For centuries, the medieval village of Lacoste in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France has been an inspirational haven for artists. Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso all sought out its rolling hills and lavender fields.

As the European location of the premier global destination for art and design education, SCAD Lacoste is now celebrating twenty years of creativity and innovation with the unveiling of Promenade de Sculptures. The permanent installation of ten large-scale works embodies the ingenuity of ten student, alumni, and faculty artists — diverse representatives of SCAD's talented network.

Curated by President Paula Wallace and Chief Operating Officer Glenn Wallace, and organized by SCAD Museum of Art associate curator Ben Tollefson, the works pay homage to the beauty and magic of the Luberon Valley. The artists were chosen from an array of artistic backgrounds. They were inspired by personal experiences in Lacoste as SCAD students or faculty, or through alumni enrichment programs like SCAD's prestigious Alumni Atelier. SCAD's top-ranked programs in industrial design, graphic design, painting, fibers, fashion, and animation are all represented.


"The village of Lacoste is a space full of rich history and wonderful, hand-hewn structures," says SCAD sculpture professor Justin Archer. "Rest and inspiration have been a critical aspect of this village and the Luberon region as a whole, drawing in remarkable artists and thinkers for centuries."

Of his new bronze sculpture entitled En Plein Air, Archer believes it "recognizes that ephemeral beauty, found in the Luberon valley, is a necessary source of peace and restoration. The opportunity to cast this work in bronze at SCAD Studio in Atlanta, gave me the ability to contribute to SCAD's legacy in the region by inspiring local residents, SCAD students, and visitors. I'm tremendously grateful."

Archer conceptualized En Plein Air in the spirit of the Greek sculpture The Winged Victory of Samothrace (190 B.C.). He aimed for  harmony between beauty and permanence, strength and ephemerality — qualities that parallel the medieval structures of southern France. Rising seven feet tall, the bronze-cast figure gazes purposefully across the sprawling landscape. Weathering on the surface of the sculpture evinces Archer's exploration of the fragmentation of the figure and, for the artist, "serves as a reminder that, although we experience hardship, we can breathe in the hope of creation and offer that to others."

Esteemed alumna Ashley Benton (B.F.A., painting, 1990) found inspiration for her sculpture during her time as a 2019 SCAD Alumni Atelier ambassador in Lacoste. It was then that she began a new body of work: a series of small, seated figures commingling human and animal forms. Expanding the scale of those works, her new sculpture is Benton's largest work to date. Her bronze sculpture has the tantalizing title When they asked her "why?," Odile thought about it and replied, "why not?," and the lock on her heart opened.

Milan Bhullar, originally from Pune, India, is a current M.F.A. student in the SCAD furniture design program. Her new work, Transfiguration, is the expansion of an idea Bhullar developed in a class at SCAD. Transfiguration is a series of five stainless steel menhirs of varying sizes and colors that combine to foster a sense of introspection and retrospection. Viewers experience their shifting reflections in the faceted structure with the expansive landscape of Lacoste as a backdrop.

A reflection on the ancient need to seek quiet contemplation, Bradley L. Bowers' Ooma is a response to our contemporary age and a culture bombarded with distractions. The double-curved dome references historic architecture while employing cutting-edge 3D bioplastic printing technology. The intricate geometric lattice work creates a permeable threshold, juxtaposing the interiority and solace of the self with the exteriority of the surrounding sweeping views of the Luberon Valley. Bowers (M.A., furniture design, 2012; B.F.A., industrial design, 2010) continues to amaze.

Carla Contreras, Harmonie, acier et peinture automobile, 2022.

Inspired by the balance and creative energy of the Chattahoochee River ecosystems near her current home in Atlanta, Quito, Ecuador native Carla Contreras' first large-scale sculpture, Harmonie, is the result of a contemplative process driven by curiosity and fascination. With its vibrant colors and patterns, the work made from steel and automotive paint speaks to the "artist-nature-creation" phenomenon. Contreras (M.F.A. painting, 2020) connects this experience to being "attuned to a striking sunset by the river, the harmonious compositions of rock outcrops in the woods, the complexity of organisms like lichens, or the overwhelming smell of the lavender fields."

The powder-coated steel and Corten steel Tectonic Arch emerges from Kendall Glover's fascination with the arch form. Inspired by her collage practice, the work challenges viewers' assumptions of positive, negative, and dimensional space through the layering of colors and forms. As Glover (B.F.A., fibers, 2009) states: "When existing as a void, the arch may represent a passageway or portal. Stones of an archway hold each other in tension, distributing the pressure of the load. In Tectonic Arch, parts combine in a shared gesture, like alphabetic components that together form a phrase."

Andrew Herzog's background in graphic design and keen interest in language as a ubiquitous medium informs his sculptural practice. Herzog's seven-foot-tall, reflective, lenticular structure features a typeface inspired by French street signs. The title HERE/ICI reads either "here" or "ici" depending on the viewer's perspective. For Herzog, "public art should have some reflection of the space it inhabits." An homage to its location and its international audience, the work's reflective surface takes on the attributes of the landscape. Herzog (M.A., graphic design, 2013; B.F.A., graphic design, 2012) intends it as
a meditative reminder to honor the present moment, as mutable as the viewer's own experiences.

A paper airplane rendered in silicon bronze and embellished with silhouettes of the 12 zodiac signs, Melissa Richardson's sculpture Star-Crossed is imbued with universal symbolism. Its skyward orientation and the variable nature of its surfaces propose a sense of unity through our hopes and aspirations, our common connection to the stars, and our ever-changing human natures. Melissa is currently working towards her fashion degree at SCAD.

Wendy White's fabulously titled Raincloud (Neon Signs on Overcast Days) seems to achieve the impossible in aluminum and steel.  White (B.F.A., fibers, 1993) employs rain cloud as symbol to express the transience of a fleeting moment while making the intangible physical. In this work, White uses the precise shade "Curious Yellow," produced in 1971 by the Chrysler Plymouth car company, as a nod to the themes of Americana, car culture, and nostalgia that permeate the artist's larger oeuvre. White's cloud also engages pressing environmental concerns, serving, as the artist states, as "a reminder of weather's effect on human survival and nourishment as well as our ever-fragile connection to and dependence on the natural world."

Nuance in Repetition continues Justin Zielke's exploration of both realistic and abstract visual interpretations of the body to examine subjects of human experience. Zielke (M.F.A., animation, 2017) deployed  both traditional and digital approaches to create a bronze work exemplifies his fascination with the process of creation and its relation to individual identity. Through the obvious gestural marks rendered in grand scale, the larger-than-life-sized bust straddles familiarity and uncertainty.

In sum, the individual works represent something greater when experienced together in physical space. A grand unveiling on October 16, 2022 showed all the works in their permanent place. SCAD President Paula Wallace called the new Promenade de Sculptures as "a love letter to Provence writ large in the Luberon Valley. In celebration of 20 years of SCAD Lacoste, I cordially invite the public to tour our magnificent Promenade de Sculptures."

Visit SCAD Lacoste.

"How many of you here are studying sequential art?" asked Andre R. Frattino from the SCAD MOA stage. Across the theater seats, almost every student's hand went up. Frattino: "Those of you raising your hands, how many of you write and draw?" Nearly every hand stayed up.

Frattino (B.F.A., sequential art, 2009) and collaborator Kate Kasenow (M.F.A., sequential art, 2011; B.F.A., sequential art, 2008) were back at SCAD to discuss their intersecting professional journeys. The occasion was the publication of their brand-new graphic novel Tokyo Rose: Zero Hour (Tuttle Publishing, 2022).

Already reviewed enthusiastically in Forbes, the graphic novel tells the true story of Iva Toguri, a Japanese-American woman persecuted as a propagandist during World War II, and her postwar redemption. As Kasenow put it: "I'm telling her story—it's not mine."

Frattino mentioned that his grandfather was an artist who'd been a Marine at Pearl Harbor in 1941. "He would tell me about his experiences in the war, and when I watched war movies growing up as a kid, there was always this Tokyo Rose character, this disembodied woman's voice being broadcast, standing in for the Japanese in the Pacific, and I thought who is this? Is this the enemy?"

Frattino researched Toguri's story, deciding to tell it in graphic novel form. Over oysters at The Crab Shack on Tybee, he convinced Kasenow to come on board. They consulted with Asian American and Pacific Islanders regarding issues of authenticity and sensitivity. Recounting this process led to a larger discussion of the importance of collaborating.

Kasenow: "I made a lot of friends at SCAD, including Andre.  We met at one of my first classes and collaborated during school. Collaboration is immensely important, especially in comics. The relationship you have with other artists, writers, concept artists, editors—everything is collaborative. Comics is a storytelling medium, so you're not just thinking of your own perspective on things, you're constantly getting feedback from other people."

Frattino: "In some instances, when I work on a graphic novel, I'll write and illustrate it. My style is like Bruce Timm's Batman meets Archie Comics. On certain stories I might collaborate with someone whose visual style fits better. When I went to SCAD, I met Kate and saw her art and how intricate and delicate it was. I'd never seen illustration done that way. I thought, I've got to work with her!"

The pair funded Tokyo Rose: Zero Hour via Kickstarter. When the project was acquired by Tuttle Publishing, a key member of the creative team joined. "Tuttle said they could get Janice on board," Frattino said, referring to veteran letterer Janice Chiang. "Janice showed how the lettering could work with visual elements to enhance the story," Kasenow added. "We were lucky to work with her." 

Collaboration, teamwork, patience, pliability, passion: all accounted for. As Kasenow put it: "The most important thing is the respect you have for the people you're working with."

Visit the official page for Tokyo Rose: Zero Hour by Andre Frattino and Kate Kasenow.

Event presented by Director of Alumni Programs Grace Grund and career advisors Erin Berkery-Rovner and Juan Murillo Noguera.

Learn more about SCAD career and alumni success.

SCAD is proud to announce the opening of the university's state-of-the art extended reality (XR) stage for virtual productions at the recently expanded SCAD Digital Media Center in Atlanta. The debut of the XR stage, or LED volume, will take place this week during SCAD AnimationFest, the university's annual festival dedicated to exploring the latest trends in creative technology in entertainment.

Extended reality (XR) technology represents an innovative game-changer for SCAD students pursuing professions in entertainment and digital media. Extended reality technologies are groundbreaking innovations that represent filmmaking's next frontier. With the opening of the SCAD Atlanta stage, SCAD is the only university in the world with two LED volumes, following the opening of SCAD's first XR stage at Savannah Film Studios in 2021.

SCAD's LED volumes are also the largest at any academic institution in the U.S.. Students from top-ranked degree programs in the SCAD School of Animation and Motion and SCAD School of Film and Acting will be among the first in the world actively working and collaborating on LED volumes, taking their filmmaking and storytelling capabilities to new heights.

SCAD is committed to providing unparalleled resources and opportunities for students and alumni, helping empower students with an elite, industry-ready skillset upon graduation. SCAD Atlanta's trailblazing LED volume is an investment in the future and reinforces the university's contributions to Georgia's multibillion-dollar film and television industry.

"Collaboration and innovation are two of the cornerstones that make SCAD the only film school in the country offering students the opportunity to create content on two LED volumes," said SCAD School of Film and Acting dean Andra Reeve-Rabb. "Students from film and television, performing arts, production design, interactive design and game development, sound design, and visual effects have already begun collaborating in these industry-standard, cutting-edge spaces. Our students are working on professional sets all over Georgia because we train them to be working professionals in environments like these, singular only to SCAD."

Atlanta's XR stage was designed exclusively for SCAD in collaboration with Atlanta-based MEPTIK, an extended reality and virtual production studio co-founded by SCAD alum Sarah Linebaugh and Nick Rivero. At SCAD AnimationFest, Rivero will host a session discussing the evolution of this production technology and how this new frontier will impact content creation across the globe.

"SCAD is already leading the way in the future of education, and the completion of this stage is lightyears ahead of anyone else in thinking and execution," Rivero said. "SCAD is setting the standard in the future of our industry. This facility is on the leading edge of what's next. Whether film, television, or experiences, this technology, powered by disguise, is paving the way for what's ahead in our digital future."

SCAD is recognized as the preeminent global leader in art and design in higher education. In 2021, SCAD was named by The Rookies as the No. 1 university in its list of the Top 50 Creative Media and Entertainment Schools and Colleges in the World, while Animation Career Review consistently ranks SCAD as a top university for animation and visual effects. MovieMaker magazine recently named SCAD on its 2021 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada list for its outstanding production training. Most recently, the university was named Art & Object's Best Art School in the U.S. for the second consecutive year.

View virtual and in-person attendance options for SCAD AnimationFest, to experience the XR stage panel on Friday, Sept. 23.

SCAD AnimationFest returns: in person, impressive, and in Atlanta for 2022. The three-day festival will take place Sept. 22-24, featuring screenings, panel discussions, presentations, and top talent from Hulu and Netflix, as well as the debut of SCAD Atlanta's new XR stage.

"SCAD's preeminence shines at SCAD AnimationFest," said President Paula Wallace. "This signature SCAD event returns to showcase our Bees' talents, from gaming to visual effects to motion media design to animation and beyond. In true SCAD style, we will unveil our second state-of-the-art XR stage, feauturing the same equipment Disney, Universal, and other major studios employ to conjure immersive virtual worlds. SCAD AnimationFest celebrates disciplines SCAD grads are poised to lead for decades to come."

The festival will feature sessions with SCAD alumni at the forefront of the industry. SCAD AnimationFest attendees will go behind-the-scenes of major films and TV shows to explore what's next in animation, motion media design, visual effects, virtual production, and all facets of creative technology in entertainment. Select sessions will go out via livestream for global audiences and animation enthusiasts.

At this year's SCAD AnimationFest, SCADFILM is honored to recognize Kelci Parker, Hulu's Vice President of Animation, with the 2022 Award of Excellence. Parker will be presented with her award at an "In Conversation" session where she will share insights about her illustrious career, industry achievements, and accolades.

The festival will see the debut of the university's newest state-of- the-art mixed reality (XR) stage for virtual production at SCAD Atlanta's Digital Media Center. The XR stage, designed exclusively for SCAD, is an innovative production game-changer and filmmaking's next frontier. SCAD School of Animation and Motion and SCAD School of Film and Acting students will be among the first in the world actively collaborating and working with this new technology, ensuring they will be industry-ready at an elite level upon graduation.

One of the most anticipated sessions at SCAD AnimationFest is the premiere of an original short film by student animators from SCAD Animation Studios, the world's only animation studio at a university. Through SCAD AnimationFest, students concept, write, perform, and animate 2D and 3D films. This year, the festival will present a screening and behind-the-scenes look at The Pope's Dog, an exceptional 2D animated film by a team of student collaborators from SCAD's top- ranked animation, visual effects, motion media design, sound design, and interactive design and game development programs.

Animation is one of the largest and most popular of SCAD's preeminent degree programs. The SCAD animation program has been named a top program in the U.S. year after year by Animation Career Review. SCAD continues to innovate its academic curriculum and recently announced the formation of four new schools of study, including the SCAD School of Animation and Motion, bringing together the university's top-ranked animation, motion media design, and visual effects programs to create a powerhouse of academics, talent, and next-generation technology. This advancement, along with the formation of the new School of Film and Acting, School of Creative Technology, and School of Visual Communication, exemplifies SCAD's reputation as the global leader for art and design in higher education and its mission to prepare students for creative careers.

"The restructuring of our academic programs to reflect technical and creative innovation places SCAD at the vanguard of educating the next generation of artists using animation, motion media design, visual effects, and other filmmaking professions to entertain and inform," said Leigh Seaman, Senior Executive Director of SCADFILM. "SCAD AnimationFest is our annual celebration of excellence in these fields and provides our audiences the unique opportunity to engage with industry luminaries whose work transcends traditional storytelling techniques. In 2022, accomplished SCAD alumni will join artists, directors, and executives to explore the ever-broadening scope of the animation industry."

SCAD AnimationFest is presented by SCADFILM, the university's leading programmer of events for students and working professionals in animation, film and television, interactive game design, motion media design, virtual reality, and digital media arts. SCAD AnimationFest passes will be available for sale starting Thursday, Sept. 1. View the full schedule here. For more information, please visit AnimationFest 2022.

"There's a reason our planet is called Mother Earth, because it has that energy of life," Gisela Colón said to an auditorium full of eager students and sculpture enthusiasts at SCAD Museum of Art. "To me, that's the genesis of the feminine divine. When you see a little weed breaking through concrete or asphalt, that's the feminine divine that nurtures everything."
 
Colón was delivering her artist lecture on The Feminist Divine, her new SCAD MOA exhibition of luminous, large-scale sculptures. She stated that it's not often she gets personal, but at the request of associate curator Ben Tollefson (M.F.A., painting, 2014), she would discuss her work from its conception, including the impact of her upbringing in Puerto Rico. She began by addressing the title of her exhibition, noting the use of "feminist" as opposed to "feminine."

"The show is in such a special place," Colón said, referring to the museum's Pamela Elaine Poetter Gallery. "I couldn't be happier with how it turned out."

 
Colón perceives everything as interconnected. Her appreciation for energy, nature, and the abundant life our planet has to offer can be attributed to her home of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Not only is it a lush oasis brimming with native flora and fauna, Colón explained, the island is a melting pot of people and cultures.
 
Her upbringing was rich with the complexities of humanity. "My parents were just human beings, so I told myself I'm going to deal with my life in the hand I was dealt." Gisela's family had significant influence on her artistic practice in wonderfully opposing ways; her mother was a painter, encouraging and helping Gisela pursue the same pastime, while her father, a Ph.D. in chemistry, fueled her scientific curiosities. Her grandmother was a pharmacist, rare for women at the time. "In the closet, she had bottles, syringes, injections, that we would steal. We'd literally go outside and put the syringe in the banana tree and extract the juices," Colón said, garnering laughter from the crowd.
 
As Gisela pursued success—leaving Puerto Rico to become a lawyer in Los Angeles, abandoning law to become a painter—themes began emerging. "I became aware of how history is so important, and that it should inform our future as it does our present," Colón said.
 
Exploring her practice as a painter, she connected with other artists in Los Angeles, specifically those working with materials that transcended the "object in space" experience. This process of reinvention led her to look inward. "I wanted to show my point of view as a woman from Puerto Rico, drawing from nature and viewing everything with this sense of life and movement." She evolved into a three-dimensional practice, experimenting with new materials like carbon fiber.
 
She recalled looking up at the lambent sky in Puerto Rico. She evoked the juncture when her new artistic approach and use of materials had come to fruition. "I had a eureka moment when I saw the light shining back," Colón said, referencing the artist's utopian dream. The blow-molded acrylic, monolithic pod "Ultra Spheroid (Lyra)" embodies her modus operandi.
 
"The word feminist in our time needs to be broader than it has before," Colón concluded. "It's not just about uplifting every gender of humankind, but it also extends to plants, animals, the environment—the planet. Being a feminist today means advocating for the whole 'all' of energy and how it's interconnected." 

Gisela Colón, "Ultra Spheroid (Lyra)," 2022, blow-molded acrylic, 90 x 42 x 12 in. Courtesy of the artist and Gavlak Gallery.

The Feminist Divine is on view at SCAD Museum of Art through Jan. 2, 2023.

"I put glue on my feet and I dance," said Johana Moscoso during her show-opening talk at SCAD MOA. The Bogotá-born artist was referring to an important step—literally—in her process, as she preps fabric for the final addition of metallic foil. The vivid dividends of her footwork dominate her new exhibition, Entre sistemas invisibles.

Moscoso (M.F.A., sculpture, 2009) hand-stitches layers of fabric together using a traditional technique called mola. She explained that the reverse applique method originated with indigenous Latin American communities like the Kuna. Layers of cloth are sewn together, then cut away to reveal designs and symbols. "Their stitching is invisible, because that's how incredible the indigenous work is," Moscoso said, affirming the inspiration for the title of her show.

The gallery talk was a lively conversation between Moscoso and SCAD Museum of Art assistant curator Brittany Richmond. Richmond mentioned that Moscoso, a graduate of SCAD Atlanta, was visiting the university's Savannah campus for the first time, in connection with her exhibition.

A number of SCAD students and alumni inside the single-room gallery were Colombian. Seeing an old classmate across the room, Moscoso spontaneously exclaimed: "Oh my goodness, I know that guy!" She then acknowledged her sweetheart Scott Carter (B.F.A., painting, 2008). Richmond, laughing: "A lot of SCAD love happening here."

Returning to the work, Richmond challenged attendees: "Does anybody see sculpture or what you think of as sculpture in this room?" A couple tepid hands. "I think these works all have a sculptural presence, you can feel their physicality and the materiality in the room," the curator said.

Richmond wasn't wrong. The ceiling-hung works addressed but did not touch the walls. The laser-cut textiles featured serpentine embroidery both abstract and representative. The work told stories without dictating fixed narratives. The mandala-like complexity of "Entre camuflados" would've sent Rorschach into apoplexy.

On the floor, three video monitors showed Moscoso's adhesive hoofing in mud and glue. The artist explained the relevance.

Johana Moscoso, "Entre sistemas invisibles," 2022, video still

"Dances are part of my practice," she said. "With my family, every time we meet it's a party. Dance becomes something normal. In Bogotá, we'd take the bus and the driver would be blasting salsa, so it's part of everyday life.

"Making this work, I was dancing to Celia Cruz. In the 1970s she was with Pacheco and all the Fania musicians in New York, playing cha-cha and mambo in all the clubs. In classic salsa, the male was the one who got the majority of the attention. The only woman among them was Celia Cruz, so the music I danced to all over my pieces with glue, and foil transfers, was Celia Cruz."

An immigrant to the United States, Moscoso has lived and worked in the U.S. for the past 14 years. She grew up during a time of unrest in Colombia, and it will be fascinating to see how her forthcoming work reflects Colombia's promising new political reality, including the recent election of President Gustavo Petro and Vice-President Francia Márquez, the first Afro-Colombian woman elected to high office.

One imagines she will continue to dance.

Experience Entre sistemas invisibles at SCAD MOA through Oct. 31, 2022.

SCAD is honored to present the exhibition Azzedine Alaïa: L'Art de la Mode at the university's SCAD FASH Lacoste museum in Provence, France. L'Art de la Mode is a chic highlight of SCAD's special summer exhibitions programming, as SCAD Lacoste celebrates its 20th anniversary as the university's global location in the Luberon Valley.

L'Art de la Mode artfully presents 20 career-defining gowns, sleek suits, and other exquisitely tailored creations from the designer's archives, exemplifying his timeless aesthetic and artistic triumphs. The exhibition showcases Alaïa's mastery of silhouette, and his status as a virtuoso of cut and proportion. His gift of constructing garments that remain unrivaled in accentuating the female form.

"Azzedine Alaïa created memorable couture and ready-to-wear for generations," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "Years ago, I was fortunate to spend a special day with Alaïa in his Paris home — he was indisputably an original, known for his everlasting kindness and inventiveness. Alaïa's brilliance shines ever so brightly in L'Art de la Mode in Lacoste. Summer in Provence just got a lot more dazzling."

Born in Tunis, Tunisia, Alaïa moved to Paris in the mid-1950s and began working for the house of Christian Dior. After cultivating a loyal clientele of women from Parisian high society, Alaïa opened his Maison Alaïa in 1979 and was instantly revered internationally for his signature body-con silhouette, and aptly named the "King of Cling."

Azzedine Alaïa photographed by Gilles Bensimon.

The one true couturier of the body, Alaïa set a feminine ideal in which the most glamorous women of his time, from Greta Garbo to Tina Turner and supermodels Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. An unceasing innovator, Alaïa perceived fashion as an art form and was involved in every step of the design process, meticulously constructing garments meant to drape and accentuate the female body to perfection.

"With this exhibition, the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa is proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of SCAD Lacoste, the global epicenter of one of the best international universities for the arts," said Fondation Azzedine Alaïa President Carla Sozzani. "I would like to thank Paula Wallace for her vision of creativity and innovation."

The exhibition features a film about the designer narrated by Naomi Campbell, a muse and famously close friend who lovingly calls Alaïa "Papa."

L'Art de la Mode is the second exhibition for the legendary couturier presented by SCAD FASH and curated in collaboration with Saillard and Fondation Azzedine Alaïa. In 2020, SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta presented Alaia-Adrian: Masters of Cut. Pairing sleek looks by Alaïa and Gilbert Adrian – Alaïa was a consummate collector of Adrian's work – that exhibition revealed the designers' intertwined legacies.

L'Art de la Mode is organized in collaboration with Olivier Saillard, director of Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, Paris. "Fondation Azzedine Alaïa is delighted to collaborate with SCAD for the second time, now in Lacoste, in an intimate format where the art of the couturier can be appreciated. Created for the public — and Alaïa enthusiasts — this exhibition flourishes for SCAD students and all those who will appreciate the art of sculpting that the couturier expressed in his fashion."

Co-curator Rafael Gomes, director of fashion exhibitions at the SCAD FASH, said: "Alaïa's mastery of design and dedication to his craft are exalted in this exhibition, which will inspire our students and visitors alike."

This summer, SCAD Lacoste students from top-ranked degree programs including fashion, art history, performing arts, and painting will have the opportunity to admire Alaïa's exquisite creations. Students will engage with Maison Alaïa representatives in master classes and lectures.

L'Art de la Mode is on view through October, 2022, SCAD Lacoste.

Azzedine Alaïa, Spring/Summer 1986, moiré acetate jersey wedding dress. Photo by Andrea & Valentina.

This week promises to be a memorable one in the storied cinematic history of the Luberon Valley, as SCAD presents the SCAD Lacoste Film Festival, July 1–4, at the university's global location in majestic Lacoste, France. The four-day festival features exclusive screenings, industry insights, a special tribute to Agnès Varda, and the presentation of the SCAD Etoile for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema to honor Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons.

"For over 20 years, SCAD has imbued the Luberon Valley with beauty, art, and les superlatifs only SCAD can conjure, and once again we bring the magic of SCAD to our home among the lavender fields," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "Provence has long inspired artistry and legendary films. From Picasso to Paglieri, from Van Gogh to Vadim, Renoir to Reisz, artists the world over have flocked to this extraordinary pastoral gem. There could be no more fitting place for SCAD, higher education's leader in film and entertainment, to continue its world-renowned series of film festivals and celebrations of artistic achievement."

The SCAD Lacoste Film Festival commences Friday, July 1, with an opening-night gala screening, followed by a starlight soirée held on the gorgeous lawn of La Maison Basse. SCAD will present Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons with the SCAD Etoile for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema.

Throughout the festival, Irons' outstanding career will be honored with a dedicated film series titled Cinéma Elégance: A Celebration of Jeremy Irons that will include screenings of Reversal of Fortune and The Man Who Knew Infinity. On the evening of Sunday, July 3, following the screening of The French Lieutenant's Woman, Irons joins Andra Reeve-Rabb, dean of the SCAD School of Entertainment Arts, in conversation for an audience of festival attendees and students.

Additional SCAD Lacoste Film Festival highlights include a tribute to revolutionary filmmaker and artist Agnès Varda with screenings of Varda's films Cléo from 5 to 7 and Faces Places. Quinn Orear, SCAD associate chair of film and television, and Brantly Watts, director of SCADFILM, will also present Une lettre d'amour: The Original Multi-Hyphenate, Agnès Varda, which will explore Varda's multifaceted and boundless career. Other notable screenings include Murder in Provence on Sunday, July 3, followed by a panel discussion with executive producer Alison Owen, actor Keala Settle, and writer Shelagh Stephenson.

Throughout the festival, the university will screen SCAD original content in the breathtaking Chemin Parc, showcasing award-winning films, documentaries, animated shorts, and television series created and produced by SCAD professionals, faculty, and students. The festival will conclude with a Fourth of July celebration on the lawn of La Maison Basse with a quintessential BBQ cookout and a screening of the classic American blockbuster Jaws.

"Celebrating the entertainment arts at our beautiful SCAD Lacoste location provides us the opportunity to enjoy the thrill audiences regularly experience at SCAD festivals and events," said Leigh Seaman, senior executive director of SCADFILM. "Notable film and television luminaries from around the globe visit SCAD throughout the year to host screenings and share their expertise and insight, and it's exciting to expand our event programming to Lacoste with the SCAD Lacoste Film Festival this year."

The SCAD Lacoste Film Festival is presented by SCADFILM, the leading program for students and working professionals in film and television, animation, gaming, virtual reality, and digital media.

For more information and tickets, visit the SCAD Lacoste Film Festival.

Get ready to celebrate the SCAD Class of 2022! Fête the university's largest graduating class, with digital and in-person events Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4. Presented online, the Presidential Conferment of Degrees begins 9 a.m. ET, Friday, June 3, for all SCAD locations, uniting graduates, students, and audiences from around the world. Following the morning's ceremony, in-person Presentations of Degrees with esteemed faculty will take place in Savannah and Atlanta through Saturday, June 4, as graduates command the stage.

"The Class of 2022 will carry SCAD in their hearts wherever they go, into every boardroom, every brand they build, and every atelier and studio they launch," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "SCAD Bees make the world more beautiful. Together, we strengthen our communities and uplift our neighbors. These talented Bees may be graduating, but they never leave SCAD. They are SCAD. And they shine our love and light in everything they create for others."

The high-energy, digital conferment of degrees ceremony will be emceed by entertainer, actor, composer, YouTube sensation, and SCAD alum Daniel Thrasher (B.F.A., performing arts, 2015).

President Wallace will confer degrees and present two honorary degrees to visionary artists David Yurman and Tricky Stewart. Yurman is a jewelry designer and sculptor with a lifelong love for design an innovation. With his wife and co-founder, Sybil, Yurman created America's foremost luxury jewelry brand, David Yurman. Stewart is a multi-Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer, and composer. In a career spanning more than three decades, Stewart's profound respect and appreciation for music has been the guiding force in more than 50 million records sold.

Acclaimed actor, writer, director, producer, and bestselling author Amy Poehler will deliver the commencement address to more than 3,200 graduates during the virtual ceremony. Poehler made her documentary directorial debut with Amazon's critically acclaimed documentary Lucy & Desi, which she executive produced through her production company Paper Kite Productions. She also executive produces Netflix's Emmy-Award winning series Russian Doll, Amazon's Harlem, NBC's Making It, which she co-hosts alongside Nick Offerman, Peacock's Baking It, and Fox's Duncanville, which she co-created and voices two characters. Her acting credits include Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live, Inside Out, and Mean Girls, among others.

Other programming includes remarks by SCAD alumni Erika Bazo (B.F.A., industrial design, 2014; B.F.A., service design, 2014) and Daniel Freyermuth (B.F.A., industrial design, 2012). The couple met at SCAD and have since led innovation and change in their respective creative careers. Bazo is a senior user experience manager at multinational financial services firm Charles Schwab. Freyermuth serves as the product strategy and development director for Flarespace,a Storyteller Overland subsidiary and adventure van parts manufacturer supporting RV manufacturers and the DIY community. Their remarks will encourage the new graduates to "live free, explore endlessly, and tell better stories."

The HoneyBees, SCAD's elite performance ensemble, will also be featured, along with a compilation video of the university's 2022 Outstanding Graduates from both the SCAD Savannah and Atlanta locations, and a special highlight reel dedicated to the Class of 2022. Outstanding graduates represent an array of the university's top- ranked degree programs including business of beauty and fragrance, interactive design and game development, industrial design, interior design, performing arts, visual effects, and user experience (UX) design.The digital event will be livestreamed via YouTube with a link to the live broadcast at scad.edu/commencement, giving at-home viewers a front-row seat to the show.

Following the morning ceremony, the Presentation of Degrees ceremonies will take place as in-person events at the Savannah Convention Center and the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Savannah graduates will participate in the ceremony designated for their school on either Friday, June 3, or Saturday, June 4. For friends and loved ones who are unable to attend in person, all Presentation of Degrees ceremonies will also be streamed live online via scad.edu/commencement.

SCAD Outstanding Graduates 2022:

ATLANTA
Valedictorian
Jabria Oliver (B.F.A., industrial design)

Salutatorian
Akebalan Etzioni (B.F.A., interactive design and game development)

Excelsus Laureate
You Li (M.F.A., interior design)

SAVANNAH
Valedictorian
Hannah Harris (B.F.A., business of beauty and fragrance)

Salutatorian
Andrew Goodridge ( B.F.A., user experience (UX) design)

Excelsus Laureate
Felipe Amaya Quintero (M.F.A., visual effects)

Congratulations SCAD Class of 2022!

Stranded on an island in the middle of a stormy ocean, you must stay warm by collecting resources and upgrading your home. The further you go, the more you come to realize that these Hinterlands are not quite as empty as they first appeared — and the fate of these lands now rests in your hands.

This dramatic gameplay prompt is the essence of Home Is Where the Hearth Is, an action-based RPG created by students as a 20-week senior capstone project. The game won Best of Show and Best 3D Game at the Entelechy awards, in addition to receiving multiple award nominations from The Rookies.

During the "making of" panel at SCAD GamingFest 2022, lead programmer Nathan Cartwright (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2021) and project lead and narrative designer James Hill (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2021) discussed their process. Cartwright and Hill were joined by interactive design and game development professor Jack Mamais and department chair SuAnne Fu.

"Having a well-written narrative was one of our highest priorities throughout development," said Cartwright. "Blending story, gameplay, and art style was critical to achieving the look and feel we wanted for the game."

"As the project grew, our skills grew too, and the quality of the game started to shift," Hill said. "Because we were using an agile workflow, we were able to look at what was working and what wasn't, which allowed us to iterate and address challenges before they became unmanageable."

To create Home Is Where the Hearth Is, Cartwright and Hill formed Hearthbound Games with fellow SCAD students Scarlet Blackwell, Amanda Wood, Dylan Porter, and Mei Li Ho. Much of the game's art was created using Unreal Engine, Maya, Substance, and ZBrush. The game's naturalistic color palette complements the core mission of the game's protagonist, a young woman named Aden who travels into the wilderness in search of a fresh start.

Cartwright: "These features, in combination with our collection and management mechanics, reinforced the foundational question posed by our narrative: What makes the place you live a home, and what is that worth to you?"

"This was a highly advanced project," added Prof. Mamais. "The students wanted not only to make a game that looked good, but a game that played great, with at least 10 hours of gameplay. It has its own unique voice, with the character of the hearth mechanic, and is distinct as an action-based RPG."

For Cartwright, one distinguishing aspect of development was attention paid to the protagonist's options. "When you're playing this game, your choices affect not only the narrative, but mechanical aspects as well. That's the true power of the game."

Department chair SuAnne Fu agreed: "The branching narrative of Home Is Where the Hearth Is means you can really explore the world, and get into it, because it's so rich in content."

"What I love is how much effort went into Hearthbound Games, and replicating a real industry environment for our work," Cartwright added. "That means that before we ever set foot outside SCAD, we had a real experience of what it's like to go down this career path."

Hill said, "We worked hard to put together something that could actually be played, and we were all so excited to do it."

Read more about the dedicated GamingFest panel in this superb article by Andrea Rosado (B.F.A., animation).