SCAD Serve’s inaugural alumni ambassador Mariana Alvarez Zubillaga (B.F.A., fashion, 2018) is dedicated to supporting unhoused individuals in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia. Inspired by her hat store Honest Bob, Zubillaga is requesting individuals interested in social justice help create and distribute bucket hats to those who are experiencing housing and shelter hardships.

“I designed the hat to be sustainable and easy to make,” Zubillaga said. “The pattern is simple to follow and everyone can help.” Interested volunteers can learn more about the project, and download the free printable pattern and sewing instructions. The hats provide protection during the sunniest months of the year and add a note of individual positivity too. 

Zubillaga founded her bucket hat boutique Honest Bob in Mexico City, Mexico after what she refers to as a “happy accident”: “I had just been hired to work on an Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu film as a costume designer. It was a huge gig, and then I was sent home due to the pandemic shutdown.” Unable to work remotely on the film, Zubillaga’s focus shifted to making meaningful works of art that could be cherished by friends and family.

“I made the first bucket hat as a birthday present for my boyfriend. I posted the image to Instagram and then immediately received requests for ten more.” Today, Honest Bob is a chic fashion imprint dedicated to cultural representation, social responsibility, and environmentally sustainable production methods, the same characteristics SCAD Serve holds in high esteem.

SCAD has a long history of supporting neighbors and partners over the years and SCAD Serve is one more way that the SCAD community is giving back. The initiative empowers Bees who are engaged in creative professions across the world to create meaningful design solutions that improve the quality of life for thousands of individuals in need. Focusing on four critical areas: food, shelter, clothing, and the environment, SCAD Serve will continue to work to create positive change.

“Building community, driving positive change in society, and caring for the environment are my values and they align perfectly with SCAD,” adds Zubillaga. “I’m honored to be a part of this project.”

Sign up for the Hats for Humanity!

"Jenna Rae Tooley paints the moments that we have when we are most alive," says professor Stephen Knudsen of his standout former student, who received a grant for representational painting from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation in 2019.

To see Tooley's paintings is to grasp what Knudsen means. Her uncanny oils frequently depict children on the radiant cusp between innocence and experience, often in bucolic settings that reflect her own upbringing in Novato, California, north of San Francisco. The work displays a profound sensitivity to light, in both the mystical and physical senses.

This weekend, Tooley (B.F.A., painting, 2020) is a featured artist at the semi-annual SCAD Open Studio. The all-virtual event allows enthusiasts and collectors to peruse over 1000 works by SCAD students, alumni, and faculty, including Tooley paintings like "New Light," an intimate self-portrait, and the large-scale narrative work "Engulfed in Flames."

Jenna Rae Tooley, “Engulfed in Flames,” 2019, oil on canvas, 60 x 72 in.

When speaking of Tooley's incandescent depictions, professor Knudsen invokes another great artist from San Francisco: Jack London. "London called it the ‘sheet of flame', a place where one feels ‘so alive that there is a forgetfulness that one is alive.' When Jenna reflects on those moments in a painting like 'The Last Night of Summer,' she delivers with enigma and visceral crush. This is the language of the beautiful precariousness of remembrance."

"I have a memory book I've created," Tooley explains. "I draw little scenes in crayon. They're rudimentary, but I can get the essence of a memory down into this book. Then I can create a realist painting that's based in these memories, so it functions like an archive. Someday I'll have hundreds of these books that I can flip through to review my collected memories."

Tooley sites her studio classes with Knudsen as crucial, as well as coursework like Business and Professional Practices for Fine Arts (SFIN 413) with professor Vanessa Platacis. In combination, they helped define her forward-facing identity. "Those classes emphasized something engrained in me: document your work," Tooley says. "That means with proper lighting and a proper camera, and building an online presence that shows your evolution and your best work."

Tooley's own website presents her multi-dimensionality: The fine artist is also an accomplished production designer and director. (Step into the world of her short film Fuzzite Fighters.) "I'm so visual that if something doesn't make sense visually, it doesn't really click in my brain," she says.

This summer, Jenna will relocate from Savannah to Atlanta, the Southern capital of the filmmaking universe, to focus on her career as a production designer. Atlanta also offers significant infrastructure in the fine art world for the young painter. In the meantime, her visions come to life in her paintings, those oil-on-canvas, memory-fed sheets of flame.

SCAD Open Studio, curated by SCAD Art Sales, takes place Fri., Sat., and Sun, April 30-May 2, 2021.

Visit Jenna Rae Tooley.

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

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

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

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

Featured artists at this edition of Open Studio are:

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

  ●  Holly Mathews (professor, foundation studies) 

  ●  Tianxing Xu (B.F.A., painting) 

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Your students and alumni never cease to amaze me," Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter said to SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace as they announced the winners of the SCAD Changemakers Design Challenge.

The challenge, envisioned by President Wallace, invited recent SCAD fashion and production design graduates to create original garments inspired by Carter's iconic costume designs. The alumni garments embraced Carter's Afrofuturism aesthetic, while demonstrating the preeminent creative talent of the university's top ranked School of Fashion and School of Entertainment Arts.

"Alumni were given six weeks to concept and create garments honoring cultural leaders with global impact, and the results are as fascinating as they are fashionable," President Wallace said. "Ruth E. Carter and I had the privilege of celebrating the spectacular finalists. Congratulations to our winners, and bravo to all Bees who participated!"

The selection process began as SCAD faculty selected 10 garments from the numerous alumni submissions for inclusion in the Changemakers Design Challenge. The final garments were judged by Carter and President Wallace following Carter's appearance at the university's 15th annual SCADstyle signature event.

Winner:
Viviane Carvalho (B.F.A., fashion, 2016) designed for Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Runner Up:
Austin Nelson (B.F.A., fashion, 2017) designed for Malcolm X.

Second Runner Up:
Mariana Alvarez Zubillaga (B.F.A., fashion, 2018) for the Barlovento Tambor Dancers.

Ruth E. Carter and President Paula Wallace with Viviane Carvalho's winning garment.

SCADstyle 2021 united the design community through powerful conversations on contemporary practices and future innovations, engaging SCAD students, alumni, and audiences around the world.

Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design is on view at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film through Sept. 12, 2021.

"Sometimes design can be intimidating, stuffy, and serious," said Jungalow founder Justina Blakeney. "I'm interested in letting people know that they can have fun with design. They can tap their own roots, history, and personality as they design a space for themselves and their family."

Blakeney was speaking during "The Style Guide: Making Media Work for You," her SCADstyle 2021 conversation with Architectural Digest digital director David Kaufman, moderated by Bernardo Coronado-Guerra (M.F.A., interior design, 2011). As the final event of this year's virtual SCADstyle, the conversation was especially suited to the moment, starring a cool influencer turned creative director who has built a popular home décor brand with her fun, funky personality as a key driving force.

"I had this idea that if I could build an audience, I could do whatever I wanted," Blakeney remarked of her beginnings as a blogger. "I was seeing that happen with other celebrities and influencers, where they'd just build an audience, and then oh, I don't know, come out with a pantyhose line. I thought, I'll see if I can build a following around what I love, then I'll be able to do whatever I want too. Somewhat miraculously, it worked!"

Jungalow now enjoys a fervent social media base (1.5 million Instagram followers). Its founder is a fixture on the New York Times bestseller list (this spring Abrams will publish her newest book, Jungalow: Decorate Wild). Words matter, of course, and Kaufman was interested in the etymology of her neologism.

"The word came when I moved back to L.A, after living in New York and Italy for a decade," the Jungalow founder explained. "I was living in a place that had botanical wallpapers and tons of plants. My girlfriends visited and loved it and said, 'Yours is like a jungle bungalow.' The word felt good in my mouth. So that's what I called my blog, my brand, the whole thing."

Kaufman lauded Blakeney for her strategic partnerships, noting Jungalow's licensed collaborations with Target, Pottery Barn, and Anthropologie, and asked: "How do you ensure these business pursuits don't overtake your creativity?"

"Doing these collaborations, I learned that one my deepest passions is product design and surface pattern design," Blakeney said. "I love designing all the rugs I have with Loloi, for example, and our Peking Handicraft bedding. These products allow me to practice the things I love from a creative standpoint. I don't feel that it drains me, I feel that it fuels me. But we are very selective with the partners that we take on and don't take on too many at once. That's how I put guardrails around my bandwith."

The conversation remained fixated on creative fuel. Specifically, how Blakeney keeps her tank filled. "Nature is my number one way to stay inspired. Hikes, or even walks around the neighborhood. Number two, I'm a total magazine freak. I get them from all over the world. I had someone DM me recently and they were throwing away a dozen boxes of vintage design magazines mostly from the seventies and did I want them? Now when I'm feeling low on inspo, I dive into a box of 40-year-old magazines and get fueled up."

Kaufman had one last question for the Jungalow founder: "What's the one thing that you haven't done yet that you'd most like to design?" Blakeney didn't hesitate: "A hotel!" Kaufman announced he'd be the first one there to check in. Blakeney decided this would be wonderful, as long as he put her on the cover of Architectural Digest. Kaufman didn't say no. Perhaps this media thing is working out after all.

Thanks for everyone who attended SCADstyle 2021!

Banner image courtesy Jungalow.

SCADstyle 2021 presented a sumptuous slate of panels, talks, and conversations, enhanced by students and public attendees plying honored guests with questions and comments in a virtual format. Here are a few notable quotes from this year's event.

Amanda Lindroth, award-winning interior designer with offices in Charleston, Nassau, and Palm Beach, spoke with Justin DiPiero (B.F.A., interior design, 2013). Their conversation "Island Living for All" was a lovefest of brass tacks and sea breezes. Lindroth: "A rigid work ethic is critical in all métier. Style is style. Fashion and decorating are really not that far apart. If you find a woman with great personal style, very often her home will also be stylish. I prefer to be around other women who work. Those of us who keep jobs that are intense and have client relations and vendor relations and make payroll, we do have a different way of reacting to problems. We recognize each other, because we're carrying a lot on our shoulders."

Curt Moody, C.E.O. of architecture firm Moody Nolan, Inc., spoke with CT Nguyen, Chair of Preservation Design about "Building Better Architecture." Moody reflected on his experience as a collegiate student-athlete: "Studying architecture, I didn't have time to delay decisions on concepts like my classmates. I had to get to basketball practice. So, I came up with an approach to decide on a design scheme and move forward quicker. I didn't know at the time in that pushing myself like that was going to be a positive thing. I did it due to circumstance. Even today, I can come up with five concepts and narrow the field to the actual one faster than my competitors because they dwell on factors that I deem unnecessary."

During "The Future of Mobility: Curated Concepts for Automotive Design," automotive designer and electric car expert Tadeusz Jelec addressed the need for cities and citizens to "divorce themselves from the idea of unnecessary travel. We can be anywhere, at any time, with anyone. We must see mobility as the ability to be in a new place, and we have that technology today." Fellow automotive designer and entrepreneur Marek Simko added: "We already have the technology to remove drivers from the road and standardize safe, autonomous vehicles. Some nations will be able to be fully autonomous in ten years, others could take much longer due to laws and road conditions.

For "Clean and Green: Redefining the Beauty Industry," panelist Cashmere Nicole, founder of Beauty Bakerie, said: "I am hyper-aware of the products I use. Nothing is more important than your health, and I take that belief with me throughout every aspect of my company." Rose-Marie Swift, founder of RMS Beauty, said: "When I first began making green beauty products, I was doing it for the health of the models I worked with. Now, I do it to help everyone who wants healthier, more natural skin. We are going to make our industry better for every consumer." Joining Cashmere and Rose-Marie was fellow entrepreneur Brian Lamy (B.F.A., advertising, 2016), founder of Hello Good Lookin': "As a maker, I can help people find natural, organic ways to create happy moments, moments that heal and rejuvenate. The industry has a long way to go, but I know we can do it right."

Two leading voices in the service design field spoke during "Good for Business: Designing for Humans." Birgit Mager, president of Service Design Network, said: "Designing for humans is obsolete. We are ruining our planet by designing just for humans. We need to think about the ecology of the planet as a whole. Humans are one component of that system, but not the only component we need to design for any longer." Jamin Hegeman, VP of design, Capital One: "Companies have forgotten that customer satisfaction starts with satisfied employees. Employees are the first customers of an organization, and if you want exceptional service and customer loyalty, you need to have happy people on the front lines."

Stay tuned for more notable quotes from SCADstyle 2021!

Ranked eighteenth in the nation and currently holding an 8-2 record, the SCAD Overwatch team is poised for success in the 2021 Overwatch Collegiate Championships. "Our students are competing at the highest level and only getting better," says SCAD director of esports Ian Escalante.

The world of competitive video gaming continues to boom at the collegiate level. The Overwatch Collegiate Championships — sponsored and held by Activision, the producer of Overwatch — pit a stunning 1024 teams in its seven-week tournament last year. This year, teams participate in ten rounds of games with each match being a best-of-three. Previous rankings have no impact on match pairings. "It is extremely tough to win and there aren't small wins along the way," Escalante says. "You either win the whole thing, or you go home."

After ten games, the Bees have now officially made the single elimination playoff round. "Our team has won some big matches so far this year," Escalante says, including defeats of notable opponents University of Delaware and University of Southern California. "We are really looking good as the tournament progresses."

Escalante was named director of SCAD esports in July 2018 and has worked to establish a force to be reckoned with. "SCAD had a significant presence in the gaming community when I got here. The students who made up our first varsity teams were already playing at a highly competitive level. Currently, we award scholarships for our two varsity teams, League of Legends and Overwatch. Our athletes practice every day and I have instituted calisthenics workouts outside of normal training."

Aerobic exercise and routine practice schedules might seem superfluous for individuals whose playing field is viewed through a screen, but Escalante sees his team as athletes. "Esports are sedentary in nature. Therefore, we have put in place a regimen focused on their mental and physical health outside of the arena."

Escalante has also implemented a robust recruiting strategy to strengthen the team. "Having the right talent is essential regardless of the sport. At SCAD, we are looking for excellent players that fit our system. We want students who want to develop outside of the game, and grow as individuals."

The 2020-2021 SCAD esports recruiting class incudes highly ranked newcomers Jude Dahdough (B.F.A., interactive design and game development), Matthew Kilmartin (B.F.A., interactive design and game development), and Javier Sauce Diaz (B.F.A., industrial design). Also featured in the Overwatch starting six are Wilson McGuirt (B.F.A., interactive design and game development), Jae Teska (B.F.A., graphic design), and Avery Oliver (B.F.A., illustration). The additional players on the SCAD Overwatch roster (who Escalate deems "a big part of our success") are Riley DelVasto (B.F.A., architecture), Emily Odenwald (B.F.A., illustration), and Christina Wright (B.F.A., illustration).

While the COVID-19 shutdown prevented players from practicing together in-person, they continued to hone their skills. Escalante's admiration is unwavering: "They're all almost professional players, and this game means so much to them. They played every day, and participated in tournaments on their own. Now that we are back, they're rocking."

SCAD esports continues their tournament run this weekend. Playoffs begin April 10.

Follow the team on Twitch.