The School of Cinema-Television at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles has established the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts via a $5 million endowment gift from the estate of the late Disney animation artist Hench (PETER PAN, DUMBO, FANTASIA, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, ALICE IN WONDERLAND).
The Board of Trustees of the John C. Hench Foundation provided the endowment to support several key initiatives, including funding faculty and student assistant positions, obtaining state-of-the-art technology, underwriting artists-in-residence, hosting symposia, producing exhibits, animation shows, DVDs and more.
Hench, who passed away on Feb. 5, 2004 at age 95, started his career at Disney in 1939 as a story artist. In addition to becoming the official portrait painter of Mickey Mouse, Hench worked on the landmark FANTASIA (1940); DUMBO (1941); PETER PAN (1953); 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954) for which he shared an Academy Award for special effects; and ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1955). He was a 1990 recipient of the firms Disney Legend Award. Henchs creative endeavors also extended to the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, the 1964 Worlds Fair in New York, as well as playing an instrumental role in the architectural design of Disneys theme parks and hotels.
Beyond his drawing, painting, animation, design, and architecture skills, Hench was keenly interested in the sciences, particularly engineering and biology. This broad background played out in his artistry, resulting in productions that sought to amuse as well as enlighten and prompt viewers to see and think in new ways.
The School of Cinema-Television is privileged to honor the vision and principles that made John Hench such a legendary figure, not only for Disney fans, but also for students and scholars of the cinematic arts who recognize his work as being unparalleled in scope and impact, said dean Elizabeth M. Daley. By helping to promote and advance the art form he loved so much, the school will ensure that future generations will know his name and work and can carry his artistic legacy forward.
This gift honors Johns memory and the pride he always felt toward the School of Cinema-Televisions animation and digital arts program, said Foundation board member Jose M. Deetjen.
Hench was a long-time supporter of the division, which offers a three-year Masters of Fine Arts degree, a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree, as well as undergraduate minors. Hench was a frequent figure in the classroom and studio, teaching both the faculty and students his technique and philosophy.
John Henchs intuitive and distinctive uses of color and architecture to create an immersive experience both in film and theme park design are iconic, said division chair Kathy Smith. His name and accomplishments will serve as a benchmark for all of those who study animation and digital arts at USC.
Since 1929, the USC School of Cinema-Television has fueled and mirrored the growth of entertainment as an industry and an art form. The school offers comprehensive programs in directing, producing, writing, critical studies, animation and digital arts, production and interactive media, all backed by a broad liberal arts education and taught by leading practitioners in each field. Its more than 8,000 graduates are among the worlds most distinguished animators, scholars, teachers, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound experts and industry execs. Since 1973, not a year has passed without an alumnus or alumna being nominated for an Academy Award.
