Facilities

The School of Art's production facilities integrate both traditional and new technologies to encourage creativity across a wide variety of artmaking métiers. Lab directors, aided by student staff, are available to provide instruction and guidance to ensure that all facilities are used effectively and safely.

All labs directly support the curricula offered by the School of Art. Students access these facilities through classes and orientations and at the discretion of the respective directors.

Studios
Beginning undergraduate students in the programs in Art and Photography and Media share studios. MFA students and most upper-level undergraduates in these programs are assigned individual studios. Graphic Design students are assigned individual desks and work spaces in a shared studio environment. Most studios are spacious and receive natural light. All studios are available to students around the clock during the academic year.

MacLab
The MacLab is used for creating digital and print-based work, including drawing, painting, photo manipulation, editorial design, type design, 3-D rendering, motion graphics, sound design and Web, CD and DVD authoring. The lab is equipped with Macintosh workstations with high-speed Internet connections, black-and-white high-resolution printers, video projectors, flatbed and slide scanners, digital still and digital video cameras and CD and DVD burners.

Two adjunct labs support the MacLab: Pre-Press offers fee-based large-format printing while the MotionLab provides digital editing and DVD authoring facilities as well as digital video cameras for check-out.

Photo Lab
The Photo Lab supports both traditional processes and digital media production.

Equipment includes a 31-inch-capacity black-and-white processor, a 16-inch-capacity Cibachrome color processor, a 52-inch-capacity color processor, black-and-white printing bays, color darkrooms, film developing rooms, a lighting studio, a copy room, a print finishing room and an 8-by-10-inch color mural enlarger.

The Photo Lab's high-end film recorder allows students to output digital images to slides and negatives-in black-and-white as well as in color. The lab's digital darkroom features Macintosh workstations with Internet connections and peripherals that support flatbed and film scanning, printing, Web design, CD and DVD authoring, and non-linear video editing.

Students can also check out a variety of cameras (ranging from 35-mm to 8-by-10-inch), camera accessories, printing equipment, digital still and digital video cameras, slide projectors, installation devices and lighting equipment.

Print and Media Lab
The Print and Media Lab accommodates both traditional and digital processes.

The Print Lab studio is used for producing multiples through silk-screening, etching, lithography or letterpress. It contains light tables, work tables, paper cutters, an exposure unit and various presses.

The Media Lab features mostly Macintosh workstations and, for cross-platform work, a few networked PC workstations. Students use this facility for creating print and screen-based work, including CD and DVD authoring and Web publishing. The Media Lab also offers more specialized, fee-based output techniques such as large-format color inkjet printing and vinyl and stencil cutting.

Super Shop
The Super Shop is an institute-wide resource that provides facilities and technical instruction for three-dimensional production, including the fabrication of robotic, kinetic and interactive pieces. The Super Shop features work areas and equipment for woodworking, metalworking, machining, mold-making, sand-blasting and spraying.

Video Lab
The Video Lab offers an assortment of high-quality equipment for time-based media production and post-production as well as facilities for classroom instruction and student use.

Digital video and Hi-8 cameras, tripods, microphones, lighting kits, mini-disc sound recorders and other production equipment are available for check-out. Post-production facilities feature Macintosh workstations with Final Cut Pro for editing video and a Pro Tools sound studio for editing music and sound.

Galleries
School of Art students exhibit their work in seven on-campus galleries, as well as in various unconventional or informal settings around campus. First- and second-year undergraduates participate in several group shows, while upper-level undergraduates and all graduate students have solo exhibitions in each year of study. Shows are often accompanied by opening receptions and parties organized by students. Openings are held on Thursdays, following the weekly Art Lecture Series presentation.

Slide Collection
The CalArts Library contains more than 125,000 slides. Reflecting the school's emphasis on contemporary practices, the slide collection features a large selection of works from the 20th century. The collection covers, among other topics, painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, architecture, post-studio art, book arts, print graphics, graphic design, performance art, theater history, dance history, material culture, science and history. It also includes slides of work by faculty and students.