Lorne Buchman — Art Center College of Design

President

THE LATEST: Buchman, who has served as president of Art Center College of Design since 2007, announced in March that he will retire in June 2022. During his tenure, ArtCenter has raised $124 million, increased annual donor scholarships by 35% and expanded enrollment by 32% to nearly 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students. In January, the school received a grant from the Getty Foundation to prepare for Pacific Standard Time, a regional arts initiative set to open in 2024. In October, the college announced it was launching minors in business, creative writing, research and materials science.
BACKGROUND: Buchman became ArtCenter’s fifth president in 2009. Under his guidance, the school expanded its south campus in central Pasadena and opened the Hyundai and Kia Innovation Lab for transportation design education. A recently approved master plan cleared the way for ArtCenter to add new academic facilities and its first student housing. A trained theater director and scholar, Buchman’s latest book, “Make to Know: Creative Invention in Spaces of Uncertainty” is set to publish later this year.
YEARS ON THE LA500: 4
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