Otis

Otis College of Art and Design is a non-profit (501(c)3 institution founded in 1918 by General Harrison Gray Otis, the founder and publisher of the Los Angeles Times, who bequeathed his home to the city for "the advancement of the arts." For almost eighty years, Otis remained at this downtown location. In 1997, the College moved to the Elaine and Bram Goldsmith Campus on the West side. From Spanish-Moorish mansion to seven-story cube, Otis has evolved. Designed by architect Eliot Noyes for IBM, the 115,000 square-foot  Ahmanson Hall was renovated in 1997, using the concept of an artist's loft or a working studio rather than that of a traditional classroom. Ahmanson Hall's open plan encourages communication among the departments, as well as between students and faculty members.

The 40,000 square foot horizontal Galef Fine Arts Center, designed by Frederick Fisher Architects, opened in 2001. Its complex geometry and corrugated metal forms contrast with the "punchcard" vocabulary of Ahmanson Hall. Together, these buildings comprise the Elaine and Bram Goldsmith Campus. Fashion Design occupies one floor of the California Market Center in downtown L.A.; Graduate Fine Arts studios are  in the nearby beach community of El Segundo, and Graduate Public Practice is at the 18th St Arts Center in Santa Monica.