The Cleveland Institute of Art opened in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women and then became the Cleveland School of Art in 1892. The school taught art disciplines to adults and children until 1947 when it began offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Two years later it took form as the Cleveland Institute of Art as we know it today, now enrolling upwards of 600 students each year and offering 15 majors such as animation, game design and interior architecture.
In its more than 100-year history, the school has produced renowned creatives and a few whose work you know, even if you don’t know their names. So, we compiled a list of 10 artists who attended CIA and went on to leave their mark on the art world.
Clara Wolcott Driscoll — 1880s graduate
Born in 1861 in Tallmadge, Clara Wolcott Driscoll attended what was then Western Reserve School of Design for Women in the 1880s. Out of school, Louis Comfort Tiffany hired her at the Tiffany Glass Co., where she worked for more than 20 years. As head of the Women’s Glass Cutting Department, Driscoll designed more than 30 lamps during her tenure including the Wisteria and the Peony.
James Modarelli — Class of 1938
After graduating from CIA, James Modarelli became an artist-designer for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. When NACA was absorbed by a new space agency called the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — or NASA — employees were invited to submit designs for the agency’s logo. Modarelli submitted and won with the now iconic NASA “meatball” insignia. Modarelli went on to serve as the management services division chief and organized special events for the agency, like the historic 1969 Space Fair and summer camps for minority high school students. In 1979, he retired from NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland and died in 2002.
Charles Sallée — Class of 1938
Born in Sandusky in 1911, Charles Sallée was the first African American student to be admitted to and graduate from CIA. Sallée’s paintings are featured in noteworthy museums, such as “Cabaret Scene” in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and “Bedtime” at the Cleveland Museum of Art. He also went on to co-found the Cleveland Karamu House Artist Association.
Betty Thatcher Oros — Class of 1939
After graduating from Elyria High School in 1935, Betty Thatcher Oros attended CIA with a major in industrial design. Hudson Motor Co. hired Oros as the first female American automotive designer. Most notably, she helped to design the 1939 Hudson Big Boy truck.
David L. Deming — Class of 1967
David L. Deming’s sculptures have earned him national acclaim since he graduated from CIA in the ’60s. His metal sculptures include the likenesses of beloved Clevelanders such as congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones on Prospect Avenue and East 21st Street, Olympic track star Harrison Dillard on the Baldwin Wallace Campus in Berea and former Cleveland Browns Jim Brown and Otto Graham outside Huntington Bank Field. Deming also served as president of CIA from 1998 to 2010.
Marc Brown — Class of 1969
Author, illustrator and CIA alum Marc Brown is best known for creating the character of Arthur the aardvark. In 1976, he introduced the world to Arthur with Arthur’s Nose and went on to write and illustrate 55 more children’s books featuring the character. The corresponding television series, Arthur, ran on PBS for 25 seasons, making the cartoon aardvark a household name around the country.
Paul Timman — Class of 1995
Tattoo artist Paul Timman was once called the “Rembrandt of Sunset Strip” by the Wall Street Journal, but before that, he was a student at CIA. His degree was in sculptured glass but began tattooing after being encouraged by friends. While working at Sunset Strip Tattoo in Hollywood, California, Timman tattooed notable celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg and Busta Rhymes.
Zack Petroc — Class of 1995
Zack Petroc, who also attended CIA as a sculpture major, is a multiple-time Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning animator for Walt Disney Animation Studios. He has worked on various Disney films and served as model supervisor for Wreck-it Ralph (2012) and Big Hero 6 (2013).
Wes Burt — Class of 2004
Wes Burt has stayed busy since his time at CIA. As a concept artist and illustrator for the film and video game industry, Burt has produced art for films like The Avengers, Black Panther and the Transformers franchise as well as video game empires like Electronic Arts and Bethesda Softworks.
Clotilde Jiménez — Class of 2013
Clotilde Jiménez earned his BFA in printmaking at CIA but works in various mediums including ceramics, collage, painting and sculpture. His work has been exhibited around the world from “Un Nouveau Monde” in Paris to “The Grotto: An Opera in Two Acts” in Mexico City. In 2023, he was commissioned by the International Olympic Committee to produce two artworks for the 2024 Paris games as part of the artistic poster program.
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