Lauren McCoy's love for vintage began at a young age. McCoy (B.F.A., fashion, 2010) spent years honing her ability to spot a garment of outstanding quality before opening her shop in Savannah. At The Future on Forsyth, McCoy's mission to offer amazing vintage at an accessible price is future perfect.

SCAD: The Future looks amazing! Tell me about your shop. 

Lauren McCoy: When I was a kid my mom always took us second-hand shopping for our clothes. This gave me experience being able to choose the best option from a wide range of garments. Certain things are timeless for a reason. The fabric, cut, and style all affect the shelf life and relevance of a piece. At SCAD, I was a fashion major and fibers minor so this perfectly complimented my interests. My SCAD senior collection was inspired by the women of Hitchcock films, where you've got a classic set of elements at play: hand-made construction and timeless silhouettes.

After graduating I worked as a buyer in Kansas City for a big-name boutique. Pretty soon I came to realize that the quality wasn't nearly what it should be. To me, the whole point of investing in quality clothing is getting a well-made garment that will last. If you take that out of the equation, then it's just fast fashion without the care and quality that contributes to longevity.

SCAD: So you took matters into your own hands?

LM: My first thought was getting into the online retail space, but it's so saturated. And a huge part of vintage shopping is being able to touch and feel the garment, its material and heft and texture. So from 2012 to 2014 I made the most thorough business plan ever. Perhaps ridiculously thorough, because I accounted for every single cent required to open and operate the shop.

SCAD: All that planning is working out: You're heading for your three-year anniversary.

LM: Yes! I've tried to make sure that I'm meeting customer's fashion and accessory needs and created detailed forecasts of shopping trends. There are seasons of high and low sales traffic in retail and we have to prepare for that. It's all about recording your own data. That might seem like common sense, but having the discipline to put everything in one place allows you to see how numbers reveal trends.

SCAD: How did your SCAD education prepare for this?

LM: As a fashion major, I learned how construction is essential to creating a quality garment. Everything about stitching, seams, pattern cutting and assembly solidified my ability to discern these details in clothing. Also, I minored in fibers because I love fabric—texture, weave and materiality are fascinating. Immersing myself in the particulars of fabric expanded my mindset and appreciation for the finer structures of a garment. It's the meat. The bones are the construction. If they're well-made that's the first critical component of quality. The second is the fabric. Well-woven, high-quality fibers combined with good bones give you a superior work.

SCAD: What's next for The Future on Forsyth?

LM: Stick to our mission and serve a unique mix of new, vintage and second-hand clothing. We have five buyers who operate across the U.S., and it's my goal to price those pieces so that customers can have something wonderful and unique. Good vintage shouldn't cost a fortune.

The Future on Forsyth 106 W Gwinnett St #1a, Savannah, GA 31401

912.235.2476

www.thefutureonforsyth.com

"The great honor of my life is sharing in these defining moments with you," announced SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace to the 2017 graduating class of SCAD Hong Kong. "I can say with absolute certainty: All of you are career ready."

Set in the heart of the Sham Shui Po district, SCAD Hong Kong offers the largest concentration of art and design degree programs in Asia's world city. A fusion of ancient heritage and high-tech resources inspires students from around the globe who study in the former North Kowloon Magistracy building, a grand courthouse revitalized by SCAD to include a library, digital labs and studios, darkrooms, a green screen studio, and sound design and editing suites.

For commencement, the Diamond Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong shone with accessible opulence as SCAD families came to celebrate their Bees’ big day. The conferment of degrees was followed by a reception in the hotel's three-level foyer.

Here are five memorable remarks from the Hong Kong edition of SCAD commencement 2017:

1. SCAD alumna Sofia Borromeo (B.F.A. fashion, 2010; M.A. luxury and fashion management, 2014):
"With your SCAD degree, anything is possible. Just think, I was once where you are now. After graduating, I now have my own fashion label, my own company, and the consummation of my vision. Keep this in mind as you go out into the professional world."

2. Valedictorian Mohini Khadaria (B.F.A. advertising, 2017):
"From all the early experience that shaped who I've become, I have found my final year to be the most gratifying of all. We have all forged connections that, though they may have been sparked by chance, grew into friendships that will last long after we walk out those doors today, from the final pages of our SCAD story in Hong Kong and into the new chapters around the globe."

3. Excelsus Laureate Kenny Xinda Li (M.A. photography, 2017):
"Each of us is skilled and knowledgeable in our chosen disciplines, and we all have wide-ranging interests and abilities — but like each of you, I'm just one person. That's why it's important to work with others who are experts in their fields. All together, we have expertise across the entire creative landscape. We form a community that is capable of everything."

4. Joyce Wang, award-winning interior designer, Joyce Wang Studio, SCAD Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters recipient:
"You represent the best in art and design education, and you take what you're taught and make the world a brighter place. What you have accomplished as students impresses me and portends tremendous achievement still to come in your professional careers. All of you make this university a special place indeed."

5. Douglas Young, CEO and founder of Goods of Desire (G.O.D.), SCAD Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters recipient:
"The present world order is in constant flux. What we think is the norm today will be replaced by something else very soon. From the way we dress to the movies we see to the food we eat and the music we listen to, all that will change for certain. It is up to us how we change it."

Every year during commencement, SCAD academic leadership presents the Outstanding Achievement Award to up to two graduating seniors or graduate students from each of the university’s eight academic schools. All students who are bestowed this honor meet—and in many cases exceed—a 3.5 grade point average and demonstrate remarkable talent and leadership qualities contributing to their success at SCAD and in their respective industries. SCAD congratulates the 2017 winners of the Outstanding Achievement Awards, and is pleased to share their impressive accomplishments.
   
School of Building Arts
Utharaa Zacharias (M.A., furniture design, 2017, Kochi, India) — While attending SCAD, Zacharias interned with Dakota Jackson, Inc. in New York City. In 2017, her "Medius Chair" was awarded the First Place Student Award for American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD) Pinnacle Awards.  Zacharias is currently working with Maria Yee Furniture in the San Francisco Bay Area.
 
Erin Ward (M.F.A., historic preservation, 2017, Clinton, New Jersey) — Ward was bestowed the 2017 Master Fine Arts Thesis Award for Exceptional Achievement at SCAD, and consequently inducted into the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts. She now works with an established architectural firm in Savannah and plans to contribute to the ongoing rebirth of Detroit, where her master's thesis was based.
 
School of Communication Arts
Alyssa Gonzalez (B.F.A., illustration, 2017, Miami, Florida) — Gonzalez's children's book was selected for the Random House Children's Book - Student Illustration Book Dummy Day, showcased at their New York offices in June 2017. Gonzalez has secured employment with Hallmark Cards this summer.
 
Trevor Poudrier (M.F.A., photography, 2016, Waltham, Massachusetts) — Through photographic art and installation, Poudrier investigates the dynamic between consciousness projection and fundamentals of photography. He is currently employing walk-in camera obscura installations to study and develop advanced consciousness projection techniques as part of his research into the ontology of photography.
 
School of Design
Alia Dadarkar (M.F.A., fibers, 2017, Mumbai, India) — Dadarkar's goal is to develop design solutions to encourage the sustainability of craft practices in India. Her thesis work focused on the need to conserve, preserve and celebrate traditional textiles and craft practices by recontextualizing them for a contemporary market.
 
Katherine Brown (B.F.A., industrial design, 2017, San Antonio, Texas) — Brown was Designer in Residence at Radley College in Oxford, England in 2016, teaching industrial design fundamentals to high school students. Her project "Cellula" won an honorable mention in the 2015 International Design Awards.
 
School of Digital Media
Christian Gallagher (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania) — As a student, Gallagher served as President of the SCAD Digital Media Club and interned at the creative media agency JTWO Films. He currently works as a visual effects Houdini artist at Moving Picture Company in Los Angeles.
 
Joash Berkeley (B.F.A., motion media design, 2017, Fyzabad, Trinidad) — Berkeley was featured as the Designer of the Week in Print Magazine in July 2016. His 2017 short film "One in Seven Billion" was a finalist in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards, and placed 2nd in the Rookies International Student Competition. He won a Student Emmy from the Television Academy Foundation’s 38th College Television Awards for the opening titles for the SCAD student-produced scripted television series, "The Buzz." Berkeley has worked at Apple, Imaginary Forces and recently joined Buck TV in Los Angeles.
 
School of Entertainment Arts
Sydney Schaefer (B.F.A., performing arts, 2017, Mequon, Wisconsin) — Schaefer was the lead casting intern in the SCAD Casting Office, the only professionally run casting office at a university. During her time at SCAD, Schaefer worked on a wide range of film and television projects including WGN's series "Underground," BBC's "Living the Dream," "Baywatch" and "The Do-Over."
 
Shasta Ford (M.F.A., film and television, 2017, Deltona, Florida) — Ford is an Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation College Television Awards EMMY winner for Best Scripted Series, "The Buzz." Her work on "The Buzz" also earned her a Regional Emmy award. The organization also recognized Ford with a Student Production Award  for short form nonfiction and long form fiction.
 
School of Fashion
Suzanne Brady (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management, 2017, Buford, Georgia) — Brady was a college program intern at Walt Disney World's Tomorrowland and is currently a sales adviser at H&M. While at SCAD, she developed a love for costuming and is pursuing a return to Walt Disney World as an entertainment costume designer.
 
Jessica Riess (M.A., luxury and fashion management, 2016, Matthews, North Carolina) — Riess holds an M.B.A. and has positioned herself for a career in luxury travel and hospitality. Her final Master of Arts project was a comprehensive strategic plan for the development and marketing of a luxury hotel for Hermès.
 
School of Fine Arts
Cortney Frasier (M.F.A., painting, 2017, Mooresville, North Carolina) — Frasier teaches elementary art within the North Carolina public school system and serves as an advocate for fine arts education within the state. She was recently awarded Teacher of the Year honors in her district. In addition to receiving the Kiah Painting Scholarship from SCAD, Frasier is working on a new body of large-scale installation work that addresses gravity.
 
School of Liberal Arts

A'ndrea Wilson (M.F.A., dramatic writing, 2017, Soperton, Georgia) — Wilson is the author of over two dozen fiction and nonfiction titles and the owner of an independent publishing company. She is currently adapting one of her novels into a made-for-television film.
 
Katherine McCarthy (B.F.A., art history, 2017, Naperville, Illinois) — McCarthy has accepted an offer of admission to the Ph.D. program at the University of Texas-Austin. Based on her achievements at SCAD, she received an academic fellowship for her doctoral coursework in Mesoamerican art history.
 
Please join SCAD in applauding these accomplished creative professionals. Go Bees!

One recent event highlight from the SCAD academic year was Atlantamation, the seventh annual showcase of work from undergraduate and graduate animation programs in Atlanta.

Bustling with excitement and curiosity, popcorn-laden SCADFILM guests filtered into SCADshow on May 18 for the public encore public screening. Atlantamation collected the best animated student shorts from 2016–17, featuring 2-D, 3-D, stop-motion and mixed media animation.

"Our students are consistently programming films in the world's top festivals, which is the next step for a lot of these pieces," explained associate chair of animation Matthew Maloney (M.F.A, animation, 2004; B.F.A, computer art, 2002). "SCAD students have gone on to screen their Atlantamation films everywhere from SXSW and Pictoplasma Conference in Berlin to the world's largest animation festival, Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France."

Featuring over 30 animated shorts, including the fruits of this year's Adult Swim SCAD Collaborative Learning Center partnership, Atlantamation is an essential preview of the future of animation. Matthew Maloney imparts his own wisdom and award-winning experience as curator of Atlantamation's final Run of Show.

"We encourage students to keep their films to under five minutes because filmmakers are more likely to be programmed into a top festival with shorter films," Maloney said. "For Atlantamation, we look for work that demonstrates value in one or more areas of animation. Perhaps the rendering that was extraordinary, or the performance was incredible. We work to identify those pieces."

At every SCAD location, animation students have access to the finest facilities and faculty to fuel their creative endeavors, while alumni excel in careers at top companies including Cartoon Network, Disney Pixar and 20th Century Fox. The following list represents this year's Atlantamation line-up. The future of animation has already begun!

"Palindrome": Scott Kalison (M.F.A. animation), Amanda Louise Davis (B.F.A. animation), Vinod Krishnan (M.F.A. animation, 2017), Tehniyat Shaikh (M.F.A. animation)
"La Farce": Yang Qin (M.F.A. animation, 2015)
"Super Love Story": Midrell Fitzgerald (B.F.A. animation, 2017)
"Smoke Break": Joseph Rivera (eLearning)
"Chop": Ida Hem (B.F.A. animation, 2016)
"Quantum Entanglement": Roberto Castillo (B.F.A. animation, 2017), Hang Li (M.F.A. animation, 2014), Shannon Fleming (B.F.A. animation, 2017), Aszia Wright (M.F.A. animation)
"Mars Two": Ryan Adkins (M.F.A. animation, 2017), Justin Crews (M.F.A. animation, 2016), Robin Deary (M.F.A. animation, 2016), Olivia Decherd (B.F.A. animation), Jasmine Lewis (B.F.A. animation, 2016)
"Etch": Lakeshia Doctor (M.F.A. animation, 2014), Hang Li (M.F.A. animation, 2014), Trevor McCarl (M.F.A. animation, B.F.A. animation, 2008), Mike Moroney (B.F.A. animation, 2017), Nicholas Pflug (M.F.A. animation), Madison Ridgdill (M.F.A. animation, 2017)
"Seashell Necklace": Leah Wilson (B.F.A. animation, 2016)
"The Gigamice": Darissa Townes (B.F.A. animation, 2016)
"Lost": Hyungsoon Joo (M.F.A. motion media design, 2017)
"Big Feet, Big Shoes": Neil Jensen (B.F.A. animation, 2017)
"Spatial Delivery": Haley Samms (B.F.A. animation)
Adult Swim Network IDs: Collaborative Learning Center, Fall 2016
"Abnie Overfork": Shannon Fleming (B.F.A. animation, 2017)
"Lil Bat": Justin Gorski (B.F.A. animation, 2016)
"Prelude": Megan Higgs (B.F.A. animation, 2016)
"Nan-Nan": Andrew Michael Hudson (B.F.A. animation)
"Windows": Mina Vali Zadeh (M.F.A. motion media design, 2015)
"Reisende: The Traveler": Kylie Wijsmuller (B.F.A. visual effects)
"Fishing on a Prayer": Mason Tubb (B.F.A animation, 2016)
"Psycowtic": Kieran Quinn (B.F.A. visual effects)
"Jeevi": Satyajit Ranaprathapan (B.F.A. animation, 2016)
"Fiyahh": Kristal Thelwell (B.F.A. animation, 2016)
"Pardon Me": Kimberly Gouge (B.F.A animation, 2017)
"Air Waves": Geoffrey Ross (M.F.A. animation, 2016)
"StarStation LATERAL": Nathaniel Hearns (B.F.A. animation, 2017)
"I Can Has Tuna": Belen Saenz de Viteri (B.F.A. animation)

"You are the living embodiment of enlightenment," beamed SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace at graduating students at SCAD commencement 2017. "Today is one of those lightbulb moments. It's positively glowing in here – what an occasion!"

The stage at the Savannah Civic Center shone with ornamental lightbulbs. Floral seed pods tucked inside screw-top bulbs were bonus gifts. SCAD families from locales as varied as Caracas, Venezuela, Evergreen, Colorado and Chester, Maryland came to celebrate their Bees buzzing forth. Growing and glowing were the orders of the day.

The ceremony built to John Malkovich's keynote address and a rousing performance by Andra Day of her anthem "Rise Up." In celebration of the great day, here are five memorable remarks from the Savannah edition of SCAD commencement 2017:

1. SCAD alumna Jaime Barker (B.F.A. fashion), co-creator Flagpole swimwear:
"SCAD prepares you to use your hard work, to take risks with confidence. Even though you're leaving the SCAD hive, there are so many ways to stay in touch. You might be invited to participate in orientation, be a juror for the senior Fashion Show, or speak at commencement! You will always be part of the SCAD family, no matter where you are in the world."

2. Valedictorian Faten AlMukhtar (B.F.A. advertising):
"At SCAD, we understand that design transcends creativity to shape society right now and far into the future. The world needs our outside-the-box thinking to spark change. Designers need to be brave and inquisitive, to ask pertinent questions. We are always thinking about, dreaming of, planning for the future that happens all around us. Remember to look inside yourselves to discover and realize your dreams. The future we all share stars with you."

3. Excelsus Laureate Wendy Eduarte (M.A. motion media design):
"Today we celebrate all our hard work: long days overflowing with research and study, long evenings devoted to creating, always pursuing excellence. That's part of the bond we share now, and it's essential. Our discipline has driven us to achieve our greatest aspirations, and it will continue to power our greatest accomplishments yet to come."

4. Mike Buzzard, Google design leader, SCAD Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters recipient:
"Looking back on my own path has helped steer the work I've done with SCAD. Less than two years ago we launched the UX Design program, and its growth has been astonishing. It's important to me that students understand how to apply their training of modern tools, concepts and processes in ways that allow them to create their own opportunities, success stories and character-building moments."

5. John Malkovich, actor, director, fashion designer and SCAD Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters and Étoile recipient:
"To have the opportunity to live a creative life, to have even the possibility of the opportunity to live a creative life, is a gift. Yes, the gift may come at a price, but there is always a price for doing what you want in this life. But the rewards far outweigh the obstacles. You'll find your way. I did, and have more or less lived to tell the tale, and I sincerely doubt I was half as clever or talented or prepared as you are today. Godspeed."

Crouched atop the pier at Tybee Island during Sand Arts Festival, Cory Imig (B.F.A., fibers, 2008) unclasped a brilliant spool of red fabric. Assistants on the beach below caught the billowing banner, anchoring it in the sand. As the tide went out over the course of the day, Imig moved along the pier, her banners forming an installation as vibrant as the seaside pageant itself.

SCAD: What's the origin of the piece?

Cory Imig: I first heard from SCAD foundation studies program coordinator Christopher Williams last November: "We've started a featured alumni artist portion of Sand Arts and we're wondering if you're interested in doing it." Woah! My first thought was how can anything compete with the horizon line and the vast scale of the beach? I've been on that beach — I participated in Sand Arts when I was a SCAD student. I thought it'd be a great opportunity to play off the existing architecture and use the pier.

I came out in March and did a site visit. At that point, Chris had sent me images of the beach. I'd cut pieces of colored paper into skinny pink rectangles and placed the shapes onto the images. You couldn't tell if the shapes were coming out of the sand or down from the pier, but it looked interesting. To get that scale, I thought about working with fabric. The challenge was: How do I make that?

SCAD: How did students get involved?

CI: When I flew in the Sunday before Sand Arts, Chris Williams had everything from my materials list ready in a classroom in Wallin Hall. Monday through Thursday, 9 to 5, a constant parade of students came through. They were mostly foundations students, but majors I thought would never be interested were really hands-on. Game designers were into it, fashion designers too. A whole bunch of 3D classes got involved. Over 200 students who came and worked on it. It ended up being more collaborative than any project I've ever done. Large groups working at the same time to make it possible. I never get that much help making things!

SCAD: Do you consider the process of unfurling the fabric as part of the artwork itself?

CI: Yes, it's definitely a performative work. It was really interesting to plan the installation, and then to be able to walk through it and sit next to it. Over the course of the day we were chasing the tide down the beach, unfurling each piece of fabric and staking them in the sand. And then we had to undo the work as the tide came back in.

SCAD: Was your piece inspired by the land art movement?

CI: As soon as I started thinking about making the work on the beach I thought of Jeanne-Claude and Christo's "Running Fence." Land art is interesting because it's all connected in terms of site specificity and scale within a landscape.

SCAD: What's the title of your Sand Arts installation?

CI: I wanted to experience it before I named it. It might've been easier to have a name from the beginning, but I didn't know what it was going to be like. I'll let you know!

Cory Imig will return to Savannah when her show opens at the Emerging Gallery at SCAD Museum of Art on August 17.

How's that for a peerless pier review? An estimated 500 SCAD students, alumni, faculty and staff transformed Tybee Island's South Beach into a salubrious seaside salon at last Friday's 2017 Sand Arts Festival. Casual members of the beach-going public were treated to marvels of collaboration and innovation. Artists competed for cash prizes. Everyone went home safe and sunny. Congratulations, Bees!

SCAD Spirit

Winner: "SCADopoly" by David Harris (B.F.A. graphic design), Haley Nichols (B.F.A. painting), Tallie DuBois (B.F.A. illustration) and Noah Osuna (B.F.A. film and television).

SCAD Landmarks

Winner: "Pepe Hall" by Sabrina Shankar (B.F.A. production design) and Ryan Hurley (B.F.A. fibers).

Alumni Choice

Winner: "Untitled" by Elise Aleman (B.F.A. painting), Joseph Gai (B.F.A. animation) and Yeeun Chung (B.F.A. fashion).

Sand Castle

Winner: "Acorn Castle" by Megan O'Loughlin (B.F.A. animation), Christina Lohe (B.F.A. animation) and Chanda Shaw (B.F.A. animation).

Runner Up: "Taj Mahal" by Palaash Chaudhary (M.A., industrial design, 2017), Eny Lee Parker (B.F.A., interior design, 2011) and Carson Parker (M.Arch., 2012; B.F.A., architecture, 2011).

Sand Relief

Winner: ”Alexander" by Laura Hernandez (B.F.A. industrial design), Cassie Suppes (B.F.A. photography), Brianna Ryan (B.F.A. interior design) and David Aguilera Padron (B.F.A. motion media design).

Runner Up: "Surfing Sammy" by Eduardo Rojas (B.F.A. animation), Moiy van Steenbergen (B.F.A. advertising), Drew Cashin (B.F.A. illustration) and Jack Geiger (B.F.A. animation).

Sand Sculpture

Winner: "Zoiberg" by Madison Ellis (B.F.A. motion media design), Samantha Greene (B.F.A. illustration), Julia Chamberlain (B.F.A. animation) and Spencer Kohl (B.F.A. painting).

Runner Up: "Bear and Beehive" by Briana Kerns (B.F.A. advertising) and Manuel Castro Sucre (B.F.A. industrial design).

Air

Winner: "Bee" by Aerial Rouse (B.F.A. graphic design), Karina Smirnova (B.F.A. graphic design) and Arianna Vallenilla (B.F.A. advertising).

Runner Up: “Untitled” by Caitlyn Brault (B.F.A. interactive design and game development), Courtney Smith (B.F.A. sequential art) and Cami Robens (B.F.A. illustration).

Sand Jam

Winner: Tejasvita Negi (B.F.A. animation)
Runner Up: Xiaowen Yang (B.F.A. animation)

Sunblock check! This Friday, May 12, Tybee Island is the place to be. Presented by the School of Foundation Studies, this year’s Sand Arts Festival will take place for the first time ever on South Beach, adjacent to the historic Tybee pier. Witness esteemed alumna Cory Imig (B.F.A., fibers, 2008) unspool a special sculpture of her own creation, while she takes part in mentoring and judging the estimated 200 entrants in this year's festival competition.

In the spirit of superb stewardship, here are five key practices to ensure Sand Arts keeps Tybee in tip-top shape:

1. LEAVE ONLY YOUR FOOTPRINTS BEHIND: Everything you bring in the morning must leave with you at the end of the day. Piling up your trash on the beach next to an already full garbage can doesn't cut it. What you carried in, carry out.
2. DON'T MESS WITH TURTLE NESTS: It's turtle nesting season. Be sensitive to the presence of the turtle nests and stay well away from them. The best way for Tybee's turtles to thrive is to be left alone.
3. NO DOGS ALLOWED: We love dogs. Just not at Sand Arts. Period.
4. STAY OFF THE DUNES: Allow beach nourishment by letting the natural grasses grow in peace. The ecosystem is not designed to support humans tromping on the dunes. 
5. HOP THE BUS: Parking on Tybee is severely limited. Hop the free shuttle bus at Turner House and Oglethorpe house instead. All students will have already received the shuttle schedule via email. Additional information including a parking map and the bus schedule is available here.

Everyone who makes it to Sand Arts is a winner. As far as official prizes go, judging begins about 2:30, and awards will be presented at 3:45. It's going to be a great day. See you there! And remember to "Keep Tybee Tidy"!

Walkers, chalkers and wide-eyed gawkers came together in Forsyth Park for the 36th iteration of Sidewalk Arts Festival, one of Savannah's finest traditions. A salubrious spring afternoon primed chalk-wielding SCAD students and alumni, as well as highly skilled high school entrants, as they all competed for cash prizes. Juiced by block-rocking beats by Kurdice "DJ PhiveStar" Neal (M.F.A., sound design, 2015), Sidewalk Arts culminated with the announcement of winners shortly after 4 p.m. Enjoy these pictorial highlights from a dazzling day.{[carousel]-[199726]}

Billie Stultz (B.F.A., art history, 2016) is executive director and head curator of the Savannah African Art Museum (SAAM), a new, non-profit institution focusing on the art and culture of West and Central Africa. Built around the extraordinary personal collection of Donald Kole, the museum provides unique educational experiences for SCAD students and the entire Savannah community.

SCAD: How did your role as museum curator begin?

BMS: Last year, Dr. Geoffrey Taylor, SCAD chair of art history, asked if anyone was interested in exploring the collection of Mr. Donald Kole, who has been collecting African art for over three decades. At SCAD, I was studying African art history intensely, and working as a docent at SCAD Museum of Art. After I graduated, working with the Kole collection wound up being a perfect fit.

My SCAD art history degree prepared me for my role, along with my museum studies minor, which includes museum education, museum curation and museum administration. At SCAD, Dr. Edwin Johnson taught an African Art class that started me on this path.

My base of academic research involves a lot of verifying information with other institutions. With African art, the academic field is comparatively sparse. But that also offers a good opportunity for study.

SCAD: What will people experience at the Savannah African Art Museum?

BMS: The museum will be a source of education and information for everybody. The concept for the museum is a reverse timeline: You enter the museum during the 21st century and are brought back to the slave trade, then even further to colonial and pre-colonial Africa. All the objects in the collection are ceremonial and spiritual. Traditionally speaking, "art for art's sake" is not a thing in Africa. Everything is made to serve a certain purpose within the community.

On display, you'll see artifacts from as far west as Guinea and as far east as Tanzania. We have a terracotta room, filled with terracotta vessels as well as wooden doors, animals, and a Benin king on a horse. Also pots from the Lobi people of Burkina Faso for storing honey.

We have a divination corner with divination tools, part of the Yoruba culture of Nigeria. A Babalawo or high priest divines on the divination tray. He would have drawn the crossroads across the center of the board and interpreted the will of Eshu Elegua, he is the Orisha of the crossroads. Any decision you make, he has a hand in.

SCAD: On that note, congratulations on the museum's official grand opening!

BMS: Thank you, it's an exciting time. We're already working with SCAD to create docent opportunities here, so that students can gain museum experience and learn the behind-the-scenes too.

The museum is located at 111 East 34th Street in Savannah. We're open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is free and complimentary tours are provided. Our aim is to provide an engaging experience and start conversations about the power, diversity and spirituality of African Art. We welcome you all to join us in experiencing the art of Africa!