As a graduate student, Shreya Dhawan (M.F.A., service design, 2018) contributed to two transformational SCADpro projects: Delta Air Lines’ "Envisioning the Future of Air Travel," and Philips Healthcare’s "Redefining Patient Care Services." Solving significant challenges for major corporate clients was an experience she achieved before graduation.

"Our students learn how to make sense of complex business systems and design effective solutions to enhance the value at the heart of rendering and using a service," says service design professor Xenia Viladas.

As Shreya puts it: "To be able to learn what clients are looking for was a valuable experience."

Shreya (center) maps design solutions for Philips during a 2016 SCADpro project.

Shreya Dhawan:

My journey to SCAD began in India. I had earned my bachelor's degree in industrial and product design, was working for a company called Tata Elxsi, and went to work with a medical startup designing hand sanitizers for the hospital environment. It felt like we were missing something by not talking to the actors in that setting. I wasn't even sure what that research approach was called. I went online and saw that SCAD offered a degree in service design. I reached out to a student from Delhi named Jagriti Kumar (M.F.A., service design, 2016) and asked about the program. She had only positive things to say: "You should definitely give it a shot!"

Being able to participate in two SCADpro projects was a significant part of my professional development. It's important to understand the ecosystem of the client. You might be working on a single piece, but how does that piece affect the entire system? Professor Viladas taught us how to see a system as a whole. I learned how to work at a concept level, then zoom out and work at a strategy level. Learning how different concepts tie together in a bigger strategy is fascinating.

I currently live in Atlanta and work as a service designer at Harmonic Design. Our CEO Patrick Quattlebaum co-wrote the book Orchestrating Experiences: Collaborative Design for Complexity (Rosenfeld Media, 2018). Patrick was interested in my SCADpro projects—that meant I already had experience working with clients in real time. He understood how that fit into what Harmonic does.

At Harmonic, we have clients in industries including telecommunications, retail, insurance, and banking. I worked on a project with a major public library system, mapping the digital fluency of different citizens who are coming into the library, so that assistance can be more effectively provided to them, while designing a superior physical space for a better service environment.

There are very few opportunities for a student to be a service design intern and really learn on a real client project. I wanted to push for students to get those opportunities. At Harmonic, I’ve been able to create our internship program. Our first year, 2019, we had a student intern from SCAD, Matias Rey (B.F.A., service design, 2019), who is now a full-time associate service designer at Harmonic. In the third year of our internship program, we received almost 100 applications.

I have seen tremendous growth in people's understanding of what service designers do. With our client base, it's about showing our many beneficial skill sets. As we keep evolving our practice of service design, our value proposition increases. We are focused more than ever on figuring out how we are contributing to sustainability, and how can we bring it into our practice, and bring it to our clients. It’s not just an industry trend—it's important for us as humans.

All smiles: Shreya Dhawan and her colleagues at Harmonic Design.

SCAD achieved a 10-year reaffirmation of its accreditation with no recommendations for improvement from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This stellar achievement marks the university's second consecutive decade of flawless SACSCOC accreditation and clearly demonstrates the exceptional quality and value of a SCAD education.

Over the last three years SCAD participated in the reaffirmation of accreditation process by SACSCOC—which includes reviews by off-site and on-site committees, the SACSCOC Committees on Compliance and Reports, standing committees of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees, the SACSCOC Executive Council, and a final review and decision by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees. At the December 2021 SACSCOC Annual Meeting, the Commission officially announced the full-term reaffirmation of SCAD's accreditation.

SACSCOC is the body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern United States. All SACSCOC member institutions are required to undergo a reaffirmation of accreditation every 10 years or less. Earning and maintaining accreditation is a major process for any institution and is crucial for quality assurance in higher education.

When accreditation is awarded to an institution of higher education by SACSCOC, the institution has a mission appropriate to higher education; resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain its mission; clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers; and that it is successful in assessing its achievement of these objectives and demonstrating improvements. Accreditation by SACSCOC is a statement of the institution's continuing commitment to quality and integrity as well as its capacity to provide effective programs and services based on agreed-upon accreditation standards.

"SCAD celebrates our 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation with joy and pride," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "The university has once again been confirmed to be in 100% compliance with all accreditation standards and has been awarded the maximum possible term of accreditation. All of us at SCAD share a deep and abiding passion for our mission to prepare students for rewarding lifelong professions, and we proudly deliver on that promise to students and their families. SCAD is truly best in class and the preeminent source of knowledge for aspiring creators, designers, entrepreneurs, and makers."

In addition to university-wide accreditation by SACSCOC, the university's professional M.Arch. degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board and the SCAD interior design program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Atlanta and Savannah is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. For more information on the university's accreditation visit scad.edu/accreditation.

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 academic degree programs across its locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow.

SCAD enrolls 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The innovative SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and other advanced learning resources, and affords students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university's renowned professional research lab and prototype generator.

SCAD is No. 1 in the U.S., according to Art & Object's 2021 Best Art Schools ranking, with additional top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. In a recent study, 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with lifelong career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more. Visit scad.edu.

The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) has named Joel Ax (B.F.A., furniture design, 2017) one of the 100 Greatest Men's Swimmers & Divers of the past century. The most dominant freestyler in NAIA history, Ax is named to a list that includes legendary Olympic champions Caleb Dressel, Ryan Lochte, and Mark Spitz. When SCADworks sent Ax a note of congratulations, his response exceeded all expectations. This exemplary artist-athlete from Idstein, Germany detailed his personal journey with honesty and humility. What follows is an edited version of Joel's written reply.

Joel Ax:

I feel honored to be named among the "100 Greatest" alongside some of the most famous and successful college swimmers ever, many of whom I looked up to during my swimming career. The number of messages of congratulations from fellow swimmers, coaches, and former teammates I've received has made me proud. I am a ‘small fish', and there are others who should be on the list. This allows me to put my experience in perspective.

When I finished high school in 2012, I didn't really know what to do. I'd been part of the German junior national team since I was 16. I was one of the most decorated swimmers in Germany, and maybe also one of the most promising ones too. But what began as a joyful hobby felt like it was slowly eating me up. I needed a change. I went through a tough phase after I didn't qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. I took a year off and started working in a retirement home as a social worker and housekeeper for disabled people.

The only options for me to combine an education with a swimming career in Germany were to become a firefighter, a police officer, or join the military. So, I pursued a scholarship in the United States, where I could choose more freely what I wanted to study. I was looking into powerhouses like Michigan, California, and Florida and soon got offers from Princeton, Yale, UCLA and others. I finally chose Arizona State University since rumors were spreading that Michael Phelps and his coach Bob Bowman would be there. I didn't want to let that chance pass by.

A few months before I was supposed to start in Arizona, I received a call from their athletic department that there was a problem. There is a rule that you can't have more than six months between high school and college and still be eligible to compete in the NCAA. Since I'd taken a year off, this meant I was not able to swim for Arizona my first year and a 90% scholarship offer turned into a 40% offer and no guarantee to make the team the following year.

I was on the edge of turning down all offers and becoming a police officer in Germany. Then SCAD swimming head coach Chris Conlon contacted me. I'd never heard of SCAD, and only knew Savannah from the movie Forrest Gump. Coach Conlon told me SCAD had great interior design program and a swim team that was part of the NAIA, where the six-month rule didn't apply. He made sure I understood that he really wanted me to come to SCAD and offered me a full ride. Fast forward four years, and I graduated summa cum laude with a 3.96 GPA and a degree in furniture design.

Coach Bill Pilczuk took over from Coach Conlon in 2016, and he taught me that small changes can have a huge impact on the way you perform, both inside and outside the pool. My final year at SCAD was my most fun year swimming-wise since the beginning of my career.

Looking back, I'm so happy that I chose an education at SCAD. The change of perspective, the connection with other cultures, the challenge of balancing swimming and my position as a team leader with pursuing a design career — it all helped me see that I am a small link in the chain, but my actions impact a greater whole.

Since returning to live in Germany, I have worked as a carpenter, teacher, bike mechanic, and graphic designer. I've leaned into the building side of design to improve my work skills and learned to weld. Now I feel confident enough to finally open my own studio. The knowledge I gained as a swimmer is something I can use in my creative life and professional pursuits.

Some say swimming is an individual sport. At SCAD I learned that when you can count on the support of your team, a win is not an individual victory, but a victory for the whole team. The way we improved every year, peaking my senior year, still gives me goosebumps. When you help others improve, you become a better swimmer automatically — and a better person too!

Joel Ax (top row, third from left) and the SCAD swimming and diving team 2016-2017.

Learn more about SCAD swimming, and come support the Bees this Dec. 3-4 as they host the SCAD Invite at the Chatham County Aquatic Center!

"By primal, I don't mean primitive, I mean essentialism," says Archana Menon (M.F.A., furniture design), founder of design studio primal-forms. "Simplicity can facilitate reflection and joy."

Strolling coffee-in-hand through Savannah's tree-lined Pulaski Square, Archana is ostensibly on break between academic quarters. In reality, the graduate student has just finished organizing the shipment of her furniture collection to New York City, where the undulating five-foot-long ebonized ash bench and two accompanying ash and alabaster lamps will be displayed during ICFF 2021. She'll be there too, appearing on WantedDesign Manhattan's Emerging Design Showcase panel. Then on to Design Miami, where the designer will discuss her work as part of the Whitewall panel Design Impact: Creating for a More Sustainable Future on November 30.


"I trained as an architect in Mumbai, then worked in interiors and hospitality, and doing residential architecture work in India," Archana says. "During that process, I realized I enjoyed designing furniture and felt that was my calling. SCAD offered me a good scholarship, and I came here to study for a master's degree in Fall 2019—my first time in the United States. Everyone has been so welcoming and supportive, students and faculty. SCAD furniture is family."

Professor Frederic Spector, SCAD associate chair of furniture design, initially encountered Archana in FURN 715, Methods in Furniture Fabrication. "Archana designed and built a tri-legged table with beautiful sculptural tapered turned legs and a curved top," Spector says. "She taught herself how to use the lathe and how to incorporate 3-axis CNC milling, processes typically not covered in that class. In a subsequent graduate studio, where the project was to design and build a work-from-home desk, she designed a desk system where work surfaces, legs, and privacy panels lock in. This whole system was both well-engineered and sculpturally beautiful. She has an amazing eye for form and proportion, and a keen understanding of trends."  

The freshness of Archana's approach is due in part to circumventing the dominant Western design repertoire. "What if there was a more open, pluralistic environment, where we find inspiration in incorporating different cultures into our design?" she asks.

A keen admirer of the artist and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi, Archana designed and built her primal-forms lamps "Lighting I & II" informed by the ancient monolithic columns of Hampi, India. Her bench "Seating I" nods to Eastern cultural traditions of sitting closer to the ground; per its catalog description, the bench "aims to step away from rigid ergonomic standards and promotes fluidity of interpretation." As Archana says: "You can sit on it however you want!"

Having won the 2021 Hospitality Design/West Elm Student Product Design Competition for her "Bloom" lighting collection, Archana received a $5,000 prize and will have her winning design produced and sold by West Elm—a significant, palpable step towards manifesting her design philosophy in the retail space.

"The multi-cultural aspect of SCAD is something that drew me here," Archana says. "I don't treat SCAD as a school, I see it as a start to a professional journey."

Archana Menon (M.F.A., furniture design).

"To me, the most refined aesthetic art form is fabric design," said Pinnacle Award-winning textile designer Wesley Mancini, speaking to an attentive group of SCAD fibers students in Pepe Hall. "I hope some of you become professional fabric designers."

Judging by the enthusiasm in the room, Mancini's wish will be realized. It was the penultimate week of fall quarter, and ten students were about to present their work for the Design of Distinction Competition. In addition to Mancini, the luminaries on hand included Kravet Inc. principal Scott Kravet, Kravet special projects manager Karen Lerman, and Valdese Weavers Chief Creative Officer Laura Levinson. SCAD chair of fibers Cayewah Easley introduced the special guests before passing the mic to fibers professor Deborah First.

"This project was a collaboration between Kravet, Valdese Weavers, and my class," First said. "Kravet furnished archival documents—designs on paper and actual fabrics—that the students used as springboards for their own interpretations. The students researched the time periods and styles of their chosen artworks, then began sketching."

After intense iteration and revision under Mancini's steadfast mentorship, the students' designs were finalized, before being woven at the Valdese Weavers Mill in Valdese, North Carolina. Now, the weavings were all hanging together in Pepe.

Each student stood to offer a précis, elucidating process and inspiration. What was immediately apparent was the diversity of the work.

Saira Netto (B.F.A., fibers) presents her design.

Quinn Carney was attracted to a neo-classic Jacquard weaving in the Kravet archive. Rebecca Durgy created a mash-up of Art Nouveau floral and her beloved bugs. Luke Doiron was drawn to the modern chromatic pattern of a Deco design. Kayla Perno went with 1970s organic shapes. Hannah Cunningham was inspired by a mid-century Modern design, originally a French luggage pattern.

Saira Mary Netto and Alejandra Fiallos both declared an affinity for Bauhaus master Gunta Stölzl, in turn creating designs inspired by Stölzl's work. Netto: "If you turn [a Stölzl composition] upside down it still looks like a complete piece, which is what I tried to achieve in my design."

The cumulative effect of the presentations was like watching a loom come alive.

"I usually tell designers it takes six months to understand Jacquard weaving, and you all did it in about six weeks, which is amazing," said Valdese CCO Levinson.

"It's very difficult to select a winner," declared the ever-exuberant Scott Kravet. "It's like, what kind of ice cream do you like better? All your designs have different interpretations for different purposes. From a mill perspective, they might favor one design. Considering salability, I may select another design for residential or hospitality."

Finally, Kravet's Karen Lerman said: "After much discussion, we have decided that there is no clear winner. You all will receive a certificate of recognition bearing the SCAD, Kravet, and Valdese logos."

Even to the untutored eye, the decision was just. The quality of the student work was, without exception, stunning. Each student was also rewarded with Valdese notebooks and pins and a Kravet coffee table tome.

Outside Pepe Hall, the Kravet mobile showroom van stood parked, chock full of textiles from the company's extraordinary archive. The students walked outside, not heeding the rain, to see what other inspirations they could find.  

Left-to-right: Students Rebecca Durgy, Alejandra Fiallos, Saira Netto, Luke Doiron, Quinn Carney, Sophia Uribe, Hannah Cunningham, Kayla Perno, Emily Bernier, professor Deborah First. (Not pictured: graduate student Kathryn Montgomery.)

Special thanks to: Wesley Mancini, Scott Kravet, Karen Lerman, Laura Levinson, Kevin von Allmen, SCAD fibers professor Katie Buchanan, and the students of Complex Woven Structures: Jacquard Technology (FIBR 415+733).

With the unveiling of a brilliant large-scale mural enlivening the basketball courts at Arthur Langford, Jr. Park in southeast Atlanta, SCAD is proud to announce the "Paint Our Parks" SCAD SERVE public art initiative. In this inaugural SCAD SERVE POP project, SCAD SERVE Alumni Ambassador and acclaimed artist Emily Eldridge (B.F.A., illustration, 2004), led a team of over 40 SCAD students, alumni, faculty and staff, Joyland community volunteers, and family members of the late Arthur Langford, Jr. in the creation of a vibrant 100 x 100 feet mural.

SCAD's public arts beautification project was developed in partnership with the City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Parks and Recreation. The university contributed significant funds for the restoration of the park's court surface, and towards the creation of a larger-than-life mural to enrich and inspire the local neighborhood community.

Envisioned by SCAD President Paula Wallace, SCAD SERVE is a university initiative that brings together the SCAD community to address neighborhood needs, listen to local leaders, and create meaningful design solutions that improve quality of life. Through SCAD SERVE, the newly launched "Paint Our Parks" (POP) initiative focuses on serving the citizens of Atlanta through the creativity, expertise, and altruism of the university's supremely talented network of students and alumni.

"Our parks are where we find our best selves — and SCAD SERVE's new Paint Our Parks public art initiative, debuting with Atlanta's Arthur Langford, Jr. Park, invites our neighbors and friends to enjoy the work of accomplished SCAD artists," said President Wallace. "SCAD SERVE Alumni Ambassador Emily Eldridge — whose murals enliven streetscapes worldwide, from Berlin to Barcelona, Córdoba, Hong Kong, and beyond — leads the Paint Our Parks public art initiative to realize shared visions of positivity, wellness, and joy, and uplift neighborhoods from Atlanta to Savannah."

"It's been an absolute honor to work together with SCAD SERVE to create artwork for the basketball courts at Arthur Langford, Jr. Park here in Atlanta," said Eldridge. "I've had the incredible opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise in the design field with current SCAD students, the up-and-coming leaders in the art world. I hope that through this experience working together, they have not only gained insight into the mural process, but have also been inspired to create change in their own communities through art. We are so excited to see this project come together and to share our work with the neighborhood!"

The creation of this special collaborative SCAD SERVE POP mural took place during the city of Atlanta's Elevate public arts festival, further illustrating SCAD as a champion of the greater Atlanta community and the university's collective commitment to advancing the arts and education in Atlanta. SCAD is honored to present this showpiece for the Joyland community and everyone in Atlanta to enjoy.

SCAD SERVE will continue to work in partnership with civic leaders in the university's home communities of Atlanta and Savannah to identify deserving public spaces for this unique SCAD SERVE Paint Our Parks mural initiative. For more information visit SCAD SERVE.

Holding court: SCAD SERVE alumni ambassador Emily Eldridge.

Whether she's antiquing, embroidering, or listening to Peggy Lee, Alaina Colleen (B.F.A., fashion, 2019) brings classic inspirations into the present. A freelance graphic designer based in Kansas City, Alaina created the vivid visual identity for the 2021-2022 SCAD course catalog. In the process, she supplied a set of symbols seen across an array of digital and physical materials — from SCAD admissions brochures and artist notebooks to the Volkswagen Bug “art car” often seen zipping precious cargo safely around Savannah.

Alaina Colleen:

SCAD has such a giant network of talented alumni, and I'm honored to be approached to create artwork for the catalog so early in my career. I was given creative freedom and asked to represent SCAD in a beautiful light, which is easy to do. I wanted to communicate the way SCAD felt to me with prospective students.

In previous years with the catalog, the alumni artist has always created a finished artwork for the front and back covers. I wanted to provide SCAD's creative team with assets they could mix and match. I landed on developing different symbols that can be set to different backgrounds. The deliverables were patterns, textures, borders, a color palette, and a clutch of symbols they could use however they wanted.

Wings are uplifting, and a key represents knowledge, a way of unlocking and discovering yourself and your value. Even if you don't contemplate the meaning of the symbols, you innately understand what they signify.

I'm drawn to warm, sun-kissed colors. There's something that feels really right about primary colors, they're strong and beautiful and in some way nostalgic, I like pairing them with jewel tones and pastels to balance things out. I love small accents of neon around edges of things. I favor metallic color in my work too, because of its talismanic resonance. All this went into what I created for the catalog.

At SCAD, I realized I was and am passionate about many things. I'm happy that I ended up in the fashion program because there are many skillsets folded into it — textiles, sculpture, graphic design, and learning to make gifs and videos too. Coming up with concepts, conducting research, and mood boarding — that all carries over into any medium, and I've been able to transition seamlessly into my work as a graphic designer.

As a fashion major, I took all my apparel classes with professor Sachiko Honda. She's a hawk with an eagle eye. I drew a portrait of her in fashion illustration class. She emphasized attention to detail, and she zoomed in on technique and manipulating fabric and thread in a beautiful way. Her expectations were always very high, and when you get high expectations from a professor you respect, you come to have high expectations of yourself in a healthy way.

In the modern world with all these screens around us, we're exposed to so much input, it's amazing and overwhelming. Working as a graphic designer, I work digitally to get ideas out quickly. I crave working with my hands, and want to make physical things that fill a space and can last longer. Creating embroidery feels meaningful and powerful. To focus on thread going in and out, to make a big picture with tiny threads, there's really nothing like it. When you embroider a garment, it feels special.

I am a multi-disciplinary artist and designer. I struggle with titling myself. It changes. And that's good, right? I mean, how do you apply your skills to the real world? I never want to close the door on different mediums.

Alaina and Louie, gloriously. (Photo: Kendall Eager, B.F.A., photography, 2018)

SCAD is proud to announce the world premiere of the documentary film Surviving Clotilda this week at the 24th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival. As the largest university-run film festival in the country, SCAD Savannah Film Festival celebrates cinematic creativity from award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers alike. The screening of this student-produced film takes place Thursday, October 28, 2021, 4 p.m. in Trustees Theater.

Surviving Clotilda is a 25-minute documentary telling the extraordinary story of America's last slave ship, the Clotilda, and of the 110 people whose resilience turned horror into hope. In 1860 the schooner smuggled African captives into the Bay of Mobile, Alabama — more than 50 years after the importation of enslaved humans was outlawed. The story of the Clotilda and the names of those enslaved Africans have been passed down for generations by their descendants, many of whom still live in a community called Africatown, only a few miles from where the ship was found.

Surviving Clotilda was produced and directed by SCAD alumna Oliva Grillo (B.F.A., film and television, 2021) and SCAD Atlanta senior Kathryn Jamieson (B.F.A., film and television). Grillo and Jamieson, along with a team of more than 30 SCAD students, worked closely with the descendants to thoroughly research the history of the Clotilda, and to tell the story from their point of view.

"The Clotilda seemed to exist in legend only, and was nearly lost to history until its re-discovery and verification in 2019," producer-director Jamieson said. "By bringing together a curated team of skilled SCAD students with fresh eyes, open hearts, and the drive to create, we were able to listen, record, and piece together the history that this community deserves. I believe as long as someone is remembered, they still exist. As student filmmakers committed to these important people and moments in history, we are passing forward what was nearly forgotten.  We do so with compassion and urgency, hoping that others will pick up this mantle."

The film is as special as the story itself. Surviving Clotilda was created through the prodigious skills of students in the award-winning SCAD film and television program, in collaboration with creative minds from the university's top-ranked degree programs in animation, visual effects, motion media, dramatic writing, and sound design. The film combines deft use of traditional filmmaking techniques with cutting-edge original imagery.

Darron Patterson, President, Clotilda Descendants Association said, "The animated film brought the story to life in a way I never could have imagined. I get emotional every time I watch it. The story and depictions are accurate and precise. The student filmmakers pulled things out of our souls, interpreted it in a way all could understand, and put it on a screen for people to see. Students at SCAD possess a quality that cannot be taught — sincerity."

The film was commissioned by the City of Mobile through the university's collaborative innovation studio SCADpro. "The students and faculty at SCAD went way beyond, as they took extraordinary measures to form relationships with the community and stakeholders," said Visit Mobile President and CEO David Clark. "This story will re-shape the Africatown Community, bring in visitors, and change humanity around the world for the better."

Visit Mobile is incorporating Surviving Clotilda into its tourism plan for the area. With the 2018 discovery of the Clotilda in the Bay of Mobile, just north of the city, Mobile has gained new international attention. Coming in the Spring of 2022, a new Africatown Heritage House museum will open to the world, sharing the experience of Clotilda survivors.

Attendees of Thursday's premiere are encouraged to stick around for the panel discussion with SCAD film and television professor Jennifer Hyde, narrator and SCAD film and television student Rachel Olivia Taylor, Visit Mobile vice president Emily Gonzalez, and Clotilda Descendants Association president Darron Patterson immediately following the screening.

To purchase tickets to the premiere, or a special 24-hour streaming pass, visit the official site.

"In the film you're about to see, you'll see a love of what's happening right now: a large group of people in a movie theater, together, looking at a big screen," said writer-director Kenneth Branagh, addressing a keen crowd from the stage of Trustees Theater, before a gala screening of his film Belfast. "You, coming here to support this film festival in person, you inspire me. And given what's happened to the world, it's a wonderful step. What you're doing is, as Shakespeare would put it, 'a good deed in a naughty world.' And for that, thank you very much."

The ovation in response was spontaneous and electric. Opening night of the 2021 SCAD Savannah Film Festival celebrated a return to the in-person grandeur of a crown jewel of the SCAD event calendar. In a suitably luminous moment, Branagh was presented with the Lifetime Achievement in Acting and Directing Award by SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace.

"It makes me feel proud and privileged to do the work that I do," Branagh said, making mention of being in Savannah 25 years ago while filming The Gingerbread Man with the late, great director Robert Altman. "It's a city throbbing with creativity, vitality, and generosity, and I'm honored to be back. I know Savannah as an incredibly kind place."

Branagh thanked President Wallace and SCAD executive director of theaters and festivals Christina Routhier for their extraordinary work nurturing this "world-famous festival, an amazing achievement." He expressed admiration for "SCAD itself, as an institution producing great work and great students [who are] most impressive with their energy, their concentration, their intelligence, their playfulness and seriousness about the work. A real tonic."

A tribute reel of Branagh's career juxtaposed memorable moments from films including Tenet, Murder on the Orient Express, My Week with Marilyn, and Dead Again. The audience was further roused by a performance by SCAD harmony singing group The Honeybees.

Introducing his own film, Belfast, Branagh said it was a story he had been "waiting and wanting" to tell for 50 years. Based on his own childhood, Belfast follows a nine-year-old boy coming of age in an explosive moment as sectarian violence rocks his city, his community, his very street. As Branagh poetically put it:

"I grew up in a place where it seemed to rain a lot. But there was plenty of sunshine in the hearts of people. And we laughed a lot about silly things. So please feel free to laugh tonight, if you feel moved to do so. And we held each other when we cried about serious things, and generally we were there for each other as a community. And then, as they say, things changed."

Special thanks to Turner Classic Movies host Dave Karger for the superb Q+A with Branagh following the screening. As Karger said: "I have just seen my favorite movie of 2021, and I hope you agree."

For more information about this year's Festival, visit the official site.

Famed American designer Christian Siriano's first solo museum exhibition, People Are People, honors the undisputed industry leader's electrifying contributions to fashion. Drawn from his extensive archive, the exhibition features bold creations from Siriano's decade-plus career, celebrating self-expression for every body at every age.

People Are People is on view through January 30, 2022 at the SCAD Museum of Art. The exhibition showcases over 35 sensational creations and statement-making red carpet gowns from the designer's decade-plus career. People Are People is a highlight of SCAD MOA 10th anniversary programming and festivities, celebrating the cultural impact of the university's premier contemporary art museum.

On October 22, Christian Siriano will be fêted at a gala reception at SCAD Museum of Art in attendance with celebrity supporters and loyal friends who have worn some of his most signature designs over the past decade. The People Are People reception weekend also coincides with the 24th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the largest university-run film festival in the world and a distinguished stop on the awards circuit, showcasing cinematic creativity from both award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers. On October 23, 3 p.m, "In Conversation with Christian Siriano" will take place as both an in-person and live streaming event.

Since the launch of his eponymous luxury fashion house in New York in 2008, Siriano's star has soared. He is beloved for his statement-making looks that combine fantasy with expert craftsmanship and a bold point-of-view, endearing him to the fashion industry, celebrities, and public alike. Recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People of the Year 2018, Siriano has consistently been an industry-leading champion of body positivity, diversity and inclusivity, having integrated social responsibility into the ethos of the Christian Siriano brand from the very beginning.

People Are People honors Siriano's electrifying contributions to fashion design and features collection highlights of glamourous show-stopping creations worn by the world's brightest stars and style trailblazers.

"No designer understands people as well as Christian Siriano," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "Celebs love his designs—Billy Porter, Amy Adams, Zendaya, and Lizzo all sing his praises. But what sets Christian apart is his belief that fashion is for everyone—and when we zip up a Siriano design, we are all stars."

In this exhibition, SCAD MOA presents extraordinary gowns and red carpet looks from the Christian Siriano archives, featuring garments worn by the world's biggest stars and luminaries including Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey; legendary divas Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Celine Dion; LGBTQ+ heroes Billy Porter, Laverne Cox, Michael Urie and Jonathan Van Ness; leading ladies Sarah Jessica Parker, Amy Adams, Lucy Liu, and Danielle Brooks; pop icons Janelle Monáe, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Sia, and Cardi B; and international top models Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell, Coco Rocha and Ashley Graham.

"It is such an unbelievable honor to follow in the footsteps of so many great designers who have exhibited their work at SCAD," Siriano said. "As a young designer it has always been my dream to create and inspire others, especially a young generation, and I truly hope this exhibit does that. This exhibition is a celebration of people in all of their beauty."

SCAD students and alumni from an array of the university's top ranked degree programs including fashion design, accessory, jewelry, film & television, fibers, and luxury fashion management will have the opportunity to view and explore these iconic designs and interact with Siriano with exclusive programming throughout the academic year.

"It is an honor to dedicate an exhibition at SCAD MOA to Christian Siriano's incredible body of work and highlight the undeniable impact he has had on the fashion industry," said Rafael Gomes, director of fashion exhibitions at SCAD and curator for People Are People. "His stunning creations are vibrant, whimsical, and combine beautiful craftsmanship with a unique point of view and upbeat positivity. We are proud to recognize Christian during this momentous year for SCAD Museum of Art."

Purchase tickets and passes to "In Person with Christian Siriano" here.