Joe Girandola was recently announced as the president of the Art Academy of CIncinnati
CINCINNATI, OH – The Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Board of Trustees has named Joseph Girandola as the college’s next president. Girandola will assume office on August 1, 2019. Girandola succeeds Mark Grote, who is retiring after one year as interim president and returning to serve on the college’s board.
No stranger to the arts, Girandola currently serves as the interim associate dean of graduate studies and research at the University of Cincinnati in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. Prior, his roles included the Director of Graduate Studies for the School of Art at DAAP and director of the MFA program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
During his tenure at DAAP, he sought and secured new external funding opportunities for creative research and was part of the steering committee for the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub.
“Girandola brings not only the empathetic position of being a practicing artist, but also the experience of being a seasoned higher education administrator,” said Tysonn Betts, chair of the Art Academy’s board of trustees.
His expertise is timely as the Art Academy, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, recently launched major strategic initiatives to increase enrollment and transform its campus.
“My vision for the Art Academy’s next chapter is to become an open door for problem-solving in the city through the creative practice,” said Girandola. “Building upon its amazing history, the Art Academy will look to collaborate with all of the game-changing innovative entities in the region to provide its students with the best possible skills needed to survive in the global creative economy.”
When asked about his new role at the Art Academy, Girandola sees a team effort. "The tremendous students, alumni, Board of Trustees, faculty and staff will be partners in the journey to solidify the success of the Art Academy into the near and distant future."
About Joseph Girandola
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Joseph Girandola is a professional artist that has exhibited both nationally and internationally. Girandola arrives to the Art Academy of Cincinnati after seven years as tenured faculty in the School of Art at the University of Cincinnati in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, most recently as the Interim Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
Previously, he was the Director of the Masters of Fine Arts Program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He also worked and taught in the Art Department of Pomona College and was the Assistant Director for the Santa Fe Art Institute. Additionally, he served as the Artist Residency Director at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.
He has been the recipient of many grants including: a BLINK 2017 Artist Grant, 21C Pitch Night ArtPrize Grant, 3rd Century University of Cincinnati Studio and Materials Grant, a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Grant, Change, Inc. Grant and an Artists Fellowship, Inc. Grant.
He has received artist residency fellowships at the MacDowell Colony, Bemis Center, Santa Fe Art Institute, Caldera Art Residency, and DUCTAC Art Center/Flying House Art Center in Dubai. Girandola has lectured nationally and internationally and lives with his partner, Laura Power, and their two sons, Roman and Paolo, in Cincinnati, OH.
About the Art Academy of Cincinnati:
Art Academy of Cincinnati, established in 1869, is an independent college of art and design. Degrees granted are the Associate of Science in Graphic Design; the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Design, Illustration, Painting and Drawing, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture; and the Master of Arts in Art Education. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the Art Academy is a charter member of both NASAD and the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. The Art Academy is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Collegiate Connection. The Art Academy’s Community Education department offers extensive visual arts courses to children, teens, and adults, including a Portfolio Preparation program and an award-winning summer camp. The Art Academy of Cincinnati is located in historic Over-the-Rhine at 1212 Jackson Street Cincinnati, OH 45202. Please visit www.artacademy.edu.