College wraps up eventful academic year

By: Paul Razza

Published: Friday, May 30, 2003

Selected as one of “100 hidden gems” in higher education in the recently released book “Harvard Schmarvard” by Jay Mathews of the Washington Post, the Savannah College of Art and Design continued to shine during its 2002 - 2003 academic year.

Expanding its facilities throughout downtown Savannah, the college celebrated the grand opening of its state of the art facility, Montgomery Hall, home of the School of Film and Digital Media. The college also acquired the former Saint Andrew’s Independent Episcopal Church for the future student center. The sculpture department made its new home at Boundary Hall. Clifford Hall, scheduled to open fall quarter, will house the furniture design and industrial design departments. And two buildings, next to historic Forsyth Park, became home for the human resources department and the college’s administrative offices.

The college also expanded its vision by opening “savannah,” a gallery in Atlanta. The gallery space highlights renowned artists, SCAD alumni, faculty, students and staff and serves as an annex space for college events.

SCAD students, faculty and staff accolades reached a record number this year. For example, architecture students Peiter Buick and Kris Perpich won the “Treemendous Treehouse” competition sponsored by the Atlanta Botanical Garden and have been awarded $2,500 to build their project, which will be displayed in the garden beginning June 1.

Senior computer art student Melissa Napper received first place in Bertolli’s “Art of the Tomato” contest in the film and video division.

Junior painting and photography major Abezash Rachel Tamerat was awarded the 2003 Child Welfare League of America’s National Kids to Kids Award. Tamerat raised more than $6,000 for charity by organizing and promoting several gallery exhibitions titled “10 Artists/100% charity.”

Interior design students Corrine Saylor, Amanda Wathen and Kristine Harris won the Interior Design Educators Council 2003 Regional Student Design competition for their design Aqua Lounge.

Painting alumnus and SCAD exhibition staff member Fred Jesser received the 2003 Rising Star Award from the International Artexpo, the largest arts show in the country.
Soaring to new heights, SCAD was the only design college in the nation invited to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2003 Energy Challenge in Nag’s Head, N.C. Under the leadership of professor Heather Bailey, students created a hang glider sail out of recycled paper.

District, SCAD’s student newspaper, won four awards in the 2002 Georgia College Press Association Better Newspaper Contest and two awards at the 52nd annual Southern Regional Press Institute newspaper competition.

The Hive, SCAD’s student-run Web site, launched in September, quickly attracted more than 1,000 registered users and thousands of listeners tuned into student run SCAD Radio over the Internet.

On behalf of SCAD, President Paula Wallace received an award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for the college’s participation and hosting of the annual event in February.

Wallace also received the James T. Deason Human Relations Award, given by the Economic Opportunity Authority.

This year’s Scholarship Gala raised more than $80,000 to benefit student scholarships and the faculty/staff campaign generated a record number of participants.

The annual Savannah Film Festival featured cutting-edge films and interesting lectures including special guests such as Geraldine Chaplin, Sydney Pollack, Debbie Reynolds and Dick Cavett.

The Trustees Theater hosted concerts by Al Green, Mandy Patinkin, alumnus Thomas Dang Vu and lectures by legendary photographers Joyce Tenneson and Joel Meyerowitz, art collector Dr. Walter O. Evans and renowned artist Faith Ringgold.

Lectures and workshops by noted professionals continued throughout the academic year, including guests such as Academy Award-winning producer Bruce Cohen, metals and jewelry artist Charon Kransen, award-winning illustrator Cathleen Toelke, DPKA architect Carl Doebley, art historian Jules Prown, Phillip Jelley from Sothebys, modernist architect William Morgan, preservation activist Nellie Longsworth, furniture designer Dario Antonioni, painter and artist-in-residence Maggie Siner, fashion designer Eric Gaskins, sequential artist Lea Hernandez, renowned milliner Parrish Lee, Emmy Award-winning set designer Melinda Ritz and art director Rick Butler.

Artwork from renowned artists filled SCAD galleries. Throughout the year SCAD featured work from Sophie Ryder, William Wegman, Elliot Erwitt, Joyce Tenneson, Beatrice Caracciolo, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Robert Rauschenberg, Benny Andrews, Faith Ringgold, William Eggleston, Charles Arnoldi, Markus Linnenbrink and Bertrand Meniel.

SCAD faculty, staff, students and alumni exhibited their work in several national and international shows. “Limerick Ladies: Paintings by Professor Denise Falk” and a group show titled “New Artists-New Work” raised eyebrows in London and Dublin. The “Women by Women” exhibition graced the Mona Bismarck Foundation in Paris, “Current Circuit” featured multimedia work at Galerie Lhomond in Paris and “Enigma” was on display at the annual Broome Street Gallery show in New York.

“In Response,” a national juried exhibition sponsored by SCAD, included a series of exhibitions, lectures and events paying tribute to the victims and heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Artnews executive editor Robin Cembalest and Jeremy Strick, the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, served as jurors for the exhibition and legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz lectured about the eight months he spent photographing Ground Zero.

Students from all over the world studied at SCAD Lacoste, located in Provence in the South of France. SCAD Lacoste continues to offer a unique opportunity for artists to live, learn and create in a supportive environment rich with culture and history. Spring artist-in-residence Sandy Skoglund created a unique installation inspired by the beauty of Lacoste.

The SCAD Bees had a stellar athletic season. The men’s basketball, equestrian, women’s soccer and volleyball teams each competed in the their respective national championships this season with the equestrian program winning the ANRC Intercollegiate Championship. The men’s basketball and volleyball teams each reached the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The men’s basketball team established a college record for victories, with 16 consecutive wins this season.

SCAD continued to attract national attention in publications such as Southern Living, The Hollywood Reporter, The Washington Times, New York Times, Sculpture magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

The college also was featured on “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” ESPN and TNT.

Annual festivals and events such as the International Festival, the Sand Arts Festival, the Sidewalk Arts Festival and the Comics Art Forum offered hours of art, entertainment, food and inspiration.

The annual fashion show intrigued audiences, including special guest Miuccia Prada, who received the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding career in fashion.

SCAD closes this academic year with accolades, achievements and inspiration, with its focus on the future.

Razza is director of SCAD TV and Dept. 61.