The Rhoades Collection
 Money Plant, 1956, by Imogen Cunningham is part of the photography collection donated by Shirrel Rhoades. |
Work from some of the world’s most significant photographers has found a permanent home at the Savannah College of Art and Design, due in part to one man’s appreciation for the education his son received at the college.
Shirrel Rhoades, former executive vice president for Marvel Entertainment Group and current executive at Reader’s Digest, has donated part of his large personal collection of photography.
"My son, Kevin Paul Rhoades, is a graduate of SCAD, and I found his education there to be enriching for him,” said Rhoades.
Rhoades’ son received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in video/film from SCAD in 1992 and lives in Chicago, where he works in the film industry.
"We are glad to hear about all the success of our alumni, and in Kevin’s case, we were thrilled to learn how his experiences at SCAD have helped him achieve some of his goals in the video and film industry,” said Linda Tierney, director of alumni services.
The other deciding factor for the donation was "[SCAD's] excellent reputation in the field of fine arts,” Rhoades said. “Without question, SCAD was my first choice for this donation.”
In Fall 2001, Rhoades approached SCAD President Paula S. Wallace and Barry Buxton, Ph.D., vice president for institutional advancement, about donating part of his extensive collection of photography.
"Shirrel Rhoades’ professional life is a story of great accomplishment as an executive in the publishing industry,” said Buxton. "We are so pleased that he has decided to share much of his incredible photography collection with the college. It will be an invaluable resource for our students.”
Rhoades has been collecting photography for more than 40 years, and his personal collection includes hundreds of photographs and other important historical and artistic materials. His gift to the college is a sampling of some of the best work in his private photography archive.
The Shirrel Rhoades Photographic Collection has been valued at more than $200,000 and contains a diverse mixture of developing artists and photography masters spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the 135 images donated to the college, students will find black-and-white, color and sepia-tone photographs, as well as platinum, hand-painted and silver gelatin prints and stereo cards. Ansel Adams, Annie Leibovitz, Karl Lagerfeld, Imogen Cunningham and Richard Avedon are just a few of the significant artists represented in the collection. The subject matter of the images includes landscapes, fashion photography, nudes, portraits and historical events. The collection even includes a few rare photographs of actress Marilyn Monroe.
This collection was specifically curated for SCAD as a representation of a diverse array of photographic styles, which will have incredible educational and inspirational benefit for the students and for the Savannah community.
Dave Akers, The Magazine, Fall 2001/Winter 2002