GM celebrates Creative Beginnings Month with design initiatives

(cover image: the Cadillac Aera Concept)

From the official Press Release:

Institutions include high schools in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Lapeer and St. Clair counties; the Detroit Public Schools (DPS); College for Creative Studies (CCS) and Lawrence Technical Institute to encourage higher education art degrees and careers.

The GM Design-sponsored events are part of a larger mentoring effort to help students find and train their creativity and stretch their problem-solving and analytical skills.

Other initiatives range from private weekly advanced sketching classes and internship competitions to workshops for the University of Michigan Solar Car and Lawrence Tech SAE Formula race vehicles.

“Recruiting new and diverse talent is important to developing and maintaining a creative edge,” said Clay Dean, director of GM North America Advanced Design.

“Our mentoring programs and partnerships that connect industry and education help talented art and design students get connected to creative design institutions and automotive careers.

“Supplier partners at HP, Autodesk and RTT, and institutional partners at CCS and Lawrence Tech share our passion for investing in the development of the next generation of designers and invigorating our community’s creative economy.”

Creative Beginnings Month activities include:

2nd Annual GM Design Career Day for Scholastic Arts Gold Key Winners

(held on last Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Design Dome, GM Technical Center, Warren)

GM designers and the 125 Gold Key-level student winners and their teachers in southeastern Michigan met at the GM Design Dome for a day of interactive auto design workshops, including Color and Trim Design, Vehicle Speed Shape Development, Vehicle Personality Animation and Industrial Design Graphics, Environments and Merchandising.

Students worked with the latest digital and tactile tools as well as full-size production and concept vehicles.

The Scholastic Awards program is the nation’s largest and longest-running recognition program for creative young people. Gold Key is the highest level of achievement on the regional level, and all student works are forwarded to New York City for national judging and scholarship competition.

6th Annual GM-CCS You Make a Difference Program for the Detroit Public Schools

(4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. May 17, CCS Alfred A Taubman Building, Detroit)

Since March, top GM designers and junior automotive design students at CCS have been visiting classes at Cass Tech, Henry Ford Academy, Renaissance, Northwestern and the Detroit School of Arts to teach and mentor vehicle design and increase awareness of careers in art and design.

On May 17, selected students will be invited to attend a weeklong Advanced Sketching Workshop at Cass Tech June 20-24, plus a chance to win one of three scholarships for a summer continuing education art class at CCS.

All YMAD participants are invited to attend a weekly sketching class at GM Design from October to April. Since its inception, this graduated mentor program has resulted in eight DPS students being accepted as full-time students at CCS.

“Mentorship and experiential programs that permit high school art students to network with working creative professionals are crucial,” said Diane Heath, Michigan Youth Arts Educator of the Year and visual art instructor at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester.

“It is the best way for kids, parents and guidance counselors to grasp the incredible opportunities available for creative scholarships, degrees and careers.”

(Source: GM)