Pixar Art Director Dan Holland will present a public talk on Thursday, April 21, at 5:30 p.m. in Eberhart 250. The talk, sponsored by UNCG’s School of Art, is free and open to the public. Seating is limited.
Holland was an animator for “The Incredibles” and the short film “Jack-Jack Attack,” before serving in the art department for “WALL-E” and as a character artist for “Cars 2.” He was the sets art director for “Inside Out” and “Toy Story 4,” and followed that up with character and set design work for “Soul” and character design work for “Luca.”
He studied art and film at Brigham Young University and attended the Vancouver Film School’s year-long program for traditional, hand-drawn animation before enrolling at CalArts. After his second year at CalArts, he completed an animation internship at Pixar. He officially started at Pixar in 2003, shortly after graduation.
Dr. Heather Holian has invited several Pixar artists to speak with UNCG art classes over the past decade.
This is Holland’s fourth visit to UNCG. He gave a talk in 2017 and returned twice for Character Design Workshops for students in the UNCG School of Art.
Holian says, “Dan’s talk will provide the unique opportunity to hear from a veteran in the field who has worked on character and set design in animation at the highest level. Dan also has a gift for sharing his work and experiences in a relatable way that is both informative and inspiring.”
With UNCG officially launching its BFA in Animation program in the School of Art in the coming semester, this talk is well-timed.
By Mike Harris, UNCG Magazine
Courtesy photograph of Dan Holland