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COVER STORY

MEET THE PRESIDENT

OF CALARTS Renaissance. “Growing up I knew that I liked kids and liked teaching; different, I have a lot of meetings with different people either at the school

at first, I wanted to be a pediatrician… but in high school I was really or in the community; there is a lot of fundraising involved and relationship
immersed in the art and culture of the Harlem Renaissance. It was at a building which is a large part of my job.” While keeping to the mission of
Romare Bearden exhibition that I attended where I found a moment of CalArts, Ravi and his team work tirelessly to provide a space for creative
Ravi Rajan clarity. At the same time, I studied photography and trumpet because cultivation despite the underfunding of art education and the misunder-
I loved Gordon Parks and Miles Davis.” Ravi decided that, “doctors help standing that an art degree is not as useful as traditional STEM fields. “Our
people live but art gives people purpose.” From this moment on, he students engage in a different process. Although they understand that
chased his purpose and found his way to New York. “After finishing my reading and writing is important, they engage in different vocabularies
undergrad in Oklahoma, I went to Yale for my graduate degree, and of expression: a musician is choosing to do it audibly; a dancer chooses
from there I ended up in New York. I loved the idea of New York and to do it through movement; when you go to see a documentary film, you
always really wanted to live there.” In his time on the east coast, Ravi got are still learning and understanding…you’re still engaging with ideas.”
the opportunity to play in Broadway shows and underwent one of the Students from around the world come seeking to learn those different
most defining moments of his life. “I was living in New York during 9/11 vocabularies, finding inspiration in many things and creating a thriving
and remember seeing the towers on fire from a roof top and hearing multi-disciplinary community.”
the sirens… days later I was heading to work on Broadway, getting off The school and the community around it continue to grow and with
the train, and a group of guys started hurling insults at me, using the that growth Ravi is looking to the future adding a new perspective on
N-word and shouting. This was the first time this had happened to me higher education and extending the vision of CalArts. “CalArts and Santa
in New York. When I got back to my apartment, teaching came back to Clarita have grown parallel since the school opened…now we are part-
mind. I thought about how I could get closer to young people so that nering with companies like Westfield to get the students’ art out there
generational change can happen.” more, and engaging with the local school districts. I am just so thankful
Working closely with department heads and other staff members, to this community for embracing us the way it has; it has been really
Ravi builds relationships throughout the community and further, so that great to get to know Santa Clarita.”
CalArts remains one of the top ranked-schools in the arts. “Every day is

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