2014 CADD SCHOLARSHIP

Christian (Beatle) gietema

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This year the CADD Scholarship has been awarded to Christian (Beatle) Gietema, a dedicated young artist and graduating senior from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. Beatle will study Architecture and Object Design this fall at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Beatle is a multimedia artist who welcomes a rigorous schedule - having spent the past three summers participating at the California College of Creative Arts and Rhode Island School of Design’s summer art programs. 

Christian (Beatle) Gietema's interest in Industrial Design arose in the summer of 2009 during a trip to Berlin, where he attended the largest exhibition on the Bauhaus since the 1920s. The Bauhaus philosophy captivated him because it integrated all of the arts to create works that were both beautiful and functional. He learned that art can be more than simple exercises in aesthetic expression. Art can actually prove practical in everyday life. Since his visit to Berlin, he has intensified his independent study of Industrial Design. Currently, he is particularly interested in the Danish idea of "Total Design" which emphasizes the need for everything to be designed to function in a seamless and humane fashion.

Neighborhood and City. There was a time when designers were trained to think in Total Design wholes. Mackintosh, Saarinen, Wright, the Eames' and the Bauhaus come to mind. Although each had concentrated their efforts within a specific part of the design transect, each was mindful of the broadest implications of their work. With these examples in mind, Beatle intends to work towards a degree in Industrial Design within an academic environment which encourages the study of broader design. He intends to educate himself in the subjects of industrial design, furniture design, architecture, and urban design so that he may further understand how to contribute to humane, thoughtful, and intentional environments of Total Design.