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By Rebecca Greenspan Nearly 300 people descended upon SCAD-Atlanta, 1600 Peachtree St., for the grand opening gala April 22. The event began at 7 p.m., and many guests took the grand tour of the facility and enjoyed the SCAD Sphere, a 4-D interactive experience. Students modeled designs from the fashion and metals and jewelry departments, while media and performing arts students created Tableaux Vivants — “living pictures” — of well-known paintings. The backgrounds of the recognizable artwork were painted, but the main subjects of the work were portrayed by living, breathing human beings. The gala featured work by Paul Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Benny Andrews, Edouard Manet, Vincent Van Gogh, Faith Ringgold, René Magritte, Paul Hankar and Edgar Degas. Some of the Tableaux Vivants were available as photography stations for guests. Seating arrangements for dinner were given out in the main lobby as numbered scarves made by Working Class Studio. Décor followed a “tasteful” theme: guests were seated at raspberry, blueberry, orange, lime and lemon tables, differentiated by colored cloths on the backs of chairs, napkins on the table and the lighting design, which illuminated the individual tables according to their colors. In the Hub, high stainless steel tables with tall chairs were set up in long rows. A formal place setting was accented by contemporary square plates. White Sintra® (PVC pipe) candelabras, complete with candles designed by Andrea Messina of the college’s Working Class Concepts, decorated the tables and welcomed guests into the Hub at the doorways. A main stage set up in the center of the room featured a trio of piano, cello and drums. Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli and SCAD President Paula S. Wallace welcomed guests to the new facility. A video “parade of stars” began with Tony Bennett singing “The Best is Yet to Come” from his 1998 Trustees Theater performance. The video featured special guests from exhibitions, commencements, the annual Fashion Show and the Savannah Film Festival, including Peter O’Toole, Jane Fonda, Diane von Furstenberg, Gregory Hines, Zac Posen, André Leon Talley, Oscar de la Renta, Miuccia Prada, Thora Birch, Jason Patric, Alec Baldwin, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Kathleen Turner and others. Dinner was served tapas-style, with four entrées: seared tuna topped with sesame-laden kelp salad and wasabi foam; porcini and annata-dusted seared sea bass on bamboo rice timbale with seared asparagus, fanned baby zucchini and meyer lemon beurre blanc; apricot-marinated grilled and sliced breast of chicken with pink pepper-infused demi glace, stone grits and saffron-braised red cabbage; and mini lamb chops with Georgia fig and balsamic compote garnished with fresh blackberries. For dessert, raspberry, blueberry, orange, lime and lemon sorbet followed the theme of the evening. Dessert presented another special treat: the SCAD Performance Ensemble, who took center stage with two musical selections and received a hearty round of applause after the performance. As guests left SCAD-Atlanta around 11 p.m., many expressed delight and appreciation for the intricate design that echoed the building’s organic shapes and color/fruit theme. “What an amazing evening — quite possibly the college’s best event yet!” said Jonathan Ashley Osborne, public relations assistant in the office of the president. “The gala drew a fun, eclectic crowd of civic leaders and art enthusiasts, and everyone raved about the new space. What a wonderful way to welcome our Atlanta neighbors to our spectacular new home!” Greenspan is assistant director of public information. |
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