Laguna College of Art + Design (LCAD) announced the appointment of Steven J. Brittan as the 14th president of its 60-year-old institution. Brittan brings with him more than 30 years of leadership and experience in art and design, within academia, government and corporate commercial sectors. Throughout his professional career he has focused on sustainable and human-centered design. As principal of national architectural firms, he led the design of major building and urban development projects. He was also active in the venture capital community, mentoring young entrepreneurs and innovators.

“Steve is an intentional leader with a commitment to positioning education for social good and leveraging the full potential of creative intelligence,” Terry Jones, chair of the LCAD Board of Trustees said. “We engaged in an intensive global search for the role, finding several qualified, talented individuals. But Steve stood out among the others for his breadth and depth of experience, as well as his compatibility with LCAD’s institutional values and artistic identity.”

Brittan will be joining the LCAD community in mid-September.

Brittan attended Studio Arts College International (SACI) in Florence, Italy as a young student. He later became a teacher and a board member there and served as president for the past five years. During his tenure as president, he established interdisciplinary partnerships for study abroad students with the Italian fashion industry in collaboration with the Ferragamo Foundation, Dainese (manufacturer of smart protective clothing) and EarthDNA, which was founded by scientists, designers and entrepreneurs from NASA and MIT. He expanded consortium partnerships with premier United States art and design institutions, including Parsons New School, University of Southern California, Maryland Institute College of Art, College for Creative Studies and LCAD. Prior to the pandemic, he engaged SACI art and design students and faculty in creative projects within major art museums and provided SACI an opportunity to exhibit at the Florence Art and Design Biennale.

“I believe in the power of artists and designers to change the world and make a positive contribution to society by tying together threads of innovation in different disciplines,” Brittan said. “Creative problem solving is particularly important in these challenging times with global climate change and the global pandemic. The educational environment must reflect an ecosystem of diversity, equity and inclusion for true creativity, productivity, and positive change to coexist. LCAD is an extraordinary place of learning that prepares artists and designers with the know-how, critical skills and integrity to connect and engage more effectively with the professional workplace. I am excited to propel the successes of the exceptional and committed LCAD faculty, staff and students.”

Brittan holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from Harvard University and served as an Assistant Professor at Rhode Island School of Design, Columbia University and Harvard University. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Cape Town.

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About Laguna College of Art + Design

Founded in 1961, Laguna College of Art + Design (LCAD) is a dually accredited, non-profit college located in Laguna Beach, CA.  LCAD offers undergraduate degrees (BFA) in Animation, Drawing + Painting, Drawing + Painting with Sculpture Emphasis, Drawing + Painting with Illustration Emphasis, Entertainment Design, Experimental Animation, Game Art, Graphic Design + Digital Media, Graphic Design + Digital Media with Action Sports Emphasis, Graphic Design + Digital Media with Illustration Emphasis and Illustration. LCAD also offers Graduate degrees (MFA) in Drawing, Game Design, and Painting. For more information visit www.lcad.edu. Facebook and Instagram at @lagunacollege.