The dazzling pageantry of the 2019 National Academy of Television, Arts, and Sciences Emmy Awards was out-watted only by Simon Stevens' winning smile. After three years as marketing producer at Savannah's CBS-affiliate WTOC-TV, Stevens (B.F.A., film and television) has alchemized his SCAD experience and professional dedication into a gold statuette. Locals know: Tune in to WTOC for breaking news, severe weather information…and to see his award-winning handiwork. Congratulations, Simon!

Simon Stevens:

I attended Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia, where there was an orientation evening when a representative from SCAD came. They spoke about the hands-on approach to learning film and TV. The SCAD Savannah film and television program felt very robust. I wanted to spread my wings so I came here.

Senior year at SCAD I worked at SCAD District with director of student media Adam Crisp. I shared the role as SCAD District video co-director with Fairuz Ferrer (B.F.A., film and television, 2017). Working with Fairuz, I became more disciplined with scheduling and deadlines as well as the storytelling process. Fairuz created a series called "Savannah Secrets" about places like The Coop rock climbing wall and Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room. I took what she filmed and edited it. We collaborated on at least half a dozen pieces.

Adam Crisp showed me I was part of something important. He pointed me towards a marketing position at WTOC. I didn't get the position, but one of their news managers offered me a part-time job as a PA. Then the opportunity opened up for the slot I currently have. I'm currently a promotion-focused marketing producer at WTOC. We serve southeast Georgia and the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry.

I work on promotions about the station for the station. These include daily promos to promote a specific story for a specific show. I speak with producers and ask for their biggest stories, write something about them that's 10-15 seconds long, get them approved, then shoot and edit and it's on-air within minutes. I do about six of those a day.

My first week full time at WTOC, Hurricane Matthew hit. As the city was evacuated, I stayed. I was able to dive in at the station with extra hours and show what I was able to bring to WTOC marketing. I learned a lot about how to cover hurricane season. When Hurricane Irma hit in 2017, I created a 60-second spot demonstrating our commitment to coverage before, after and during the hurricane, which wound up being nominated for an Emmy in 2018, but did not win.

This year I received two nominations, including one for a coverage commercial of the C-130 crash, which did not win. Creating that spot meant understanding the sensitivity to the event, and what that means to our viewers.

The other nomination was for Savannah Weekend, WTOC's lifestyle explorer. Savannah Weekend producer Brian Byers (B.F.A., illustration, 1992) was a professor of multimedia design at SCAD before coming to WTOC. When we launched Savannah Weekend, I created a promo using drone footage cut with upbeat music and the tag "Discover your Savannah Weekend today!" It wound up being the Savannah Weekend spot that won the Emmy this year.

The event was at the Hyatt in Buckhead in Atlanta on June 15. I remember walking up on stage, seeing my commercial on the giant screen, and being handed a trophy. I said, "I'm new to this. This is cool!"

SCAD was my first taste of committing to excellence. At SCAD District I learned about taking a story and presenting it in a way that's honest and resonates in a way that's relevant. I took that with me when I came to news. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to challenge myself at a high level. I didn't expect to stay in Savannah but I'm glad I did.

Photograph: Just Toby

"There's no such thing as an outlandish idea."

It's Wednesday morning in room 120 of Gulfstream Center for Design, and SCAD Summer Seminars instructor CoCo Ree Lemery (M.F.A., furniture design, 2019) is encouraging focused experimentation. A decorated theater designer and 2018 IDA Design Awards Gold winner, Lemery is intent on providing the high school students here with an unforgettable SCAD experience.

Over the course of five days, Lemery's furniture design students will each concept, sketch, and build their own functional lamp. Her seminar is part of a series of weeklong immersions for high school students interested in all things SCAD. Students who have completed their freshman, sophomore or junior years of high school gain essential educational experience through art and design projects. They also do fun stuff like take river cruises and attend Savannah Bananas games.

"This was suggested to me by a college counselor as a great summer program," says William Egan, a student at Putney School in Windham County, Vermont. "I thought it would be a fun experience, and it's proven to be much more than that."

As Lemery preps a selection of supplies, Egan considers what style shade he should make for his lamp. Soon, he is glue-gunning strips of gold-embossed blue wrapping paper onto hand-curled hangar wire to create a beak-shaped shade for his lamp which, in a nod to nature, is inspired by the long-necked crane.

"My work has an organic mentality," Egan explains.

"Some designers struggle to embrace both masculinity and femininity in design," Lemery says. "What's great about Will's form is it has both sides, in part because it's derived from nature. How does nature intersect with the industrial world? That question has a lot of resonance."

In the afternoon, in The Shed at Montgomery Hall, Egan joins his summer seminar in industrial design, taught by Yueqi Wang (M.F.A., industrial design). Working as part of a team of three, Egan builds a large lounge chair, suitable for the beach. The team tests their chair as a guest group of SCAD graduate students critique their work.

Come Friday, Egan is wrapping up his week back at Gulfstream with a photo shoot featuring his finished lamp. "It's important for the students to leave here with good portfolio shots of their work," Lemery explains. Egan's lamp interacts with plants in a natural, even affectionate way—an impressive testament to the seminar itself.

"When students return home with their finished lamps, they often post pictures and tag me on Instagram," says Lemery. "It's really cool to know they had a positive experience at SCAD."

Egan is considering embracing the idea of continuing to make light fixtures when he returns to Putney School in the fall, and creating a light installation as a high school project.

"I learned a lot this week," Egan beams. "I'd never worked with corrugated plastic or Apoxie Sculpt before. I learned how to design lamps using clearly-defined techniques. I'm definitely glad I came."

Learn more about SCAD Summer Seminars.

"As a marine designer," says Phillip Cox, "I aim to create beautiful ships with supreme performance and functionality to further the users' experience and their passion for being on the water." His masterful design for Cero, a luxury submarine, remains on display at Gulfstream Center for Design, inspiring SCAD students to push their own work to another level. Cox (B.F.A., industrial design, 2018) currently works as industrial designer at luxury boat company Cobalt Boats, based in Neodesha, Kansas.

Phillip Cox:

Growing up, my family always had a recreational boat and a fishing boat. It's like I grew up on the water, whether on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky, or in Florida on Sanibel Island. Fishing is really what began my interest in marine design. When I came to SCAD, I found my passion for industrial design, with a focus on marine design.

Senior industrial design class is a two-quarter class. One quarter was sketching and researching. The second quarter was adding all the design details that bring it to life. Professor Craig Smith trusted his students to shape our portfolios towards the careers we desired. I had two boats already in my portfolio—a 38-foot center console boat, and a smaller fishing boat with a unique hull shape. Professor Smith pushed me to do something outside the box. I decided to create a luxury submarine, which became Cero.

A submarine houses many necessities for it to function, so to employ all of those aspects and keep my initial design was pretty exciting. It involved a lot of mechanical engineering. The structure is two four-inch thick acrylic casted and polished shells bound by steel ribs. The finished shape is inspired by a puffer fish in its dormant state. The shape withstands the pressure to reach the ocean floor to explore marine life. During a hurricane, people on the yacht can get on the submarine and drop down below the effects of the waves and be safe and have enough battery power to keep them there until the hurricane passes.

Cero has two different propulsion types I designed. One is a diesel engine. The other is an environmentally friendly fully electric propulsion system. Typically for a sub, the engine runs on the surface, but here you have a fully-battery charged submarine using batteries charged on the yacht.

The current submarines on the market are cramped. I wanted to give Cero a communal feel with an open floor plan, and bring interior design and architecture into something that normally doesn't have that. It's not just about aesthetics, it's about creating something functional. Having an industrial design mindset and an engineering mindset working in tandem is important.

At Cobalt, we're the industry leader for open-bow runabout boats. As the only industrial designer at the company, a lot of what I do is work with mechanical engineers to create functional pieces that are also attractive and luxurious.

Right now, I'm working on two boats that'll be in the 2020 lineup for Cobalt.  I'm working with Tim Kaiser, the manager of our advanced design team, to do everything from choosing thread color to designing the dash. We have upholsterers in our R&D team who work directly with me. I create renderings of the interior, then do mock-ups, source the materials, then gradually transform that into the interior of the boat.

Having an office and working in the Cobalt plant directly with the people who are physically making the boats is really a treat. It's an incredible experience seeing the process come to life.

See more at www.phillipcoxdesign.com.

Professor Zach Rich walks into Art's Café wearing his signature look: bright aloha shirt under a black vest, accessorized with a wide smile. The SCAD alumnus (B.F.A., animation, 2014; M.F.A., animation, 2017) explains that the Kickstarter campaign for "True Tail: School of Heroes" has exceeded its funding goal within a week of its launch. The action adventure animation, a product of Skynamic Studios, founded by Rich and Allison Sribnick (B.F.A., animation, 2012), is illuminated by its motto: "Every Hero Has a Tail."

Zachary Rich:

During my freshman year at Richmond Hill High School in Georgia in 2001, SCAD sent an informational packet in the mail with a DVD featuring student animation work. It inspired me to learn more about animation, and after graduating high school in 2005, I decided to apply to SCAD and got in. I knew I wanted to study animation at SCAD!

My sophomore year at SCAD, I decided that before making my senior film, I should do a practice run. At the time I was learning Adobe Flash, character animation, special affects animation, layout design and character design, but I needed experience in directing and managing a collaborative endeavor. For my practice film, I decided to use preexisting copyrighted characters, so that I could move right into preproduction. This also provided me with a finished product that I could study from and emulate, which would give me a better overall educational experience. I emailed Hasbro and Turner Home Entertainment, and received permission to use their characters in an educational context.

I then decided to combine characters from the shows "My Little Pony" and "The Powerpuff Girls" into a 30-minute animation called "Double Rainboom." It was a lot of fun, and provided me with a wealth of experience managing people and production pipelines. We wound up gathering an international crew of 105 artists spread all over the globe! Because we put the SCAD logo at the start of it, I still get students in my classroom to this day, who say, "You're the 'Double Rainboom' guy! I came to SCAD because of that!" I'm still shocked and humbled that it's been viewed over 60 million times on YouTube.

After finishing "Double Rainboom" in March of 2013, Allison Sribnick and I formed an artists' conglomerate called Skynamic Studios. That's when "True Tail" started, an original idea we came up with from scratch. After working on it for a year, in summer 2014 we pitched "True Tail" to Nickelodeon, and while they were impressed with our work, were told the version we had wasn't developed enough. So we kept working on it! And pitched it again. Then worked on it some more, and pitched it again, and worked on it further. Finally, after spending six years developing it, we decided to bypass the pitching process and pursue crowdfunding through Kickstarter, launching a three-and-a-half-minute animation on our Kickstarter page. We initially asked for $25,000 for a 3-5 minute pilot, but we did not expect it to fund so fast!

Now we get to sit back and see just how far the funding will surpass our original expectations. For example, reaching the $45,000 tier will allow us to make an 8-11-minute pilot. We already have the script, thanks to Allison's incredible writing skills. She handles all of the writing, while I focus more on animation supervision and technical direction. We both work on art direction together, and we have an excellent business relationship.

We're excited to Kickstart our pilot episode, and sometimes you need that crowdfunding buzz to attract the attention of a brick and mortar network. Hopefully a network will option our show, allowing us to create an entire Season (or two) of "True Tail" for our fans to enjoy. Our target demographic for "True Tail" is 7-10-year olds, although we definitely still want teenagers and young adults to watch and become fans of our show as well.

Aside from one day getting "True Tail" optioned as a cartoon series, I've also wanted to be a professor in a university environment since I was in grade school. I was a graduate mentor while I was a SCAD grad student, and spent a lot of my free time running weekly workshops, assisting professors with classes, and teaching Summer Seminars for high school students.

After I received my masters, I was hired as a professor at SCAD teaching computer art (CMPA). Starting fall 2019, CMPA is transforming into DIGI, which stands for digital communication. The name change reflects our renovated curriculum.  Students will still learn Photoshop and Illustrator and other computer software, but there will be a heavier focus on discussions, and reading about digital fluency, and what it means to live in a digital world. It's incredibly exciting!

Learn more at www.skynamicstudios.com

“Why do people wear exotic animal prints,” wonders Kassidy Laxdal (B.F.A., fibers, 2019), “when they could be wearing a pattern of their own animal’s fur?”

The brain teaser is not rhetorical. “Animal Farm,” the current group exhibition at Gutstein Gallery, features Laxdal’s eight-paneled “Dog and Cat Fur Pattern.” At close range, these finely dappled weavings could be peculiar geological formations seen from deep space. Yet the patterns, created on the Jacquard loom in Pepe Hall, are close-ups based on the coats of actual animals.

“Dog and Cat Fur Pattern” reveals key aspects of Laxdal’s personality: animal-loving, technically accomplished, artistically inquisitive, clever. That “Animal Farm” features a second work by the new alumna—the impeccably beaded “Sled Dog”—demonstrates she is an artist of impressive versatility.

Kassidy Laxdal:

I’m from Zimmerman, Minnesota, population 5000. My entire life I’ve traveled through the Savannah airport, because my family also has a house in Hilton Head. When I was in 3rd grade, 8 or 9 years old, there was a SCAD pamphlet in the airport and I picked it up and said, “Mom, I want to go here.” And she said: “Make it your goal.” So I did.

I came to SCAD to study interior design, but when I signed up for my first fibers class, Surface Design: Drawing for Print and Pattern (FIBR 160), I found my calling.

I made a lot of animal-inspired products in my major. I made small backpacks for dogs, so they can carry their own weight in a relationship. When I had a concept for a person to wear a shirt with the pattern of their own’s animal fur, I started making linocuts to create fur patterns, but wasn’t achieving the amount of detail I wanted to translate animal fur into a pattern.

I took Weaving I, and then I had an internship with Alexandra Forby (B.F.A., painting, 2013), who owns Daughter Handwovens, a small business here in Savannah. From April to December 2018, I was in her studio two to three times a week helping her by making warps and setting up looms. I loved it.

Winter quarter senior year I took Complex Woven Structures: Jacquard Technology (FIBR 415) with an incredible professor named Deborah First. That’s when I learned to use the Jacquard loom. Finally, I knew I could get the level of detail I wanted. The Jacquard is computerized and uses WeavePoint, a weaving design software, so you can weave images that are hyperrealistic. I made a swatch collection of patterns of different animal furs, including a blue heeler, a calico cat, a tabby, a Bengal cat and a German shepherd. These are the pieces up now in Gutstein Gallery.

My sled dog I created in beading class with professor Sam Norgard, a world-renowned beader and embroidery artist. I planned my entire schedule my senior year around taking her class. I used bugle and baguette beads to create the contours of the sled. I also added embroidery into the piece, to capture the fur around the face of the dog. Now that I’ve graduated, having my work up in Gutstein is part of my ongoing connection to SCAD.

Fun fact! Kassidy was the makeup artist on the SCAD student film that won grand prize in the Coca-Cola Regal Films Program 2019.

See Kassidy Laxdal’s work in “Animal Farm” at Gutstein Gallery through July 14, 2019.

Great crystalline cylinders graced the ceiling. Blue and magenta spotlights danced around the room. Guests were greeted by the mesmerizing song of the guzheng on stage. The Diamond Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong was set to perfection.

At the culmination of this spectacular 40th year of SCAD, president and founder Paula Wallace ascended the stage to congratulate the 2019 graduating class. "Thank you for fulfilling the dream of SCAD and furthering SCAD's legacy," she said. "To earn this moment, you have given fully of yourself — hand, head, and heart."

Students of sequential art, animation, interior design, and more beamed back at her. Their years of study at SCAD Hong Kong, in the digital labs, darkrooms, and studios of the revitalized North Kowloon Magistracy building led to this moment. The vibrant Sham Shui Po district of the city will forever bear their mark.

As the tassels turned, friends, family, and faculty burst out in thunderous applause for the exceptional SCAD class of 2019.

SCAD Hong Kong commencement speaker Bernard Chan

Here are five salient remarks from the Hong Kong ceremony:

1. SCAD alumna and Anastasia Simone (B.F.A., advertising, 2015), who spoke with her partner, Jonathan Lee (B.F.A., advertising, 2015):
"Your professors have prepared you better than you can imagine, and those sleepless nights haven't been for nothing. You’re more than ready for what's ahead, and you have a great support network of SCAD alumni. So be confident, and believe in the knowledge and skills you've earned. You're already prepared for anything you set your heart to."

2. Valedictorian Queenie Ng (B.F.A., sequential art, 2019):
"SCAD class of 2019, we’ve grown so much since we arrived. Here today, I see the faces of my fellow SCAD students who worked with giants including Cathay Pacific, The Ritz-Carlton, Pfizer, Disney, and many others. I see SCAD students whose work is now all over TV and published in magazines, with the world already eager to see their next masterpieces. Most of all, I see students who are just as passionate in their work as I am, excited to create more, and artists who inspire me, even if they don't know it themselves."

3. Excelsus Laureate Vivien So (M.A., luxury and fashion management, 2019):
"I came to SCAD to learn about the business of fashion, but I ended up learning so much more. The most important thing I learned at SCAD is that hard work and perseverance can take you anywhere you want to go. It was such a rewarding challenge to launch my own business while simultaneously earning my Master’s degree."

4. Allen Au-Yeung, vice president of creative and product development for Disney Parks, SCAD Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters recipient:
"Stay curious and passionate. And always, give more than you take. If I have any advice for the Class of 2019, it is this: Although you are all graduating today, I encourage you to keep learning. Let today be a springboard to lifelong learning and nurturing of your creative mind."

5. Bernard Chan, incumbent convener of Hong Kong's executive council, SCAD commencement speaker and Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters recipient:
"Because you persevered, you have learned to think creatively, outside of the box. You've learned to rely on people you've just met by developing a new family of classmates and professors. I've often heard people around here saying ‘SCAD is family!’ And those things are what SCAD has given you beyond the lessons in the classroom. You may not have realized it, but those hardships you struggled through made you better, cleverer, more kind, and more open. They made you ready to face what lies ahead."

Honorary Doctorate recipient Allen Au-Yeung with graduates

Learn more about SCAD Hong Kong.

SCAD Atlanta debuted its first ever runway show the evening of Friday, May 10, presenting original designs curated from the finest SCAD School of Fashion senior and graduate student collections. The event will have its Savannah corollary this Saturday, May 18, 5 p.m., outside the Hive. Both featured events are part of the shimmering fabric of SCAD FASHION 2019.

As the most anticipated sartorial event of the year, SCAD FASHION redefines the runway. Programming the Static Showcase, Jewelry Showcase, and SCAD: In Conversation.

"SCAD's nearly 4,000 fashion graduates are now design leaders at Anthropologie, Marc Jacob, Kenneth Cole, Kate Spade, Abercrombie, Chanel, Lily Pulitzer, and just about every other major brand,” said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. “SCAD grads also create new brands like Argent and AUDRA, and I'm just in the A's! Now Atlanta's fashionistas can say they experienced all this luminosity for themselves at SCAD Atlanta's first-ever runway show."

Each year, graduating SCAD School of Fashion students in Atlanta, Hong Kong and Savannah are given the opportunity to have their work expertly critiqued by fashion industry leaders, and the university's Style Lab mentor program connects them directly with established designers as they complete their final collections. This year's SCAD Style Lab mentors are Shirley Kurata, Los Angeles-based stylist; SCAD alumna and SCAD40 Prize winner Eleanor Turner (B.F.A., fashion, 2008), fashion designer; Mesrop Megrabyan, innovator designer at Nike; Robert Verdi, celebrity stylist, entrepreneur and television personality; and Frederic Tremblay, accomplished design professional.

SCAD honored CFDA award-winning fashion designer Cynthia Rowley in Atlanta and will honor Phillip Lim in Savannah. Rowley appeared in conversation with Kimberly Rabanal, SCAD professor of fashion marketing and management. Lim will be in conversation with journalist Michelle Lee, editor in chief of ALLURE. The SCAD Étoile honors icons of style and design, Rowley and Lim join previous SCAD Étoile honorees including Derek Lam, Jonathan Adler, Pierre Cardin, Graydon Carter, Linda Fargo, Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, Margaret Russell, and David Yurman.

SCAD School of Fashion is comprised of degree programs including accessory design, business of beauty and fragrance, fashion, fashion marketing and management, fibers, and jewelry—all disciplines working together to produce all-encompassing creations, reflecting an industry where synergy is key.

SCAD has long been a destination for luminaries across disciplines to connect with emerging talent. Famed fashion designers have attended SCAD fashion events to extend their valuable insights and provide students with real-world critiques. The university provides these visits as opportunities to celebrate remarkable work and unprecedented careers. To date, SCAD has honored fashion industry titans Manolo Blahnik, Derek Lam, Reese Witherspoon, Stephen Burrows, Tom Ford, Diane von Furstenberg, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, Miuccia Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Rucci, Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Vera Wang and Vivienne Westwood.

Thank you to everyone who attend the SCAD FASHION 2019 events in Atlanta.

The schedule of events for SCAD FASHION 2019 in Savannah is:

Thurs., May 16–Fri., May 17
, SCAD Jewelry Trunk Show
Jen Library, 201 E. Broughton St.

Thurs., May 16, 5 p.m., 
SCAD Savannah Fashion Static Show Opening Reception
Gutstein Gallery, 201 E. Broughton St.

Sat., May 18, 2 p.m., 
In Conversation with Phillip Lim
SCAD Étoile honoree
SCAD Museum of Art, 601 Turner Blvd.

Sat. May 18, 5 P.M.
, SCAD Savannah Runway Show
The Hive, 207 W. Boundary St.
Tickets available at savannahboxoffice.com

Sat., May 18–Sun. May 19, 
SCAD Savannah Fashion Static Show
Gutstein Gallery, 201 E. Broughton St.

Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For gallery hours and more information, visit scad.edu/fashion-show-2019.

Follow @SCADdotedu and use #SCADFASHION to join the conversation via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

On Saturday, the 38th annual Sidewalk Arts Festival transformed Forsyth Park once again into one of the Savannah's most beloved public art festivals. A gentle breeze on a warm day was the ideal clime for witnessing the more than 800 hand-chalked sidewalk squares on display.

This year, the top specialty award is the SCAD 40th Anniversary Award, celebrating the university's 40 creative years. Competitors showcased the milestone via visual representations of SCAD history. Sidewalk Arts was but one fun facet of SCAD Family and Alumni Weekend and the SCAD40 WKND celebration.

And the winners are:

SCAD 40th Anniversary Award ($2,500)
Group Name:  "Gucci"
Winners: Joelle Benigno (B.F.A., advertising)
Noah Denten (B.F.A., sequential art)
Will Kuate (B.F.A., animation)
Jared Allen (B.F.A., animation)

Best of Show Award ($1,200)
Winner:  Chelsie Liberati (B.F.A., painting, 2015)

Graduate Student Award ($700)
Winner:  Sarah Cherry (B.F.A., illustration, 2010)

SCAD Alumni Award, First Place ($1,000)
Winner:  Elena Romero (B.F.A., production design, 2018)

SCAD Alumni Award, Second Place ($800)
Winner:  Shannon Snow (B.F.A., illustration, 2011)

SCAD Student Award (Individual), First Place: ($1,000)
Winner:  Lexi Mangieri (B.F.A., illustration)

SCAD Student Award (Individual), Second Place: ($800)
Winner:  Anne Revlett (B.F.A., illustration)

SCAD Student Award (Group), First Place: ($1,000)
Group Name: "Baby Sharks"
Winners: Niina Amanuma (B.F.A., film and television)
Da In Kim (B.F.A., jewelry)
Lekha Veeramachaneni (B.F.A., user experience design)

SCAD Student Award (Group), Second Place: ($800)
Group Name:  "Weenie Hut Jr's"
Winners: Tiffanni Blevins (M.F.A., animation)
Sarah Marlow (B.F.A., animation)
Blake Scott (B.F.A., animation)
Alex Bridges (B.F.A., animation)
Kalai Krishnan (B.F.A., animation)
Kaylee Prislac (B.F.A., animation)

High School Competition Award, First Place ($200 Ex Libris Giftcard)
Winner:  Tavien Bush, Spalding High School, Griffin, GA

High School Competition Award, Second Place ($100 Ex Libris Giftcard)
Winner:  Ethan Ray, Mount Vernon Presbyterian School, Atlanta, GA

High School Competition Award, Third Place ($50 Ex Libris Giftcard)
Winner:  Anni Budge, Westminster Schools of Augusta, Augusta, GA

See you all next year for Sidewalk Arts 2020!

Check your shelves, booklovers: You may already own some of her work. Jordan Wannemacher (B.F.A., graphic design, 2012) is the proprietor of Studio Jordan Wannemacher, a boutique book design studio based in Montclair, New Jersey. Her recent striking designs include a repackaging of "The Everyday I Ching" (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and Oprah Winfrey's new bestseller "The Path Made Clear" (Flatiron Books, 2019). A magna cum laude Bee who minored in creative writing, Wannemacher is a bibliophile with inimitable style.

Jordan Wannemacher:

When I talk to other book designers, I realize many of us have the same origin story: Did you read alone at lunch as a kid? Growing in Greer, South Carolina, I had an influential AP art history teacher, Mr. Patrick Grills at Riverside High. He was the first person to mention SCAD to me. I would listen to SCAD Radio online, fascinated by the idea of a place where alternative kids went to study art. My first time in Savannah was orientation weekend. It was a fantasy come to life.

Taking creative writing and literature classes at SCAD was fantastic. Dr. James Lough was an inspiration as a professor. When I came to him for career guidance, he recommended looking into working for a university press and gave me vital industry knowledge as I was navigating where to apply for jobs after graduation.

When I applied to work for Columbia University Press, they responded quickly: "We had a designer who attended SCAD, and we loved him." It was a direct path from SCAD to getting that job, because they'd already had a great experience employing a SCAD alumnus.

After working at Columbia, I worked at Rodale Press, a traditional progression from designer to senior designer. Shortly after, Rodale got bought by Hearst and I was laid off. Fortunately, I'd been freelancing on the side for a few years already. My clients said, "if you have more time, we have more projects." So I took the leap and started my own design studio. It's funny how something that felt scary at first has become the best thing for my career.

Designing the cover for the Margaret Drabble novel "The Dark Flood Rises" (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2016) was a dream-come-true experience. Not only is it an amazing novel by a legendary author, the book was art directed by Rodrigo Corral, one of the top book designers and creative directors practicing right now. FSG has also published so many of my favorite authors, including Denis Johnson, Joan Didion and Flannery O'Connor.

I used to say, "I haven't made it until I've designed a book for Dr. Lough." Two years ago, I designed the cover of "Short Circuits: Aphorisms, Fragments, and Literary Anomalies" (Schaffner Press, 2018). Thanks to Dr. Lough's introduction, I've now created seven book designs with Schaffner, including Sylvia Torti's novel "Cages" (Schaffner Press, 2018). "Cages" is about people in a lab studying bird song and memory, as well as a love story. The cage is not only what the birds are living in, but a symbol for the cages the characters put themselves in. The cover I designed has an intentionally controlled, lab-like look.

One of my favorite parts about book design is the production aspect. I love picking papers, lamination, foil effects or spot gloss. You become not only the cover designer but a packaging designer.

When people ask me what I do, and I tell them I design book covers they say "That's so cool!" and I can't help but say "I know!" It feels so good to create something people pay attention to, and form deep, meaningful connections with.

Visit Studio Jordan Wannemacher

Playing soccer and studying design at SCAD has proved a potent combo in the professional life of Gabrielle Garbe (B.F.A., motion media design, 2017). Today, Garbe works at the Manhattan office of Futbol Club Barcelona (FCB), perhaps the best-known soccer team in the world. Those fortunate to have seen Garbe play at SCAD witnessed her focus and ferocity. The 2016 Sun Conference All-Academic team selection is also a friendly and funny pro.

Gabbie Garbe:

My position with FC Barcelona is commercial designer with our business development team, working on partnerships and sponsorships. My responsibilities include creating pitch decks for potential clients. I'm always in contact with our designers in our offices in Barcelona and Hong Kong. My knowledge of sports marketing and the sports sponsorship world has grown so much since I've been here.

My first year at the job, I went to Barcelona for an event. Javier Mascherano was leaving after more than seven years at the club. I was in the auditorium with all the first team players and the president. Technically the players are my colleagues so I can't go up and be a fan. I'm pretty sure my smile said it all.

Last summer we signed a deal with Stanley to be the first main sponsor for our women's team, FCB Femeni. Our office led that whole partnership. I traveled to L.A. where we made the official announcement. The women's team was there, and I got to participate. It's wonderful to see our Barcelona women's team have a main sponsorship partner, and see them doing so well.

I attended Shattuck-St. Mary's boarding school in Minnesota. My high school coach knew of SCAD, and I scheduled a visit. My first day in Savannah I was like, “I love it! I have to get in to SCAD!” I went to a weeklong SCAD summer seminar, and a soccer camp, and was offered a scholarship.

SCAD has so many incredible specialized degree programs. Motion media encompasses all the things I like: design, motion, film, photography. Taking part in the SCADpro project with BMW was an important learning experience. I worked with industrial design majors and interactive design majors and it opened my mind to different opportunities where motion media can play a role. Professor John Colette was so passionate about motion media design, I knew I couldn't go wrong with my major. And I haven't, because I love my job!

I miss everything about SCAD soccer. Coach Becky Gunn is an incredibly caring coach. She comes from a competitive soccer background, and worked with us throughout training. Senior year I played center back in the back line with my two closest friends, Meghan Grable and Thorhanna Omarsdottir. The experience of being an athlete at SCAD and managing my academic workload definitely plays a role in my current job, as I strive to create work-life balance.

I must say, working for Barca has its perks. Occasionally during the summer, we'll have a mini soccer-tennis tournament in the office. And this week Barcelona play Liverpool for a place in the Champion's League final. We'll be watching at the office. I can't complain!

Prospective collegiate soccer players interested in attending a SCAD Savannah women's soccer ID clinic this Friday, May 3 can learn more about the opportunity here.

Learn more about the SCADpro innovation studio here.

Gabrielle Garbe (B.F.A., motion media design, 2017) Força Barça!