It's a season of renewal as SCAD Open Studio returns! The all-virtual, three-day event will take place this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 30–May 2, 2021. Curated by SCAD Art Sales, the university's premier in-house art consultancy and curatorial platform, Open Studio will offer enthusiasts and collectors exclusive access to work by SCAD's community of students, alumni, faculty and staff.

The springtime edition of SCAD Open Studio 2021 will spotlight 345 artists, with over 1,000 jury selected works by students, alumni, and faculty, representing degree programs including painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and illustration. Hosted semiannually, Open Studio is a go-to destination to find "what's next" in art and design. The event offers the opportunity to acquire works from SCAD's exceptionally talented and accomplished network of students and professional creatives.

"We are so excited for this spring's Open Studio event, and to invite collectors from around the world to preview and shop the best of the best from SCAD's uber-talented students, alumni, and faculty," said Victoria Gildersleeve, associate director, SCAD Art Sales. "The diverse range of artworks featured in this season's Open Studio truly showcases the excellence of SCAD's network, and will appeal to all types of collectors."

The spring Open Studio Spotlight Artist is Jeremiah Jossim (B.F.A., photography, 2010). Jeremiah's paintings explore memory and the nature of recollection. His subject matter deals with the distortion of memory and thought, representing landscapes in colorful chaos or surrounding childhood memories in grids of geometric mandalas, showing the viewer that the manner of reaching a recollection is as important as the memory itself.

Featured artists at this edition of Open Studio are:

  ●  Marcus Dunn (M.F.A., painting, 2017) 

  ●  Holly Mathews (professor, foundation studies) 

  ●  Tianxing Xu (B.F.A., painting) 

  ●  Yana Dimitrova (M.F.A., painting, 2009; B.F.A. painting and printmaking, 2006) 

  ●  Chetan Singh Kunwar (M.A., graphic design, 2018) 

  ●  Arend Neyhouse (B.F.A., painting, 2016) 

  ●  Jenna Rae Tooley (B.F.A., painting, 2020) 


Additionally at this week's event, an expert panel comprised of architect and interior designer John Gidding, designer Ghislaine Viñas. art curators Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, and contemporary artist MOJO, will curate favorites from the works featured in Open Studio. These selections will be shared across various social media platforms including @scadartsales Instagram and Stories.

Additionally, Open Studio will offer a "View in Room" feature that will be available on the mobile platform via the ArtCloud app, allowing collectors to preview works in their home before placing an order.

SCAD Open Studio will take place on SCAD Art Sales. Launched in Winter 2016, SCAD Art Sales is a full-service art consultancy that offers distinctive design and curatorial services to a global clientele of collectors and public and private-sector businesses and organizations. With access to over 45,000 artists, SCAD Art Sales represents a unique channel whereby SCAD champions and promotes its talented students and alumni.

SCAD Open Studio: April 30–May 2, 2021.

Banner image: Jeremiah Jossum, Disintegrated Horizon (detail), 68”x48” (2020).

In a year when the art of film and the audience experience changed along with the world, SCAD continued to do Oscar-worthy work.

This Sunday, April 25, 8 p.m. EDT, the 93rd Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC. SCAD alumni worked on nominated films including "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," "Da 5 Bloods," "Do Not Split," "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story," "Greyhound," "Hillbilly Elegy," "If Anything Happens, I Love You," "Judas and the Black Messiah," "Love and Monsters," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," "Mank," "The Midnight Sky," "Mulan," "News of the World," "The One and Only Ivan," "One Night in Miami," "Onward," "Over the Moon," "Promising Young Woman," "Soul," "Tenet," "The Trial of the Chicago 7," and "The White Tiger,"

"In 1985, when we launched our first entertainment arts degree program, I dreamed our talented students would gain global attention," says SCAD President Paula Wallace. "It seems the SCAD family has always been destined for greatness — and golden statuettes. They bring home the hardware!"

These alumni affirm the exceptional preparation for professional careers they received while students at SCAD, as implicitly acknowledged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy is made up of approximately 9,000 voting members, including professionals from every facet of the business.

Let's celebrate the unmistakable creative contributions of the following SCAD alumni to this year's nominees:

Alyssa "Grizzly" Goldman (B.F.A., film and television) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Aaron McGriff (B.F.A., animation, 2005) "Soul"
Alex Shilt (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016) "Onward"
Alexander Curtis (M.F.A., animation, 2011) "Onward"; "Soul"
Amanda Beggs (B.F.A., film and television, 2008) "One Night in Miami"
Amanda Bell (B.F.A., animation, 2016) "Over the Moon"
Andrew Finley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Onward"
Andy Lin (B.F.A., animation, 2008) "Onward"; "Soul"
Andy Siravanta (M.F.A., film and television, 2015) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Annee Jonjai (B.F.A., animation, 2008) "Soul"
Becki Tower (M.F.A., animation, 2009) "Onward"; "Soul"
Ben Zylberman (M.F.A./B.F.A., sequential art, 2010/2006) "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
Bess Johnson (B.F.A., film and television, 2011) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Bill Ross IV (B.F.A., video/film, 2003) "Do Not Split"
Boon Shin Ng (M.A., film and television, 2008) "Mulan"
Brian McCann (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Casey Seabolt (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Catlin Rose Scroggie (B.F.A., animation, 2015) "Over the Moon"
Charles Cronkrite (B.F.A., animation, 2012) "Over the Moon"
Charlie B. Spaht (B.F.A., video/film, 2002) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Chris Foreman (M.F.A., computer art, 2005) "Soul"
Chris Forster (B.F.A., film and television, 2013) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Christopher R. Carter (B.F.A., animation, 2016) "Soul"
Dana Hunt (B.F.A., video/film, 2006) "Greyhound"
Dasha Titlebaum (B.F.A., photography, 2005) "If Anything Happens, I Love You"
Dave Hale (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Onward"
David Seong Ng (M.A., animation, 2007)  "Greyhound"     
Dawoon Kim (B.F.A., animation, 2018) "The Midnight Sky"
Diana Chu (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Mank"
Diana Li (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Mulan"; "Over the Moon"
Dorien Gunnels (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) "Onward"; "Over the Moon"
Drew Huntley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Gabrielle McMullan (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Gaurav Mishra (B.F.A., film and television, 2014) "Over the Moon"
Geena Schwitters (B.F.A., television production) "Da 5 Bloods"
Hiro Ren (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018)  "The One and Only Ivan"; "Over the Moon"
Hosuk Chang (M.A., visual effects, 2008) "Soul"
Ian Steplowski (computer art, 2003) "Onward"; "Soul"
Jason Daoud (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Love and Monsters"
Jason Davies (M.F.A., animation, 2003) "Soul"
Jason Koh (Yong Kiat Koh) (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016) "Mulan"
Jen Grubbs (B.F.A., production design, 2015) “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Jenn Epstein (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
Jennifer Brooks (unspecified) "One Night in Miami"
Jesse Weglein (M.A., visual effects, 2008) "Soul"
John Lockwood (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) "Soul"
Jonah Laird (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Onward"; "Soul"
Jonathan Nelson (M.F.A., computer art, 2005) "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Jordan Rempel (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Onward"
Josh Evans (B.F.A./M.F.A., visual effects, 2011/2013) "Mulan"; "Over the Moon"
Josh Holtsclaw (B.F.A., illustration, 2006) "Soul"
Josh Matthews (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Love and Monsters"
Kayla Jane Adams (B.F.A., film and television, 2015) "One Night in Miami"
Kevin Fisch (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011) "Da 5 Bloods"
Kevin McDonald (M.F.A., visual effects) "Over the Moon"
Khushnuma Savai (M.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Greyhound" 
Kiki Mei Kee Poh (M.A., visual effects, 2010) "Onward"
Kimmy Birdsell (B.F.A., sequential art, 2017) "Onward"; "Soul"
Kirsten Yamaguchi (M.F.A., animation, 2009) "Soul"
Kori Amacker (B.F.A./M.F.A., animation, 2012/2017) "Over the Moon"
Kristen Kopp (unspecified) "News of the World"
Kunal Ahuja (M.F.A., visual effects, 2012) "The White Tiger"
Kyle Hause (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) "Mank"
Kyle Mohr (B.F.A., animation, 2005) "Onward"; "Soul"
Kylie Wijsmuller (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Onward"; "Soul"
Lawson Bruen (unspecified) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Leslie Elizabeth Martin (B.F.A., animation, 2014) "Over the Moon"
Marc Casey (B.F.A., film and television, 2009) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Maribeth E. Glass (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) "Over the Moon"
Marq Faulkner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Over the Moon"
Matt Gorball (B.F.A., computer art, 2000) "Greyhound"
Matt Kiefer (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Mulan"
Matthew Benson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Onward"; "Soul"
Matthew Lindahl (unspecified) "Onward"; "Soul"
Matthew T. Perry (B.F.A., film and television, 2011) "Da 5 Bloods"
Max Bickley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Soul"
Mazyar Sharifian (M.A., visual effects, 2016) "Da 5 Bloods"
Meredith O'Malley (B.F.A., animation/visual effects, 2018) "Soul"
Michael Nieves (B.F.A., animation, 2014) "Soul"
Michael Pickering (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Michelle Gao (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Over the Moon"
Michelle Ledesma (M.F.A., video/film, 2001) "Over the Moon"
Natalie Greenhill (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) "Over the Moon"
Nathan Alexander (B.F.A., production design) "Hillbilly Elegy"   
Neil Helm (M.F.A., animation, 2010) "Onward"; "Soul"
Nestor Prado (M.A., visual effects, 2012) "The Midnight Sky"
Nick Bartone (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Onward"
Nick Caramela (B.F.A., sound design, 2015) "The White Tiger"
Peter Egan (B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2016) "Over the Moon"
Philip Fraschetti (B.F.A./M.F.A., computer art/visual effects, 2005/2007) "Mulan"
Rachel Boissevain (M.A., sound design, 2019) "Greyhound"; "Love and Monsters"
Rebecca Carfagna (M.A., arts administration, 2015) "Greyhound"
Rochelle Brown (B.F.A., film and television, 2009) "Judas and the Black Messiah"; "Promising Young Woman"
Sam Carter (B.F.A., video/film, 2004) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Sandro Blattner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Sasha Ouellet (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Soul"
Scott Clark (unspecified) "Soul"
Scott Englert (B.F.A., computer art, 2005) "Over the Moon"
Sean Loughran (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Greyhound"
Shaun Galinak (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Onward"; "Soul"
Stephanie Parker (M.F.A., production design, 2015) "One Night in Miami"
Steve DiNozzi (M.A., visual effects) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Steve LaVietes (B.F.A., computer art, 1996) "Onward"; "Soul"
Steven Blevins (B.F.A., sound design, 2018) "Da 5 Bloods"; "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Taylor Aseere (B.F.A., animation, 2017) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"; "The One and Only Ivan"
Thomas J. Doolittle (B.F.A., sound design, 2020) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Timothy Preston (B.F.A./B.F.A., motion media design, sound design, 2015) "Da 5 Bloods"
Tom Fatora (B.F.A., film and television, 2014) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Walter Schneider (B.F.A., production design, 2009) "Tenet"
Wuyang Wang (M.F.A., visual effects, 2018) "Mulan"
Yolande Thame (M.F.A., production design, 2014) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Zachary Overcash (B.F.A., computer art, 2003) "Over the Moon"
Ziyan Tan (B.F.A., illustration, 2018) "One Night in Miami"

We acknowledged that, in all likelihood, this list is incomplete.
If you are aware of a name missing from this list, please email information (Name, Degree, Nominated Film) to [email protected].
Thank you.

The day after Variety named SCAD one of the Top 50 Film Schools and Instructors From Around the World, SCAD officially announced the construction of the Savannah Film Studios backlot at a ceremony commemorating the expansion of the university's film and digital media studios.

Speaking to a crowd that included Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, journalists, and invited guests, SCAD President Paula Wallace expressed her excitement over the development. "This ten-acre studio complex and backlot is unsurpassed in higher education," Wallace said. "This studio has a very special resource you won't find at any other film school, an indoor extended reality XR stage where the weather's always perfect and the magic hour never fades."

Those in attendance could look across the parking lot to see construction crews working as Wallace spoke. Designed in partnership with SCAD alumna Sarah Linebaugh (M.F.A., motion media design, 2014) and her studio MEPTIK, the XR stage conjures backgrounds from city streets to fantasy realms and everything in between. The technology uses augmented and extended reality, replacing the need for traditional painted backdrops. "This is unrivaled in higher education," Wallace said. "This stage will become home to revolutionary leaps in cinematic storytelling for years to come."

South and east of the xR stage will be a Hollywood-style backlot, complete with town square, brownstones, palatial mansion, and a cobblestone-lined Savannah street. In addition to the variety of homes and neighborhoods, the lot will include a sets for a police station, hospital, restaurants, and shops.

Loren Ruch, group senior VP of development and production for HGTV, said, "I am extremely pleased to hear about the expansion of Savannah Film Studios, and look forward to the potential partnerships that may ensue with SCAD in the months and years to come. I've always valued the incredible facilities and individuals associated with SCAD, so this only adds to what has already been a wonderful resource in the world of content creation."

There are nearly 20,000 SCAD Bees currently working or preparing to work in the film and television industry, including one-hundred and twelve individuals who worked on Academy Award nominated films for the year 2021. The Savannah Film Studios expansion promises to be a proving ground for students going forward and a hub of interdisciplinary intermingling.

Following Wallace's remarks, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson thanked SCAD for advancing the creative spirit in the city and emphasizing Savannah's importance to the film industry. He got a laugh from the crowd with his good-natured parting remark, "All I have to say is, Tyler Perry, eat your heart out."

The backlot is currently under construction with phase one of three planned to open in fall of 2021. The entire project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2023.

"When I try my best to get the most from my SCAD experience, I feel really happy," says Aastha Agarwal (M.F.A., luxury and fashion management). The master's candidate is a SCADpro project manager, a SCAD FASH docent and content creator, a Fernbank-friendly nature-lover, and part of a trend of talented students from NIFT Mumbai choosing to earn their graduate degrees at SCAD. A native of Dahanu Road, India, Agarwal is committed to cultivating leadership skills to affect global change. Don't let her kaleidoscopic coiffure fool you — Aastha means business.

Aastha Agarwal:

I applied to SCAD because I wanted to go to the best place in the world to study the business of fashion. I received a scholarship and decided to pursue my dreams in Atlanta, a city of the endless opportunities. A year and a half later, two of my best friends from NIFT, Aarohi and Sneha, have joined me at SCAD Atlanta. It's nice to see students from Mumbai finding a home here.

I want to build my career within the social responsibility sphere, either as a sustainability expert or being a part of a brand’s corporate social responsibility team. Studying luxury and fashion management at SCAD is equipping me with the tools and resources I need to be a part of the companies that can actually bring about this change.

Last quarter I was part of a SCADpro project with Fox Sports. We had a brilliant team, students from three different countries and five different majors, representing from Mumbai to Mexico to Myrtle Beach. We worked together to create graphic inserts for major league baseball and college basketball for national TV. This quarter I'm project manager on another SCADpro project with Deloitte Digital. As a student, SCADpro is an excellent way to make initial contact with a company, show them what you can do as an individual and as part of a team, and create the preconditions for employment.

One of my favorite SCAD professors is [creative business leadership] professor Kobus. My first class with him was Financial Reporting and Analysis [BUSI 710], part of my LXFM studies. For most of the international students in the graduate program it was our first quarter at SCAD, and we were all a little scared, and not just from the math! By week seven, we were all trading virtual stock and competing in a game based in accounting, learning and laughing together. The last day, professor Kobus brought in kimchi that he and his wife made from cabbage in their garden. It was so good! SCAD professors really care.

I currently work as a docent at the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film. I absolutely love working at SCAD FASH because I get to be a part of history. I wish everyone could experience the magnificence that is "Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design."

I created a presentation for the museum that highlights the different tribes who inspired the costumes featured in Black Panther, alongside details about the costumes from other films including Roots, Amistad, Do The Right Thing, and Selma. It's incredible to watch the twinkle in the eyes of the visitors as soon as they step into the exhibition. If I could, I’d be here everyday, especially to point people in the direction of my favorite piece in the exhibit — the aquarium shoes with the goldfish in them, from I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!

Follow Aastha on IG.

Growing up on a hundred-acre farm in Clark County, Kentucky, Lauren Hawley (M.U.D., urban design, 2013) spent her afternoons playing barefoot in a creek and sketching the landscape around her. "The whole farm was my playground," she says. "I would collect sticks and leaves and build fairy houses in the shed. My parents used to say, "She's going to be a designer.""

Hawley earned her undergraduate degree in landscape architecture in her home state before entering SCAD's graduate program in urban design. "I knew at SCAD I would be able to tap into the things that keep me motivated and creative." This included the city of Savannah itself. "I still have dreams where I'm walking home from my studio class and the trees are swaying above me while the flowers are in bloom."

At SCAD, Hawley formed a sincere connection to the urban design teaching cohort. "Professor Ryan Madson was an important mentor to me. He pushed me to think on a grander scale and helped me understand every aspect of my work. As a result, I've been able to transition into larger projects and grow as a professional."

Professor Madson continues to champion Hawley's work and talent. "Lauren is an outstanding practitioner who models the attributes of an urban designer: creativity, problem solving, and seeing the world through the lens of making places better for people and more resilient for nature. Her advanced studies in urban design at SCAD prepared her for a career as a design leader. I'm excited to follow Lauren's future projects, which are shaping our cities in profound and lasting ways."

For the past eight years, Hawley has worked as a landscape architect and urban designer at Perkins+Will in Atlanta. "The best things we can do for a city and our citizens is to make better parks, better trails, and improve the open spaces we have," she says. "Research shows that people need to be connected to nature. Bringing people together fosters community in ways that we have lost through urban settings. I work with developers to shape how our spaces will be used and enjoyed. I am committed to making public places that inspire us."

Hawley is currently working on a Candler Park Conservancy project including a vision plan for a "beaver walk." The project will combine exploration, education, and entertainment so that parents and children can enjoy nature together while learning about the ecological roles beavers play in the region. "We want people of all ages to come and watch wildlife and learn about beaver habitats. We also want to create a place that promotes peace of mind for parents to let their little ones roam."

Hawley remains committed to transforming traditional thinking: "Our outdoor spaces should embrace nature and the natural beauty around us. Children should be able to explore, get lost briefly, and feel safe in their play experience. I want people to experience the outdoors in the ways that I got to as a child. I'm trying to give everyone the hundred-acre experience."

Landscape architect and urban designer Lauren Hawley.

Game on! SCADFILM's annual SCAD GamingFest returns in an all-virtual format, this Friday and Saturday, April 9-10, 2021. SCAD GamingFest features captivating programming spotlighting the innovators, storytellers, and designers on the leading edge of game design and development with sessions to ignite imagination and creativity. A highlight of the festival will be the first-ever SCAD GamingFest Spotlight Award to be presented to actor, writer, and director Wil Wheaton, in recognition of his illustrious career and contributions to the world of gaming.

SCAD GamingFest brings together a global network of working professionals and industry luminaries to present programming and conversations that will feature explorations of technical advancements in AI, photogrammetry, XR, player dynamics, and virtual production. This innovative programming directly reflects many of the university's top-ranked degree programs including immersive reality, animation, motion media design, interactive design and game development, UX design, and film and television. The event will show how gaming is evolving beyond play toward a broader scope of interactive entertainment that assists, informs, and immerses users like never before.

"The world's greatest games unite two vastly important arenas of human invention: science and storytelling," says President Paula Wallace. "At SCAD GamingFest, students and gamers from across the planet explore and experience both the technical and the narrative magic of contemporary games, with panels and presentations on everything from artificial intelligence and photogrammetry to creating genuinely empathetic characters and backstories. SCAD is where gamers go to learn, play, and join the ranks of the world's great designers."

The festival lineup for SCAD GamingFest will include: "VSFX in Marvel Universe"; "Player Dynamics"; "Georgia Game Development: Immersive Tech in 2021"; "Cinematics in Gaming"; "AI in Gaming"; "Screenwriting for Games: The Challenge of Choice-Based Narratives"; "Cinematics in Gaming" among other industry-relevant sessions. The festival will also feature a Twitch takeover in collaboration with Skillshot Media; "The Making of Zoelie," a SCAD student cross-departmental collaboration game, hosted by chair of interactive design and game development SuAnne Fu; "Futureproofing Game Designers," featuring an exploration into SCADpro and student collaborations with big tech companies; and the launch of the SCAD Games Studio which will allow participants to play and compete in student-developed games and experiences.

SCAD GamingFest honoree Wil Wheaton will deliver a keynote and first glimpse into his forthcoming reality competition series Gamemasters, which begins production in Atlanta in 2021. Alumni scheduled to appear at SCAD GamingFest include Jeff White (M.F.A., computer art, 2004), visual effects supervisor, creative director, Industrial Light Magic; Riot Games senior game designer Seth Smith (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2010); Matt Ward (B.F.A., computer art, 1999), cinematic director, BUNGiE; and lead narrative designer, Ubisoft, Jolie Menzel (B.F.A., sequential art, 2012).

Over 125 game development companies are based in Georgia, further emphasizing the connection between competitive gaming and creative careers. SCAD, always at the forefront of creative industry innovation and knowledge, offers best-in-class instruction in fields of study and degree programs highlighted at SCAD GamingFest through the SCAD School of Digital Media and SCAD School of Entertainment Arts.

For SCAD GamingFest tickets and the complete line-up, visit the GamingFest page.

"When I was a student, SCAD did not yet offer a business of beauty and fragrance degree," says Salacia Salts founder Cari Clark Phelps (B.F.A., graphic design, 1999). "Current students have the incredible opportunity to learn things in a classroom setting that I've learned through experience. This gives them an enormous advantage as they enter the industry."

As the retail ecosystem springs back to life in Savannah, Phelps is ready to soak it in. Since opening Salacia Salts in 2012, she has built a product line including scrubs, lotions, cleansers, and bath bombs, all made with local ingredients like crushed pecans and Atlantic sea salt. "I have full control of what we do, from concept to completion and marketing, engagement, and response," explains Phelps. "I'm not trying to mass-produce a thousand gallons of a scrub, stretch it and preserve it. My commitment to sustainability makes the process more fulfilling for me, and attracts customers I love."

On a sunny Friday morning, as Phelps welcomes shoppers to her location just off Forsyth Park, Isabella Possinger (B.F.A., interior design) is at the back of the workshop, preparing an online order for shipping. Salacia is a frequent employer of SCAD students in retail roles, and in collaboration. A new bath tea soak collection debuting this spring features fragrances designed by Alexandra Backlund (B.F.A., business of beauty and fragrance).

Among Phelps' biggest fans is skin care specialist and SCAD professor Meloney Moore, who after seven-plus years as an executive at Estée Lauder, moved to Savannah in 2018 to lead the new business of beauty and fragrance degree program. "I fell in love with Salacia as a brand because of Cari's commitment to local ingredients and eco-friendly packaging," Moore says. "She sets a great example for SCAD students, and created custom DIY kits that we use to explore fragrance and skincare during our virtual classes."

Nestled at garden level beneath a flag bearing a fetching mermaid logo, Salacia's Hall Street location features a space for workshops and classes, where interested visitors can create their own scrubs based on ingredients and instructions that Salacia supplies. As a creative director, Phelps runs her design company Clark Creative from an upper floor.

Cari and husband Patrick Phelps (B.F.A., historic preservation, M.ARCH, 1995), an architect at the Savannah-based firm Hansen Architects, are something of a local alumni power couple. "I met him at a Chamber event, next to the garlicky pasta station," Cari hoots, when pressed for details.

In addition to the shop on Hall Street, Salacia has a second Savannah location off Oglethorpe Square that opened on Valentine's Day 2020. Phelps sells products from other local makers in her shops, as a way to further encourage small business development.

"Everything I do should feel a little bit Southern, and a little bit coastal, and all about natural relaxation," she says. "By staying true to being inspired by the South and the sea, I stay true to what I love, and to the reason I started Salacia in the first place."

Visit Salacia Salts.

Photo of Cari Clark Phelps by Jamie Weaver.

"Preserving the world for future generations is my superpower," says Sam Hartman (M.F.A., design for sustainability). "I love figuring out how we can do better, be better, and provide a brighter future for us all."

Sitting in her home in Cleveland, Ohio, surrounded by small plants housed in pots she sculpted herself, Hartman shared her fondness of art, records, and furniture restoration. "When I was young, my mother would take me to the Cleveland Museum of Art and I would sit and draw the suits of medieval armor on display. She constantly championed the power of creative expression. Being an artist is in my blood."

Today, Hartman is applying her creativity in the service of sustainability. "Caring for our natural world is beautiful, relaxing, and therapeutic. It all starts by being more mindful of our habits."

Sam Hartman:

After receiving my undergraduate degree, I was at jobs in the design field and it seemed like every potential employer I wanted to reach out to had SCAD on their resume. It was a recurring pattern and I realized I needed to take the next step. I remember shaking with excitement when I received my acceptance letter for the M.F.A. program in Savannah.

At SCAD I fell in love with sustainability design after I took a class with professor Scott Boylston. As part of his course, I worked on a project for the Tybee Island Marine Science Center where we used the design philosophies of biomimicry to educate visitors on our impact to the local ecosystem. That was when my superpower began to come to life.

I then participated in two SCADpro projects, one with Gulfstream Aerospace and the other with Delta Air Lines.

Delta approached SCAD with a request to reimagine how their drink carts could have a second life after they were unusable for commercial flights. Usually, old drink carts end up in landfills. My SCADpro team came up with five alternative options. My favorite one involved transforming each cart into a small wind turbine for homes. Delta originally thought we were going to design trash cans or small planters, but that isn't what SCAD students do. They adored our solutions.

Sustainable design is imperative for the future of business. We need to change how companies traditionally operate and design their services and products. Waste needs to be factored in from the beginning. By designing for sustainability first, we will deliver better results for people, planet, and profits.

Alongside our corporate partners, individual consumers need to make a dramatic shift in our habits, design practices, and priorities for our world to continue to thrive. We need to support legislation on plastics and hazardous materials for manufacturers, and we need to take responsibility for our buying habits. In today's economy our decisions affect everyone and everything.

What we really need to do is stop being lazy. People don't fix their own clothes anymore, they just buy new ones. Stores sell pre-peeled oranges in individual plastic containers. We throw away home furnishings rather than re-upholster them or repurpose them in fun new ways. We cannot continue to waste in the way we have become accustomed.

We have the power to create long-lasting positive changes in our world, and I am committing myself to that end. SCAD presented me with the knowledge and tools to preserve and conserve for future generations and I am excited to get to work. We have do it now.

Visit Sam Hartman and learn more about her vision for our sustainable future.

"When you invite someone into your space, they should see the essence of your intentions," says David Colas (B.F.A., furniture design, 2012), greeting a visitor to the meticulous Colas Modern design studio. The combination workspace and marketplace proves his point: "I'm in love with order flow and how things get made. When the process is efficient, the pieces speak for themselves."

Modern Heritage is appropriately eloquent: hand-hewn furniture, stylish and timeless, the collection at the heart of Colas Modern. David and his wife founded Colas Modern in 2014 after Lara, then a local curator, displayed David's SCAD senior collection in her gallery. Today, the young parents run a burgeoning business where family is key. The Colas lineage of French master craftsmen goes back eight generations, explains David, proudly displaying a prized relic, his great-grandfather's antique wooden hand plane: "When I hold this in my hands, it's almost like a mission. I feel driven to do it, on both good and challenging days."

David Colas:

Everything with Colas Modern is concerned with wellbeing in your home. Our goal is to bring people in to see the Colas Modern marketplace because that's where you get to see our Modern Heritage collection: the bar top, the shelving units, the stools, the coffee table, that nightstand, everything is part of the collection. All the woodworking and welding, we do in-house. Potential customers can see this is being built here in Savannah and say, "Hey, this is very different than what I could get at Target!"

All our materials are locally sourced. Our wood comes from a supplier in Savannah that I've been shopping with since I was at SCAD in 2010. As a SCAD student, I would stay at Gulfstream Design Center as long and late as I wanted, working in the 3D printing and laser cutting and rapid prototyping areas. SCAD students have an incredible amount of technology at their fingertips. That Gulfstream production space has been a direct influence on how I've designed our shop and how we maintain it. Everything is cleaned and put away so that when we come in the next day, it's ready.

My journey to SCAD began when in 11th grade at Mont'Kiara International School of Kuala Lumpur (MKIS). My plan was to play basketball at a Division III college in the U.S. When my class at MKIS took a trip to Petronas Towers to see an exhibition by the artist Latiff Mohidin, it was an epiphany. A recruiter from SCAD visited MKIS, and SCAD became my first choice.

We offer Colas Modern internships for SCAD students that are about real-world practical training and providing a look at operating a small business. Lara posts the internship positions the SCAD portal for employment. One recent intern, Griffin Feeney, we saw his SCAD portfolio and could tell he made everything himself. We're looking for interns who love the building and fabricating process.

shopSCAD currently sells our Savannah Beehive cutting boards. They're fun, they're original, and have a message. The fruit boards include papaya, avocado, and pear, a nod to our favorite superfoods. The Irobo boards are inspired by my West Cote d'Ivoire heritage, with the look of the board based on African textiles.

Ours is truly a family business. If you want to get better at this trade, pay attention to details. It's extra work to maintain quality, but if you start out that way, it's not something you build towards, it's part of who you are.

Visit Colas Modern.

Jessica Ma (B.F.A., interior design, 2020) has been named Emerging Interior Designer of the Year by the International Design Awards (IDA). Her award-winning portfolio focused on helping people, companies, and venues surmount obstacles that hinder human interaction. 

"Interior design is truly a way to make substantial differences in our well-being," Ma says. "As a creator, I shape experiences and the feelings associated with them."

Born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Ma grew up believing she would be a doctor. As a teenager, her family moved to Macau, where she attended International School of Macau. As a volunteer desk clerk at The Macau University of Science and Technology hospital, Ma saw first-hand how a building's inefficiencies and outdated design components impact the treatment and well-being of patients.

The SCAD Atlanta 2020 valedictorian lives in New Jersey, speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and English and, in her downtime, plays classical piano.

Jessica Ma:

As a child, I was always drawing and expressing myself creatively through art. As I got older, I started making my mom take me to open houses in our neighborhood. I loved seeing how people decorated their homes. When I got into The Sims, I played it a lot. My mom should have probably understood then that I was going to become an interior designer.

Before transferring to SCAD Hong Kong in 2017, I was studying medical engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. While I was doing well in my courses, I realized I had to make a change. I remember telling my parents, "I have to follow my heart. I'm going to be an artist."

At SCAD, I became a different person. I was finally able to embrace my creative spirit. Following my heart and studying interior design was the best decision I ever made.

Interior design truly is a way to help people and make substantial differences in our well-being. We are constantly indoors, and we use spaces to connect with each other hundreds of times a day, whether in an office, home, café, hotel, or other public or private space. As a creator, I shape those experiences and the feelings associated with them.

My professors at SCAD provided guidance, and gave me space and freedom to create. There were no boundaries placed on what was possible, and that allowed me explore groundbreaking ideas. Working with chair of interior design Ryan Hansen, I was able to embrace new concepts on each new space I worked on.

In my submission to the IDA, I included designs I created for The Independent Living, Inc. I began working on the concept my junior year in the class Interior Design Studio II: Specialized Interior Environments. Professor Hansen encouraged us to reimagine and design a space that would assist autistic individuals integrating more fully into society.

The project helped me realize the power of designing for specific industries. For example, healthcare providers are constantly upgrading their facilities as the needs of their patients change. Interior designers are crucial to that effort.

Interior design is a young industry. It will be crucial to our society for years to come. We need safe havens to curate relationships, create connections, and rejuvenate ourselves. I see myself as a difference maker. I wouldn't have gotten here without SCAD.

Learn more about SCAD interior design.