As a note of introduction to this release, I am giving some opening remarks as one of Jules' students and as his official biographer and scholar. I am also screening an excerpt of footage from my documentary film, JULES ENGEL: AN ARTIST FOR ALL SEASONS.  ---JD

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Saturday, April 18, 2009
Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater

5 pm    “The Influence of Jules Engel on Contemporary Animation”
7 pm    Cocktail Reception and Exhibition of Fine Art by Jules Engel

Tickets
Program and cocktail reception: $100
Cocktail reception and art show only: $50

To purchase tickets or make a donation to support The Jules Engel Endowed Scholarship Fund, please go to the secure Jules Engel Centennial Celebration ticket page.

Some of today’s most inventive practitioners in the art of animation come together to honor the far-reaching legacy of Jules Engel (1909–2003)—animation pioneer, fine artist, and one of the most beloved educators in CalArts history.

The Jules Engel Centennial Celebration begins with a roundtable discussion entitled “The Influence of Jules Engel on Contemporary Animation.” The distinguished panelists are all former students of Jules at CalArts:

Jorge Gutierrez, creator of El Tigre
Steve Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants
Mark Kirkland, director on The Simpsons
Mark Osborne, director of Kung Fu Panda
Joanna Priestley, independent animator
Henry Selick, director of Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas

The roundtable is followed by a cocktail reception and an exhibition of fine art by Jules Engel, now available for purchase.

Jules founded the world-renowned Program in Experimental Animation in 1970 and Directed the program for more than three decades. A generous teacher, he cherished above all else the personal vision of each individual artist and took great pleasure in each of his students. So much so, that he bequeathed The Jules Engel Endowed Scholarship Fund at CalArts at his death. Jules understood the critical importance of scholarships and their essential role in giving talented young students the time and resources they need to grow as artists.

As Cal Arts pays tribute to Jules on his Centennial, they honor his unsurpassed dedication to his students. Proceeds from the sale of tickets and artworks will support The Jules Engel Endowed Scholarship Fund and help broaden the legacy Jules left for the artists who will shape the direction of animation tomorrow and in the years to come.