SCAD alumna advances the arts in Thomasville, Georgia

Industry and alumni outreach manager Jason Parrish recently spoke with Haile McCollum (M.F.A., graphic design, 1994), owner of Fontaine Maury, a brand and design firm, about the appeal of living and working in Thomasville, Georgia.

In addition to running her brand and design studio, McCollum serves as creative director of THOM, a biannual arts and culture magazine published by Thomasville Center for the Arts. THOM was launched in collaboration with a SCAD Atlanta multidisciplinary class in 2013. Weaving together the written word and stunning images, THOM expresses and promotes the abundance of creative thinking in Thomasville, introducing thinkers, visionaries, muses, artists, entrepreneurs and professionals to the region.

As part of her role as a community member and a member of Thomasville Center for the Arts' board of directors, McCollum is helping to develop a new Creative District that will encourage the growth of Thomasville's emerging creative economy. The district will be a vibrant place that attracts creative people and projects and will establish artist in residence programs, retail shops and design studios.

"There is a real need for creative entrepreneurs in the region," McCollum said. For this reason, she is tapping SCAD's fresh talent and, in collaboration with Thomasville Center for the Arts, has posted graphic design job opportunities on the SCAD Job Portal.

Founded in 1825, Thomasville is a historic town of 19,000 people in southwest Georgia, about 35 miles north of Tallahassee, Florida.

McCollum has collaborated with artists worldwide to license designs for Walmart, Target, Tiny Prints, Treat, Shutterfly and others. Her work has been featured in Country Living, Southern Living, Real Simple, InStyle and O Magazine. In addition, she was named a Country Living Woman Entrepreneur in 2007.