Charlie White Named Head of the School of Art

Carnegie Mellon University today announced that Charlie White, a leading artist, art educator and administrator at the University of Southern California, has been named the new head of its School of Art, effective Aug. 1. White succeeds John Carson, who is returning to the school’s faculty.

Charlie White

White, a professor in USC’s Roski School of Art and Design, established and was area head of a technology-rich program in digital imaging, video and media theory, which is thriving across the school’s undergraduate curriculum. As director of the school’s Master of Fine Arts program from 2007 through 2011, he worked with exceptional artists and teachers, including Sharon Lockhart, Frances Stark, Andrea Zittel and A.L. Steiner, to form one of the most progressive young graduate programs in the country. The program fostered a remarkable generation of artists, such as Amanda Ross-Ho, Alex Israel, Nicole Miller and Elad Lassry.

With more than 20 years of experience as an internationally exhibiting artist and 13 years in academia, White’s professional and creative achievements have bridged the worlds of art making, art pedagogy and art school administration.

“Charlie brings to the School of Art a demonstrated commitment to fostering creative expression and experimentation across all genres of art,” said Dan Martin, dean of Carnegie Mellon’s College of Fine Arts, which houses the School of Art. “He is a firm believer in art as a crucial part of our lives and culture, and while at USC he furthered that belief through the development of new platforms for growth, change and diversity. We welcome him to Carnegie Mellon, and we look forward to his fresh perspective and enthusiasm as he begins his role.”

As an artist, White has consistently worked to push the boundaries of representation in varied genres. His career has encompassed photography, film, animation, public events, popular entertainment and documentary archives. His work has been exhibited at institutions across the globe, and his films have screened at the Sundance Film Festival and Director’s Fortnight at Cannes. Six monographs of his work have been published, most recently “American Minor” (JPR | Ringier, 2009). White has been included in the 2011 Singapore Biennial; the “Nine Lives: Visionary Artists from L.A.” exhibit at the Hammer Museum; and “Art in America Now”, organized by the Guggenheim Museum.

In addition to his studio practice, White has written about contemporary topics related to photography and popular representation, and he has produced numerous public and non-institutional projects, including a collaborative teen pop album and the founding and editorship of “The Enemy,” a critical and cultural journal featuring essays and projects by artists, academics and activists.

An East Coast native, White has lived in Los Angeles for 20 years. He will reside in Pittsburgh with his wife, poet Stephanie Ford, and their son.