As winter weather wrapped Washington, D.C., Paula Wallace was inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for a warm and welcome occasion. On the afternoon of Thurs., Jan. 2., SCAD's president and founder was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Joe Biden in a ceremony at the White House.

"A lifelong educator and trailblazer of the arts, Paula Wallace dreamt of a university that would transform how we think about professional education," declared a statement issued by the White House. "By establishing the esteemed Savannah College of Art and Design and serving as its president, she has guided thousands of students into creative industries."
 
The Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian award in the United States, recognizes individuals who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country and fellow citizens. "Our democracy begins and ends with the duties of citizenship," Biden told honorees inside the East Room of the White House. "That's our work for the ages. And that's what all of you — and I mean this — all of you embody."

President Wallace was among twenty recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal, who were awarded in a private ceremony, followed by a reception attended by family and friends.

As the official White House statement declared: "President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others. The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice."

After the ceremony, President Wallace said  how "profoundly humbled it had felt to sit alongside the other honorees: innovators and pioneers of medicine and healthcare, lifelong public servants, and dauntless civil rights champions. President Biden and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden (a lifelong educator herself), personally select each recipient, and their overwhelming respect for each honoree shone through the entire event."

SCAD was founded in 1978 to create a specialized professional art college to attract students from the U.S. and abroad. A private, nonprofit, accredited university, SCAD now offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 18,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 110 countries. SCAD has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.

Visit scad.edu.

From the moment the ravishing Kate Croy (Helena Bonham Carter) appears in the dusky depths of London underground train wearing a brilliant, broad-brimmed blue hat and long-tailed suit, all evidence points to a film classic underway. Experience that cinematic thrill this Saturday, Jan. 4 by joining SCAD FASH for a special screening of Iain Softley's The Wings of the Dove, featuring the stunning costume designs of Sandy Powell.

Based on the 1902 novel by Henry James, this 1997 romantic drama stars Linus Roache, Alison Elliott and the aforementioned Bonham Carter in a dangerous pas de trois. Enjoy complimentary popcorn with fellow film and costume enthusiasts, as garments on view in the SCAD FASH exhibition Sandy Powell's Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film are brought to life on screen. 

As superlative site The Fashionéaste ("For lovers of fashion in film") perceptively wrote: "The year is 1910, and the London elite clothed in the oriental-inspired finery by Paul Poiret, luxuriate in peace, before World War I befalls Europe.  Exoticism abounds, rich colors, Art Nouveau influences, feminine lines, softness are the trends of the day."

"The period in which The Wings of the Dove is set is a real turning point in the history of fashion," Powell said in the film's production notes, referring to a relaxation of the 19th century corseted look. "Clothing became a lot less restrictive."

As the film moves from London to Venice, the costumes change too, embodying the underlying emotions. As Powell said: "In Venice, I wanted to enhance the fact that the characters had been totally removed from the repression of city life. There is a release and a liberation that is reflected in their flowing, unstructured garments. I was keen to avoid a 'cream lace' look and instead the costumes in Venice feature lighter, brighter colors and have more of an ethnic, North African look."

Sandy Powell's Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film immerses viewers in Powell's nearly 40-year career, featuring more than 125 costumes from films including Gangs of New York, Carol, Interview with a Vampire, The Aviator, The Other Boleyn Girl, and Velvet Goldmine.

Powell, recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' highest honor, remains a formidable force in filmmaking. Her career-long partnerships with directors Martin Scorsese, Todd Haynes, Neil Jordan, and Derek Jarman and actors Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julianne Moore, and Tilda Swinton have contributed to the creation of iconic film characters.

The exhibition exemplifies SCAD's continued commitment to the art of costume design. The university is proud to now offer its top-ranked production design and costume design degree programs in the prestigious SCAD School of Film and Acting at SCAD Atlanta. Experience Powell's extraordinary contribution to costume design by attending this Saturday's screening of The Wings of the Dove at SCAD FASH.

The Wings of the Dove is rated R for content, with a running time of 102 minutes.

Learn more about Dressing the Part at SCAD FASH.

It was a historic day for the SCAD women's soccer program as the ninth-seeded Bees took home their first-ever NAIA National Championship with a dominant, 4-1 victory over third-seeded Keiser University. The women's soccer team is the first team to capture a national title for SCAD in the 2024-2025 academic year.

"It feels amazing," said SCAD head coach Rebecca Gunn. "I'm so proud of all the hard work we put in, taking it game by game and staying prepared." Associate head coach Sinead Byrne agreed: "So proud of the team, they deserve it. They've worked hard for it, doing things the right way."

Coverage of the Bees' big win came from WTOC, WJCL, and VSN. Coaches Gunn and Byrne also appeared on the Soccer Down Here show to discuss in-depth the historic season and the NAIA tournament, when SCAD played four matches in eight days, including a hard-fought 2-0 win over College of Idaho to reach the final.

The title game amounted to a rematch of the Sun Conference Championship game from earlier this season when SCAD beat Keiser 5-2. Going into the NAIA final, SCAD coaches emphasized the importance of scoring early.
 
In the final, the Bees controlled the game from the very start. In the fourth minute of the game Sydney Chura chased down a ball and sent in a cross to Abigail Siddall who found the back of the net to grab the early momentum. Later in the half, Siddall  scored her second goal after Chura fired a shot on a flicked ball from Ida Akesson that rebounded to Siddall, who buried it to put the Bees ahead 2-0. Just before halftime the Bees furthered their advantage when Lois Beer converted a header off of a Chura corner. The Bees took a 3-0 lead into halftime.
 
In the second half the Bees continued their dominance, controlling the possession and finding great defensive performances from the back line of Emma Parrish, Lois Beer, Lucabella Ralph, and Emily Lau to shut down the Keiser attack. While Keiser found the back of the net late in the half, the first goal the Bees conceded at the final site, it wouldn't be enough. The Bees found an insurance goal in the final minutes of the game as Chura found the back of the net for the first time this tournament to ultimately seal the 4-1 win for SCAD and bring an NAIA National Championship back to Savannah.
 
Another bright spot for the Bees was goalkeeper Saga Bryntesson. Bryntesson made several key saves throughout the final to help the Bees keep the Seahawks at a distance and secure the victory. In addition to a stellar finals performance, Bryntesson wrapped up the four games at the NAIA Final Site having only allowed one goal.
 
On top of winning the championship, the Bees also received tournament honors. Sydney Chura, Lois Beer and Ines Sommer all received All-Tournament team honors. Beer and Chura also received Defensive and Offensive Player of the Tournament recognitions, respectively. Chura was named NAIA Player of the Tournament.

It's worth noting that SCAD faculty and staff were wholly behind the team's journey to the championship. The university-wide messaging app filled up with well-wishers and, once the title match was underway, real-time celebrations did not stint on ecstatic emojis and exclamation points.

"We had so much support from SCAD Athletics through the journey," Coach Gunn said. "We got a call from our president Paula Wallace, and we heard from alumni. We've had so much support from SCAD and from the community of Savannah too. The response has been unbelievable."

The NAIA National Champion Bees finished with a record of 20-1-2.

Congratulations on an epic, unforgettable championship season!

A "Watershed Moment for Wellness" across the pond provided multiple milestones for SCAD. At the Global Wellness Summit 2024, held Nov. 4-7 in St. Andrews, Scotland, two of the three finalists for the Shark Tank of Wellness Competition were new graduates from SCAD Atlanta. Sofía Sánchez (B.F.A., advertising, 2024) and Aimar Diaz Tatá (M.F.A., advertising, 2024) each presented projects that earned them top recognition and significant cash compensation.
 
SCAD advertising professor Gauri Misra-Deshpande guided the projects and led the trip. "I'm incredibly proud of how Sofía and Aimar represented SCAD at the Summit, and how the judges recognized their excellence," Misra-Deshpande says. "The most important aspect of their projects is wellness, which means empathy, innovation, design and storytelling, all coming together in a collaborative environment. They both learned and earned a lot from the experience."
 
Prior to the Summit, the advertising students prepared for their competition by honing their presentation skills with SCADamp coach Greg Skura. In Scotland, Sánchez and Diaz presented their business ideas to industry "Wellness Sharks" Mia Kyricos, founder of Kyricos & Associates LLC, business development director Karen Campbell of Chiva-Som International Health Resorts, and Agilysys SVP Frank Pitsikalis. Following rigorous Q&A sessions, the winners were announced: Sofía and Bond-sai won first place and $5000, while Aimar won $2000 for third place for Radical Truthical.
 
Bond-sai, inspired by the tree that gives it its name, is a sculptural and practical "emotional ecosystem" in the domain of smart wearables and mood lamps. The product was developed during Misra-Deshpande's ten-week class Collaborative Studio: Creating the Brand Solution (ADBR 480), where Sánchez was part of a seven-person student team that created a data-driven 92-page process book and brand video.

Lighten up: Global Wellness Shark Tank-winning student project, Bond-sai.

"Our team included multiple international students, all intensely familiar with the challenge of being in a new place, away from family, and trying to stay connected with those you love," explains Sánchez, a Guatemala City native who came to SCAD on a bowling scholarship. "Bond-sai offers an opportunity to show how you're feeling, visually, through colors, and to demonstrate how we're connected and help with mental health. It comes with a companion app where friends and family can see accurate readings of each other's stress levels through an Apple Watch or Fitbit. You can see the lights of your friends and family on the tree and know when they need a check-in."
 
Diaz's graduate thesis project, a card game called Radical Truthical, was inspired by classic games including Cards Against Humanity and Monopoly. "My game supports mental health by focusing on media literacy and how to learn discernment," says the Venezuela-born, Texas-raised Diaz, who attended SCAD on an educator scholarship. "I intentionally made Radical Truthical engaging for teens and young adults, and made sure the game isn't hyper-political, so while it covers political topics, there's pop culture too. With the over-consumption of social media, it's important to put your phone away and have a fun game that provides a low-stakes environment to have high-stakes conversations."

Facts: Aimar Diaz Tatá's award-winning game, Radical Truthical.

Both Sánchez and Diaz aim to take their products to market, encouraged by the enthusiasm they garnered at the Wellness Summit. They are grateful for that experience, and the "guiding light" of the mentor they call "Professor Gauri."
 
"Industry leaders were surprised and impressed when they learned that our student projects were completed in such a short time," says Misra-Deshpande. "This is our sixth year winning and it is safe to say that SCAD is a well-known name in the wellness community."

Sofía Sánchez would like to thank and include her Bond-sai student teammates ("It was a total team effort!"): Achal Agarwala, Annia Ortega Monegro, Harrison Steppe, Kriya Shah, Jack Selden, and Jenna Weisenbach.

Top (l-r): Sofía Sánchez, Professor Gauri Misra-Deshpande, Aimar Diaz Tatá. (Image courtesy: Global Wellness Summit.)

"No dream is too big," said Sabrina Spanta (B.F.A., fashion, 2016) from the stage of Trustees Theater. "You're only one step away."
 
The Afghani-American fashion designer was speaking from the heart, and from experience. On Thursday afternoon, she appeared alongside director Leslie Merlin (B.F.A., film and television, 2005) following a screening of "One Step Away." The powerful, 12-minute documentary focuses on the designer's courageous journey, depicting her early childhood in Afghanistan, her emigration to the United States as a nine-year old, her life growing up with adoptive parents in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, her time at SCAD studying fashion design, and her experinece competing on the top-rated Bravo TV show "Project Runway."
 
"I have so many girls in Kandahar looking up to me," Spanta says in the film. "If I could save two more lives, then this is the time."
 
Those two lives wound up being her younger sisters, who were living in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Spanta wrote a letter to President Wallace asking for help. Wallace responded within an hour, which began what Spanta called "a two-year mission working with SCAD, in between almost losing hope." The effort's ultimate success means Spanta reunited with her sisters — both of whom are currently studying architecture at SCAD Atlanta.
 
The film highlights the transformative power of art. It also sends up a flare of hope for a future where women are free from persecution. Following its Oct. 31 premiere during the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Spanta and Merlin appeared together on-stage.
 
I will never forget coming to the USA," Spanta said. "There were so many shocking first moments, most notably seeing my adoptive mom wearing pants, instead of a dress, and driving a car." That moment inspired Spanta's senior collection at SCAD, refashioning and refitting traditional Afghani menswear into trend-setting womenswear, including the creation of her signature X-Pant. 
 
The Q&A allowed Spanta to speak on how the documentary came to be. "When my sisters came, I met with President Wallace and the girls in her office. We were talking about just being able to tell the story, there are so many people out there who need to be inspired. That led to me getting an email from Leslie [Mann, filmmaker] that said, ‘I'd love to meet.'"
 
Mann: "I'd read about her and her siblings and was interested in the telling the story. We jumped on a phone call to see if she'd be interested in doing the documentary project. She was, and thanks to our producer and writer Keri Brooks, we were able to accomplish this story together."
 
"One Step Away" was followed by a screening of "Champions of the Golden Valley," director Ben Sturgulewski's feature documentary about the raw, passionate, and inclusive competitive skiing scene in Bamyan, Afghanistan — and what happened when the Taliban again came to power.

Watch "One Step Away" on Film Freeway.

The SCAD Savannah Film Festival continues through Sat., Nov. 2.

It happens. The amount of talent in an enclosed space creates a vibration so strong the building begins to levitate.
 
Luckily, the "Behind Her Lens: Directors" panel on Tuesday afternoon at SCAD Savannah Film Festival was grounded in experience and common sense. The Gutstein Gallery stuck to its moorings.
 
The participants included some of the most talented and influential directors working today: Marielle Heller (Nightbitch), Rachel Morrison (The Fire Inside), Erica Tremblay (Fancy Dance), Jordan Weiss (Sweethearts) and Kaila York (Discovering Love) were joined by moderator and film journalist Reshma Gopaldas. As the panel began, Gopaldas trumpeted its title: "‘Welcome to ‘Behind Her Lens'!" Pause. "Better that than ‘Under His Eye.'"
 
To kick things off, the panelists spoke of their paths to directing. Heller, whose directorial debut was 2015's Diary of a Teenage Girl, said: "I came to directing via acting. I was in my twenties, auditioning, and I was really frustrated with the roles for women, none of them felt three-dimensional and real to me. I knew I had to do more with my creativity, so I decided to write, and I adapted [Phoebe Gloeckner's book] into a play, then a movie. I became a director through making that first movie. Now I feel all my training as an actor and writer feeds my directing and is a real help."
 
Tremblay, whose directorial feature Fancy Dance debuted this year on Apple TV+, said: "My journey as a filmmaker and storyteller started growing up on a reservation in Oklahoma. I'm from the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. I remember watching elders tell stories and I thought, wow, what is that power? I want to get people to physically lean in when I tell stories, so I was really inspired by growing up and by traditional stories."
 
Weiss discussed her route to helming Sweethearts, which will screen Thursday night at Trustees Theater: "I wrote this script with my best friend and had no intention to direct it. We were confident Jud Apatow was going to want to direct this movie. He didn't. My wonderful writing partner and agents and producers looked at me and said, ‘Are you sure you don't want to throw your hat in the ring for this?' I made a directing presentation, and now this is my directorial debut. The next time I have a chance to direct I will raise my hand right away."
 
Gopaldas asked the panelists how they each set a positive tone on the set. York, who has directed more than ten feature films including the new UPtv movie Discovering Love, said: "The tone gets set in the production meeting, that's the first time when you and your crew are all sitting around a table talking about how you're going to accomplish everything you're going to accomplish, and that tone carries over to the first day of filming. I always try to lead with kindness. I don't think you have to be a yeller or screamer to get things done fast or efficiently."
 
The Fire Inside's Morrison weighed in: "I've grown up working on films since I was a DP, and I can see what worked and what didn't and why. We give up so much to make films. You have to love who you're working with and create a family, supportive environment. Efficiency is importnant. Prep and know what you want and need. People really appreciate that, because then they get to go home to their families. Life is too short."
 
The hour-long panel also felt too short. Topics discussed included staying true to a vision, fundraising, and the continuing push for equality in the industry. The students in attendance buzzed in appreciation. The building felt like it was levitating.

'Lens' friends (l-r): Marielle Heller, Rachel Morrison, Kaila York, Erica Tremblay, Jordan Weiss, and Reshma Gopaldas.

"We're as unknown to ourselves as the bottom of the sea," says the singular French artist Jean Cocteau near the beginning of Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s stunning new documentary Jean Cocteau. The doc — which screened Monday during SCAD Savannah Film Festival — dives deep into Cocteau’s life and films including The Blood of a Poet (1932), Beauty and the Beast (1946), and Orpheus (1950), surfacing with a gem worthy of its subject.
 
Immordino Vreeland frames the documentary with footage from 1960 of Cocteau addressing the young people of the future in what he imagines is the year 2000. He praises the humanity of these future youngsters, and encourages them to be serious, to work, and not to grow cynical. His words ring out an inspiring note that is deeply earned — especially considering the sorrows of Cocteau’s life.
 
After the film, SCAD dramatic writing professor Chris Auer welcomed Immordino Vreeland to the SCAD MOA stage and an ecstatic ovation. Auer prompted the filmmaker with an observation: "Cocteau was born in the 1800s, did the majority of his work in the 20th century, and in that film that he made at the end of his life, he’s addressing young people in the 21st century. So, really, he spanned three centuries."
 
"He’s a complex human being," Vreeland said. "This incredible interview where you see the tapestry behind him at Villa Santo Sospir, that was something he did that was televised that I found in the National Film Archive in Paris. It was like Cocteau never stopped speaking, like he never took a breath of air."
 
Folding in his sublime illustrations alongside historic footage of the artist and his contemporaries, Jean Cocteau is itself a work of art. The narrative backbone comes from voiceover by actor Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown) reading from Cocteau’s journals and letters to his mother. Immordino Vreeland spoke highly of O'Connor and her tight team of collaborators, including editor and producer John Northrup, musical composer Claire Cowan, and cinematographer Shane Sigler, with whom she filmed additional 16mm color footage at the villa with a Bolex camera to blend with historic footage.
 
"I worked very closely with the Comité Jean Cocteau," Immordino Vreeland said. "They knew [this documentary] wouldn’t be a pedantic film, it would have this abstract quality to it, which is what we wanted. We wanted it to feel like it was in a dreamy Cocteau-land, so you float into this world. We talk about the things that defined him, we put in the Ballets Russes and Diaghilev, to get a cross-section of his creative process. Really, making this film was about peeling it back and making it simpler and simpler."
 
"I always try to entertain people," acknowledged Immordino Vreeland. "But in this film you don’t laugh, because I felt there was a really important message to tell the youth of today, and I’m following Cocteau’s prompt here, which is to be awake, be alert, and to plant a new seed."

Lisa Immordino Vreeland and Chris Auer discuss Jean Cocteau at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2024.

Architectural historians use annual conferences as opportunities to showcase and see new research, scholarship, and analytical approaches, and to hone public speaking skills. These gatherings are also great opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the country, to learn about host cities through tours and presentations, and for students and recent graduates to network for internships and jobs.

A unique regional conference is the annual meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (known as "SESAH" and pronounced see-saw), which attracts architectural historians, historic preservationists, social historians, architects, and independent scholars. This year's meeting, held in Marietta, Georgia from October 2-5, saw SCAD's best-ever showing, with a total of nine presentations by faculty, students and alumni — the largest representation from any institution. Additionally, architectural history chair Robin Williams served as a panelist at the opening plenary panel discussion featuring representatives of the three major architecture programs in Georgia: SCAD, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University.

"I am proud of an exemplary presence by SCAD at this year's SESAH conference," said Dr. Williams. "Our students displayed the fruits of the School of Building Arts' ‘Peer Practice Session' conference presentation rehearsals, which provided valuable feedback from faculty, SCADamp coaches, and their peers. The results were elevated and impressive."

Graduate students Anna Jose (M.F.A., architectural history), Emi Higashiyama (M.F.A., architectural history), and Elizaveta Kavunets (M.A., art history) illustrated the breadth of interests with presentations on the overlooked works of American architect William Parsons in the Philippines, the lost and surviving opera houses in Georgia and their surprising multi-functionality, and the fantasy paper architecture drawings of Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin in 1980s Russia, respectively. Architectural history undergraduate Hannah Dinning analyzed the emergence of playground spaces in the early 20th century and their role in shaping children. Architectural history professor Kelly Ritter discussed representations of slums in Shanghai in mid-20th-century popular media. Chair Williams presented on how Savannah's downtown urban plan shaped and tamed the impact of automobile infrastructure in the 20th century.

Three alumni also presented papers: Mike Walker (B.F.A. architectural history, 2016), Glen Umberger (M.F.A. architectural history, 2015), and Elizabeth Clappin (M.F.A. architectural history, 2016). Ruben Acosta (M.F.A. architectural history, 2010) completed his term on the SESAH Board of Directors as the Florida representative. Alumnae Alesha Cerny (M.A. architectural history, 2011) and Bethany Laskin (M.F.A. architectural history, 2024), and SCAD Atlanta architectural history professor Daniel Williamson also attended.

Each year SESAH awards a pair of travel grants to graduate students to support their participation in the conference. Among the eleven students applying, architectural history graduate student Emi Higashiyama received the highest score from the award committee, which selected her for the Elisabeth Flynn-Chapman Student Travel Grant.

"Receiving a travel grant frees me up from economic demands and allows me to forge connections that are so necessary for building a new career," Higashiyama said. "As a non-traditional international student, attending a conference with such a gregarious group of experts is the highlight of my time as a graduate student in architectural history. I can't wait till SESAH is in Savannah in 2026!"

Congratulations to everyone involved in a highly successful SESAH 2024, and special thanks to SCAD's Institutional Recognition office and SCAD's School of Building Arts for offering important support covering student travel costs. 

SCAD at SESAH 2024: Mike Walker; Professor Kelly Ritter; Emi Higashiyama; Anna Jose; Ruben Acosta; Hannah Dinning; Elizabeth Clappin; Bethany Laskin; Alesha Cerny; Glen Umberger; Chair Robin Williams; Professor Daniel Williamson. (Not pictured: Elizaveta Kavunets.)

SCAD proudly presents Sandy Powell's Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film, the debut U.S. exhibition by esteemed British costume designer Sandy Powell, opening Oct. 11 at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. Altogether, costume drama has never looked so good.
 
Curated by Rafael Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH museums, the exhibition displays a stunning swathe of genres, periods, and realities. Showcasing Powell's inventive and dynamic work for films including Shakespeare in Love, The Favourite, Cinderella, The Wolf of Wall Street, and How to Talk to Girls at Parties, the exhibition welcomes cinephiles and costume lovers from around the world to Atlanta to witness the Academy Award winner's worldbuilding legacy.
 
"With 15 Academy Award nominations and three wins to her name, designer Sandy Powell has masterfully costumed iconic films beloved by generations," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "Sandy is no stranger to SCAD — we have honored her at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and I've welcomed her as a guest on my series On Creativity. Now, we bring our friendship full circle with Sandy Powell's Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film. As home to the only museum whose mission focuses exclusively on both fashion and film, SCAD provides the perfect set for her award-winning oeuvre in her first U.S. exhibition!"
 
Powell, recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' highest honor, is a formidable force in filmmaking. Her career-long partnerships with directors Martin Scorsese, Todd Haynes, Neil Jordan, and Derek Jarman and actors Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julianne Moore, and Tilda Swinton have contributed to the creation of iconic film characters. In vignettes featuring more than 125 costumes from films such as Gangs of New York, Carol, Interview with a Vampire, The Young Victoria, The Aviator, The Other Boleyn Girl, Mary Poppins Returns, and Velvet Goldmine, SCAD FASH immerses viewers in Powell's nearly 40-year career.
 
"I am very excited that SCAD FASH has given me the opportunity to exhibit my first ever retrospective in the university's amazing museum in Atlanta," Powell said. "I hope that the carefully curated collection will serve to inspire students and aspiring costume designers just as I have been inspired by the ingenuity and creativity of the designers I have admired throughout my career."
 
The exhibition also presents a new, SCAD-produced documentary on Powell, highlighting how her spirit enriches her craft and proves essential to actors and directors. The film features interviews with her long-time technicians and collaborators, including Blanchett and Moore, providing an authentic look at Powell's creative process and her garments.
 
Sandy Powell's Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film exemplifies SCAD's continued commitment to the art of costume design. The university is proud to now offer its top-ranked production design and costume design degree programs in the prestigious SCAD School of Film and Acting at SCAD Atlanta.
 
SCAD FASH creative director Gomes remarked: "Sandy Powell is one of the greatest artisans working in film. Her devotion to costume history, coupled with her visionary approach, has elevated some of the most unforgettable films over the past three decades. We are excited to be the first museum in the U.S. to present an exhibition of her work, and for the rich educational and cultural opportunity Dressing the Part presents to our students and everyone who visits the museum."

Witness Dressing the Part at SCAD FASH. 

"Sand eats through everything," said Monira Al Qadiri, as a knobbed bronze drill bit glowed purple on the screen above her, an image from her sculpture series Alien Technology. "I try to use the most durable materials I can, so the sculptures survive."
 
The Kuwaiti artist  — dressed in black trousers, matching greatcoat and fresh wallabees — was not in the Arabian desert but on the SCAD MOA theater stage, discussing her exhibition Holy Quarter with curator Ben Tollefson, alongside images and clips of her work.

In the exhibition's eponymous film, Al Qadiri tumbles myth and truth while riffing on British explorer Harry St. John Philby's trek to the Arabian Peninsula in the 1930s in search of the lost outpost of Ubar. Philby instead discovered remnants of meteorites which resembled black pearls. As Al Qadiri said: "It's really fascinating to imagine pearls in the desert."

Al Qadiri's presence at SCAD was part of a major MOA week, which included talks by fellow exhibiting artists Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola and P-Funk Mothership pilot George Clinton. While discussing Holy Quarter, Al Qadiri intertwined stories from the past (pearls) and the present (oil) of the Gulf economy. Intriguingly, as she reflects in her work, pearls and oil "have the same dichroic iridescent color."

"Kuwait is 90% dependent on oil revenue to survive," she said. "From the inside, you almost don't really notice the oil, it's like a magic potion that makes everything great. When I went to Japan to study and came back, I felt like an alien from my society. I started to see it from the outside."

Monira Al Qadiri, installation view of "Holy Quarter," 2020, 20 min. single-channel video and glass sculptures, dimensions variable.

Tollefson prompted Al Qadiri to speak about shooting the film in Oman. "The landscape there is really diverse," the artist said. "There's a desert with magical golden sands and then a half hour away, lush green mountains. Oman is the number two place in the world after Antarctica where meteorites land. It was a two-week road trip filming different landscapes, very difficult because the war in Yemen was happening next door. I almost died seven times."
 
Museumgoers entering Holy Quarter can experience wonder without the risk. Zone into the otherworldly imagery of shifting sands...unpack the deft undercutting of Philby's colonial mentality....and embrace the bass from the sci-fi soundtrack, supplied by renowned electronic musician Fatima Al Qadiri, Monira's sister. It's all good, as the students eager to engage during the Q&A attested.
 
Asked about how she perceives her own work, Al Qadiri summoned humor to make a serious point. "I think making art is like having a baby — you don't really know how that's going to turn out, and how people might react, you know?" As the theater rippled with laughter, she explained how her work means different things in different places: "If I'm showing a film or installation in Europe, I get ‘Oh, this is very artistic' and in the Arab world, people are laughing and think it's comedy, and in Japan people are crying. Part of my enjoyment is not knowing how people are going to react to my work."

Looking out at her swelling sea of SCAD admirers, the artist offered her sly smile. "You never know how people will take care of your baby."

Al Qadiri drills down before a rapt theater audience.

Holy Quarter is on view at the SCAD Museum of Art through Dec. 23, 2024.