President Emeritus

Lorne M. Buchman was named ArtCenter’s first president emeritus after a thirteen year tenure as a transformative president of the College

When Buchman took office in 2009, he quickly engaged students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees to define what a great art and design college should be in the early 21st century. His talent for gaining consensus among diverse constituencies proved key to ArtCenter’s mission-driven growth. Uniting the community around a shared vision, he led the development of Create Change 1.0, the strategic plan that guided the institution from 2011 to 2016. Buchman then spearheaded Create Change 2.0, the strategic plan to guide ArtCenter through 2023.

During Buchman’s presidency, the College increased the undergraduate and graduate degree programs and realized record enrollments. He has also recruited a diverse group of distinguished leaders to the board of trustees. His passion and deep commitment to excellence in education has generated an unprecedented response from alumni and foundations in terms of financial support. Under his guidance, philanthropic investments in the College have increased significantly to support scholarships and the growth of the campus physically and programmatically. The College recently surpassed its ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign goal with a total of $124 million raised.

Among his many accomplishments is the City of Pasadena’s approval of a 15-year master plan informed by the College’s conservatory-like approach to education. The plan will provide the first-ever campus housing in the history of the College, offering a more affordable education for students.

As part of the president’s advocacy for the value of art and design to audiences beyond academia, he hosts Change Lab: Conversations on Transformation and Creativity, a podcast produced by ArtCenter in which Buchman conducts intimate interviews with leading artists and innovators. He has also written a book on creativity Make to Know: From Spaces of Uncertainty to Creative Discovery (October 2021), published by Thames & Hudson.

Buchman previously served as president of both Saybrook University and California College of the Arts (CCA). At CCA, he led the creation and development of its renowned San Francisco campus, oversaw significant enrollment growth, and diversified the faculty.

Buchman holds a PhD from Stanford University and a BA from the University of Toronto. He founded Buchman Associates, a consulting firm focused on facility development projects for nonprofit organizations. A key venture was his leadership of the highly acclaimed Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, an international center dedicated to disability rights and universal access.

A trained theater director and scholar, Buchman is the author of Still in Movement: Shakespeare on Screen and has taught and served as an administrative leader at the University of California, Berkeley.