feature / college-news / product-design / illustration / alumni
May 30, 2024
By Solvej Schou

Lundy/Smith Creative Scholarship grew out of friendship  

Alum and legendary sneaker designer Mark Smith reflects on his bond with the late alum Chris Lundy, and new scholarship in their name  

When Mark Smith (BFA 88 Graphic Design)—retired vice president of Nike’s Innovation Special Projects and former global creative director of Jordan Brand—met late painter and surfer Chris Lundy (BFA 89 Illustration) on their first day as ArtCenter students, the pair became best friends.  

The new Lundy/Smith Creative Scholarship—established by Smith through the Bodecker Foundation—grew out of that friendship, and honors Lundy, who died in 2018 after an almost three-year battle with brain cancer. The scholarship provides full tuition to an ArtCenter student for six terms, plus a stipend and optional mentorship from Smith.  

Its first recipient, San Diego-born Product Design student and multidisciplinary designer Chris Peña, not only shares Lundy’s first name, but also Lundy’s love of surfing, painting and creative risk taking. Peña’s work has varied from fine art to graphics, printmaking and architectural design. He worked at an architecture firm for three years before starting at ArtCenter.

“The dream recipient was always someone who shares that curious water life, and says, ‘I’ve got the focus, and nothing’s going to stop me,’” says Smith, revved up after presenting an energetic Lunch & Learn Career Chat in the ArtCenter Library, co-hosted by ArtCenter's Career and Professional Development Office. “Chris Lundy was driven, passionate, a deep thinker. We pushed each other. We brought fuel to each other's fire, regardless of the discipline we were working in.”  

Lundy grew up in Florida, and Smith grew up in Southern California. Together, they adored the water. Smith grew up surfing and bodysurfing. Lundy became a professional surfer—while also making surfboards—until a serious surfing injury propelled him to pivot and go to ArtCenter. Lundy, who later returned to surfing, spent two decades as a painter, creating large vibrant seascapes in Hawaii. He also created event poster art for the Triple Crown of Surfing.  

Smith, also an artist, has had a legendary career in sneaker design. He worked as a longtime designer at Nike. As vice president of Nike’s Innovation Special Projects and as global creative director for the Jordan Brand, he introduced new laser technology, designed Nike’s 78,000 square foot Mia Hamm Innovation facility in 2007, and worked with Michael Jordan on his Air Jordan and Jordan branded footwear. Smith also created Nike designs for Serena Williams and Kobe Bryant. In 2003, he and Lundy collaborated on the tan and white Dunk Low “Laser” sneaker, featuring laser-etched ocean waves. Smith retired in early 2020.

“The thing that really connected me and Chris at ArtCenter was that we both hung out at the back of class, and we had our own language,” says Smith. “Even to this day, I'm in the back corner watching and listening in meetings because that's where I can see everything happen.”  

Lundy’s brain cancer diagnosis in 2015 drew the two alumni even closer together. “This sounds strange, but I told him, when he was in the middle of it, with cancer, ‘I get to go through this with you,’” says Smith. Inspired by their friendship and experience at ArtCenter and trying to figure out what to do with Lundy’s artwork—whether to donate it—Lundy thought about creating a scholarship.  

“When you're facing mortality, you want to know your legacy,” says Smith, who adds that Lundy didn’t have children. “One day, he said to me, ‘I wish there was a way I could turn my art into an opportunity for a kid like me to get the schooling I got.’ I was like, ‘That's a great idea.’ The scholarship became a purpose.”

Smith organized a fundraising exhibition of Lundy’s work, when Lundy was alive, in 2015 at the headquarters of surfing and swimming clothing and accessories brand Hurley in Costa Mesa to raise money for the scholarship. Then later the Bodecker Foundation, co-founded by Sandy Bodecker, former vice president of Nike's Innovation Special Projects, came on board to help with funding. Bodecker, a colleague and friend of Smith’s, had been an avid collector of Lundy’s art, and died, like Lundy, in 2018. 

Smith’s goal for future funding for the scholarship includes auctioning one artwork by Lundy each year for the next 15 years, and selling his own art and services, from creative direction to branding.  

“If you're fortunate enough to have the kind of a career I've had, and you're fortunate enough to go through what I went through with Chris, you don’t want to squander an opportunity,” Smith says. “This scholarship is Lundy/Smith: the two of us, connected. It’s the opportunity to share our great fortune with those that we see potential in, for the future. The only requirement is to do your turn 10, 20, 30, 40 years later. It took me 40 years to get to this point.”