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California Institute of the Arts

Creative Leave

Faculty Affairs

The Creative Leave Program provides the opportunity for faculty to focus exclusively for one semester on the development of artistic, scholarly and/or teaching practices.

CalArts strongly believes that ongoing faculty professional development is fundamental to sustaining the strength of CalArts as an Institute dedicated to creative research and cultural innovation, and can demonstrably enhance teaching effectiveness and student experience. The achievements of our faculty of working artists and scholars, both directly and indirectly tied to pedagogy, make significant contributions in their disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields, enhance our institutional reputation for leadership in creative work and support our ability to attract and retain the most promising students.

Faculty creative leave colloquium and reports 

Our faculty’s professional work takes them all over the world playing concerts, holding workshops and clinics, showcasing at festivals, writing books and articles, conducting research, etc. Creative leaves provide opportunities for faculty to concentrate on their professional work, their métier, and then, in turn, to connect with, inspire, and teach our students via their accumulated knowledge and the ability to demonstrate the creative application of that knowledge.

During the semester following the creative leave, faculty must participate in an annual colloquium and submit a report sharing the activities and accomplishments of their leave with the broader CalArts community. Creative Leaves funded for AY 23/24 are:

Faculty MemberSchoolLeave Period
Scott BenzelArtSpring Semester
Colin FrazerArtFall Semester
Chris PetersArtSpring Semester
Shelley SteppArtSpring Semester
Michael WorthingtonArtSpring Semester
Andrew CulpCritical StudiesSpring Semester
Dimitri ChamblasDanceFall Semester
Glen EddyDanceFall Semester
Ariel OsterweisDanceFall Semester
Betzy BrombergFilm/VideoSpring Semester
Steven BrownFilm/VideoSpring Semester
Maija BurnettFilm/VideoFall Semester
Linda DornFilm/VideoFall Semester
Lee Anne SchmittFilm/VideoSpring Semester
Alexander StewartFilm/VideoSpring Semester
Carmina EscobarMusicSpring Semester
Marc LowensteinMusicSpring Semester
Andrew McIntoshMusicSpring Semester
Paul NovrosMusicSpring Semester
Karen TanakaMusicFall Semester
Wolfgang von SchweinitzMusicSpring Semester
Christopher BarrecaTheaterSpring Semester
Adam J SmithTheaterSpring Semester