Hoffman Named First Woman President at ArtCenter

After an extensive search and a unanimous vote, ArtCenter College of Design’s Board of Trustees has named educator and industrial designer Karen Hofmann as its next president and chief executive officer. Hofmann, an ArtCenter alumna, is the sixth president and first woman to hold the position in the 90 plus year history of the college.

Following a career in product design, automotive design, and consumer and design research, Hofmann returned to the college in 2002 first as an instructor, then chair of the Product Design department beginning in 2010.

“These are unprecedented times not only for ArtCenter students, faculty, staff, and leadership but also for artists and designers,” Hofmann said. “Yet there are silver linings and incredible opportunities to reassess, rethink and rebuild meaningful academic experiences to empower the future generation of creatives who will shape our world.

“ArtCenter is the ideal institution to do that work, and I am profoundly honored to serve in this role and help the College do just that,” she concluded.

Hofmann’s will take over as president on July 1. She will work closely with current ArtCenter president Dr. Lorne M. Buchman on a transition plan, including an interim strategy to fulfill the provost’s responsibilities and initiate a comprehensive search for a new provost over the next few months.

Hofmann was named provost of ArtCenter in 2018 and, for the last four years, has helped lead the College through significant cultural and operational changes.

“Throughout the search process, the Board was impressed with Karen’s vision for balancing ArtCenter’s legacy with a commitment to redefining art and design education for our students and faculty, and the professional industries that employ our graduates,” said Su Hale, chair of the Board of Trustees.

“It was critical to the Board that our next president understand the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion to lead ArtCenter’s students and faculty, as well as remain relevant in a global world,” Hale continued. “Given Karen’s experience as our current provost, and also as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, she displays a deep understanding of ArtCenter’s commitment to make advancements in access, affordability and inclusion as outlined in the College’s strategic agenda.”

The presidential search committee, comprised of seven Trustees and representatives from ArtCenter’s constituent-based shared governance groups, engaged executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to conduct an international search for the College’s next president. More than 100 candidates were considered across a broad spectrum from academia to industry, public institutions to the private sector, with significant representation from women and under represented minorities.