The college's first art classes were held by art professor Gladys Hendricks in the remodeled Pederson garage adjacent to the Pederson Ranch house. Hendricks operated an art studio in Los Angeles and came to CLC from the Los Angeles City School system and had also taught at University of Kansas and Bethany College. During the CLC's second academic year, Bernardus "Ben" Weber and Jerald Slattum were hired in order to teach drawing, painting, pottery, and sculpture. Slattum, a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, came to CLC after having had successful exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum as well as in New York and Tucson, Arizona, where he had received the Purchase Award. Weber worked in his own Thousand Oaks studio when approached and hired by President Dahl. Some of Weber's students continued their studies in the Netherlands through a special internship program initiated by Weber with glass and porcelain manufacturers. Some of these students later gained national reputations, including John Luebtow, Bill Payne, Bill Olson, Mark Gulsrud, and John Merkel.