Chuck Jones Big Draw 2018!

The Chuck Jones Big Draw is a "Spook"tacular Monster Mash of creative activities that will engage and delight you, whether you're 8 or 80! Toy-Making, Mask-Making, Sugar Skull-decorating, Trick or Treat bag decorating, mural coloring, 3D stop motion animation and drawing. Plus there'll be bats and skeletons and other creepy crawly things to make and share. There's even an awesome silent auction! Boo! Tickets just $5 per adult and children under 18 are FREE! Click here for tickets!

Chuck Jones Center Partners with Bixby Educational Events

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is pleased to announce our partnership with Bixby Educational Events. "We're thrilled to be launching our programs providing incredible creative opportunities to home-schooled children," said Densie Dion-Scoyni, Program Developer at the Center. "We'll be bringing programs such as Makers Studio as part of their STEAM programming as well as our cartooning and animation classes."To sign up for these classes, visit Bix-Bee.org for more details. 

Telly Award-winner!

So very proud to announce that the video produced by Center board member, Mike Smith, that explains what the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is all about has won the prestigious Telly Award! Congratulations to Mike Smith and his team at Beard Boy Productions and a hearty thank-you for developing such an impactful message for the Center. View the video on the Center's home page. Southern California-based Beard Boy Productions, an advertising production agency, has been honored with eight Telly Awards in this year's national competition.

Judging the best in video and television creative and production among more than 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents, the Tellys have awarded Beard Boy with three silver and five bronze statuettes for: 

A five-part documentary series focused on the birthplace of country music, created for John Deere's The Furrow and Homestead magazines

TV spots for Stater Bros. Markets commemorating Veteran's Day, paying tribute to firefighters and promoting meat cutting services

An animated branding video for the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity

A Polynesian-warrior-infused branding video for former NFL player Dave Dawson

A futuristic special effects video for Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Global Transaction Services.

A Win-Win Opportunity

As creative video and animation professionals with over two decades of advertising experience, Beard Boy specializes in helping clients win a competitive edge by strategizing, writing, producing, repurposing, distributing and archiving television, video, radio and online content for all kinds of advertisers, all across America. Along with -- or apart from -- their ad agency. On a project basis. At a fraction of the cost agencies charge.

From Miller Beer, Bank of America, Microsoft, Lexus, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and John Deere to Olympus, Silk Soy Milk, Taco Bell and Blue Cross and Blue Shields nationwide, Beard Boy offers the kind of experience, creativity and integrity that's right for today's challenging competitive environment.

Award-Worthy Value

“Our commercials and videos are a simple, affordable, impactful way for marketers to position their brand, and in so doing, leverage their products and services for greater ROI," stated Mike Smith, Beard Boy's president, executive producer and creative director.

Beard Boy's staff has won scores of national, regional and local advertising awards -- from CLIO to Telly to Emmy -- on their way to creating hundreds of TV spots, radio commercials, videos, augmented reality and animations for clients nationwide. Visit them at beardboy.com.

Designer Camp Comes to Orange County

Designer Camp is returning to the Orange County in partnership with South Coast Collection/SOCO & The OC Mix & Chuck Jones Center For Creativity ! OC Designer Camp 101

DATE:  July 16 - 20 / 9am - 3pm

Ages:  11-17

Designer Camp 101 explores the vast careers in the design industry by implementing the principles and elements of design.  Students explore the design world covering Art, Branding, Fashion, Interior Design, Photography, Styling, Trend Forecasting and much more.  

Throughout the week, students will work in teams on a culminating design project that will be presented to parents and the local design community. 

SOCIAL GOOD FOCUS: TBD

FINAL PRESENTATION DAY: Friday July 20th

WORKSHOPS:

Design Essentials

Branding With A Cause 

Future of Design + Trend Hunt 

Color Theory 

Fashion 101 

Fashion Sketching & Draping  

Interior Design 101 

Photography 101  

Jewelry Design 

Personal Branding 

Orange County camp cost is $750 and includes: Registration covers all workshops, field trips, guest speakers, lunch, snacks, project materials, design supplies, Designer Camp bags, room rental, camp insurance & staff. Designer Camp is a specialty camp that can only accommodate a limited number of students in order to keep the experience personal, hands-on and unique.

Register today by clicking here. 

*subject to change

The New and Improved DROP IN & DRAW!

Our free weekly program, Drop In & Draw, will be hosting its last two concurrent weeks this Saturday, June 23 from 10 AM to noon, and again on Saturday, June 30 from 10 AM to noon. After that it will be held on the third Saturday of every month from 10 AM to noon beginning with Saturday, July 21 through the end of the year. It will remain free and open to the public, but tickets are required and available at Eventbrite.  

The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity presents a free program, Drop In & Draw! Held every third Saturday of the month from 10 AM to noon at the Center in South Coast Collection (SoCo). Each month a cartoon character from the fertile imagination of our namesake, Chuck Jones, one of the father's of Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner, will be our theme. Good for ages 5 and up, with four activity stations that feature coloring sheets for the little ones, model sheets on light tables, step-by-step instruction on how to draw the character, and a construction project. July will feature Bugs Bunny, followed by (in order): Daffy Duck (August), Marvin Martian (September), White Seal (October), Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner (November), and the Grinch (December). One of our teaching artists will be on hand at each Drop In & Draw along with our knowledgeable and creative volunteers.

A Heartfelt Thank You from Us to You!

The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity wishes to thank the following artists for donating their creative talents and genius to this year's Red Dot Auction: Alex Beavin, Ando, Andrea Salisbury, Andre Pace, Anna Crovetti, Anna Vanover, Annette Lily, Astrid Van Snick, Barbara Bell, Ben Gomez, Ben Olson, Bob Elias, Boznia Pieniak, Brenda Salamone, Britty Page, Carol Erickson, Carolyn Le, Charles Landholm, Charles Leddy, Cheri Lynn Ong, Chuck Jones, Chuck Perkins, Colleen Finnell, Cory De Yonker, Craig Kausen, Dagny Kream, Dan Bowden, Dani Compton, Daniel Jaimes, Daniel Killen, Daryl Bowman, Dave Avanzino, David Amaya, Deborah Sleeper, Denise Dion-Scoyni, Dillon Markey, Doug Lothers, Eric Calande, Eric Goldberg, Eva Szilagyi, Fabio Napoleoni, Fernando Del Rosario, Fernando Samalot, Fran Lew, Gabrielle Guzy, Garrett McDonald, Gideon Garza, Guy Gilchrist, Hannah Kim, Hannah Scoyni, Hillary Miller, Ina Rosca, Jack Weiss, Jacob Sanchez, Jaimie Martin, Jane Ivy, Jay D, Jayne Yater, Jeff Krause, Jeff Sherwood, Jeff Sornig, Jennifer Sleeper, Jeremy Holden, Jerry "T-WACK" Talley, Jester McCool, Jhenne Tyler Beauford, Jimm Nawrocki, Jimmy Mulligan, Joel Santana, Joe Vickers, John Howitt, Joseph Cortez, June Valentine-Ruppe, Karen Kadatzke, Kathy Moncrief, Katy Price, Keith Hall, Kumiko Kawamoto, Kurt Steinmetz, Larissa Marantz, Laura Tanimoto, LeeAnna Yater, Leen Isabel, Linda Jones Clough, Madison Shafer, Mako Fufu, Margaret Spurlock, Marilyn English, Marti Lothers, Martin Tesch, Matthew Allen, Matthew Martinez, Michael Hicks, Michelle Chaffee Hill, Mike Bilz, Mike Kungl, Mike Kupka, Mike Sullivan, Nic Gregory, Ollie Nguyen, Oscar Ayotzintli, Pamela Meador, RA Szurgot, Rhiannon Beach, Rhonda Heintz, Robert Patrick, Robin Miller, Ron Ferdinand, Ryan Brown, Sarah Black, Scott Soeder, Seth Vander Linden, Sharon Gauthier, Steve Gamba, Steven Connolly, Stephen Reis, Terri Hardin, Tina Palmer, TJ Novy, Tom Matousek, Tommy Ewasko, Tommy Szurgot, Tony J Matos, Tracy Oshiro, Valerie Kausen, Vernon Williams, Ylenia Mino, and Zach Heffelfinger. This year's Red Dot Auction was sponsored in part by these awesome supporters: Smart & Final, Cindy and Wes Chalfant, Andy Edson, and an anonymous contributor.  

The Red Dot Auction would not be what it is without the support of its Council for Creativity, many thank yous to: John Gaydos, President, Doug Lothers, Lisa Bolen, Annette Lily, Camie Dean, Ylenia Mino, Stephen Russo, Karen Garza, and special thanks to past President and social media maven, Jane Saunders. 

A hearty thank you to the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity staff and Linda Jones Enterprises staff who assisted with the production and running of the Red Dot Auction: Denise Dion-Scoyni, Cyndi Burgess, Susan Palscik, Scott Ryder, Christina Stone, Audrey Ninomiya, Emily Schulz, Lisa Timmons, Stefani Amaya, Murray Kruger, Steve Amaya, Mike Dicken, and Scott Dicken.

The Center thanks its partners: 24 Carrots Catering and Events, Casa de Lago Events, SoCo and the OC Mix, and its neigbors, Uni Home and Greenleaf Chop Shop.  An extra special thank you to Music Vault Academy for providing such astounding vocal talent in Isabella Frangopol, Dominique Ilie, and Milla DeVilliers. 

A note of thanks to our friends at the Blackwing Foundation, Charles Berlozheimer and Grant Christensen and to singer/songwriter, Johnny Irion, for gracing our event with a special performance. 

And no thank you note would be complete without a gracious "thank you" to the Board of Directors of the Center: Craig Kausen, chairman, Linda Jones Clough, Alex Kausen, Jessica Kausen, Mike Smith, Ben Olson, Fernando del Rosario, and Andrew Turner. 

And finally, thank you to all of you who attended and participated, either in person, or through the internet, in this year's Red Dot Auction, by bidding and winning works of art donated by this group of amazingly talented artists. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support of the programs of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity.

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is a gymnasium for the creative brain.

We guide our students, both young and young of heart, through experiences that nurture the creative genius that exists in all of us. We connect both left and right sides of the brain in exercising creativity to solve problems, foster innovation, and build mental health.

We build important skills for school-age children, support healthy cognitive abilities for seniors, increase work performance in organizations who see the value of pumping up creativity in their ranks and enhance function for children on the autism spectrum.

Music Vault Academy Students to Perform at Red Dot Auction

Three young singers studying at the Music Vault Academy in Laguna Hills will perform during the Red Dot VIII Preview Event. They are Isabella Frangopol, Milla DeVilliers, and Dominique Ilie. Milla and Dominique have performed previously at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, but this will be Isabella's debut.The Music Vault Academy focuses in high quality music classes for all ages by creating a community environment where musicians can thrive through learning, performing and recording their achievements.

The Music Vault Academy is the only school in Orange County that provides comprehensive services essential to the development of a complete artist.

It works with people who care about the world of music because they feel the same way. The Music Vault Academy believes in the power of music to change people’s lives for the better.

For more information about classes and programs at Music Vault Academy, please visit their website, MusicVaultAcademy.com. 

The RedDot Auction is the spring fundraiser for the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. Over 100 artists have anonymously contributed original works of art (signed on the reverse) that are part of the silent auction.Tickets for the Red Dot Auction are still available, visit ChuckJonesCenter.org/RedDot for more information and to purchase tickets.

Bring Your Mother as Your Other

BRING YOUR MOTHER AS YOUR OTHER!Red Dot Auction Cuts Ticket Prices for Mothers!

Costa Mesa, CA: Chuck Jones Center for Creativity announced today that they have cut ticket prices in half for their annual spring fundraiser, the Red Dot Auction, scheduled for Friday, May 11—just two days before Mother’s Day—for anyone bringing their mother, grandmothers, aunts, or mothers-to-be.  

“Chuck Jones loved his mother, Mable “Nana” Jones, dearly, and treated her royally at all times. Her nurturing guidance when he and his siblings were young, accounted for much of their genius talent—all four were master artists,” said Craig Kausen, Chuck Jones’s grandson, “And we thought it might be fun to treat mothers and their “others” who like art and want to support a good cause—the nurturing of innate creativity in school children, those on the autism spectrum, and seniors facing early onset dementia—to a discount on ticket prices.”

Tickets available for the Main Event at ChuckJonesCenter.org/RedDot. Use coupon code MOTHER (case sensitive) at checkout for half-off tickets for the Main Event. Good for any number of tickets purchased.

Red Dot Auction, now in its eighth year, is the premier art event of the season and the most fun you’ll have at a fundraiser. This year, special musical guest, singer/songwriter Johnny Irion, the great-nephew of Nobel Laureate, John Steinbeck, and husband of Sarah Lee Guthrie (Arlo’s daughter, Woody’s granddaughter), will perform from his most recent album. The silent auction is composed of original works of art from over 100 artists from around North America plus a section completely devoted to WoodSnap, a local Orange County company that prints photographs on sourced birch wood. Bidding begins at just $100.

For more information and to purchase tickets or to view the silent auction items, please visit ChuckJonesCenter.org/RedDot.

Singer/Songwriter Johnny Irion Set to Sing at Red Dot Auction

Johnny Irion, acclaimed singer and songwriter, will perform in advance of the live auction of the "Steinbeck Collection" at this year's Red Dot Auction, a fundraiser benefiting the programs of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. Now and then in American culture, the written word fuses the worlds of music and literature. Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize is only the most obvious example.  An individual singer-songwriter can sometimes embody that fusion in his life and work. That’s Johnny Irion, whose family tree includes John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie, and whose new record Driving Friend was backed by Blackwing, the artisan pencil brand Chuck Jones used so fondly.

The record, which includes members of Dawes, Wilco and the Mother Hips, ranges across a wide expanse of roots genres, from blues and gospel to folk and country. Everything about it feels authentically crafted, a carving out of raw, lived American experience that goes to the heart of the Blackwing ethos. Whether Irion is singing about Santa Barbara, Pittsfield or the Rapture, his sharp wit, telling description and brief character studies take us to a musical hometown of his own, quite a feat for a rocker whose last record with his band US Elevator was hailed by Rolling Stone Magazine as being as “lovingly handcrafted as the jeans on the back of Neil Young’s After The Gold Rush.”

This not-to-be-missed peformance is scheduled during the live auction portion of the Red Dot Auction, now in its eighth year. Tickets are still available at ChuckJonesCenter.org/RedDot. 

Red Dot Auction VIII--Online Pre-bidding Opens 4/20!

This just in! Can you tell who the artist is by their hands? An homage to the Chuck Jones-directed, "High Note" for this year's Red Dot Auction, acrylic on canvas, 12" square, signed on the verso. Which artist's work will you go home with on May 11?Online pre-bidding begins Friday, April 20 at 8 AM PDT at ChuckJonesCenter.org/RedDot!

It's Red Dot Auction Season!

It’s Red Dot Auction Season!WoodSnap Debuts Photographs at Charity Auction

Fundraiser Supports Chuck Jones Center for Creativity’s Programs

Costa Mesa, Ca: Orange County business, WoodSnap, is joining with Chuck Jones Center for Creativity this year to present the eighth annual Red Dot Auction, the Center’s spring fundraiser. Twenty-five of their photographers will, along with WoodSnap, donate their work printed on the company’s signature birch wood, to create the WoodSnap section at the Red Dot Auction.

“WoodSnap was built on inspiring creative minds to print their favorite photos on wood.  We love supporting the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity as they are masters at teaching both young and young of heart to nurture their creative genius. The Red Dot Auction is an amazing event and WoodSnap and our community are very proud to be a part of it," said Andy Brown, CEO of WoodSnap.

In addition to the WoodSnap photographers, over 100 artists from around the globe have contributed one or more canvases and 3D art objects to this special fundraising event. What differentiates The Red Dot Auction from other silent art auctions is that the contributing artists have signed their artwork on the reverse of the work of art. Consequently, attendees at the event will not know who the artist is when bidding, they’ll only have their heart to follow.

“The artists who are participating come from all levels of notoriety, skill, and accomplishment, from students to emerging to established artists; we reached out around the world hoping to capture the imagination and appreciation of these artists. We are thankful that they were willing to help us achieve our goal of promoting creativity by providing a nurturing environment where it may grow and blossom,” said Craig Kausen, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Center. “We are particularly honored to have Andy Brown and his team at WoodSnap participate and donate their time and talent to our fundraising efforts.”

“This year, we’ve mixed it up by dividing the auction into five distinct groupings,” says John Gaydos, President of the Council for Creativity which organizes this event in the spring and the Center’s “Chuck Jones Big Draw” fundraiser in the fall, “there’s now areas devoted to Landscape, Portrait, Homage, Assemblage & 3D artworks, and new this year, the WoodSnap photographers. The donated artwork is remarkable in its breadth and diversity.”

The Red Dot Auction will take place on Friday, May 11, from 7 to 10 PM at the Center located at South Coast Collection (SoCo), 3321 Hyland Avenue, Costa Mesa, California. In addition to the silent auction, there will also be a live auction featuring a collection of artwork by the “Dover Boys” –famed animators mentored by Chuck Jones, including Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2, Gnomeo and Juliet), Chris Bailey (Kim Possible, Hop), Jeff DeGrandis (Dora the Explorer, Wizard of Oz), and Rob Minkoff (The Lion King, Stuart Little).

Admission is $25.00 per person ($35 per at the door) and open to the public. Buy tickets by May 1st and receive 5 free raffle tickets when you sign in at the front desk the evening of the event. To buy tickets online, go to ChuckJonesCenter.org/RedDot. Tickets include two Red Dots, which, if used, guarantee the bidder will pay $750 for that particular work of art. Cash bar, free appetizers by Casa del Lago.  

A special Preview Event will be held Friday, May 11, from 5:30 PM to 7 PM in advance of the Main Event and will include the opportunity to use your Red Dots before anyone else, view and place bids on the entire collection first, enjoy a musical performance by students of Music Vault Academy, be amazed by a Glitter-painting performance by James C. Mulligan, imbibe from an open bar, and savor hors d’oeuvres by 24 Carrots Events and Catering. Tickets for the Preview Event are $100 per person and are available at ChuckJonesCenter.org/RedDot.                                                                                                                

About the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity: The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is a 501(c)3 public charity based in Orange County, CA. Chuck Jones was a creative genius who gave life to Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote & Bugs Bunny along with over 300 animated films.  The Center, which he founded in 1999, is an organization that fosters and teaches creative thinking—the thinking behind problem solving. It’s a proven fact that “creativity” is like a muscle in your brain that needs exercise to get and stay healthy. The stronger that muscle is, the better it works in engaging tasks and solving problems. The Center serves as a gymnasium for the creative brain. They work with school systems without arts programs, people on the autism spectrum, the elderly (many of whom suffer from early onset dementia), and other groups, including corporate clients, who see the value of pumping up creativity in their ranks.

About WoodSnap: Here at WoodSnap we have a passion for printing photos on wood. Through a specialized process, we take your photos and print them directly on premium baltic birch wood resulting in super vibrant colors, retaining high quality without sacrificing clarity. WoodSnap believes in planting trees & watering lives. We are more than just a company, we are a group of individuals that have chosen to make a difference.

Images of the artwork for The Red Dot Auction are available upon request.

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Red Dot Auction VIII--Tickets Now Available!

Save-the-date! The eighth annual Red Dot Auction is scheduled for Friday, May 11 from 7 to 10 PM!  Tickets, $25 for main event and $100 for the Preview hour (5:30 to 7 PM) are available at ChuckJonesCenter.org/RedDot. You’ll find the cure for “Empty Wall Syndrome” at the Red Dot Auction. Over 100 artists from around the globe have contributed one or more 12” square canvases and 3D art objects to this special fundraising event. What differentiates The Red Dot Auction from other silent art auctions is that the contributing artists have signed their artwork on the reverse of the canvas. Consequently, attendees at the event will not know who the artist is when bidding, they’ll only have their heart to follow.

“The artists who are participating come from all levels of notoriety, skill, and accomplishment, from students to emerging to established artists; we reached out around the world hoping to capture the imagination and appreciation of these artists. We are thankful that they were willing to help us achieve our goal of promoting creativity by providing a nurturing environment where it may grow and blossom,” said Craig Kausen, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Center.

Watch this space for a special announcement, coming soon!

Chuck Jones? Einstein? Wile E. Coyote? A nonprofit boosts the common thread — imagination

Chuck Jones? Einstein? Wile E. Coyote? A nonprofit boosts the common thread — imaginationWonderful article in Friday's OC Register about the Center and the work it does. If you ever wondered what the Center is all about, this article will tell you. 

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” — Albert Einstein.

Craig Kausen has a crazy childhood memory of his grandfather, Chuck. It takes place in the summer of 1972 in the backyard of Chuck’s Cameo Shores house in Corona del Mar.

Craig was 10 years old. His brother Todd was 11. Chuck told his grandsons to put on some swim fins. Then he tied them up with twine at their ankles, their knees and their elbows.

And he pushed them into the pool. [read the full article here.]

March/April Monday Afternoon Classes at the Center

Join us on Mondays from 3:30-5:00 at the center.  Students (7-15) will learn drawing techniques inspired by  Chuck Jones to be used in character development and  visual storytelling. No experience necessary.

March   5: Shapes and gesture

March 12: Character development

March 19: Comic panels and storyboard

March 26: Preparing characters and props

April 9: Background painting

April 16: Filming

April 23: Filming

April 30: Filming and upload

$120 pre-registration for the 8 weeks ($15 per class)

$17 per class pre-registration (single class)

$20 drop-in (as space allows)

Red Dot Auction VIII--Call for Artists!

Dear Artists and Friends of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity,Preparations are underway for the Eighth Annual Red Dot Auction benefiting the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2018.

Today we’re writing to ask you to donate a work of art to this year’s Red Dot Auction.  We’re changing up the overall theme from the Life & Times of Chuck Jones to his Golden Age Decade, the 1950s. Any of the over 90 cartoons Chuck Jones directed during the years 1950 – 1959 are fodder for your imagination. A list of the cartoons is available online at the link at the bottom of this post.  

There will be five categories this year:

Landscape – predominant theme in landscape, seascape, urban-scape; may include cartoon character(s)

Portrait – may be a self-portrait or the portrait of another person or cartoon character

Homage – to an art genre, specific artist, or live action film

Assemblage – collage using unconventional materials—take something and make something new out of it or its parts

3D – we’ll provide an 8” 3D “Cre8ive Peeple” (see below) to be painted and enhanced as you envision

There are only 30 spaces available in each of the five different sections, all requests for a specific section will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Go to this webpage to submit your request: Red Dot Auction 2018. 

The canvas provided for the first four sections will be a 12” square and as last year, we ask that you sign the artwork on the reverse.  For the 3D object, please sign the bottom of the object. HOWEVER, new this year, you may choose to work in any size canvas or other substrate you'd like to provide yourself. 

You may prefer to work on paper or another substrate and that’s fine, as long as we can mount it to the 12” square canvas for presentation the night of the event. The artwork should be signed on the reverse so that bidders at this silent auction will not know who has created which work of art.

Won't you share your gifts with us and with the Center's supporters and patrons?  If you will, please submit your information and section request by clicking here. 

Canvases are due back no later than Monday, March 27, 2018! Again this year we will bring the Red Dot Auction online for pre-bidding only. This online auction will go live mid-April 2018 and end the evening of Tuesday, May 8, 2018 In order to be included in it, your artwork must arrive no later than March 27, 2018.  

And again this year a commemorative poster, similar to the one shown, will be printed; 30 canvases will be selected to represent this year’s Red Dot Auction. Two of the posters will be produced and sold the evening of the event. To be considered for inclusion, your artwork must arrive no later than March 15, 2017.

Thank you in advance for your generosity, time, and commitment to the vision of the Center.

Exercise Your Genius!

All the best, Robert

Robert@ChuckJonesCenter.org

Chuck Jones Filmography by year: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Jones_filmography.

Submit your section and substrate requests here, Red Dot Auction 2018.

Be a Junior Animator! 8 Week Course Announced for 2018!

The Chuck jones Center for Creativity is excited to offer "Junior Animator--Bringing Characters to Life with Motion!" at their Costa Mesa classroom this January and February 2018. This after-school class will meet from 3:30 PM to 5 PM every Monday in January and February 2018 beginning with January 8. Led by one of the Center's remarkable and experienced teaching artists, "Junior Animator" will be a hands-on learning experience for students ages 7 to 14. Space is limited to just 12 students, so sign up by clicking HERE today! The full 8-week program is only $120 ($15 per class) or $17 per individual class when you pre-;pay. Drop-in fee is $20 per class if space allows. An excellent stock-stuffer for that hard-to-buy-for animation artist in your family. Click HERE to reserve their space at "Junior Animator"!

Let Me Tell You About Todd...

Dear Supporter of the Chuck Jones Center,Today, I want to share a special story that demonstrates how the Center for Creativity can enhance the lives of children on the autism spectrum, after which I’d like to ask for your help to expand this type of impact in our community.

Let me tell you about Drew, my son, who is on the autism spectrum, and his friends. As we’ve come to learn over the years, young people with autism, like Drew, face imposing challenges. Physical and social awkwardness. Rejection and solitude. Friendlessness. Hyperstimulation. Attention deficit. Anxiety. Depression. All coupled with a fear of entering new situations and encountering new people.

Because we believe that these special young people deserve to socially engage -- and that creative activities help make that happen for them -- my wife and I, with some trepidation, planned a creative workshop for “our kids” at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. Once we arrived, something truly miraculous happened. Thanks to the welcoming atmosphere and the encouragement of our art guide, Drew and 15 other kids just like him overcame their fears—and emerged from their cocoons.

They didn’t draw, paint or build alone, they engaged with each other. According to one mother, her son Todd talked freely with other children for the first time, instead of quietly sitting in the corner of the room. Todd and his newfound friends worked together to construct a “laser gun”—on the way to capturing the Road Runner. He laughed and smiled. For more than a week thereafter, his teachers commented on how buoyant and forthcoming he was in class. They marveled and wondered why. Todd, as his mother related, said: “I really like being creative, mom. It makes me feel good.”

I can’t imagine a stronger endorsement of the Center. However, these programs don’t happen without cost. We’d like to plan next quarter’s creative workshop for those on the autism spectrum. I am asking you today to join me and others like you in donating whatever amount you can afford, to help make that workshop happen.

Todd and Drew are looking forward to meeting up again at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and to exercising their creative genius. Your support today can make that happen as well as furthering our ability to serve youth in the community with our after-school enrichment programs, and seniors through our healthy brain-aging programs.

Your contributions to the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity of time, talents or money matters greatly. The work of the Center couldn’t happen without you.

Our programs can impact children from every demographic, every educational ability, and all walks of life.

Please click the Donate Today button on the top right of the Home page to make your donation. If you’d like to support the Center by giving of your time and talents, please contact Cyndi Burgess at 949-660-7793 or at Cyndi@ChuckJonesCenter.org for more details.

Sincerely,

Mike Smith

Board of Directors, Chuck Jones Center for Creativity

Beverly Hills Women's Club Gets Creative!

The Creativity Kit for children took shape earlier this year when we participated in UCLA's Social Enterprise Academy. Our student team developed several different social enterprise business ideas for the Center, and although it was not chosen, the Creativity Kit, and its concept percolated in the idea-verse. The idea of a Creativity Kit took shape with a visit to the UCLA Pediatric Coronary unit and became reality when UCLA put the Center together with the Beverly Hills Women's Club.Craig Kausen, chairman of the Center and Chuck Jones's grandson, along with toy designer and conceptualist, Frank Howa, designed and developed the box and the contents of the Creativity Kit. It contains crayons, Model Magic, pencil, drawing paper, coloring book, yarn, Wile E. Coyote stickers, a make-your-own flip book, and much, much more.

The members of the Beverly Hills Women's Club assmebled 300 of them for distribution this holiday season to young patients at the UCLA Mattel Chidlren's Hospital.

"The funnest Sunday afternoon you'll have all year! Five Carrot rating!" --Bugs Bunny

CAN YOUR FAMILY COME OUT AND PLAY?Play It Forward, a “Spook”tacular FUNdraiser for Creativity

Benefitting the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity

Costa Mesa, CA: “It looks like you’re having fun,” was one of the highest compliments given by famed artist, author, and educator, Don Graham, to his students when the work they were doing showed promise. Having fun is an important part of creative endeavors at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. “Play It Forward, a FUNdraiser for Creativity—will benefit the programs of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, a 501(c)3 public charity,” says Craig Kausen, Chairman of the Board and grandson of Chuck Jones, “everyone remembers knocking on your best friend’s door and asking, ‘can Johnny come out and play’. That’s exactly what Play It Forward is for, having fun and playing, while paying it forward.”

A carnival atmosphere focused on Halloween will pervade this family-friendly event where you and your children will be able to participate in creativity stations throughout the 6000 square foot Center. There will be mask-making, trick or treat bag and faux pumpkin decorating, “Day-of-the-Dead” skeleton head decorating, wire art, lyric-writing, toy-making, animation light-table drawing, and a stop-motion animation station where you’ll be able to make your own cartoon using some of Chuck Jones’s favorite characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, and the Road Runner.  

Play It Forward, a FUNdraiser for Creativity, will be open from 1 to 4 PM on Sunday, October 22 at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, 3321 Hyland Ave., Suite A & B, Costa Mesa, Ca. Tickets are $50 per family, regardless of the number of members, and will include a “Mix-Your-Soft-Drink bar, Popcorn, and a Decorate Your Own Brownie station. Plus, there’ll be live music provided by Music Vault Academy! Tickets available at PIF4Creativity.org.

Monday After School Classes at the Center in October & November

We are kicking off the school year with a Stop Motion Animation series during the month of October. Over the course of 5 weeks, students (7-15) will transform their hand drawn concepts into moving animation utilizing a computer application.No experience necessary.

Mondays 3:30-5:00 PM

October   2:   Animation Sequencing

October   9:   Story Development

October 16:   Backgrounds and Filming

October 23:   Filming

October 30:   Finishing Touches and Upload

TO ENROLL, visit the CLASSES tab of our website at ChuckJonesCenter.org or our program manager, Cyndi Burgess. 949-660-7793 or Cyndi@ChuckJonesCenter.org.

$75 PROGRAM PRE-REGISTRATION (5 classes @ $15 each)

$17 CLASS PRE-REGISTRATION (single)

$20 DROP-IN (as space allows)

We continue our studio classes during the month of November with a 4 week series in CARTOONING.  Join us on Mondays from 3:30-5:30 in the gallery. Students (7-15) will learn drawing techniques inspired by Chuck Jones to be used in character development and visual storytelling.

No experience necessary.

Mondays 3:30-5:00

November   6: Shapes and Gesture

November 13: Caricature

November 20: Character Design

November 27: Comic Panels

TO ENROLL, visit the CLASSES tab of our website at ChuckJonesCenter.org or our program manager, Cyndi Burgess. 949-660-7793 or Cyndi@ChuckJonesCenter.org.

$60 PROGRAM PRE-REGISTRATION (4 classes @ $15 each)

$17 CLASS PRE-REGISTRATION (single)

$20 DROP-IN (as space allows)