College for Creative Studies fosters talent among world’s best artists and designers

CCS alumni excel in their chosen fields, from transportation and product design to entertainment.

From the next-generation lunar rover and accessories for Louis Vuitton to the “Big City Greens” TV show and shoe designs for Nike, College for Creative Studies graduates are changing how people experience the world through their art and designs. This should not come as a surprise as the college’s faculty are all high-caliber professionals in their respective fields. Together with a progressive curriculum and many opportunities for sponsored projects with industry-leading corporate partners, CCS students graduate from college ready to address market demand.

“We are focused on the outcomes of our programs, how we accommodate industry requirements and the excellence in which we achieve those through our curriculum,” says CCS Provost Tim Flattery, a multitalented creative concept artist and designer with expertise in concept development, design and fabrication for the entertainment industry. “A key factor is our full-time professors and adjuncts who are working professionals teaching with great expertise not only on current technologies but future innovations as well.”

Located at the heart of the art scene in midtown Detroit, CCS offers graduate and undergraduate programs in multiple art and design disciplines. About 84 percent of its graduates end up working in the field of their major. Its alumni include Ralph Gilles, the chief design officer of Stellantis; Damarcus Holbrook, lead world builder at Blizzard Entertainment; Logan Phillips, who worked on the design of the next-generation moon rover; and Chris Houghton, who co-created the animated TV series “Big City Greens.”

The CCS faculty inspires such career successes. The chair of the college’s transportation program, Paul Snyder, is a former designer at Ford, Ghia and Kia, while Aki Choklat, an international high-end accessories designer, heads the fashion design department. Moreover, award-winning glassblowers and illustrators lead the institution’s glassblowing and illustration programs.

CCS students also get practical experience by working on projects sponsored by the college’s corporate partners. Each semester, students have the opportunity to work with industry experts on solving an actual art or design problem specified by a leading company.

“There isn’t anything that we see, experience or touch that hasn’t been conceptualized or designed by someone. As such, there are unbelievable opportunities that are afforded to a graduate with an art or design degree,” says Flattery, who designed and led the fabrication of the full-size Batmobile in the movie “Batman Forever.” “We foster the talent of people who actually affect the way we live and experience things, whether it’s the chair you’re sitting on, the car you’re driving or the movie you’re watching.”

Learn more about College for Creative Studies (CCS) at www.ccsdetroit.edu.