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Bruce Wands, respected chair emeritus (2017 – 2022) and chair (1998 – 2016) of SVA’s MFA Computer Arts program, chair of its BFA Computer Art program (1994 – 1998), former director of Computer Education at the College and former faculty member, died on July 6, 2022, at the age of 72. Wands’ career at SVA spanned the years 1984 through 2017, comprising 22 years as chair and 32 years as a faculty member. Upon Wands’ retirement in January of 2017, President David Rhodes wrote, “Bruce Wands has been an integral part of SVA’s expansion, not only in the field of technology, but also in creating synergy in curricula and between departments.” His legacy at the College is profound.

Wands thrived at the intersection of art, writing, music, curation and education and was considered a pioneer in the field of computer graphics. He authored the books Art of the Digital Age (Thames & Hudson, 2006) and Digital Creativity: Techniques for Digital Media and the Internet (John Wiley & Sons, 2002). He lectured, performed and exhibited his creative work in the United States and internationally, and Time Out New York named him as one of the “99 People to Watch in 1999.” He was a curator (1993 – 1995) and director (1998 – 2017) of the New York Digital Salon and other digital art exhibitions, and was the first musician to give a live performance over ISDN lines on the Internet in 1992. Wands received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Rockefeller Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA UK). He earned a BA from Lafayette College and an MS from Syracuse University.

Born on October 22, 1949, in Montclair, New Jersey, Wands was the youngest of three children. He is survived by his brother, David; his niece, Rebecca O’Brien; and his dear friend, SVA faculty member and curriculum coordinator Deborah Hussey. According to his obituary, Wands’ “greatest satisfaction was teaching and mentoring students, helping them launch their professional careers worldwide.” To read an article on the 30th anniversary of the MFA program in computer art at SVA from the fall 2016 Visual Arts Journal, click here.