Tayler Ayers (M.A. creative business leadership; B.F.A., fibers, 2019) is a SCAD tennis standout and, with Will Penny, one of the artists of the BLACK LIVES MATTER murals atop student residence hall FORTY in Atlanta and the exterior of Gutstein Gallery in Savannah.

"Our project speaks to the injustice that is present in the world, while also contemplating what it looks like when two people who are visually different come together to contribute to something larger than themselves," the artists said.

What Ayers and Penny (M.F.A., painting, 2013; B.F.A., painting, 2008) have created is part of the fabric of the Civil Rights movement in Savannah, the mural stretching across the front of the former Levy's department store (now SCAD's Jen Library) that saw the lunch-counter sit-in of 1960. Ayers, from Carrollton, Georgia, says: "To put this message on the outside of a building in the South, this is bigger than me, and bigger than SCAD. I'm excited for the response, whatever that may be."

Tayler Ayers:

I gravitate toward flowy yet refined hand styles. You look at the Black Live Matter piece and think, is it painted, or made with a Wacom? I painted it with a paintbrush, then used Image Trace so it had that mix of professionalism and clean design, to keep the organic feeling.

I grew up traveling on I-20 West in and out of Atlanta to play tennis, through that part of Atlanta where SCAD is, so I've seen SCAD Atlanta since I was ten years old. On the tennis team at SCAD, my teammates come to me to talk, to unpack things they're thinking about. Often a Black person walking by will see me and say, "Young Arthur Ashe!" That's their association. There are not a lot of people who look like me playing tennis. When we're traveling for matches, I'll sometimes be the only Black player on my team and the opposing team. I own that. I have a higher level of awareness in that position.

My success in tennis was never measured in trophies. What I got from tennis is that it gave me confidence and independence from a young age. If I'm approaching an art piece, sometimes I'll get asked "How do you start? How do you have the confidence to make those marks unapologetically?" Well, it comes from being on a tennis court, alone, it's you and you lose or you win. In a millisecond, you have to dissect a thousand options that are point-one-percent worse or better than the other, and you have to have the awareness and critical thinking to break down that situation and make a decision. I apply that to art.

I'm doing this to speak to kids to let them know they can do this. Everything I make, you can make with what you can buy at Starlandia or Blick. I'll go with you to pick out the art supplies. I'm not sitting behind a veil. My work is on a building. I'm going for it.

Tayler Ayers is HERE.

This Thursday, July 23, at 6 p.m., join Alexandra Sachs, executive director of SCAD FASH, for a virtual tour of Derrick Adams' exhibition Patrick Kelly, The Journey. Hear the stories behind the exhibition as Sachs walks you through Adams' abstract collages and sculptural works, which incorporate Kelly's vintage clothing patterns, iconic fabrics, bold and colorful geometric forms, and embellishments. Sacchs will also discuss how Kelly's connection to the city of Atlanta enriched the exhibition through the loan of a very special collection to the museum.

Patrick Kelly, The Journey emerges from artist Derrick Adams' extensive exploration into the archive of the influential African-American fashion designer Patrick Kelly (1954–1990). Kelly was the first American to be admitted to the Chambre syndicale du prêt-à-porter, the prestigious governing body of the French ready-to-wear industry. Adams immersed himself in the Kelly archive at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, where he discovered a trove of correspondence, sketches, swatches, photographs, and other memorabilia, including a proposal for a book about Kelly's life written by his friend, the esteemed poet Maya Angelou.

Derrick Adams on Patrick Kelly:

He was an artist, a performer, and things that I think a lot of designers may not necessarily consider themselves today. He was the art.

Although the works in the exhibition focus more on my work, his influence on me, looking through his archive, we were fortunate enough to have his community. A lot of the models he used were from Atlanta. He traveled to New York and Paris, but he always kept his community that first supported him.

The things that were in the archive that I was more drawn to as a visual artist were his really rough drawings that influence the making of the collage works and the sculptural works that are in the show. I decided to incorporate some of his clothing patterns into my collages to talk about fashion, to talk about the form, to talk about the body, without using the figure.

It's great to have this show here at SCAD, in the fashion department, in the museum. It all started for Patrick here in Atlanta. I think he would have loved to have had the opportunity to present his work in an institution like this. I think as a young designer, you never think where your work is going to go. Or how many people you're going to inspire. Being well known or being acknowledged, of course, as any creative person, you want to have the industry that you are a part of acknowledge your work. But I think that he would have done it regardless. Because I think he was very much into thinking about even the women in his family as a motivation to what he made, and what they would want to wear.

For me, when I think about him, I think about this person who was just unstoppable.

Register here for the virtual tour of Derrick Adams' Patrick Kelly, The Journey.

Jaylyn Lassiter, (M.F.A., painting), embraces natural beauty by showcasing the elegance, joy, and power of Black hair. A masters candidate in Atlanta, Jaylyn’s upcoming Open Studio showcase draws the viewer in to her world, her community, and her life through pieces including "Little Lady," "Locs," and "Bundles." Her collection is a year in the making and her work will continue as she portrays the Black experience in our world today. SCAD Open Studio takes place Friday, June 26-Sunday, June 28.

Jaylyn Lassiter (M.F.A., painting), “Little Lady,“ oil on canvas, 2020, 30" x 24".

Jaylyn Lassiter:

Growing up in in Chesapeake, Virginia, some people made comments about my hair. Negative comments. Un-educated comments. Comments that made me understand I was different. So, it was easy when I had to decide what to focus on for my senior project in undergrad— the beauty of Black hair. Black hair is more than a style or a cut. For some, it is an expression of who we are and a how we want to be seen in our community. For some, it is a reminder of our heritage and a way to show respect for those that came before us. For others, it is a fun, whimsical style element that can change on the season.

As I began painting my collection, I felt the power of the portraits come to life. At first, I was painting them on a smaller canvas, but I didn’t have enough room to capture the details. I had to crop and make sacrifices that I wasn’t willing to make. Now they are large scale paintings. The canvasses I choose allow me to fully realize the subject and allow the viewer to have a more powerful experience.

Some might not see these as typical portraits. My paintings crop out the wearer, their face and their identity, but these are portraits of hair. The hair is the subject. The hair is the story I am choosing to tell, and that story, much like each face, is unique. No two are exactly alike, and that’s a powerful message the world needs to see.

My first painting was of cornrows and that got me going. When I sold my second painting in this collection—"Locs"—I had this incredible feeling that I was really connecting with my audience. My favorite painting is "Little Lady" of a woman wearing a bright red dress and a string of pearls. Her dark arms and neck are glowing in front of a neutral background. Her hair shows signs of grey, and she has two tightly knotted buns at the base of her neck. It is simple, but I love the details.

These portraits are meant for everyone to enjoy. I am excited to share my work with the SCAD community through Open Studio.

I have felt at home at SCAD and have loved my experience in Atlanta. My passion for painting and my fellow classmates is on another level from where I was just a year ago. Professor Kent Knowles has helped me refine my work and has challenged me to push beyond my comfort zone. His critiques and guidance have really helped elevate my collection.

Going forward I will continue to tell the stories of the Black community. Beyond hair, I want to capture the figures, the people and the individuals who make our community special. The Black community in America is fighting to be recognized. We are fighting to be heard, and honestly fighting for our lives. As part of the Black Lives Matter movement, I painted “No Justice, No Peace." We all need to speak up and make sure our voices are heard. This is how I can do that best.

See more of Jaylyn Lassiter’s work on her Open Studio page.

Top image: “No Justice, No Peace,“ oil on canvas, 2020.

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 26-28, SCAD hosts its first virtual Open Studio, showcasing more than 500 student and alumni works. The 15th annual Open Studio event, a destination for art collectors and enthusiasts, offers exclusive access to work by the university's community of talented artists.

Open Studio will showcase more than 500 jury-selected works submitted by students, alumni, and faculty from across a wide range of degree programs, including illustration, painting, photography, and printmaking. Participating SCAD artists include Anthony 'Mojo' Reed (B.F.A., sequential art, 2015), Carla Contreras (M.F.A., painting, 2019), Jaylyn Lassiter (M.F.A., painting), Elli Burris (M.F.A., printmaking), Conrad Maxwell Girod (B.F.A., photography, 2020), Bradley Collins (B.F.A., painting, 2020) and Ashna Malik (B.F.A., painting, 2020). A portion of proceeds will benefit the SCAD Student Relief Fund, helping students with financial hardships complete their degrees.

"Now more than ever it is important to support and uplift the creative voices in our communities," said Rachel Evans, director, SCAD Art Sales. "SCAD continues to provide a stellar education for fine artists, supporting both current students and established alumni and faculty. SCAD's first online Open Studio event will enable patrons around the world to shop original SCAD artwork from our talented emerging artists."

SCAD Art Sales, a premier curatorial platform, will offer guests access to its expansive artist network through the work on display. Launched in Winter 2016, SCAD Art Sales represents a unique channel whereby SCAD champions its students and alumni. Artwork available for purchase ranges in price, with inventory continuously updated as new and established artists submit work through the SCAD Art Sales online portal.

Open Studio will take place Fri.-Sun., June 26-28 on the dedicated Open Studio page. A "view-in-room" feature will also be available on the mobile platform via the ArtCloud app, making it possible for shoppers to preview works in their home before placing an order.

Check back here for exclusive SCADworks interviews with featured Open Studio artists this week.

Top image: Bradley Collins (B.F.A., painting, 2020), "1.3.5.2.4.5.6," acrylic on canvas, 2019, 50" x 60".

Take a scroll down the sidewalk, and see the beauty of Sidewalk Arts 2020. The festival, a beloved SCAD tradition since 1981, went online this year, eliciting artwork from more than 650 SCAD students, SCAD alumni, and talented high school students. The scrollable "virtual sidewalk" gives a sense of the depth and breadth across many forms of expression.

Sidewalk Arts' kick-off event this year took place on April 24 at St. Joseph's Candler Hospital in Savannah, where members of the SCAD community, including alumni and professors, created a chalk mural at the main entrance to honor the health care community. That opened the month-long competition period, where online submissions were assessed by judges including popular illustrator Donato Giancola and Whitewall editor Eliza Jordan.

"El Sidewalk Arts Festival es un concurso que hace SCAD todos los años," said Daniela Torres Wong (B.F.A., advertising), winner of the People's Choice Award, student division, for her piece "Reflejos" (above). "Muchísimas gracias a todos los que votaron por mi!"

Amelia Jamerson (B.F.A., advertising, 2011), winner of the  SCAD Alumni Spirit Award for her mixed media piece "Apart Together" (above) said that this was the first time she has won an art award: "I'm happy, humbled, grateful, and incredibly inspired. I never thought to sell my work or even share it much. This award is so momentous for my journey and I'm flying on cloud nine."

Kathy Varadi (B.F.A., painting, 2018) received the People's Choice Alumni Award for her painting "What's Happening": "It's great to be part of this important SCAD tradition. My painting is of two sisters I saw at the magic hour at Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park in Maine. I've entered Sidewalk Arts twice before. I said to myself, I'm going to win this someday! I really appreciate the opportunity, especially this year."

Congratulation to all the winners, whose work can be seen here.

Special thanks to the judges, and to everyone who entered artwork and enjoyed Sidewalk Arts 2020!

"They say luck comes to those who're prepared," award-winning television director Karen Gaviola told SCAD students at aTVfest 2020. "If you're prepared, when the opportunity comes you can grab it and succeed."

The eighth annual SCAD aTVfest facilitated up-close interaction between industry professionals and students preparing for careers in film and television. The popular "Wonder Women" panels highlighted female talent in front of and behind the camera.

"The Female Gaze" witnessed directors Karen Gaviola (Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I.) and Angela Barnes Gomes (Carol's Second Act, Legacies, Ambitions) joined by moderator Juliet Blake (head of television, TED Talks) for a discussion of directing. As with their TV shows, Gaviola and Gomes kept students on the edge of their seats.

"Humility goes a long way," said Gaviola, who won the NAACP Image Award for directing "The Whole Truth" episode of the hit show Lost. "You'll be working with people who've been doing their jobs for twenty, thirty years. Respect that they're there to help you. Some directors think they have to have the right answer. It's not about finding the right answer. It's about asking the right question."

Gaviola screened a clip of a daring rescue sequence from Hawaii Five-0, explaining the implementation of visual effects, and how she managed her actors. It was a mini-masterclass on dramatic challenges essential to episodic TV.

Gomes, who earned her nickname "the Swiss Army Knife" based on her ability to direct multi-camera comedies, single camera comedies, and one hour dramas, spoke about changes in the industry: "People don't think I'm the hairdresser when I show up anymore. Even when I was first AD, I'd have to say, don't talk to the white dude who works for me, talk to me. People weren't used to seeing women direct. Now that more women of color are directing, presumptions aren't the same.'"

There was an immediate bond between Gomes and Gaviola. As Gomes said: "I've heard about Karen Gaviola for 25 years now, so I'm happy to finally meet her." The panel concluded with inspiring words.

Karen Gaviola: "Always be learning. When I was PA on set, I was asking the first AD, 'How do you create the shooting schedule?' Or ask DP, 'How do you decide the lens?' Keep that process up as you move your way through the industry. I know sound mixers, casting directors and visual effects supervisors who've become directors. There are a million ways to get there. Your studies here at SCAD are a big jumping off point."

Angela Barnes Gomes: "You guys have a much bigger advantage than we did, because people have paved the way, and because y'all can make a whole movie on your iPhone. The access you have to make content is spectacular. The platforms are different. How people consume content is different. You have the advantage now. Just get out there and smash it."

Thanks to Karen Gaviola, Angela Barnes Gomes, Juliet Blake, and all of the incredible talent who made the eighth annual SCAD aTVfest a spectacular success.

The small screen returns to the big time. It's aTVfest 2020, Atlanta's only festival dedicated to television. Now in its eighth year, the university's annual signature event celebrating the television industry will be held at SCADshow, February 27-29, 2020. Entertainment Weekly (EW) returns for the second year as Official Media Partner, SCAD aTVfest, for an exciting showcase of programs from ABC, CBS, Comedy Central, The CW, FOX, Freeform, NBC, Netflix, OWN, Paramount Network, Starz and more.

“This promises to be a fantastic aTVFest 2020 in Atlanta," said Christina Routhier, Executive Director, SCAD aTVfest. “We are excited to have Entertainment Weekly return as our official media partner. We appreciate the amazing support from networks and studios that bring top shows, talent, and below the line artists to our festival. aTVFest is dedicated to showcasing the best industry artists working in television today, from showrunners, directors and writers to costume designers, production designers and casting agents. Once again, we are thrilled to continue to highlight female talent in front of and behind the camera."

Producer/actress Kim Cattrall (FOX's Filthy Rich) will receive the Icon Award; Eric McCormack (NBC's Will & Grace) will receive the Impact Award; Tom Payne (FOX's Prodigal Son) will receive the Discovery Award, Actor; Hunter Schafer (HBO's Euphoria) will receive the Discovery Award, Actress; and the cast of NBC's Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist will receive the Rising Star Cast Award. Honorees are scheduled to attend screenings and participate in conversations regarding their work.  The festival's In Conversation Series includes talks with Eric McCormack, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Hunter Schafer, Miss J Alexander and Grown-ish costume designer Michelle Cole and actress Yara Shahidi.

As the Official Media Partner for SCAD aTVfest, EW co-curated this year's programming and will have staff on-site to moderate select talent panels. EW will also host a photo and video studio for talent. Galleries will be available exclusively on EW.com and its social platforms. Shows and representatives attending this year's festival include the following (subject to change):

• 68 Whiskey (Paramount Network) with actors Sam Keeley, Jeremy Tardy, Gage Golightly, Cristina Rodlo, Beth Reisgraf and Executive Producer/Director Michael Lehman.
• Animation Domination (FOX) with Executive Producers Julie Scully, Mike Scully, Danny Smith and character artist Mike Cassidy.
• Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (Comedy Central) with actor BD Wong.
• The Baker and the Beauty (ABC) with actors Victor Rasuk, Nathalie Kelley, Carlos Gómez, Dan Bucatinsky, Lisa Vidal, David Del Rio, Belissa Escobedo and Michelle Veintimilla.
• Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) with actors Alano Miller, Xosha Roquemore and Director Blitz Bazawule.
• Council of Dads (NBC) with actors Sarah Wayne Callies, Michael O'Neill, J August Richards, Clive Standen, Michelle Weaver and Co-creators/Showrunners Anthony “Tony" Phelan and Joan Rater.
• Deputy (FOX) with actors Brian Van Holt, Danielle Moné Truitt, annd Executive Producer Kimberly Ann Harrison.
• Filthy Rich (FOX) with actors Kim Cattrall, Melia Kreiling, Aubrey Dollar, Corey Cott, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, Mark L. Young, Olivia Macklin, and executive producers Tate Taylor and Abe Sylvia.
• For Life (ABC) with actors Joy Bryant, Nicholas Pinnock, and Executive Producers Doug Robinson, Hank Steinberg, Isaac Wright Jr.
• Legacies (The CW) with actors Jenny Boyd, Kaylee Bryant, Matthew Davis, Quincy Fouse, Chris Lee, Danielle Rose Russell, Aria Shahghasemi and Peyton Alex Smith.
• Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (NBC) with actors Russell Hornsby, Arielle Kebbel, Michael Imperioli and Showrunner/Writer/Executive Producer Barry O'Brien.
• Mixed-ish (ABC) with actors Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tika Sumpter, Arica Himmel and Executive Producer/Co-Creator Peter Saji.
• New Amsterdam (NBC) with actor Tyler Labine and showrunner David Schulner.
• October Faction (Netflix) with actors Tamara Taylor, J.C. MacKenzie, and Maxim Roy.
• Prodigal Son (FOX) with actors Tom Payne, Keiko Agena, Frank Harts, Aurora Perrineau, and Halston Sage.
• Roswell, New Mexico (The CW) with actors Heather Hemmens, Jeanine Mason, Michael Trevino, Nathan Dean and Executive Producer/creator Carina Adly MacKenzie.
• Strike Back (Cinemax) with actor Warren Brown, director Bill Eagles, military technical advisor Paul Biddiss and writer/showrunner/Executive Producer Jack Lothian.
• VIDA (STARZ) with actors Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda and Roberta Colindrez.
• Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NBC) with actors Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart and Producer/Choreographer Mandy Moore.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit atvfest.com.

"A lot of times I get good ideas in the bathtub," said Marilyn Minter during the Q&A portion of her keynote address at Trustees Theater. Playful, applicable, honest, and wet, her response epitomized both her artist talk and the stunning career survey 'Nasty Woman' at SCAD Museum of Art, part of deFINE ART 2020.

After receiving her deFINE honoree award from President Paula Wallace, Minter presented a slide and video show of her work, including lurid, purple-lipped images of explicit glamour, early paintings she deemed "terrible," and a series of TV commercials created especially to be shown during Late Night with David Letterman in the 1980s.

Enjoy these select remarks from Minter's memorable deFINE delivery:

Marilyn Minter:

When I first went to NYC in 1976, I liked the idea of painting overlooked things that were around the house. I wanted to be part of the vernacular, and photorealism was popular at the time. We were building rooms in our loft, and I threw this 2x4 on the floor and took a photograph. I made paintings of those photos. I thought, everyone's going to love these! I took them to galleries and they said, "These are photorealism, but really boring ones." It was really painful. But when I had my retrospective, I didn't have to search anything out. I still had all the paintings.

When you think something is the worst thing that can happen to you, but you still think that what you're doing is the right thing, you just wait it out. The way that artists make art is they listen to their own inner voice, from their personal vision. Sooner or later the zeitgeist catches up to you.

In 1989, in was time for women to own images for their own sexual pleasure and amusement. Women never paint pictures of porn. I thought, I should do that! I thought, not softcore, it'll have to be hardcore. I had the entire gay community behind what I was doing, but it was a shock to the art world. Most people thought that I was betraying feminism. I was asked, "What do the images mean?" I didn't have the answer, and that was my downfall.

I never wanted to make a remake of something. I wanted to make an image of something in the world that you know is true, but you've never seen a picture of it. You never saw art about armpit hair. You never saw pictures of people pulling their socks down where you could see the lines on their legs.

Everything human is shot through with imperfection. Trying to erase that will make you ill. We are untidy beings. Why should we feel ashamed about it? No one escapes having a pimple.

I don't think of myself as a photorealist painter, because if you get close to a true photorealist painting it looks like a photo. With my painting, if you get close to it, it falls apart and becomes abstract.

The eye craves what it doesn't see. If you don't know what to do, just start making marks. You have to work, though, for the ideas to come. You can't just sit there waiting for inspiration.

See 'Nasty Woman' at SCAD MOA through August 2, 2020.

Clare Tassinari and Sarah Smeltzer Wright met a year and a half ago while refining dramatic monologues in a bathroom in Hamilton Hall. This week they return to that spot (the hall, if not the specific bathroom) to deliver their M.F.A. performing arts thesis: a production of the scabrous, sensational Patrick Marber play "Closer."

Tassinari plays Anna, a photographer, and Smeltzer Wright a stripper called Alice. They enter into an insensible, years-long romantic roundelay with two men, Dan (Gaines Semler, B.F.A., performing arts) and Larry (played by William Wright, Sarah's real-life spouse).

Sitting in a sunny café on Broughton Street during the final week of "Closer" rehearsal, Smeltzer Wright and Tassinari spoke with enjambed intensity, not unlike the patter of their characters, Sarah's ebullience complemented by Clare's more composed, gamine grace.

"Clare and I realized through critiquing work in class that we had a compatible approach to acting," Smeltzer Wright said.

"We've both done a lot of script analysis," Tassinari added, "and we have similar taste which can't be accounted for by anything else."

Smeltzer Wright reached for the frayed paperback of "Closer" in front of her: "We'll take a chance on each other's ideas, and if it doesn't work, we'll be willing to go in another direction."

The pair first collaborated in fall quarter 2019, co-directing "Gruesome Playground Injuries" by Rajiv Joseph. Tassinari suggested following up with a production of "Closer." They then considered Chekkov's "Three Sisters." Instinct drew them back to "Closer."

"Marber's writing is incredible," says Smeltzer Wright. "All the mirror points and flashback moments present complex challenges."

The play is not light sledding, as anyone who's seen the acclaimed 2004 film adaptation starring Natalie Portman and Jude Law knows. (Smeltzer Wright: "Never seen it"; Tassinari: "I saw it when I was 15.")

The pair pitched their thesis plan to SCAD performing arts professors Craig Anton, Jay Jaski and Julie Hunicutt. "Our initial concept was acting and directing 'Closer' together," Smelzter Wright recalled. "They said, 'No, focus on the acting and find a director.' So, we approached Owen Engesser to direct."

Engesser, a performing arts undergrad (Clare: "wise beyond his years") who played the male lead in "Gruesome Playground Injuries," accepted.

(Owen Engesser, via email: "'Closer' is a challenging play that I knew would test us all. We've made it a point to make sure choices work for the entire ensemble, and we've never held back during the rehearsal process. With such a strong group of actors, they understand not to push for emotion, but to truly experience the reality of the circumstances within the play.")

"During rehearsal we would do Meisner exercises to try to create that necessary back-and-forth gut reaction," explained Smeltzer Wright. "One of our favorite scenes is when the women talk for the first time, in the museum. You see them going at each other, then come to a resolve and talk about men and everything they expect in a relationship. That conversation really gets both of us every night."

Tassinari: "We worked a lot on moment-to-moment wants in the play, and on finding the moments when those wants shift. When you're in places of chaos and frenetic energy, you can cry on a dime, or start laughing."

Smeltzer Wright laughed. "We're doing our job if we're exhausted by the end."

"Closer" by Patrick Marber, Thursday Feb. 20-Sunday Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m., Hamilton Hall, Studio B, SCAD Savannah. Free admission. First come, first seated.

Alice: Sarah Smeltzer Wright
Dan: Gaines Semler
Larry: William Wright
Anna: Clare Tassinari

Director: Owen Engesser
Stage Manager: Tegan Zoephel

Learn more about SCAD performing arts.

All senses will be stimulated, Feb. 18-20, at deFINE ART 2020. SCAD celebrates the eleventh annual edition of deFINE with a unique program of exhibitions, commissions, lectures and performances uniting an international group of emerging and established artists and creative visionaries. The signature event will take place at SCAD Savannah and SCAD Atlanta locations, highlighting the university's dedication to art programming, exhibitions, and community engagement.

This year's renowned deFINE ART honoree is artist Marilyn Minter. For over five decades, Minter has radically redefined the nature of feminist art. From early black-and-white photographs to her recent photorealist paintings, Minter has rebelled against male-appointed dictates of female representation in consumer culture. For deFINE, Minter opens an exhibition titled "Nasty Woman" at SCAD Museum of Art. "Nasty Woman" is a selective survey, highlighting the prescience of Minter's early practice, while immersing viewers in an array of the artist's most acclaimed work. Minter will deliver the deFINE ART keynote lecture in Savannah, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6 p.m. at the historic Trustees Theater.

deFINE ART 2020 features an extraordinary roster of internationally acclaimed artists from nine countries across multiple continents, presenting solo exhibitions throughout the award-winning SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah and Atlanta. Exhibitions include a large-scale survey of Igshaan Adams (South Africa), a commissioned project engaging the SCAD Museum of Art permanent collection by Charlie Billingham (United Kingdom), the first large institutional exhibition of Kenturah Davis (USA), a specially commissioned group of works by Rodrigo Hernández (Portugal), a retrospective spanning five decades by Anna Maria Maiolino (Brazil), a site-specific presentation by Raúl de Nieves (USA), a video installation by Wong Ping (Hong Kong), the first US museum exhibition of SCAD alumni Xavier Robles de Medina (B.F.A., painting 2012) (Suriname), and an immersive installation by Shoplifter (Iceland).

Atlanta presentations will include a lecture by video and performance artist Janet Biggs (USA), an exhibition by Derrick Adams (USA), new work created with SCAD sculpture students led by Cynthia Gutiérrez (Mexico), an M.F.A. thesis exhibition by painting student Rhett Scott (USA). and a lecture by renowned theater director and visual artists Robert Wilson.

Other SCAD Savannah presentation include group exhibition "Hypothetical Function" featuring SCAD alumni, students, and non-affiliated artists at Gutstein Gallery. At Alexander Hall, an exhibition of dynamic photography by SCAD students and recent alumni titled "Aura and Invention: Alternative Processes in Photography" will be on display following a run at the Trois Gallery at SCAD Atlanta. 

"SCAD deFINE ART hosts creative leaders revolutionizing contemporary art and culture, giving SCAD students and the public intimate access to diverse practices," states Kari Herrin, Executive Director, SCAD museums and exhibitions. "Exhibiting artists infuse the museum with unconventional perspectives and help cultivate the next generation of cultural innovators here at SCAD."

Top ranked degree programs including sculpture, painting, film and television, fibers, and performing arts are represented through the signature event's exhibitions and programming. SCAD students and community members will have the opportunity to interact with artists during the three-day event, through gallery talks, masterclasses, installation collaborations, public art programming, and performances.

Visit scad.edu/defineart2020.