All the virtual world's a stage! Wil, a new feature project written and produced by SCAD Atlanta professor of dramatic writing Dan Rosen, will be presented via virtual reading this Friday-Tuesday, March 19-23 to benefit the Actor's Fund and the Actor's Fund Canada.

An acclaimed cast of esteemed industry luminaries have volunteered their time for the performance. The ensemble includes Eric McCormack (Will & Grace, Perception, recipient of SCAD aTVFest 2020 Impact Award), Oliver Dench (Ride, Pandora), Will Swenson (Broadway's Hair, Les Misérables, Central Park), Jonathan Scarf (Van Helsing, The Equalizer 2), Colm Feore (Thor, The Chronicles of Riddick, Chicago), Luke Humphrey, Lucy Peacock, Zuleikha Robinson, and more.

Set in 1590, Wil introduces us to 26-year-old Wil Shakespeare, a promising but floundering playwright with a wife, three children, a ballooning mortgage, and a new play that just closed on opening night at the Stratford-Upon-Avon Supper Theater. Things look bleak until Wil's trusted agent, Bernie Shylock, lands Wil his first professional gig — running the summer stock theatre program at Elsinore Castle in Denmark. Upon arriving in Denmark, ready to work out his new play Romeo & Juliet, Wil finds the royal Hamlet clan under siege by thieves and murderers looking to overthrow the kingdom. He realizes that putting on a respectable performance of the world's greatest doomed romance might be the least of his worries.

"I originally wrote Wil back in 1994 just as I moved to Hollywood," says Rosen. "Since then, I've written and directed a few films (The Last Supper, Dead Man's Curve, Freeloaders), but Wil holds a special place in my heart, and has always been my favorite script. The story is not just about a young William Shakespeare trying to break into showbusiness, but it also tells my story and all the hoops and obstacles every writer or creative person has to jump through and get around to make it in Hollywood!"

The screenplay reading will be produced by Rosen along with Academy Award winner Richard Middleton (The Artist, Hitchcock, I Love You Phillip Morris) and Kelly McCall (Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, Little Fires Everywhere). Writer and director Sara Botsford (Those Damn Canadians) will direct and co-produce, and Christopher "CB" Brown (The Strain, The Morning Show, Little Fires Everywhere) will stage manage and co-produce.

Tickets can be purchased at MuchAdoAboutWil.com for the pre-recorded Zoom performance to be shown March 19-23. All proceeds and donations from the virtual reading will be donated to The Actor's Fund and The Actor's Fund Canada to support working and performing actors whose livelihoods have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, The Actor's Fund has distributed over $18 million in emergency financial assistance to almost 15,000 professionals in performing arts and entertainment.

Author of Wil, SCAD dramatic writing professor Dan Rosen.

SCADstyle 2021, a three-day gathering of international designers, editors, architects, entrepreneurs, and influencers, strides center stage starting Tuesday, March 23. Industry experts and SCAD professors will speak with makeup mavens, Instagram influencers, Condé Nast creatives, lifestyle leaders, and in-demand Hollywood graphic designers. Style is nigh. 

"SCADstyle is back and better than ever," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "We are once again hosting luminaries from across the design world, and we expect the conversations to spark the next wave of dynamic innovation from our Bees."

This year's programming includes conversations with Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, Jungalow founder Justina Blakeney, Architectural Digest digital director David Kaufman, Beauty Bakerie's Cashmere Nicole, and LGBTQ+ actor-activists Tyler Oakley and Chella Man. SCADstyle programming is a direct reflection of the forty-plus degree programs offered at SCAD, from accessory design and architectural history to performing arts and social strategy and management.

This year's festivities begin with "Genuine Influencers: A Conversation with Tyler Oakley and Chella Man." Both individuals are prominent activists for LGBTQ+ youth and the transgender community. On Wednesday, "Fusion and Inclusion" finds celebrated creatives discuss the melding of disciplines, designing for the future, and triumphing over global challenges. Featured guests include acclaimed costume designer Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther, Selma), renowned graphic designer Annie Atkins, Vogue's Chloe Schama and Nicholas Burdekin, and fashion designer Carolina Sarria. The panels will shed light on the ever-changing entertainment industry and how young entrepreneurs can launch their own creative firms.

SCADstyle rolls on Thursday, when leaders from the worlds of beauty, architecture, and interior design share their secrets on brand building and cultivating creativity. Featured guests include Jungalow founder Justina Blakeney, award-winning architect Curt Moody, lifestyle designer Amanda Lindroth, and Beauty Bakerie's Cashmere Nicole.

Opportunities abound for aspiring creatives at SCADstyle 2021. Register for events and tune in starting next Tuesday.

Banner image: Levi Strauss & Co. historian Tracey Panek with Mobolaji Dawodu at SCADstyle 2019.

"Being in an agitated state wasn't going to allow these pieces to come into being," artist Rose B. Simpson said of the four large-scale sculptures that occupy the jewel boxes of the SCAD Museum of Art. "The water in the clay is listening to my internal molecular water, so it's going to respond and break. Or explode in the kiln. The tension is already in the work. These really heavy clay works are leaning against this glass…that's tension enough."

Simpson's frequent, sweet laughter when discussing her serious Countdown sculptures seemed particularly suitable to the moment. As she spoke with curator DJ Hellerman during this year's virtual SCAD deFINE ART, the artist was in her home studio in New Mexico's Santa Clara Pueblo, just across the Rio Grande from her tribal center ("If you yelled from the center of the pueblo, I could hear you") while the curator was in the museum in Savannah.

"I can't relate to the feeling of placelessness," Simpson said, "because I had the privilege of growing up in my ancestral homelands, spending time with my great-grandmother in the house that her great-great-great grandmother built."

Simpson credits her mother, the noted artist Roxanne Swentzell, with creating her foundation: "Ceramics was my mom's livelihood, and it fed our entire family. I didn't realize until I was in grad school that I had the privilege of coming from a family that supported itself through its artwork. That's a neural pathway I didn't have to build."

As Simpson peered through her computer screen, it made for a powerful if unintended corollary to her works at SCAD MOA, where the Countdown sculptures — enormous, armless stoic beings, adorned with glyphs — lean against the inside of the jewel boxes, in conversation with passersby.

"I see the glass as a material you work with, not a spacer between human and art," Simpson explained. "It's really a vital point of interaction."

Rose B. Simpson, “Countdown,” 2020, ceramic, metal, epoxy, cement, string, leather, and mixed media.

Courtesy of the artist and Jessica Silverman.

The Countdown sculptures were created as a commission for SCAD MOA, although Simpson has only ever visited the museum virtually. "The first time I went onto Google maps and wandered around the streets and looked at these things, the metaphor that they provide is spectacular. The shape of the brick cut out from the side of the building is a threshold. The art has to engage with sunlight, with birds, with trees, that all becomes a part of it and that's so exciting."

Metal, epoxy, cement, string, leather, and mixed media all play literally supporting roles in Simpson's Countdown, though her primary material preference is set:

"I keep choosing clay. Clay is full of molecular water. Whatever your intentions are, it listens and responds to those intentions. I keep returning to clay because we have an ancestral, familial relationship, and clay keep me honest. It has the capacity to rip open my chest cavity and reveal what's inside. If we don't have compassion for ourselves, we will self-destruct, just like clay."

Visit Rose B. Simpson.

"What is presented to you in an artwork is not the whole story," said honoree Sanford Biggers during his keynote address at SCAD deFINE ART 2021. "There is a lot of code, and a lot of layers, to what you're looking at."

A 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, Biggers was speaking not of a specific piece, but of resonant works that have informed his own practice and world view, from "Rapper's Delight" to the Venus de Milo to the quilts of Gee's Bend. He was referring too to the work in his current solo exhibition Contra/Diction at the SCAD Museum of Art's Walter O. Evans Center for African American Studies, the occasion for his deFINE presentation.

Biggers' keynote was an artwork unto itself.  He integrated aspects of his childhood in L.A., the subsequent mentorship of Spelman College's Frank Toby Martin, and the patronage and friendship of collagist Varnette Honeywood into the hour-long talk. Delivered virtually in an open-to-the-public format, his keynote specifically addressed the concerns and interests of SCAD students. Biggers' allyship was enhanced by the intimacy of the in-camera address.

"I started to consider myself an artist even before high school, maybe junior high," he said. "This was the early 80s, and I was a first-generation fan of Rap music. It was not hip-hop at that point. A cultural revolution was happening. As an early practitioner of the b-boy and b-girl arts, I found myself loving DJs, graffiti, and breakdancing. One of my earliest art experiences was sneaking out of my parents' house and painting graffiti in the train yards of Los Angeles. This was pretty influential to the way I perceive art as not something one does in a vacuum or just in a studio, per se. It has performative elements, it has collaborative elements, and it has resonance beyond the galleries and museums where we typically show. I always strive to make art that can translate between those different contexts."

Biggers discussed pieces from throughout his career, including ground-breaking works "LOTUS," "OM II," and "BLOSSOM." He addressed Shinto singing bowls, melted-down boom boxes, and how art objects need to be not merely created but "activated." He referred repeatedly to the formative experiences of his youth.

"In my high school AP class, I was assigned to paint portraits of the people around me," he said. "The final day, I showed my oil paintings of my family and friends, and the white teacher held up my work and said, ‘Why do you always paint black people? Is this something political?' I was 15. I thought it was a joke. Somehow painting my family and friends was a political statement? What we were considering normative was coming from one particular lens. Right there, I knew there was a polemic set up between my work and what my work was being perceived as. It had a profound effect."

Biggers' keynote culminated in a Q&A where he considered what students should do when they feel they have reached a limit in their art.

"Creativity presupposes output. If you've hit a wall, respect that and put it down for a while. You can overwork a muscle and at that point you're destroying the muscle, and it's time to work on other muscles. Creativity also has many different modes. It is not always output. Sometimes creativity is intake. It can mean taking time off to read, or not to think about art. I guarantee if it's in your bones, creativity will find a way out. You have to not be so hard on yourself sometimes. The creative process is an unwieldy beast — we can't control it all the time."

See Contra/Diction at SCAD MOA.

In the time it takes to sip a cup of tea, you can learn a lot from Brandon Sadler (B.F.A., illustration, 2009). Founder of the Atlanta-based studio Rising Red Lotus, and recipient of the SCAD Distinguished Alumnus Award winner in 2019, Sadler has created work for clients including Marvel Studios, Disney, Adidas, and the Atlanta BeltLine. His art is featured prominently in the film Black Panther, and he created site-specific wall paintings and digital illustrations for the exhibition Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film. 

On Wed., Feb. 24, 2 p.m., Sadler will conduct a virtual studio visit as part of SCAD deFINE ART 2021. In advance of that event, he checked in to chat.

Brandon Sadler:

My morning routine is I listen to a record on and make tea. Today is pretty cloudy outside so I'll probably put on some Chet Baker, drink a few bowls and then go to my studio. It's pretty simple, but that's how I get my day started.

What's my origin story? I was tossed in a vat of ooze and crawled out neon-colored! Actually, I attended SCAD at the very beginning of SCAD Atlanta. I come from a graffiti background, and I loved comic books, so I studied illustration, and learned the technical aspects of how to tell a story visually. I also wanted to focus on emotional and psychological content, so I studied in the painting department as well. My SCAD experience helped define my work ethic which was important, because I'm efficient in my industry today.

Seeing the impact that Black Panther had, to see how far it reached and what it did for people, is really special. And after the film came out, I've received related commissions that have kept the story alive. I just finished a mural for Trilith Studio, which used to be called Pinewood Studios, where some of Black Panther was filmed. The mural is in a similar style to what I created for Black Panther, and they're going to dedicate it to Chadwick Boseman. To have my work commemorate him is an honor.

My working connection with Ruth Carter began when she created a clothing line for H&M. I painted a Black Panther-inspired mural for the activation and that was the first time I met her. When she decided to do the show at SCAD FASH, she put my name out there and I was contacted by Alex Sachs and Trang Vu at SCAD FASH and everything followed. I wasn't even fully aware of all the movies Ruth worked on. It blew my mind that Ruth was this person who'd been with me my whole life, because I'd been watching her work on screen. To be involved in showcasing her legacy is a big deal.

With the SCAD FASH exhibition, my objective was to bring some continuity through those pieces, and create background pieces that allow Ruth's costumes to be in the forefront. I used different motifs in my painting to reflect the time period the costume is from and when the film is set.

I have a deep abiding interest in Eastern practices. In my work I try to find ancient practices that are applicable, that are the foundations of the contemporary creations I appreciate. I try to figure out how to bring them both together so you can have something contemporary that's full of historic substance.  The ritual of tea is connected to my approach to creating art, the nature of the process. It manifests in the tea room and the tea branding projects I've worked on. I have another big tea-related project brewing right now.

Sign up here to tune in to Brandon Sadler on Guests and Gusto during SCAD deFINE ART 2021.

Tuesday begins the 12th edition of SCAD deFINE ART, the university's annual program of talks, tours, and exhibitions featuring work by contemporary art's most vital voices. This year's dynamic online programming, presented February 23–25, includes a keynote lecture by renowned New York-based conceptual artist Sanford Biggers, a Q&A with prominent Brooklyn-based artist Marcel Dzama, and a conversation on Dzama's work with famed comedian Amy Sedaris, among additional inspiring talks, gallery tours, and studio visits.

The virtual program complements new exhibitions on view at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah and SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta, featuring work by Biggers, Dzama, and other globally recognized artists including Christto & Andrew, Kate Cooper, Helen Frankenthaler, Emily Furr, Carlos Garaicoa, the Haas Brothers, Paulina Olowska, Brandon Sadler, Rose B. Simpson, and Albert Watson. These artists' evocative works present new ideas or different ways of being in the world and encourage greater reflection on the narratives we inherit, the identities we create, and the roles we are expected to play. While many of the artists challenge the status quo, their unique perspectives on art and culture ultimately offer the viewer a sense of hope for the future.

"SCAD deFINE ART 2021 marks another first in the event's 12-year history — our inaugural virtual edition," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "In a season of reimagination, SCAD's renowned fine arts program showcases the shifting explorations and revelations of self. From Sanford Biggers' ‘future ethnographies' to Kate Cooper's representations of the feminine ‘ideal,' SCAD deFINE ART constructs and deconstructs identity through works by internationally celebrated contemporary artists. This year, your home and SCAD museums become one."

For more than a decade, SCAD deFINE ART has brought together an international roster of culture-defining arts leaders to engage with audiences through curated experiences and encounters with thought-provoking work. This year's programming includes a series of virtual conversations and a new season of exhibitions at SCAD museums featuring evocative works that encourage greater reflection on the narratives we inherit, the identities we create, and the roles we are expected to play, and ultimately offer a sense of hope for the future. SCAD deFINE ART 2021 offers opportunities for connection and contemplation, uniting our university and local communities across nations, generations, and mediums.

Top image: from Carlos Garaicoa's A City View from the Table of My House, presented as part of deFINE ART 2021.

You can't see Chris Fonseca boogie without smiling. The incantatory ritual of Vivian Chinasa Ezugha may make you cry out. Witness Ellice Patterson's beguiling pas de deux with an unexpected partner, and tune in to Syrus Marcus Ware's afrofuturistic transmission to ancestors. These, and other performances, are all part of VISIBILITY: A Selection of Black Deaf and Disabled Performance Artists, the amazing, ongoing online experience curated by Ikouii founder Aleatha Lindsay (M.A., arts administration, 2013).

"When I decided to curate this exhibition, I knew I had to build an assemblage of strong, unapologetically Black artists with work that celebrates the aesthetic sensibility of the Black disabled community," Lindsay says. "While each work presents a singular narrative, they all capture the ephemeral and enduring moments of the Black disabled experience. Every work within VISIBILITY explores the themes of race and disability, and importantly the intersection of the two."

VISIBILITY is free. Visit Ikouii to watch the performances. Dancer and choreographer Antoine Hunter, soul singer-songwriter Lizzie Emeh, and disabled arts pioneer Leroy F. Moore also all feature to stunning effect. Additionally, throughout the month of February, the Ikouii Instagram is home to virtual studio visits with VISIBILITY artists. Lindsay: "We want to provide a space specifically for our Black disabled artists to share and engage."

Photos of Vivian Chinasa Ezugha by Rosie Cooper are the iconic representative portraits for VISIBILITY. "These photos are from Chinasa's series Because of hair; the dichotomy of culture and identity," Lindsay explains. "Celebrating the intersection of Blackness, culture, humanity, and strength, the photos are really representative of the themes examined in VISIBILITY."

The precedent for Lindsay's work was set at SCAD. "I majored in arts administration, which is now called creative business leadership. I knew early on that I wanted to work with artists and audiences with disabilities, so I loved that my professors allowed me to structure my interests in disability arts, accessibility, and inclusion. My SCAD experience facilitated invaluable connections with arts organizations including Cobb Energy, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, and the Oglethorpe Museum of Art." Lindsay's senior thesis, a program designed for children on the Autism spectrum and their families to enjoy an art museum experience, won the SCAD Thesis Award.

Now this alumna is curating, collaborating, and connecting on another level. Check out VISIBILITY on view through March 10, 2021.

VISIBILITY is brought to you by Ikouii, the Atlanta-based organization founded by Aleatha Lindsay. 

From Bryan Cranston to Cynthia Erivo to Laurence Fishburne, the 2021 SCAD aTVfest was a star-studded success. Javivia Leslie discussed her groundbreaking role as Batwoman, Jurnee Smollett shared how she uses her voice as a Time's Up activist, and Kenan Thompson reflected on being the longest active cast member in the history of Saturday Night Live.

Many of the voices behind this current golden age of television are SCAD alumni. These Bees shared insights from their burgeoning careers during panels at this year's virtual festival. Here are a few of the most memorable quotes from SCAD alumni at aTVfest.

Madison Hamburg, (B.F.A., film and television, 2014), director and executive producer, Murder on Middle Beach (HBO): "When it comes to making a documentary, the subject matter is not the most important factor. What matters most is you. What is your goal? What story are you trying to tell? How can you use your unique vision to connect with the audience? There will always be a more brutal crime, a more salacious scandal, a better researched climate change film, but there will never be another you."

Brandon Nelson, (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008; B.F.A., visual effects, 2005), VFX supervisor: "Study and master the art of photography. Everything we do is based around the concept of the moving picture. Know how shutter speeds work. Understand how to use the camera as a component of the story you are trying to tell. Television is a blend between art and science, and the better you understand both, the more seamless and immersive your work will become."

Cynthia Adarkwa, (B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2012), story editor: "The most important lesson I can give a young writer and storyteller is to embrace the re-writing process. Writers write. Then they edit. Then they write again. Your first draft is never the final draft. You can always improve, so embrace that process. The more comfortable you are in the editing stage, the better your work will be on screen."

Emily Cardone-Dennis, (M.F.A., film and television, 2014), art department coordinator and production assistant: "Continue to evolve as a creative professional. Never stop learning new skills and look to work with people that will push you to try new things. SCAD has created an environment where you can collaborate with creative individuals form numerous backgrounds. Take advantage of this opportunity and don't be afraid to explore."

Marc Casey, (B.F.A., film and television, 2009), underwater cinematographer and assistant camera operator: "Don't ever give up on your dreams. Write, direct, and shoot your own stuff early. Connect with established filmmakers and work to get on the set as early as possible. Learn something new every day, and look for opportunities to acquire new skills. Understand the importance of set etiquette and how to be a team player, while taking those opportunities to grow as an artist."

Christian Magby, (B.F.A., performing arts, 2016), actor: "Participate in as many student films at SCAD as you can. Learn how a set works in the real world. The students creating at SCAD are running their sets exactly like we do in the industry. The more you can take advantage of your time at SCAD, the better you will be prepared for your career."

Zeke Waters, (B.F.A., production design, 2019), set designer: "Television is booming right now, so take advantage of the opportunities around you. That includes your time at SCAD. Say yes to the work that presents itself to you, and collaborate as often as possible. The more well-rounded you are, the more valuable you are on set."

Tune in, turn on, power up: It’s time for aTVfest! Now in its ninth year, the university's annual signature event celebrating all things television and streaming will be a virtual experience taking place this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Feb. 4-6, 2021.

"SCAD aTVfest 2021 — our inaugural virtual edition, streaming worldwide — marks another SCAD first," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "This dramatic digital debut extends the festival's preeminent reputation, built over the past eight years, to a global audience. SCAD aTVfest showcases the finest content, freshest experiences, and most fabulous stars in dozens of screenings, masterclasses, and panels with industry insiders — Cynthia Erivo, Chrissy Metz, Bryan Cranston, and more. Exclusive. Live. Commercial-free. Enjoy!"

"We can all agree that this past year has presented us with many challenges, but television has continued to provide us steady comfort to get us through each day," said Christina Routhier, aTVfest executive director. "I have seen so many outstanding programs and performances over the last year, and we are beyond excited to feature some of the best at this year's SCAD aTVfest. This is the perfect opportunity to celebrate these amazing shows and talented industry professionals. We sincerely thank our network and streaming partners for their continued support in helping us to showcase the best in the industry for our SCAD students and audience."

Bryan Cranston (Your Honor) will receive the Icon Award, Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha) will receive the Spotlight Award, Javicia Leslie (Batwoman) will receive the Rising Star Award, Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) will receive the Vanguard Award, Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country) will receive the Distinguished Performance Award, Kenan Thompson (Kenan) will receive the Virtuoso Award, and the cast of Good Girls (Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman) will receive the Maverick Cast Award. Honorees are scheduled to attend virtual screenings and participate in conversations regarding their performances and careers.

The SCAD aTVfest panel series also welcomes industry experts from a myriad of professions to engage in meaningful conversations about their work. Entertainment Weekly (EW) returns for the fourth year as media partner to create exclusive interview content and curate the Women Who Kick Ass Panel.Entertainment Weekly (EW) returns for the fourth year as Official Media Partner, SCAD aTVfest, and as hosts of the Women Who Kicks Ass panel.

Notable guests and shows virtually attending this year's festival include:

A Million Little Things (ABC); Batwoman (The CW); Delilah (OWN); Everything's Gonna Be Okay (Freeform); For All Mankind (Apple TV+); The Goldbergs (ABC); Good Girls (NBC); Good Trouble (Freeform); It's a Sin (HBO Max); Kenan (NBC); Lovecraft Country (HBO); Nancy Drew (The CW); Queen Sugar (OWN); Superstore (NBC); Tell Me Your Secrets (Amazon Prime Video); The Unicorn (CBS); This Is Us (NBC); Woke (Hulu); Your Honor (SHOWTIME).

This year's panels with industry experts include:

"-Ish" Happens: A Conversation with the Stars of the "-ish" Universe; The Making of Murder on Middle Beach, featuring SCAD alumni and filmmakers Madison Hamburg and Solomon Petchenik; Screen Style: Netflix's Ratched and The Queen's Gambit; Moving Pictures: Adapting Invincible for Animation; Creating Outer Space: Building Worlds with VFX Studio Crafty Apes; Raise the Roof with HGTV House Party; Producing ABC Unscripted Series During a Pandemic; In Conversation; Inside the Writers' Room; Meet the Executives; and SCAD Alumni Voices, an exclusive panel featuring university graduates working in television and digital media.

Explore the festival lineup and sign up to attend at atvfest.com.

"We are so fortunate that Ruth put her faith in SCAD FASH to tell her story," says Alexandra Sachs, executive director, SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, speaking of Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design, now on view at the museum. Featuring over 60 costumes from Carter's career, along with sketches and ephemera, the dazzling retrospective was named by W Magazine as the number one fashion exhibition to see in 2021.

Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design is co-curated by Rafael Gomes, director of fashion exhibitions, and Christina Frank, assistant director of fashion exhibitions, in collaboration with guest curator Julia Long. A significant number of students and alumni worked on the show. Fashion designers Madi Smith (B.F.A., fashion, 2019) and Kahmani Zeon (B.F.A, fashion) created the perfect fit when dressing the mannequins and putting finishing details on costumes. Jonas Stewart (M.F.A., film and television) edited the film montage exploring the breadth and depth of Carter's career. The exhibition's Afrofuturistic installation incorporates original artwork by Brandon Sadler (B.F.A., illustration, 2009), whose murals were prominently featured in Black Panther.

Here, Sachs and Frank discuss the curatorial process and the wondrous result.

Alexandra Sachs: Ruth has been a friend of SCAD for a while. She was here several years ago for a faculty conference where she gave a lecture, and Rafael [Gomes, curator] and I had the pleasure of having lunch with her. When she was in Atlanta to work on Coming 2 America, we met up again. Then, as the pandemic caused us to reconsider our fall 2020 exhibition calendar, I thought, I'm just going to write Ruth to see if she'd be interested in working with us. Fortunately, she was.

Christina Frank: Ruth's archivist, Julia Long, presented us with a list of the film costumes they had available. It was immediately apparent there was an overarching narrative these films are telling about African-American history, starting with Roots, to Selma, to Do The Right Thing, culminating in Black Panther and Ruth winning the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 2019. We wanted the exhibition to reflect that arc.

AS: Black Panther is the signature image for the exhibition, and it's the thing Ruth is best known for, but what might surprise visitors is how much she has done in her career. Ruth really sees the totality of her work as an expression of Afrofuturism, in the sense that drawing from the past is a means for thinking about possibilities of the future. She's been doing that throughout her career.

CF: A lot of our student docents who work in the galleries are international students who might not have grown up learning about the Civil Rights Movement. It's imperative that we provide educational tools for what's in the exhibition. We developed a digital guide that offers historical context for each costume in the exhibition, which helps people appreciate what they're seeing.

AS: Another really important aspect of this exhibition is its appreciation for the collaborative nature of creative pursuits. Just like our exhibition team is a large team that brought it together, there's an even larger team that brings together these films. We have a projection in the museum's front area where Ruth is talking about her process and also about the relationship between costume designer and production designer, and costume designer and director. That exchange of ideas helps develop concepts that then become manifest.

Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design is on view at SCAD FASH through Sept. 21, 2021.