The fashion house is investing in the future of creativity with a high-tech hub where artists will shape the next frontier of innovation.
Chanel is once again pushing the cultural conversation forward. Through its CHANEL Culture Fund, the house is partnering with the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) to fund a new Center for Art and Technology focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital imaging. Set to open this fall on the school’s Santa Clarita campus, the center will offer students and visiting fellows rare access to state-of-the-art equipment and new forms of creative mentorship.
The Center will not just be a resource but a launchpad. Selected fellows will include artists already connected to Chanel’s global cultural initiatives alongside CalArts talent, creating a bridge between contemporary creativity and emerging technology. A yearly public forum will spotlight the Center’s experiments and insights, offering the wider art world a glimpse into the next frontier of artistic expression.
Yana Peel, global head of arts and culture at Chanel, framed the project as an investment in imagination. The new Center will help artists, in Peel’s words, “take human imagination further than ever before.” CalArts president Ravi S Rajan echoed the sentiment, describing the partnership as a natural evolution of the school’s history of boundary-breaking artistry.
Founded by Walt and Roy Disney in 1961, CalArts already claims alumni like Tim Burton, Sofia Coppola, and Carrie Mae Weems. With Chanel now shaping its next chapter, the school is positioning itself to lead a future where artists and technology are not just intertwined but inseparable.
