Welcome to the greatest chalk show on earth!

This Saturday, April 29, exuberant and art-hearted attendees will flow through bucolic Forsyth Park for the annual SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival, basking in civic comingling, enjoying food and music, and witnessing scintillating chalk art evolve in real time.

The 2017 Sidewalk Arts Festival is the 36th iteration of one of the university's most beloved annual events. So beloved, SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace dedicated a chapter "Sidewalks" in her memoir "The Bee and the Acorn" (Assouline Publishing 2016) to the role Sidewalk Arts has played in the evolution of SCAD.

"None of us could have known that the SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival would go on to become the single largest annual outdoor arts event in Savannah, drawing fifty thousand guests. I'd conceived of it as a one-time event, an experiment, an early sketch to see if anything was there, as fleeting as chalk art, as unlikely as our new college."

Long since relocated from its original location around Madison Square to Forsyth Park, Sidewalk Arts has seen its number of participants increase accordingly. This year, upwards of 900 SCAD students and alumni as well as high school guest artists will create colorful chalk masterpieces and compete for coveted prizes.

The artists represent a wide range of the carefully curated degree programs offered by SCAD, embodying distinct styles, backgrounds, interests, cultures and disciplines, all part of a continuum dating back to the first Sidewalk Arts Festival in 1981. As President Wallace wrote in "The Bee and the Acorn":

"I didn't know it at the time, but a metaphor lived inside this new festival, a seed that would grow up through the garden of our little college and would touch every degree program, where the very rigor of the constraints compelled students to think in new ways. The students had limited space, about three feet by three feet, and an unforgiving surface with an unorthodox and volatile medium, and they had limited time, no more than four or five hours, to make their work."

Those guidelines remain largely unchanged. This year, chalk distribution happens at 10 a.m. and drawing commences an hour later. Prizewinners will be announced and prizes awarded at 4 p.m. As you stroll through the open air art gallery, be on the lookout for Kurdice "DJ PhiveStar" Neal (M.F.A., sound design, 2015) rocking the wheels of steel, a processional of puppets created by Sam Lasseter (B.F.A., sculpture, 2015), and the ensnaring syncopations of SCAD Drumline.

See you Saturday in Forsyth Park!

The lush retail foliage of shopSCAD flowers anew this spring with bow ties from Buck and Doe, created by SCAD alumna Jessica Pope (B.F.A., textiles, printmaking minor, 2005) and her husband Trae. The bow ties—including a bee-themed collection—are handmade in Savannah.

SCAD: How do you design a collection?

JESSICA POPE: I’m interested in vintage textiles and giving new life to the items we collect by repurposing them into wearable items. I like to share the things that I’ve collected with other people who might appreciate them in a different way.

In addition to our seasonal collections, we have an everyday collection that’s bright. We wanted things that were not patterned like traditional bow ties. We like to pick quirky fabrics, not the more mainstream styles you might be seeing at the moment.

I like to look at old pictures, especially from the ‘50s and ‘60s, and their crazy colors and bold patterns. I like that vintage attitude. You can pull it off if you believe in it, and believe in yourself wearing it. There’s a confidence to putting yourself out there with a look that’s funky.

SCAD: Many of your bow ties have travel-themed names and designs.

JESSICA POPE: I love the idea of getting away somewhere and losing yourself in what that place feels like. I think our ties can speak to you and take you to a different place, or cause someone to engage with you. People love to talk about where they’ve been. Having a relationship with something that connects with your own personal story really changes the life of the object.

SCAD: What do you suggest to someone looking for their first bow tie?

POPE: The most important thing in curating your look is finding what really speaks to your lifestyle, or something you want to talk to other people about. The themes of our bow ties lend themselves to conversation. To build your confidence starting out, pick one you could see as a topic of conversation. Bow ties are great conversation starters.

SCAD: What’s the difference between diamond point and butterfly?

POPE: The butterfly bow tie makes a shape similar to butterfly wings, with blunt ends, while the diamond point ends, when tied, make a diamond shape on either side of the knot. It has a more modern, everyday look. The butterfly can be a little bit Southern stuffy, while the diamond point’s a bit more city cool. I have a newfound love for the diamond point. My husband is a diamond point convert, too.

SCAD: What led you to this career?

POPE: I first came to SCAD as a Rising Star interested in graphic design, but after I took Intro to Printmaking and Textiles, I switched my major. I was so happy to create tactile art, to make something new every single day and bring it to class for critique. I was making journals from scratch and greeting cards printed with a small letterpress and selling them at shopSCAD my junior year. My experiences with shopSCAD have been instrumental in shaping what I make and refine. As a student—and now an alumna—SCAD has taken me on an incredible journey.

Raquel Serebrenik Sultan (M.A., business design and arts leadership; B.F.A., art history, 2015) is co-curator of "Chroma," an exhibition by Carlos Cruz-Diez at the SCAD Museum of Art through August 20. Collaborating with head curator Storm Janse van Rensburg, Articruz and the Cruz-Diez Art Foundation, Serebrenik Sultan has assembled a remarkable display of the 93-year old Venezuelan painter and color-theorist's recent work. Serebrenik Sultan, currently program manager at the Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (MAMBO),  returned to Savannah for the exhibition opening and special presentation by President Wallace to Cruz-Diez of the deFINE ART honoree award.

RAQUEL SEREBRENIK SULTAN: I studied at an arts high school in Bogotá. One day my teacher put a newspaper on the table with a huge picture of the maestro Carlos Cruz-Diez and said, "His show is coming to La Cometa gallery!" I went and saw this chromatic environment with lights. I started moving the little pieces around. And you can't just move around things at an exhibition! I was kicked out of the gallery. I was 13 years old.

The next day my parents called me and said, "We're so excited! We met this artist and you have to meet him." I flew to Panama where he has one of his ateliers and it was full of artists and designers creating on a constant basis.

When selecting a university to attend, I visited Savannah and the activity and energy at SCAD reminded me of the maestro's atelier. I knew it was the place for me!

When I started my thesis at SCAD, I decided to make it about Carlos Cruz-Diez. I got in contact with his family to request an interview with the maestro. While we were on Skype he was showing me what he was painting in Illustrator. I said, "Maestro, you need to come meet SCAD." He said, "I would love to."

The maestro is not a fan of art schools in general because he thinks they teach in a traditional way. Everyone needs to know the basics, but everyone needs to innovate — that's what the maestro thinks. In fact, SCAD's mentality and his mentality are very similar. At SCAD you can be an architect or a designer and be interested in other disciplines.

The curatorial process for "Chroma" started with wanting it to be bigger than an exhibition in a gallery. Storm said, "Why don't we do a container?" Which is a perfect connection to Savannah as a port city, and also to Panama. So we have a shipping container in the SCAD MOA courtyard with three works: two on the outside of the container, one on the inside.

A lot of Venezuelan SCAD students took the initiative to help paint the sidewalks outside the museum. The maestro means a lot to them. He means hope, he means color, he means a part of Venezuela that the rest of the world doesn't know.

What the maestro really wants to do is affect how people see art and design. Art is about invention, being curious. Age doesn't matter, it's about the ability to adapt.

The maestro always tells me, "I don't trust people who do not laugh or smile." Every time we meet we're always laughing. It's not jokes, it's just being happy. And if you're not happy, move on to something else.

Sporting pink MOME Love lanyards along with their business-casual best, SCAD motion media design students flocked to the SCAD Museum of Art, March 3 and 4, to make connections, present work and establish contacts during CoMotion, one of their most anticipated annual events.

Now in its eighth year, CoMotion features panels, portfolio reviews, networking receptions and a student work showcase. CoMotion is run by MOME Love, SCAD's motion media professional organization. This year's event attracted industry heavy hitters including Gentleman Scholar, The Mill and loyalkaspar, whose chief creative officer Beat Baudenbacher delivered the keynote address.

Offering the world's first specialized program in motion media design, SCAD presents undergraduate and graduate curricula that prepares students for top-level professional success. As SCAD chair of motion media Kelly Carlton explained: "These companies are here to see the wealth of work being done. At CoMotion, they see not only the work but how well the event is organized by students."

CoMotion showcases both the initiatives and talents of the students in a wide-ranging major. For the uninitiated, MOME Love co-president and current M.A. candidate Jamie Gray (B.F.A., motion media design, 2016), offered a description of the discipline.

"Motion media design is the combination of graphic design, film and television and animation," Gray said. "It's one giant major that showcases it all. We can be 2D animators but also UX designers. We know how to work a camera but can also do film editing and cinematography. Motion media encompasses diverse skills that are all shared by our love of design."

Friday's student showcase packed the SCAD MOA theater with cheering students as professional designers evaluated their motion media design projects. Work on display included moving infographics on public health issues such as plastic bag overuse, and typographic representations of the poetry of spoken word star Shane Koyzcan. 

Connections made at CoMotion often lead to internships and jobs. Gray secured her internship last year at (n+1) design studio in Jacksonville after showing her work to company representatives at CoMotion. Alumnus Duarte Elvas (M.F.A., motion media design, 2014; B.F.A., film and television, 2003), now a designer at Sarofsky in Chicago, has experienced the event from both sides.

"As a student, it was an amazing experience to have, connecting with these companies," Elvas said. "From a company standpoint, it's refreshing to see emerging talent and to get facetime with them. Everyone is so well-prepared. We keep coming back to SCAD."

CoMotion 2017 was livestreamed for the SCAD eLearning, Atlanta and Hong Kong locations.

If you watched this year's Academy Awards, you were witness to an unforgettable spectacle. This refers, not to the broadcast's improbable finale, but to what preceded it: the incredible, unmistakable presence of the creative contributions of SCAD alumni across a stunning spectrum of the nominated films.

As SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace enthused: "Over fifty astonishing SCAD alumni brought magic to the Academy Awards this year. What a WOW night! SCAD magic lit up the silver screen across so many categories, from ‘Zootopia' to ‘The Jungle Book' to the top prize for ‘Moonlight.' Oscar and Art the Bee, a match made in film heaven!"

At this year's 89th Academy Awards, SCAD alumni were nominated for their work on "Deepwater Horizon," "Doctor Strange," "Hidden Figures," "The Jungle Book," "Kubo and the Two Strings," "Moana," "Moonlight," "Passengers," "Piper," "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," and "Zootopia." Eleven of these alumni contributed their talents to more than one of these films. The diversity of these offerings is a testament to the exceptional preparation for professional careers these alumni received while students at SCAD, as implicitly acknowledged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Academy is made up of approximately 7,000 filmmakers and film professionals, divided into 17 specific branches. These are the Academy members who vote for the Oscars, championing professionals from every facet of the business.

Recognized across 10 different categories, SCAD alumni contributed to nominees for best picture, animated feature film, cinematography, costume design, directing, film editing, production design, sound editing, visual effects, and last but not least, adapted screenplay. (As host Jimmy Kimmel put it: "Just because a screenplay is adapted, doesn't mean we love it any less.")

Congratulations to the following SCAD alumni, whose work has been seen and loved by millions of moviegoers, and rightly celebrated by their peers, the Academy, and the entire SCAD family.

Sean Amlaner (M.F.A., visual effects, 2007), "Zootopia"
Lynn (Ryan) Bowdan (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009), "Rogue One"
Marc Casey (B.F.A., film and television, 2009), "Hidden Figures"
Ryan Coster (B.F.A., animation, 2011), "Doctor Strange"
Melissa Donnan (B.F.A., animation, 2009), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Lauren Driskill (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management, 2011), "Hidden Figures"
Jesse Erikson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Rich Fallat (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005), "Moana"
Shaun Galinak (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009), "Piper"
Chris Gallagher (M.F.A., computer art, 2004), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Minor Gaytan (B.F.A., animation, 2007), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Kevin George (M.A., visual effects, 2010), "Rogue One"
Logan Gloor (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Jesse Hildreth (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008), "Rogue One"; "The Jungle Book"
Justin Jones (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006), "Passengers"
Jessica Junkins (M.F.A., fibers, 2012), "Kubo and the Two Strings"
Anthony Kramer (B.F.A., computer art, 2004), "Rogue One"
Adam Lawthers (B.F.A., computer art, 2005), "Kubo and the Two Strings"
Nicolas Leu (M.A., visual effects, 2015), "Doctor Strange"
Colin Levy (B.F.A., film and television, 2011), "Piper"
Chloe Lipp (B.F.A., film and television, 2008), "Hidden Figures"
Gian Ignacio Lombardi (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014), "Doctor Strange"
Dan MacKenzie (B.F.A., animation, 2011), "Kubo and the Two Strings"
Derek Nelson (M.F.A., visual effects, 2009); "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Johnathan Nixon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007), "The Jungle Book"
Sean Palmer (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Zach Parrish (B.F.A., animation, 2007), "Zootopia"
Alixandra Petrovich (B.F.A., video/film, 2003), "Deepwater Horizons"
Brittany Piacente (B.F.A., animation, 2012), "Rogue One"; "Doctor Strange"
Blair Pierpont (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Alexandra Poston (B.F.A., animation, 2012), "Zootopia"
Zachary Prengler (B.F.A., film and television), "Deepwater Horizons"
Wajid Raza (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008), "Doctor Strange"
Brett Reyenger (B.F.A., visual effects), "Deepwater Horizons"
Austin Richards (B.A., furniture design), "Kubo and the Two Strings"
Mikey Rogers (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010), "Doctor Strange"
Aleksander Rost (B.F.A., film and television, 2010), "Moonlight"
Tyler Saunders (B.F.A., film and television, 2008), "Kubo and the Two Strings"
Eric Schultz (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014), "Kubo and the Two Strings"
Rattanin Sirinaruemarn (M.A., visual effects, 2013), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Mitchell Snary (B.F.A., computer graphics, 1999), "Moana"
Alexander Snow (B.F.A., animation, 2009), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Ka Yaw Tan (B.F.A., computer art), "Moana"; "Zootopia"
Eunice Taylor (B.F.A., animation, 2014), "The Jungle Book"
Jim Van Allen (M.F.A., visual effects, 2006), "Rogue One"
Aaron Wilson (B.F.A., computer art, 2003), "Rogue One"
Chris A. Wilson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009), "Deepwater Horizons"

The above list was compiled from information submitted to Career and Alumni Success and information culled from LinkedIn. If you are aware of a name missing from this list, please email information (Name, Degree, Year, Film, Role) to [email protected].

For SCAD men’s lacrosse coach Michael Cummings (M.F.A. illustration, 2001), art and athletics are inextricably linked. Prior to becoming the university's first full-time lacrosse coach in 2005, Cummings taught foundation studies and illustration at SCAD for four years. In fall 2016, Cummings began teaching at SCAD again for the first time in over a decade.

COACH MICHAEL CUMMINGS: When people find out that we have elite athletics teams at SCAD, they're often surprised. The question seems to be: Can artists be athletes? There's a corollary to that, of course: Can an art professor be a sports coach?

Right after getting my M.F.A. in illustration from SCAD in 2001, I started teaching in our foundations department. Going into my third year, Frances Wong, vice president for student affairs, got up at the fall faculty meeting and said, "There are a handful of young men who want to get a lacrosse program going." I'd played lacrosse in high school, so I expressed interest in coaching. We had our first meeting in October '03, and SCAD lacrosse started as a club team.

Our first game ever, we took a SCAD bus to Atlanta and got shut out by Georgia Tech. The next day we played UGA in Athens, and a guy named Weston Auburn (B.F.A., film and television, 2007) scored the first goal in SCAD lacrosse history – that's Wes' claim to fame. Although we fielded a team of 16 players in our inaugural season in the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference, the foundation of SCAD LAX was made up of nine consistent guys who committed to the program. I call them "The Originals."

Our first season in the SELC was 2005. At that point SCAD hired me to coach full-time. When we won the SELC conference championship in 2011, I shot a text to "The Originals" letting each of them know, even if you never rode the big charter bus, or never saw a championship, you helped us get here.

One of "The Originals," Joe Madron (B.F.A., industrial and product design, 2006) became SCAD's first ever 1st Team All-Conference (SELC) player. Nowadays Joe is still locking it down – as a packaging engineer at The Master Lock Company. It's really gratifying to see our lacrosse alumni excel in their chosen professions. Joe's just one example. Our guys aspire to excellence.

In fall 2016, I stopped by the Small Works show at Gutstein Gallery. One of our senior lacrosse captains Logan Phillips had a photo in the show and I wanted to check it out. I ran into Anthony Fisher, dean of communication arts, and mentioned that I'd done my Masters at SCAD in illustration. Shortly before Fall classes started I got the call: "We have a class you might be interested in teaching." Now I'm back teaching Materials and Techniques, a class I'd enjoyed as a student and had taught previously as well.

Materials and Techniques is as much about experimenting with materials as it is about the final composition. I tell the class: "Be smarter than the materials you're working with." Some students want to be shown a previously completed work. Some of our lacrosse guys are like that too: "Can I see this play drawn out?" We'll diagram it for them on a dry erase board, then have them try it out. Rather than fully script every play, we emphasize collective improvisation: "Experiment and figure out what works."

I know how demanding it is to be an art and design student. The workload requires a lot of hands-on time. Our team does most of our traveling on the weekends, and our guys find a way to keep the work going by bringing it along. Everyone has his portfolio or sketchpad with him.

It wouldn't be as much fun to recruit at any other university. It's exciting for a kid to visit the SCAD athletics complex and see the investment SCAD is making in the playing surface and pavilion. When recruits walk through the classroom buildings and see what SCAD students are creating and the equipment and technology available, the icing on the cake is that they can play lacrosse here.

I had a recruit down from Virginia recently and introduced him to the guys to the team. They talked lacrosse, but pretty soon the conversation turned to what kind of camera they prefer or their favorite medium. With 25 artist-athletes on the team, there are always unique stories.

Our athletes are incredibly talented artists who create innovative work. The whole duality is really cool. I love that we're renaissance men.

SCAD men's lacrosse began their 2017 season with consecutive away-game wins against Montreat College, Robert Morris University and Point University. They take their 3-0 record into their home opener, Sunday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. against SUNY Delhi at the SCAD Athletics Complex in Hardeeville, SC.

Sunny Blount (M.Arch., 2016) is an LEED accredited professional and architectural intern at BLUR Workshop, an Atlanta design firm specializing in hospitality environments under the maxim "Design without boundaries." On Friday, Feb. 17, Blount will represent BLUR at SCAD Career Fair 2017, where more than 150 employers will recruit top SCAD talent for internships, freelance opportunities and jobs. Here, she discusses how her SCAD experience influences her work and offers tips for Bees heading to the fair. Be sure to say hi to Sunny while you're there!

SCAD: Did you attend SCAD Career Fair when you were a SCAD student?

SUNNY BLOUNT: I did! I went during my first year of graduate school. I was unable to attend the career fair my second year at SCAD, but heard about BLUR through students who did attend. After researching the firm's work, I contacted them via email with my resume and portfolio and they requested an in-person interview in Atlanta. The job offer followed a few weeks later.

SCAD: As a project lead, you know first-hand the importance of collaboration.

BLOUNT: Cross-disciplinary collaboration was my favorite part of my SCAD experience! Collaboration does not end with graduation. It continues to be an everyday part of the work environment. The BLUR office is a collaborative and supportive workplace with an energetic atmosphere. Our design teams vary per project, and I have especially enjoyed the opportunity to work on a variety of project types at different stages of design.

SCAD: While at SCAD, you were very active in organizing and taking part in volunteer work. Now that you're involved in the recruitment and hiring process, do you look for interns and prospective employees with volunteerism in their DNA?

BLOUNT: I think what is appealing about a candidate who volunteers is that it shows willingness to work with others towards a common goal. Whether that means community service or volunteering time with school organizations, sports teams or design competitions. Being a team player is an important part of working in a design field and having experience working with people is a big plus.

SCAD: Any tips for students coming to Career Fair on Friday?

BLOUNT: While job interviews are nerve-wracking, they do get easier the more you do. One of the most beneficial parts of SCAD Career Fair is gaining experience speaking with potential employers and talking about your projects and your design philosophy. Do not be let down if you don't hear back from everyone you spoke to, try to think of each employer you speak to as a chance to improve interview skills.

(Sunny Blount photo: Raftermen)

It was a journey through time for the ages.

On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Savannah community congregated at four SCAD locations for "Savannah Songs," a musical celebration of Georgia Day presented in a uniquely SCAD way.

Through precision decorations, original musical compositions and crisp costuming, Gryphon, Art's Café, Morris Hall and Poetter Hall were transformed into distinct representations of varying eras in Savannah's history. There was singing, swinging, dancing and even some romancing (albeit with chaperones on hand), as the sold-out "Savannah Songs" spanned 125 years of Georgia history from Morris Hall's preparations for Civil War to Day-Glo leggings at Art's.

Bees of all stripes made period-appropriate appearances at the various venues. Kiandra Richardson (B.F.A., performing arts, 2013), delivered a rousing rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" at Art's, where George Lovett (B.F.A., performing arts, 2011) delivered his take Bill Withers' classic "Lean on Me," a hit when covered by Club Nouveau in 1986.

An appearance by Savannah's favorite songwriting son Johnny Mercer – as played by Drew Gripe (M.F.A., performing arts) – enlivened a 1920s high tea at Gryphon. At Poetter Hall, Christian Magby (B.F.A., performing arts, 2016) emceed a 1940s style USO dance, where performing arts students took terpsichorean turns across the dancefloor to the hits of the Andrews Sisters, delivered with zest by Frankie Alicandri (B.F.A., performing arts), Courtney Fortner (B.F.A., performing arts) and Natalie Rieger (B.F.A., performing arts).

The glory of "Savannah Songs" is glimpsed in these images. Enjoy, and see you next Georgia Day!

The superlative screenings at the 2017 SCAD aTVfest included two SCAD Student Showcases featuring short form work from the university's television producing and film and television programs. A broad range of themes were explored, from workplace tedium in "4 Corners" by Austin Taylor (B.F.A., film and television) to narcolepsy and creative block in "Despierta" from graduate student Angelica Perez-Castro (M.F.A., film and television).

Student filmmakers Braeden Orr (M.A., film and television) and Robyn Hicks (M.F.A., film and television) conducted an illuminating discussion following the first screening. Orr revealed that the inspiration for his film “Crypts & Cretins” came from a recent visit to Dragon Con and an inability to get a game of Dungeons & Dragons organized. Hicks explained that her spec commercial "Road Not Taken," based on the Robert Frost poem, was both a school project and a submission for Visa's #NotATourist campaign. The process and feedback from marketing professionals were deemed invaluable. Both Orr and Hicks praised the collaborative efforts of SCAD students and the greater Atlanta film community.

The second showcase session, boasting the talents of animation, motion media and visual effects, was no less impressive. A steady stream of demo reels, bumpers and finished narratives intrigued and entertained.

The retro style stop-motion short about a future long past from Dhimanth Rao (B.F.A., motion media design), a narrative that gives a playful lesson on arrogance from Ida Hem (B.F.A., animation) and a three-dimensional animated graphic novel clip by Liah Honeycutt (B.F.A., motion media design) were just some of the stunning visuals and diverse techniques on display.

The post-screening discussion touched on motivation, careers and lessons learned. Dedicating her project to her recently passed grandmother kept Kylie Wijsmuller (B.F.A., visual effects) disciplined. Wijsmuller's focused ethic also earned her an internship at Pixar Animation Studios in 2016. Midrell Fitzgerald (B.F.A., animation) worked on "Sugar Boy," a fun and irreverent Adult Swim bumper, during a Collaborative Learning Center project. Fitzgerald stated that the greatest lesson he's learned is that hard work pays off. Recent graduate Robin O'Neill (B.F.A., visual effects) was fortunate to land a job at Turner Broadcasting — and for permission to leave the office to attend the screening!

Both student showcase sessions slotted seamlessly into the aTVfest schedule. As Bees become fluent in every facet of the filmmaking and television producing process, aTVfest continues to be a professional platform to show their work.

Filling any empty chair, floor or wall space available, the aTVfest crowd packed the SCAD Digital Media Center for the world premiere of the SCAD student-created Adult Swim network IDs. Short form animations that run throughout programming, Adult Swim IDs are different from other networks' IDs in that they don't rely on show content for reinforcing the brand and promoting various programs. Artists are given free reign to make their Adult Swim IDs true works of art. Which is exactly what SCAD students working in the SCAD Collaborative Learning Center did.

"I generally have to say to new artists several times that when we say 'whatever you want' we mean, really, you can do whatever you want. Bring us something you've been dying to work on," said Chris Hartley, vice president of on-air production at Adult Swim during the aTVfest animated panel.

Through the CLC, students and faculty partner with the world's most recognizable companies and organizations to conceptualize and create revolutionary design solutions, including advertising campaigns, user experiences and prototype plans. 

Now in its second installment, this year's Adult Swim SCAD CLC partnership brought together 17 hand-selected animation, illustration and motion media students for a 10-week project to create six unique and compelling network IDs, mentored by the Adult Swim on-air executives. 

At the start of their CLC journey, the students were asked to answer one question: "How does one market in a surprising way to today's audience, who are over-saturated with marketing?"

Creating a captive audience is like swimming upstream. Yet for more than a decade, Adult Swim has been #1 in basic cable with young adults. SCAD CLC students were privileged to learn from the inside how Adult Swim maintains and grows their avid audience.

SCAD alumnus and Adult Swim/Cartoon Network vice president and creative director on-air, Jason DeMarco (B.F.A., film/video production, 1996) and Hartley joined four talented SCAD CLC students on stage to discuss how Adult Swim has stayed at the forefront by constantly innovating and capitalizing on numerous non-traditional ways of viewing programming.

The takeaway: Adult Swim embraces viewers who play and communicate with Adult Swim and with each other, generating a more immersive fan experience.

Following the world premiere at SCAD's fifth annual aTVfest, the student's network IDs are now viewable on Adult Swim's YouTube channel and will soon air on national television. 

Links:

Toonami: Welcome Back
Blacklight Zone
Buzzkill
Chase Ventures
Demonic Toilet
A Dish Best Served Pickled