’s galleries, renowned for showcasing the polished, finished work of our undergraduate departments, and immediately recognized that for graduate-level work, it would be far more compelling to reveal the process of design. We wanted to peel back the layers and invite the viewer into the heart of the design process.

JS: The exhibition "Reveal" explores the concept of "unveiling" across multiple disciplines. Could you explain how you selected these nine graduate students and how their varied approaches address this theme?

GH: Yes, Reveal explores the concept of unveiling, a theme beautifully crafted by James Meraz who led the way in bringing this exhibition to life.  As James emphasized, one thing that remained constant in what we all agreed on was the importance of showing the process, not just the final piece. The stories, thinking and work leading up to the creation of the work needs to be shown. We see this wonderful process and the journey that our students take and that is what we believe people are curious about. People want to see and hear how these ideas come to be. Thus, this gallery of work provides a perfect complement to the undergraduate work as it reinforces all the aspects that go into the creation of an idea. The Reveal graduate gallery provides another window into the creative process itself.

As for the selection process, each Chair had the hard job of selecting candidates and identifying work that spoke to each of the disciplines. The approaches were indeed varied but alignment with the theme is what provided the guidance and coherence for selection process. To provide a bit more context on how we selected our students, for the Master of Graphic Design program (MGx)  where I also teach, I worked with the Sammantha Fleming, the Chair of our Master in Graphic design program to review several of our graduate theses and found works that we felt represented a holistic view at this point in time of how our graphic students were thinking across 3 big areas, Nature, Technology and People.

JM: The concept was to create a space that allowed each discipline to share its process, reveal the moments of revelation, and invite viewers to engage with the inner workings behind each discipline. As the show unfolded, its layout became a visual reflection of convergence—an exploration of the deeper layers and vast range of creative inquiries that exist within each discipline

JS: I'm struck by the range of media in the exhibition - from prototypes to augmented reality. How did you create a cohesive display of such varied work in the new gallery space?

GH: James Meraz did an amazing job of ensuring that the theme extended to the exhibition design itself. The rawness of the structure invites the Graduates to work with the space and also provides an approachable, process-oriented environment that was not intimidating. We guided them on how they could play with, augment, post, hang, and display the raw materials and sketches of their thinking on the frames and surfaces. This way, visitors feel invited to interact, touch and sense the artifacts and the emotions they convey. The visual identity and graphic elements overlaid on top of the structures, and used throughout the space, also helped to ground and unify the theme with the work.

JM: It was definitely challenging. The exhibition apparatus was designed to be flexible and adaptable, capable of accommodating the varied outcomes and processes across different disciplines. The materials we chose were raw, stripped of the usual layers of refinement. They became, both metaphorically and physically, the foundation for the students’ expression—bare and exposed, much like the design process itself.

JS: The Black Box Thesis Talks create an interesting temporal dimension to the exhibition. What was the reasoning behind spreading these conversations throughout the exhibition's run rather than concentrating them at the beginning or end?

GH: James and I had this idea to hear the voices and see the students talk about their work. Why?  Because as Chairs we get to see them present their thesis for during final reviews, however, not everyone else gets to hear the thinking behind the work. We felt this needed to be heard, beyond the review, by the community as well. James already had his Black Box platform, which explores the creative process through conversation, so this was a natural step for us to utilize this fantastic format and platform. Spacing the talks out over the exhibition’s run creates an ongoing dialogue.  The conversations are guided by the following prompts that James wrote specifically for Reveal and are found hand-lettered on the exhibition’s center pedestal.

These include:

"Layers of the Unspoken" – What layers of meaning or personal narrative are you seeking to uncover in your work, and how does that process evolve for you?

"Material Alchemy" – How do the materials you choose contribute to the deeper message or concept you're exploring in your piece?

"Process as Revelation" – Can you share how your creative process reflects the theme of revealing or uncovering something that isn’t immediately visible?

"Through the Eyes of Depth" – How do you hope viewers will engage with your work on a deeper level? What do you want them to notice that might not be immediately obvious?

"Disrupting the Surface" – How does your work challenge or disrupt conventional ideas of what art or design "should" be, particularly in terms of its hidden aspects?

"Transforming Vision" – Have you experienced a shift in your own understanding or perspective as you've worked on this piece? How does that personal transformation relate to the broader theme of unveiling?

JM: Through the "Black Box" Thesis talks, we wanted to extend the dialogue in a way that mirrored the creative process itself. These talks celebrate the depth of thought embedded in thesis-level work. They allow for a deeper understanding of the evolving and transformative aspects of design, inviting participants to challenge conventions and explore new territories in the creative process.

JS: How involved were students like Umang Ahluwalia, who created the exhibition's visual identity, in the overall conceptualization and execution of the exhibition beyond their individual works?

GH: I had the pleasure of having Umang Ahluwalia as a graduate student in my classes and watching him grow in his studies each term. When this opportunity with Reveal came up, his work came to mind. This was the perfect project to allow him to take what he was learning---how to work with creating a visual identity for an exhibition/gallery space---and extend that across digital, and physical touchpoints. I knew he would be able to quickly hit the ground running to get this show ready with us in a short time. And thus began Umang’s process of understanding the theme, the structures, and working with getting to know the graduate students work and our goals for this exhibition.  The visual identity work he created helped provide the unifying voice and foundation for the visual expression and spirit of Reveal and the work of the students. What I believe made his contribution so successful, is that he himself is currently in the middle of his graduate thesis. He knew firsthand what it feels like to be where these graduates were and what they had to accomplish to earn their Master’s Degree. Umang is set to graduate with his Masters in Graphic Design, spring 2025.

JM: Though Umang was not an exhibitor in REVEAL, his contribution was pivotal in shaping the bold system that bound the exhibition together. It was a challenge, given the breadth of disciplines involved, but the system he developed under Gerardo’s guidance was both provocative and unifying, allowing the diverse voices to speak in harmony while preserving their individuality.

JS: The exhibition emphasizes process alongside finished products. In what specific ways do visitors encounter the "sketches, drafts, and prototypes", and how does this change the typical gallery experience?

GH: James said it best, instead of a sleek, hands-off display, the exhibition greets visitors with a space that feels intentionally unfinished, urging them to look closer. Sketches, photos, prototypes, and other usually hidden components were laid out to be touched and investigated. Rather than standing at a distance, viewers are invited to become participants—directly handling the items and gaining a deeper, tangible connection to the design process. This reimagined gallery setting diverges from the norm by inviting physical exploration over passive observation, allowing the visitor to flip through sketch books and thesis books.

JM: The design of the exhibition was raw and open—at first glance, unrefined, but inviting. It encouraged viewers to touch and examine sketches, images, prototypes, and artifacts—elements often hidden behind polished outcomes. This was a departure from the typical "look-but-don’t-touch" gallery environment.  Here, the audience was encouraged to engage directly with the material, to explore the design process in a tactile, immersive way.

JS: The exhibition coincides with Printed Matter's LA Art Book Fair in May. Was this timing strategic, and if so, how do you see these two events conversing with each other?

GH: The timing with Printed Matter's LA Art Book Fair in May was serendipitous rather than strategic, but it could not have worked out better. It offers fairgoers an opportunity to experience ArtCenter’s environment and explore the hands-on process that shapes a graduate design education. Reveal offers a fuller picture of what goes into these innovative projects and the writing behind some of the graduate student-produced thesis books. The thesis books serve as both creative expressions and academic requirements, that are beautifully crafted in their own right and highlight the tangible elements of design.

JM: This was somewhat coincidental, but we’re excited to uncover an entirely new layer of the graduate experience—the thesis writing. It’s a crucial part of each students' creative journey. In the center of the exhibition, we activated a space for the "Black Box" talks and deeper dialogues, creating a forum where written thesis material could be shared. This offers a new voice to the work, providing insight into the intellectual and conceptual foundations that supports each project.

JS: Many of the disciplines represented—from Transportation Systems to Spatial Experience Design—have direct applications in industry. How does the exhibition navigate the tension between artistic exploration and market-oriented design training?

GH: As an alum of Art Center and now an instructor, I / We encourage students to delve deeply into conceptual discovery while also preparing them for real-world applications. Our ethos is at the core of our mission: Learn to create. Influence change. As with any discipline that creates for a market, the common thread in all endeavor is the thinking process and decisions made visible and tangible that guide us toward the outcome we envision. Reflecting the students’ personal perspectives shaped by context, culture, the current moment, and the evolving demands of the market, these explorations strike a balance between creativity and commerce.

JM: This is a question that every graduate student grapples with during their thesis work—how the balance between creative expression and industry requirements shapes their design. It’s a balancing act between exploring personal visions and understanding the broader market forces, a tension that ultimately informs the designs they create. 

JS: Looking at the broader educational mission of ArtCenter, which has both "ties to industry" and "social impact initiatives," how do you see this exhibition reflecting the college's dual identity?

GH: As previously stated, we equip our students to navigate personal vision, commercial demands and social imperatives—a balance that is captured in this exhibition. On one hand, the projects illustrate how design can meet market needs; on the other, they underscore our commitment to influencing change by tackling social and environmental considerations. By spotlighting the process behind each piece, from initial concept to refined solution, the show reflects our ethos: Learn to create. Influence change.

JM: We see these aspects converging as the industry becomes increasingly attuned to sustainability and the broader social impact of design. As the focus on environmental responsibility grows, young designers are also turning inward, asking themselves how their work and voices can be a catalyst for change. 

JS: After organizing this first installment of the Graduate Studies Exhibition, what discoveries or unexpected themes emerged that might influence the curatorial approach for the second installment opening in July?

GH: Having had time to observe how visitors interacted with the space and work, as well as hear what they say, I was reminded how important it is to encourage our students to have fun in showing the process. We urge them not to be too precious with the work, and to allow the spirit by which they created it to spark their curiosity about their own journey. By showing their sketches, models, prototypes, and inviting others to thumb through their journals, students can create connections with viewers that activates all senses. It’s not every day that someone gets to touch, see and experience a designer’s thinking in such a tactile way.

JM: I believe this first installment opens the door for future cohorts to engage with the exhibition system in ways that are authentic to their own creative journeys. It invites them to curate their process, reflect their individual persona, and shape the space in a way that speaks to their unique path. Much respect for the first cohort, who approached this installation with so much passion and creativity. Many of them were simultaneously working on their own graduate shows while installing REVEAL—an experience that mirrored the process of creation itself.

The exhibition runs until July 8th, 2025, Tuesday-Friday, 11am-4pm. Free entry. ArtCenter Graduate Studies Gallery, 950 South Raymond Avenue, Pasadena. For more information, visit artcenter.edu/events.