Notable Alumni of California College of the Arts

Roger C. Field 1945–

Inventor of the Foldaxe folding electric guitar

Steve Purcell 1961–

Cartoonist and co-creator of Sam & Max

Wayne Wang 1949–

Hong Kong-American film director and producer

Also attended: Foothill College

Dennis Oppenheim 1967–2011

Conceptual artist and sculptor

Mike Mignola 1960–

Comic artist and creator of Hellboy

Sokari Douglas Camp 1958–

Nigerian sculptor and painter

Toyin Ojih Odutola 1985–

Nigerian-American contemporary visual artist

Master of Fine Arts · Painting, Art of drawing

Also attended: University of Alabama--Huntsville, The University of Alabama, Yale University

Amy Karle 1980–

Bioartist and futurist

Also attended: Alfred University, Cornell University

Alexandra Grant 1973–

Visual artist working with language and text

Attended until 2000

Also attended: Swarthmore College

Peter Voulkos 1924–2002

Greek-American ceramic sculptor

Also attended: Montana State University

Maia Kobabe 1989–

Cartoonist, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir

Master of Fine Arts

Bedri Baykam 1957–

Turkish painter, filmmaker and politician

Robert Bechtle 1932–2020

Painter, printmaker and educator

Spouse: Whitney Chadwick (The Pennsylvania State University, Middlebury College)

Robert Carston Arneson 1930–1992

Sculptor and UC Davis ceramics professor

Tomie dePaola 1934–2020

Children's author and illustrator of Strega Nona

Also attended: University of San Francisco, Pratt Institute-Main

Henry Sugimoto 1900–1990

Japanese-American painter and internment survivor

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Class of 1928

Ralph Goings 1928–2016

Photorealist painter

David Choe 1976–

Street artist, painter and podcast host

Johanna Drucker 1952–

Art historian, book artist and visual theorist

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Class of 1973

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Nathan Oliveira 1928–2010

Painter, printmaker and sculptor

Also attended: Northeastern University Oakland

John McCracken 1934–2011

Minimalist sculptor

Makode Linde 1981–

Swedish artist, musician and DJ

Billy Al Bengston 1934–2022

Visual artist and sculptor

Also attended: Los Angeles City College, Otis College of Art and Design

Hank Willis Thomas 1976–

Conceptual artist and photographer

Also attended: New York University

Mother: Deborah Willis (CUNY--City College, Pratt Institute-Main)

Jason Rhoades 1965–2006

American installation artist

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, San Francisco Art Institute

Spouse: Rachel Khedoori (University of California-Los Angeles, San Francisco Art Institute)

Dina Danish 1981–

French-born Egyptian artist based in Amsterdam

Todd Hido 1968–

Photographer and artist

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Tufts University, Rhode Island School of Design

Christopher González 1943–2008

Jamaican sculptor and painter

José Montoya 1932–2013

Chicano poet and artist from Sacramento

Raymond Saunders 1934–2024

Visual artist known for multimedia paintings

Master of Fine Arts

Also attended: Carnegie Mellon University

Tom Franco 1980–

Actor and artist; brother of James Franco

Also attended: University of California-Santa Cruz

Sibling: James Franco (University of California-Los Angeles, Yale University)

Sibling: Dave Franco (University of Southern California)

Albert Dolmans 1928–2021

Dutch-American painter

Jim Ricks 1901–

Conceptual artist, writer and curator

Chrisann Brennan 1954–

Painter and author of memoir about Steve Jobs

Also attended: Foothill College, San Francisco Art Institute

Child: Lisa Brennan-Jobs (Harvard University)

Bob Gardiner 1951–2005

Animator and artist

Margo Humphrey 1942–

Printmaker, illustrator and art teacher

Bachelor's degree

Also attended: Stanford University

Walter Peregoy 1925–2015

Color stylist and background artist for animation

Attended until 1939

Audrey Marrs 1970–

Film producer and former punk rock musician

Attended until 2008

Also attended: The Evergreen State College

Spouse: Jesse Michaels (University of California-Los Angeles)

Richard Waters 1935–2013

Painter, sculptor and musical instrument inventor

Also attended: University of Southern Mississippi

Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie 1952–

Navajo photographer, curator and professor

Also attended: University of California-Irvine, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development

Kate Colby 1974–

Poet and essayist

Also attended: Wesleyan University

Tony DeLap 1927–2019

West Coast artist and minimalism pioneer

Jerome Ranft 1966–

Sculptor and voice actor

Also attended: Fullerton College

Sibling: Joe Ranft (California Institute of the Arts)

Dan Brereton 1965–

Comic book writer and illustrator

Also attended: Academy of Art University

Anne Wilson 1949–

Chicago-based visual artist

Guy Colwell 1945–

Painter and underground cartoonist

Christopher Simmons 1973–

Graphic designer, writer and educator

Richard McLean 1934–2014

Photorealist painter and printmaker

Also attended: Northeastern University Oakland

Patricia Esquivias 1979–

Venezuelan-born Spanish video artist

Ana Maria Hernando 1959–

Argentine visual artist

Ako Castuera 1978–

Artist, writer and storyboard artist on Adventure Time

Sonia Landy Sheridan 1925–2021

Artist who founded the Generative Systems program

Also attended: San Jose City College, Columbia University in the City of New York, CUNY Hunter College

Natalia Anciso 1985–

Chicana-Tejana contemporary artist and educator

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, The University of Texas at Austin

Banker White

American filmmaker and film producer

Also attended: Middlebury College

Lee Ming-We 1964–

Taiwanese-born contemporary visual artist

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Class of 1993

Also attended: Yale University

Zarouhie Abdalian 1982–

Artist known for site-specific sculptures and installations

Garry Knox Bennett 1934–2022

Furniture maker, woodworker and artist

Liz Cohen 1973–

Performance artist and photographer

Robert Therrien 1947–2019

Artist known for large-scale sculptures

Also attended: University of Southern California

Patrick Lin

Pixar cinematographer, Up and Inside Out