FullCircle Presents Matthew Rolston: ArtCenter’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

In a talk moderated by Wall Street Journal, New Yorker and The New York Times journalist Christina Binkley, ArtCenter alumnus Matthew Rolston will share his image-making philosophy, the artistic influences that have shaped his career, and his lifelong involvement with the College.

The event will conclude with a Q&A.

This is a ticketed event. Advance registration required.
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This event is part of ArtCenter's Alumni Reunion 2025.

Matthew Rolston (DHL 06) has been a leading voice in photography, entertainment, advertising and image-making since beginning his career in 1977 while still a student at the College.

Over the past five decades, Rolston has been an acclaimed editorial photographer, creating compelling portraits of significant cultural figures and fashion images for leading publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, and over 100 covers of Rolling Stone. Beyond his still photography, as a music video and commercial advertising director, he has written, produced and directed over 300 productions.

In the fine art sphere, Rolston has presented 15 solo exhibitions, participated in 28 group shows, and published six monographs of his photography. His many accolades now include ArtCenter’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing both his artistic achievements and his enduring contributions to the College: the creation of a named scholarship, as a faculty member, and as a curricular advisor and mentor.

Rolston’s most recent project, Vanitas: The Palermo Portraits, will be on exhibition at ArtCenter in the Oculus space of the College's 950 Building on the South Campus from September 20 through November 9, 2025. Created in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily, Vanitas furthers Rolston's exploration of beauty, mortality and the cultural histories embedded in portraiture.

Rolston’s works are in the permanent collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the National Portrait Gallery, among others.