UPDATE, 10/4/07: Just got a list of Blizzard artists whose pieces will be on display. See below…

Everyone is jumping on the computer and video games trend, including the Laguna College of Art & Design.

This fall, the school debuted a new major: Game Art, with a focus on digital media for games. The new Bachelor of Fine Art degree is being touted by the school as a way graduates “will be qualified to enter this billion-dollar a year market.”

And to kick off the new major, the school is hosting a free exhibit featuring works inspired by the World of Warcraft, the massively popular online game from Irvine’s Blizzard Entertainment.

If you don’t know a thing about Blizzard, the company is one of the most successful computer-game companies in the world. It’s last game, an update to its World of Warcraft game, sold 2.4 million copies in the first 24 hours. Blizzard is so big, I even set aside a special category on this blog. Check it out HERE!

Says Jennifer Daniels, who works in the school’s media relations department, the art exhibit features pieces from Blizzard artists. Some have been invited to the Oct. 4 opening to sign prints for sale. (I’m waiting to hear back on which artists are showing up…)

UPDATE: If you follow the art of Warcraft, here’s a list of artists who have pieces in the show and may even show up for opening night:

• Sam Didier
• Justin Thavirat
• Peter Lee
• Allen Dilling
• Trevor Jacobs
• Dave Berggren
• Justin Kunz
• Jimmy Lo
• Eric Browning
• Mark Gibbons
• Glenn Rane

The three pieces shown here (click each for larger view) were drawn by LCAD game-art student Javier Lazo.::Details::

What: World of Warcraft art exhibit
Where: Laguna College of Art & Design, 2222 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach
When: Oct. 1 to 27.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Opening reception: Oct. 4 from 6 to 9 p.m.

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