VADA Talks presents
Art x AI:
Who Makes, Who Owns, Who Decides?
Is AI copying—or creating? Who signs an AI‑made canvas? And when deepfakes blur truth, what should galleries, schools, and collectors do next? Art × AI: Who Makes, Who Owns, Who Decides? brings a philosopher of machine vision (Fabian Offert), a gallerist (Nathan Vonk), a Berlin‑based artist (Ulrike Kerber), a illustrator‑educator (Scott Anderson), and a media editor (Les Firestein) into one high‑energy, no‑jargon conversation. Expect real cases (from Getty Images v. Stability AI to Warhol v. Goldsmith), fast takes, and audience interaction.
This community forum tackles the questions shaping our planet's creative future: creativity vs. imitation; authorship and copyright; jobs and the creative middle class; visual truth after deepfakes; bias and omission in datasets; and the new literacies our students need now. The format is built for constructive friction—lightning rounds, hot‑seat responses to real student prompts, and live polls that test what we think we see. You’ll leave with practical takeaways, a clearer view of what’s changing, and resources to keep learning.
6:30PM - Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Santa Barbara High School
700 East Anapamu Street
Tickets: $25 General Admission. Free admission for full time students.
Refreshments, conversation, and reception to follow.
You can still support the Visual Art and Design Academy at Santa Barbara High School with a donation.
For those attending the event, there is parking on the Santa Barbara High School campus at the staff parking lot outside of the cafeteria. There will be a shuttle to take you to the new VADA building or you can follow the VADATalks signage to the VADA building. Shuttle services start at 6pm. Be sure to allow time to get from the parking lot to VADA, as the program will begin promptly at 6:30pm.
Fabian Offert
Assistant Professor, History and Theory of Digital Humanities
University of California, Santa Barbara
Fabian Offert is Assistant Professor for the History and Theory of the Digital Humanities and Director of the Center for the Humanities and Machine Learning (HUML) at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on the aesthetics and politics of artificial intelligence. His upcoming book, Vector Media (Meson Press/University of Minnesota Press), writes a new history of machine vision. Before joining the faculty at UCSB, Fabian was Postdoctoral Researcher in the German Research Foundation’s Priority Program ‘The Digital Image’ and Curator at ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany.
Nathan Vonk
Owner, Sullivan Goss Gallery
Nathan Vonk is the owner of Sullivan Goss Gallery. He grew up in a small farm town in Iowa, received a BA in Literature from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and a Master’s Degree in Critical Theory from the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. While studying in England, he taught himself about the art world by exploring London’s art museums and galleries. Returning to the US, he taught English at Ventura College before joining Sullivan Goss in 2008. In 2016, he purchased the gallery from the founders. He sits on the board of several arts-related non‑profits, has worked as an art critic, and is a passionate art collector.
Ulrike Kerber
AI Designer & Researcher (PhD)
Ulrike Kerber is a leading expert in AI‑driven creativity, immersive storytelling, and knowledge transfer, focusing on how AI enhances design, storytelling for brands and AR, and Design Thinking. As a PhD researcher and seasoned creative director, she bridges design and technology, drawing on over 25 years of experience with global brands like Disney, MTV, Nickelodeon, and E! Entertainment. She holds MAs in Communication Design and Digital Management (Hyper Island), and has received multiple Promax awards and an Emmy nomination.
Ulrike shares her expertise through workshops, consults creative companies on AI, teaches at Berlin International University and Media University, and runs programs for Communication University of China. As an Industry Leader, teacher, and board member at Hyper Island (Sweden), she helps shape the future of AI and design education. Her book, The AI Handbook for Designers, and her coaching work support creatives and companies in adopting agile, AI‑driven workflows.
Scott Anderson
Professor of Art, Westmont College; Freelance Illustrator
Scott Anderson is an award‑winning illustrator with clients including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, MAD Magazine, and many others. He is a recipient of multiple Gold Awards from the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles, and his work has been recognized by Communication Arts, American Illustration, 3x3, The World Illustration Awards, and the Society of Illustrators New York. As a painter, he focuses on highly rendered still‑life oil paintings of vintage toys, and exhibits this work in group shows at Sullivan Goss in Santa Barbara.
He also teaches at Westmont College, where he is a tenured Professor of Art. He received his undergraduate degree from Willamette University and his MFA from the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford.
Les Firestein
Founder & Editor, The Riv Magazine
Les Firestein is a writer, producer, builder, and designer who founded and serves as Editor of The Riv Magazine, a high‑end architecture and design magazine from the Montecito Journal Media Group—short for “Riviera” . He is best known for his work as a TV writer and producer, with credits including In Living Color, The Drew Carey Show, and Wanda at Large. Les also writes on architecture and design for the Montecito Journal and is known as a builder and designer behind locally notable projects.
ABOUT VADATALKS
VADATalks is an ongoing series of events featuring renowned guests from all professions discussing how art has inspired the work they do. The series is presented by VADA - The Visual Art & Design Academy of Santa Barbara High School. VADA integrates rigorous academic coursework with project-based, career-focused art and design instruction, in a supportive and creative environment.
VADA CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
VADA is currently constructing a state-of-the-art campus with an integrated Design Lab and Art Studio. The new campus will provide the flexibility and space needed to prepare our creative and diverse community of students for their professional lives.
VADATalks