"When looking at a family photo, you might see someone in it who you don’t know and you wonder who they are," artist Sara Wong said during SCAD deFINE ART 2023. "There’s proof that this [passerby or bystander] was there with you, but we usually don’t put our attention on that person. Out of curiosity, we built the whole project out of that."

In "Museum of the Lost (Strangers at Home)," now on display at SCAD MOA, Wong and artistic collaborator Leung Chi Wo re-enact the poses and attire of these unidentified, unaware "minor characters." Their life-sized photographic prints are accompanied by semi-speculative texts about the experiences and personalities of these perfect strangers.

"The project is two parallel series: one is the vintage object you can see, the other is this large photograph which is more like our performance, like a Band-Aid on the black hole of history," said Leung. "On the one hand, they are referencing each other; on the other hand, we see the big photos as the choreography of the accidental pose."

Last week Wong and collaborator Leung Chi Wo joined chief curator of exhibitions Daniel Palmer at the museum for a public gallery talk. The artists stood before their work to enlighten attendees with humor and insight.

"We began the project in Nagoya four years ago," Leung explained. "We visited a small shopping street and talked to shop owners. They all had photo albums of their grandfathers’ and fathers’ activities which were part of the business, but also private family gatherings and activities that involved neighbors." These ancillary characters created room for the artists’ imagination.

"When you see the original photograph you imagine the shutter clicking in less than a second, but when we were shooting in the studio, we need to hold a posture for minutes or even hours, so it becomes a performative thing to us, a sculptural process as well," pointed out Wong.

Leung mentioned the Italo Calvino short story "The Adventure of the Photographer" as a source of inspiration, as well as ideas regarding presence in Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida. "Always leave them with a reading list," Palmer said with a smile, as students took notes.

Leung Chi Wo (b. 1968, Hong Kong) and Sara Wong (b. 1968, Hong Kong) have collaborated since 1992. The artists co-founded the arts center Para Site in Hong Kong in 1996. From 1999 to 2000, Leung and Wong participated in a residency in New York, where they premiered City Cookie, their most widely exhibited project, as part of a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council. Leung is an associate professor in the School of Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong. Wong is a practicing landscape architect and the recipient of the Ramon Woon Creative Prize from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"Museum of the Lost (Strangers at Home)" is on view at SCAD Museum of Art through July 3, 2023.

Dive into a week of strong work as SCAD presents the 14th edition of SCAD deFINE ART, the university's annual program of talks, tours, and exhibitions featuring work by contemporary art's most vital voices. The celebrated event features new exhibitions at the SCAD Museum of Art, and programming with international contemporary artists, kicking off with the opening reception in Savannah at SCAD MOA, Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m..

This year's deFINE ART, presented Feb. 28–March 2, includes a keynote conversation with renowned Cuban-American artist, sculptor, and 2023 SCAD deFINE ART honoree Jorge Pardo; a screening of Argentine-Israeli video artist Mika Rottenberg's feature film REMOTE; and a keynote lecture by New York-based multidisciplinary artist Rachel Feinstein, among other illuminating gallery talks, panels, and conversations.

The programming complements new exhibitions at SCAD MOA, featuring work by Pardo, Rottenberg, Feinstein, and other globally renowned artists including Ann Craven, Hassan Hajjaj, Chase Hall, Gyun Hur, Leung Chi Wo + Sara Wong, Josh Sperling, and Ana Bel Lee Washington — an international roster of artists representing countries and regions including Argentina, Cuba, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, South Korea, the U.K., and the U.S.

"SCAD deFINE ART 2023 challenges students, collectors, and lovers of beauty to query the quotidian and question the quixotic," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "Glowing glass installations, fantasy-inspired painted panoramas, and three-dimensional dioramas immerse viewers in ethereal elegance. In addition to renowned artist Jorge Pardo's magnificent work, SCAD deFINE ART guests will marvel at myriad other mediums and masterworks on display throughout SCAD MOA. Join us as we celebrate creators and inspire tomorrow's innovators. SCAD defines art."

Rachel Feinstein, "Panorama of Rome 2012" (detail), 2012, oil enamel on mirror, 47 7/8 x 469 in. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian Gallery.

Questioning our collective past and present with introspection and whimsy, the exhibitions capture the complexities of contemporary life and include an expansive site-related installation by Jorge Pardo (b. 1963, Cuba); a panoramic presentation of recent paintings by Ann Craven (b. 1967, Boston, Mass.); an installation and sculpture- centered survey of work by Rachel Feinstein (b. 1971, Fort Defiance, Ariz.); photographic work by Hassan Hajjaj (b. 1961, Larache, Morocco) and the artist duo Leung Chi Wo + Sara Wong (b. 1968, Hong Kong; b. 1968, Hong Kong); the first solo museum exhibition for Chase Hall (b. 1993, Saint Paul, Minn.), presented by SCAD MOA's Evans Center for African American Studies; a collection of connected bodies of work by SCAD alum Gyun Hur (b. Daegu, South Korea; M.F.A., sculpture, 2009); a video installation by Mika Rottenberg (b. 1976, Buenos Aires); a two-part solo exhibition showcasing new work by Josh Sperling (b. 1984, Oneonta, N.Y.); and an ode to the artistic vision of Ana Bel Lee Washington (b. 1924, Detroit, Michigan; d. 2000, St. Simons Island, Ga.).

Exhibitions programming also includes the group show Protégé, which celebrates the creative and professional relationships that grow and evolve between students and professors at SCAD and beyond, presented at the university's Gutstein Gallery.

SCAD Museum of Art chief curator Daniel S. Palmer said: "We are so honored to showcase these incredible artists here at the SCAD Museum of Art. They have created a diverse group of important exhibitions of the highest caliber that I am certain will inspire audiences of all types. As always, the artists we work with bring such ambition, thoughtfulness, and creativity to their projects here. We are so excited to share their brilliance with our students and visitors."

Many of the university's top-ranked degree programs — including sculpture, painting, fibers, photography, film, architecture, production design, and furniture design — are represented in this year's exhibitions and programming. SCAD students and community members can engage with the artists during the three-day event through gallery talks, conversations, master classes, collaborations, and public art.

For more information, visit scad.edu/defineart.

Banner image: Mika Rottenberg, Cosmic Generator (video still), 2017.

This week in Atlanta, SCAD TVfest glows up in person. Now in its 11th year, the university's annual signature event celebrates all things television and streaming Feb. 9-11.

"This year, Buffy, Darryl, and Jamie Dutton star in the greatest show about television: SCAD TVfest!" said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "That's right, America's teenage scream-queen of the '90s (THE Sarah Michelle Gellar!), everyone's favorite warehouse manager (THE Craig Robinson!), and star of TV's steamiest series (THE Wes Bentley of Yellowstone!) will appear live and in person to share their TV secrets with SCAD students. We've planned truly the most epic TVfest in SCAD history for our Bees: pitches, panels, and premieres galore, where SCAD students' TV dreams become professional realities."

"It's a thrill to be back on the ground in Atlanta for this year's SCAD TVfest. There is nothing better than seeing our students interacting with some of the top people in television including talent, showrunners, executives, and more," said SCAD TVfest Executive Director Christina Routhier. "From our honorees to the premieres of brand new TV shows, we are so excited for this year's programming lineup. A highlight for us is the ability to showcase the shows shot here in Georgia as Atlanta has truly become the hub for television and film production in the United States."

Wes Bentley will receive the Virtuoso Award and Craig Robinson will receive the Spotlight Award. SCAD previously announced that Sarah Michelle Gellar will receive the Icon Award and Sterlin Harjo will receive the Variety Showrunner Award. Honorees are scheduled to attend screenings and participate in conversations highlighting their performances and illustrious careers.

SCAD TVfest will showcase exciting programs from 20th Television, ABC, ABC Signature, AMC, CBS, The CW, Disney+, Disney Branded Television, Freeform, FOX, FX, HBO Max, Hulu, Nat Geo, Paramount+, Paramount Network, Peacock, Prime Video, Sony Pictures TV, Universal Studio Group, Warner Horizon Unscripted TV, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Television and more.

Wes Bentley (Virtuoso Award) currently stars as Jamie Dutton in the Paramount Network series Yellowstone, from writer/director Taylor Sheridan. In 1999, Bentley gained immediate critical acclaim and recognition for his role in the Oscar-winning film, American Beauty. Over the past twenty years, Bentley's work in film has ranged from commercial and critically acclaimed fare, like The Hunger Games, Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, Disney's live action remake of Pete's Dragon, Mission Impossible: Fallout, as well as working with Terrence Malick in Knight Of Cups. In 2014, Bentley made his television debut starring in multiple seasons of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story.

Craig Robinson (Spotlight Award) first made his mark as a stand-up comedian at the 1998 Montreal Just For Laughs Festival. Before pursuing comedy full-time, Robinson was a K-8 teacher in the Chicago Public School System. e is best known for his portrayal of Darryl Philbin in The Office, and has starred in films, including Knocked Up, This is the End, Hot Tub Time Machine, Dolemite is my Name!, Timmy Failure, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, Songbird, and The Bad Guys. Craig re-teamed with Brooklyn Nine-Nine exec producers Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici for Peacock's hit scripted comedy show Killing It, currently filming season two.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Icon Award) is a producer and a Golden Globe-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor. Beginning her career as a child actor, Gellar has remained a leader on television, theater, and the big screen. Her list of credits, which include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, Do Revenge, and the Scooby-Doo franchise, have helped her to build and maintain her status in the industry. Wolf Pack, which Gellar stars in and executive produces, was filmed in Atlanta and premieres Thursday, Jan. 26 on Paramount+.

Sterlin Harjo (Variety Showrunner Award) is the co-creator, executive producer and showrunner of FX's award-winning Reservation Dogs, a comedy series following four Indigenous teenage friends living on a reservation in Oklahoma. The series has been renewed for season three. Currently, Harjo's series Poster Girls, which he co-wrote with bestselling novelist Jonathan Lee, is in development with FX Productions. LeBron James' company, SpringHill, is producing Rezball (Netflix), a series Harjo co-wrote with Sydney Freeland. Harjo has created and directed five feature films: three narrative dramas and two documentaries. Each of his films are set in Oklahoma and address contemporary Indigenous experiences.

For more information and passes, visit scadtvfest.com.

"Connection" and "celebration" are two words that the student team behind the new SCAD Chinese New Year Red Pocket Game feel epitomize the global holiday. For HuaHua Liu (M.F.A., advertising; B.F.A., motion media design, 2018), Yueze Liu (M.A., illustration), and Rui Wang (M.F.A., advertising), Chinese New Year represents the perfect moment to combine their strengths and create an entertaining, meaningful experience for WeChat users.

"The theme behind the game is to celebrate and connect our Chinese students and parents with an interactive experience, and let them know SCAD wants to celebrate with them," says HuaHua Liu, the project's art director.

Throughout the digital experience, users earn special photo frames for social media. The ultimate prize is a shareable red envelope, calling back to one of the holiday's ubiquitous symbols: hóng bāo, or "red pockets," filled with money as a gift from loved ones. Whimsical rabbits lead users through the game and pay homage to the Chinese zodiac and 2023 as the Year of the Rabbit.

The game's world brings traditional Chinese motifs to the screen with crisp and colorful motion graphics. As the team's illustrator, Yueze Liu blended geometric compositions with delicate line work to create her decorative illustrations. "I hope users see a modern side of our traditional festival," Liu says. "I also hope they feel a sense of belonging to both our school and our culture."

Rui Wang rounded out the team as art director, implementing the design processes learned during his SCAD classes to help lead the efficient collaboration. "I use the entire workflow on a daily basis," says Wang. "That's why we were able to complete the game in such a short period of time."

The final product is equal parts playful and sincere. It extends a vibrant "thank you" to the game's users and the recipients of its limited-edition red pocket. The team's vision and ingenuity make it possible for students and parents around the world to share in the time-honored Chinese tradition.

"All parts of this project were rewarding, from designing the game in a short period to finishing illustration and animation. It's a great honor to work with Rui and Yueze, two of the wonderful students I met at SCAD," Liu says. "We celebrate not only Chinese New Year but also this project."

See more of each artist's design work at their respective sites: HuaHua Liu, Yueze Liu, and Rui Wang.

SCAD has united with Deloitte, the world's leading service provider, to establish the Deloitte Foundry at SCAD. The preeminent design, research, and innovation studio at the world's elite university for creative professions will advance solutions to complex technological challenges facing government agencies and businesses.

Since 2019, Deloitte has collaborated closely with SCADpro, the university's in-house research and design studio, to provide hundreds of SCAD students with opportunities to create design solutions for some of the most complex issues facing public-sector organizations. More than thirty SCAD graduates are now employed by Deloitte as UX designers, service designers, media creators, and more.

"In under four years, SCAD and its students have already completed 20 successful research assignments for Deloitte, with countless more collaborations in the wings," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "Our relationship has been special from the beginning, and the establishment of the Deloitte Foundry at SCAD makes it official. This first-of-its-kind studio is a launching pad for SCAD's brilliant Bees. The Deloitte Foundry invites the company into the very heart of SCAD, where it will continue to learn from, partner with, recruit, and hire SCAD talent. Deloitte understands that SCAD graduates the world's most inventive creative talent—and that every organization in the world needs SCAD brilliance to stay competitive."

Previously known as Ruskin Hall, the Deloitte Foundry (516 Drayton St.) builds on years of fruitful partnership between SCAD and Deloitte and signifies a compelling new chapter in the alliance.

"We're excited to expand our relationship with SCAD and make an even greater impact on the students with whom we work and on the communities they represent," said Deloitte Consulting LLP principal Mike Canning. "For the past several years, Deloitte and SCAD have worked together to address some of the country's most challenging organizational and societal issues—including how to enhance resources and support for military families, how to effectively deliver critical services to families, how to tackle homelessness, and how to enhance long-term care for seniors. The Deloitte Foundry will take our relationship with SCAD to new heights and provide students with even more exciting career opportunities in the public sector."

"The Deloitte Foundry is an excellent opportunity to continue to grow Deloitte's relationship with SCAD, the city of Savannah, and the state of Georgia. This renewed collaboration will help introduce a new generation of highly skilled talent into the workforce," said Heather Reilly, Markets Leader for Deloitte's Government and Public Services (GPS) practice. "We're confident that the Deloitte Foundry will open new opportunities for SCAD students and Deloitte professionals alike." 

The Deloitte Foundry will launch several new initiatives this year to spur innovative research, design thinking, and business solutions, including:

• Deloitte Rapid Implementation Studio, where multidisciplinary teams of SCAD students and faculty will immerse themselves in real-world business challenges and develop groundbreaking, actionable solutions rooted in human-centered design.
• Digital Frontier Studio, which will focus on research, design, and implementation strategies around digital frontier topics such as immersive reality, the metaverse, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and more.
• Deloitte Concierge Recruiting Center, a dedicated, on-site resource to mentor and recruit high-performing SCAD students and alumni, establishing an innovative new model for attracting top creative talent.

ABOUT DELOITTE
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 7,000 private companies. Deloitte and its people come together for the greater good and work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace — delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthier society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving clients in the markets that are most important to them. Building on more than 175 years of service, Deloitte's network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 345,000 people worldwide connect for impact at deloitte.com.

ABOUT SCADPRO
Fueled by inventive students and superstar faculty, SCADpro is a high-performance boutique design consultancy within SCAD that provides fast, smart, bottom-line business results for hundreds of global clients. Operating in the U.S. and Europe, SCADpro solves creative challenges for Fortune 500 clients in finance, healthcare, hospitality, entertainment, technology, automotive,
e-commerce, and more.

SCAD announces the successful unveiling and habitation of FORTY FOUR, the university's new, state-of-the-art 10-story residence hall, having welcomed students for the 2022-2023 academic year. Named in honor of the forty-four years since SCAD was founded by President Paula Wallace, FORTY FOUR is the first phase of SCAD Atlanta's transformational development projects on Spring Street in the upper Midtown corridor.

Boasting sweeping views of Atlanta's skylines, FORTY FOUR is a 581-bed residence hall with co-educational accommodations for undergraduate and graduate students. FORTY FOUR features dormitory-style rooms, suites, and apartments outfitted with modern amenities for urban living.

Connecting FORTY FOUR with SCAD Atlanta's main academic location at 1600 Peachtree Street via SCAD Way, the university offers a dynamic centralized environment where students can live, learn, work, and create. Dining options for student residents at FORTY FOUR include Palette, a full-service culinary hall with a cross-section of cuisines and custom-order options, and Bodega market for coffees, smoothies, gourmet prepared foods and grab-and-go items.

A curated collection of vibrant art installations and murals from a cadre of SCAD alumni and affiliated artists adorn FORTY FOUR's ground-level common areas. Works by Kent Knowles (Associate Chair of Fine Arts; B.F.A., painting, 1997), Marcus Kenney (M.F.A., photography, 1999) and Michael Porten (M.F.A., painting, 2012; B.F.A., illustration, 2004) create an environment that inspires creativity. Each residence floor features contemporary community lounges, tranquil study spaces, and digital laundry services.

"The 2022-2023 academic year brings great excitement for SCAD Atlanta with the debut of FORTY FOUR, opening to rave reviews and making this location a wonderful place for our students to live in the heart of Midtown Atlanta," said Leslie Miranda, Dean of Students, SCAD Atlanta. "We are thrilled for this new offering for our Bees and for the university's tremendous growth, serving students from across the world with best-in-class academics, accommodations and opportunities."

FORTY FOUR was completed by builder Clayco and designed by Mackey Mitchell Architects and Lamar Johnson Collaborative in collaboration with SCAD Design Group. SCAD Atlanta is enhancing its position of offering incomparable instructional and creative environments to foster learning, collaboration, and innovation for SCAD students as well as the greater Atlanta community.

The opening of FORTY FOUR follows the September debut of SCAD Atlanta's XR stage/LED volume for virtual productions, the largest at any academic institution in the U.S. The university has embarked on ambitious expansion plans to support record enrollment, an increase of 10% for the 2022-2023 academic year at SCAD Atlanta. This includes the most diverse student body in SCAD history, with all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands represented, as well as international students from over 80 countries. For the second consecutive year, Art & Object ranked SCAD as the No. 1 art and design university in the U.S., affirming the university's international reputation as the preeminent source of knowledge for creative professions.

Experience SCAD Atlanta.

On the second Saturday in September, nine SCAD students stood in the rusted shell of Colonial-Hites Manufacturing Plant in West Columbia, South Carolina. Wade Caughman, Director of Development for real estate development firm Jams + Stark, addressed the group: "When you look at the outside of this building, you'll see the sign that says THINK GLOBAL. That goes back to when signage was made here for everything from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to Epcot Center to the University of Qatar. That's the level of ambition we want you to bring to this project."

Preservation design graduate student Sebastian Escobar Campos surveyed the former factory: "I see so much potential here. It gets me excited about the possibilities of how we might transform old space into a new place. We can do something modern while incorporating Colite history."

Jams + Stark's Wade Caughman (left) listens to SCAD student Sebastian Escobar Campos.

The students, all participants in an exclusive SCADpro project in partnership with Jams + Stark, were tasked with designing the transformation of the 155,000 square-foot space into a live-work-play creative mecca called "Colite City." Brooklyn's Industry City and Atlanta's popular Ponce City Market are precedents, and the goal, as Caughman prompted, is to spur the revitalization of West Columbia.

"The Colite City project enables students to collaborate on a real-world preservation design application," explained SCAD architecture professor and faculty point person Ryan Madson. "Students work on a complex design brief that addresses adaptive reuse of an inspiring post-industrial site. We explore branding, landscape design, wayfinding, master planning, web design, and innovative programming for future tenants."

After the West Columbia site visit, students returned to Savannah. Fall quarter gained momentum. Twice a week, they met to work on deliverables from technical drawings to user experience case studies. Banded under the courses Studio 1: Preservation Through Public Policy (PRES 710) and Studio IV: Policy and Planning (PRES 310), the group was guided by Madson's expertise in urban planning and landscape architecture.

Hazen Soucy and Madeline Jensen share ideas.

Five weeks passed. In an upstairs classroom in Clark Hall, 3D Autodesk renderings were projected on a wall beside a marked-up white board. Hazen Soucy (B.F.A., architecture) and Madeline Jensen (M.F.A., interior design; B.F.A., interior design, 2022) led a spirited debate about the relative merits of layouts for an outdoor area in Colite City. Professor Madson listened at length, then interjected: "Don't call it green space, call it a lawn." Everyone laughed. "Remember this is intended for real people."

Another five weeks went by. Suddenly it was the final day of the academic quarter. This time Wade Caughman was on the students' turf, upstairs in Ruskin Hall. The ambitious project was ready to present.

Preservation design master's candidate Savannah Kruzner: "The first time we met you Wade, we were at the site, and you gave us a challenge to design Colite City as a place where we would want to live. After brainstorming, we realized we all have different reasons why we'd want to live in the Colite City that we've designed."

Each student spoke in turn. Thoughtful responses were epitomized by Zheng He (M.F.A., preservation design): "I want to live in Colite City because it's a city within a city, so I can live a lifestyle of convenience, while having more outdoor space to experience nature."

It was time for the comprehensive proposal. "We see Colite City as the next chapter in a continuum for greater Columbia, West Columbia, and the site itself," said Madeline Jensen.

"Colite Industries did an incredible thing representing the community of West Columbia on a global scale," said Kruzner. "We want that global scale to exist within the fabric of the site in Colite City."

With Kruzner, Jensen, and Campos leading the presentation, the blend of technical design and compelling narratives made areas within Colite City like The Hangar, Soda Street, and Industry Alley come alive.

Jams + Stark's Wade Caughman sat front and center. An hour later, he clapped his hands: "This is incredible. You exceeded my expectations, and even convinced me of a couple things I didn't consider possible."

As the beaming students gathered to shake hands with Caughman, Professor Madson smiled. "We are thrilled by the opportunity for our designs to be brought to life by our partners at Jams + Stark."


Front row (l-r): Sebastian Campos, Madeline Jensen, Savannah Kruzner, Zheng He, Kate Dutilly, Jackie Boling, Savannah Tuten.
Back row (l-r): Hazen Soucy, Edward Harrison, Prof. Ryan Madson.

Maximum respect to Prof. Ryan Madson and the SCADpro x JAMS + STARK fall 2022 students:

Jaqueline Boling (M.F.A., preservation design)
Sebastian Escobar Campos (M.F.A., preservation design)
Katherine Dutilly (M.F.A., preservation design)
Edward O. Harrison (B.F.A., preservation design)
Zheng He (M.F.A., preservation design)
Madeline Jensen (M.F.A., interior design; B.F.A., interior design, 2022)
Savannah Kruzner (M.A., preservation design)
Hazen Soucy (B.F.A., architecture)
Savannah Mae Tuten (M.F.A., preservation design; B.F.A., painting, 2021)

"SCAD is a Deaf-friendly institution, where we value Deaf people," says Dr. Kara Powis. "The Deaf worldview on visual arts is different than the hearing worldview, which I think is what SCAD is all about — looking at art and design in different ways."


As the new SCAD Coordinator of Deaf Services, Dr. Powis directs an interpreting staff that provides communication services to deaf students both in-class and for co-curricular activities. For the 2022-2023 academic year, SCAD has deaf students enrolled in Savannah and Atlanta, and via online learning platform SCADnow. Suitably, Powis arrives at an institution at the vanguard of art and design education.

"Dr. Kara Powis brings unparalleled knowledge and experience to SCAD, and approaches all of her interactions with a genuine smile," says Dr. Aimée Bellmore, SCAD Executive Director of Counseling and Student Support Services. "She has already made a significant difference for our deaf students. I know she will lead us forward with her mission to increase accessibility, inclusion, and belongingness for students who are deaf or hard of hearing at SCAD."

Meeting Dr. Powis on a recent morning in her Bradley Hall office overlooking Oglethorpe Square proves edifying. "I'm a hearing person, and I want to be mindful that I'm speaking as an ally to Deaf people, from my experience with the community, not of the community. That's an important distinction," she says.

Powis relates a focused history of Deaf culture in the past half century-plus, emphasizing the importance of the Disability Rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s, the Deaf President Now student protest at Gallaudet University in 1988, and the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. An intersectional historian and linguist, Powis holds a Ph.D. in Transformative Learning and Change from California Institute of Integral Studies. Beneath her flourishing career lie the roots of her radical empathy.

"I came out of the womb as an activist," she says with her signature smile. "I grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, which was ethnically diverse — there were families from five different countries on our street. Early on I saw injustice and inequality in the world, and as a human being, I knew it was my job to do something about that. That's a big part of my background — and foreground."

As Director of Deaf Services Palo Alto from 2014-2022, Powis worked with some of the biggest Silicon Valley tech companies, coordinating interpreters for employees and executives, and running global Sign Language classes across 18 countries. Then, when her sister-in-law passed her a copy of SCAD President Paula Wallace's memoir The Bee and the Acorn (Assouline Publishing, 2016), Powis' curiosity was piqued, setting in motion a career and coastal shift.

Now at SCAD, Dr. Powis is enthusiastic for what Deaf culture can also mean to the lives of hearing students. "I have been approached by hearing students who want to start an ASL club. We need twenty students to be an official SCAD club, and if enough students are interested, I'm happy to sponsor it." (Students interested in learning American Sign Language through a formal SCAD club are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Powis directly: [email protected].)

"My job is administrative, and it's also educational in terms of helping the SCAD community think more about deafness and access and accessibility and language," Powis says. She articulates a vision for SCAD as a preferred destination for deaf prospective students. "That means elevating SCAD on the map in the Deaf world."

Readers may notice that sometimes the word “Deaf” is capitalized in this post, while in other instances it is not. The capitalized usage refers to a group of people, with the lowercase “deaf” indicates a condition. Thank you to Dr. Powis for the clarification.

"Have grace over the fire," said Giselle Byrd (B.F.A., performing arts, 2014) to a rapt student audience at Gutstein Gallery.

The actor, director, producer, and talent manager — speaking at the Alumni Voices panel on Friday during Film Festival — emphasized her point with a smile.

"I can wake up and get a phone call that a client has COVID and a concert is tomorrow, or someone has missed a flight to Scandinavia," Byrd said. "I take a breath. Then I strategize, and that's what SCAD taught me: to strategize. There is a solution to everything."

Byrd was one of eight total panelists on Alumni Voices, including her creative collaborator Susan O'Brien (B.F.A., film and television, 2014). Moderated by film and television professor Michael Chaney, the panel was full of fabulous advice and memories of SCAD.

"What do you wish you knew then that you know now?" Chaney asked.

"I wish I knew my power," Byrd said. "We all have power that we connect to, that pushes us forward. I would say, tap into your power now. The sooner you recognize it and embrace it, the sooner you have your truth. Then you can conquer the world."

O'Brien offered her own considered response: "The biggest thing is letting go of expectations. I thought that to be a director, I had to go through a production company and climb up the ladder. Now, as a freelance director, I've directed #MeToo's anniversary campaign, as well as content for Planned Parenthood. It took being open to things I did not expect to get to a place in my career that I'm happy with."

This Saturday, Byrd and O'Brien will be on hand for a screening of the film "When We Arrive as Flowers" during Global Shorts Forum: XX. Directed by O'Brien, with Byrd part of the producing team, "When We Arrive as Flowers" is a portrait of dancer Diovanna LaBeija, who "realizes her transfemme identity through a choreographic journey of self-discovery."

The twist in this alumni tale is that Byrd and O'Brien, though they graduated the same year, did not know each other as students. "While I didn't meet Giselle at SCAD, we have that commonality," O'Brien said.

Byrd: "The first time I met Susie, she was coming to my house for dinner and we were going to have a chat about life in 2020. I was cooking, and she said, 'I have a question. Can I follow you through these protests that are happening?' I was like, 'Okay, sure.' And from there, our sisterhood just grew."

Byrd, the first Transgender woman to take part in The Tribeca Chanel Women's Filmmaker Program, made her documentary debut with "Giselle's Story," directed by O'Brien. The pair are delighted to have found each other as collaborators. This gave O'Brien further cause to reflect:

"If I had to go back to SCAD, I'd collaborate even more with other majors. Make friends with motion media artists, animators, illustrators, sound designers. Meet everybody. This is the one time when you can pay people in pizza, so take advantage of it."

Everyone, Byrd included, cracked up.

Above still from "Giselle's Journey" (2021, dir. Susan O'Brien).

Banner image: Diovanna in "When We Arrive as Flowers" (2022, dir. Susan O'Brien)

Opening weekend of the 25th SCAD Savannah Film Festival came complete with red carpets, Redmayne, rising stars and Ron Howard. Yet less touted gems remain essential to the festival, and documentary short The Bardia thrilled a largely unsuspecting full house Sunday at SCAD MOA.

Directed by alum Gabriella Garcia-Pardo (B.F.A., film and television, 2012), The Bardia delivers the colorful story of Moroccan equestrian Amal Ahamri. Early archival clips show Ahamri as a brooding teenaged beauty, a celebrity in her home country as the leader of an all-female tbourida team.

The doc then shifts into footage Garcia-Pardo and her production teammates filmed during Ahamri’s lengthy sabbatical from the sport. "My life and work revolve around horses," says Amal, as an over-30 mother, wife, and equestrian policewoman. "I am grateful, but sometimes I feel confined."

In its 19-minute running time, The Bardia packs intense information and emotion. Its final image — of aggressively synchronized female riders discharging gunpowder rifles into the night sky — will not be soon forgotten.

The affable Garcia-Pardo took the stage following the screening to discuss her work.

"I directed this film and shot and co-edited the film, along with my two producing partners, Gwyneth Talley and Iftane Takarroumt. As a SCAD alum, it feels really special to be back here in Savannah," Garcia-Pardo said.

"The original idea for the film came when I met Gwyneth in 2015. She was in Morocco as an anthropologist on a Fulbright and had met Amal, and wanted to make a film but had never made a film before. At that point I’d been working at National Geographic as a one-woman band, by myself in the field, shooting, producing, and editing. One of the reasons I got into film is because it’s a truly collaborative process — on documentaries you have small teams where each person is contributing immensely. And that’s how we made this film.

"We wanted to share the film with audiences outside Morocco who have never heard of the sport, so we needed to give a little more context. We had to set up tbourida at the beginning as succinctly as possible, and who Amal was when we met her.

"When we met Amal she was at the peak of her career. She had been on TV a lot, but she basically got asked the same five questions over and over and nothing more. When she got pregnant, it shifted what our film was about. It became about how you identify yourself when the one thing you’ve tied yourself to is no longer in your life.

"We filmed over four years, going back once a year and interviewing Amal. The voiceover was built from those interviews. I wrote and condensed it. Iftane, one of the producing partners, recorded the voiceover as a temp track and we showed that to Amal. We wanted to make sure Amal felt represented. She was able to give us edits, and recorded the final voiceover herself. It was nice to have this collaborative process based on ideas she’d expressed over a period of time.

"My advice to SCAD students is do not to get fixated on accolades or prestige or the end-product. Find the joy in the process. Students might have an idea but think their skills aren’t there yet, so the idea sits on a shelf for years. It’s important to make the most of what you have and make it now."

Visit Gabriella Garcia-Pardo.