SCAD Museum of Art hosted a momentous gala event on Thursday, April 21, 2022, celebrating the institution's 10-year anniversary, with over 300 attendees enjoying a suitably gorgeous Savannah evening. The celebration took place al fresco in the museum's Alex Townsend Memorial Courtyard and included performances, film screenings, and a three-course dinner by award winning hospitality group Daniel Reed.

The evening was hosted by SCAD President Paula Wallace, SCAD VP of brand experience Kari Herrin, and industrial design student Aniekanabasi Asanga. The event was co-chaired by creative leaders, sisters, and close friends of the university Wendy Goodman and Tonne Goodman. The gala host committee included Ellen and Jeep Bolch, MD, Arnika and Stephen Dawkins, MD, Katie Holderness, Melissa Rowan, Justice Leah Ward Sears, Anita and Michael Thomas, Michael Bishop and Shane Thomas.

The evening featured multiple, unique artistic delights. Accomplished actor and SCAD performing arts professor Isaiah Johnson and elite SCAD vocal ensemble The Honeybees both performed, as well as a DJ set by alumni Jose Ray (B.F.A., painting, 2011). Guests also experienced the debut of a short film celebrating SCAD Museums of Art's artful first decade and the institution's award winning historic preservation. Alumni artists' creative work was showcased, including hand-painted linens by alumni and associate curator at SCAD MOA Ben Tollefson (M.F.A., painting, 2014), and floral designs by alumna Audrey Wagner King (M.F.A., fibers, 2011).

Other notable guests included Domenico and Eleanore De Sole, Bob and Alice Jepson, Walter and Linda Evans, Gale Singer, Greg Parker, Ginny Brewer, Chiara Visconti di Modrone, David Paddison, and Lori Judge.

As a center for cultural dialogue, the SCAD Museum of Art engages students and communities through dynamic interdisciplinary educational experiences. A growing international roster of artists provides opportunities for students from all majors to learn about wide-ranging artistic practices and worldviews.

The museum has presented exhibitions by artists including Jane Alexander, Radcliffe Bailey, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Subodh Gupta, Alfredo Jaar, Sigalit Landau, Liza Lou, Ebony G. Patterson, Robin Rhode, Bill Viola, Carrie Mae Weems, Kehinde Wiley and Fred Wilson, as well as site-specific installations by Daniel Arsham, Kendall Buster, Jose Dávila, Michael Joo, Odili Donald Odita and others. The museum's permanent collection includes the Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art, the Modern and Contemporary Art Collection, the Earle W. Newton Collection of British and American Art, the 19th- and 20th-century Photography Collection and the SCAD Costume Collection.

An award-winning, architectural icon, SCAD MOA incorporates the oldest surviving antebellum railroad depot in the U.S. into its striking design. Nestled in the heart of Savannah's vibrant historic downtown district, the museum attracts visitors from around the globe. It has been recognized by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the Congress for the New Urbanism, the International Interior Design Association and the Historic Savannah Foundation, and received the American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Architecture, a pinnacle achievement.

Joël Díaz, director of the Walter O. Evans Center for African American Studies, brightens the gala.

For more information on SCAD Museum of Art and the current exhibitions on view, visit scadmoa.org.

SCAD Museum of Art would like to thank event partners Ghost Coast Distillery, Service Brewing Co., and Johnnie Ganem's Package Shop.

SCAD is proud to announce that students from the university's prestigious School of Fashion have earned the most scholarship wins of any university in the highly competitive Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) Scholarship 2022 program.

As announced in a live awards gala on Monday, April 11 in New York City, a total of 19 students from SCAD's top-ranked School of Fashion earned national recognition, totaling over $165,000 in scholarships.

SCAD Atlanta junior Naecia Dixon (B.F.A., fashion design) presented a passionate monologue live in front of hundreds of industry executives, editors, stylists, designers, and program alumni. Dixon, from Kingston, Jamaica, was awarded the prestigious FSF $25,000 Grand Prize Scholarship for her ingenious digital case study, "Radical Optimism," an idea for a unique and sustainable design collaboration between Nike and Iris Van Herpen.

"This award has been an honor of a lifetime, and I am incredibly grateful to FSF for this recognition and opportunity," said Dixon. "I want the world to know the influence that my SCAD professors have had on me, and their tireless efforts to foster greatness in young, ambitious creatives like myself."

SCAD students were selected from thousands of entries across 65 universities, each developing imaginative case studies reviewed by a panel of industry icons representing major brands and designers.

Dixon and fellow School of Fashion students Kachina Daniel (B.F.A., fashion design), Korin Jones (B.F.A., fashion design; drawing), Gianni Williams (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management) were selected as recipients of the Virgil Abloh "Post-Modern" scholarship, which includes a $7,500 scholarship, a paid summer internship at one of the supporting partners, a master class program for professional development, and mentorship from industry leaders. The trailblazing late fashion designer Abloh, with the support of evian, Farfetch, Louis Vuitton, New Guards Group, and Nike, committed $1 million to support scholarships and career opportunities for Black students and to foster equity and inclusion within the fashion industry, managed with FSF.

Since 2019, SCAD has won an unprecedented portion of scholarship funds from FSF for its students, totaling over $600,000. SCAD offers one of the most elite fashion programs in the world with undergraduate and graduate degrees in accessory design, business of beauty and fragrance, fashion, fashion marketing and management, fibers, jewelry and luxury and fashion management. Students of the program network with expert insiders through virtual showcases and global red-carpet events and earn international accolades from Vogue, The Met's Costume Institute, CFDA and more. SCAD fashion alumni launch their own lines and dress cultural icons like Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Zendaya, Maren Morris, Tracee Ellis Ross and lead the industry into the future at international houses like Chanel, Thom Browne, and Marc Jacobs.

Founded in 1937, the FSF is the foremost fashion-oriented nonprofit in the U.S. to assist with education and workforce development. In addition to awarding over $1 million each year in scholarships, FSF provides scholars with intensive mentorship, industry networking, internship and career opportunities, professional development and direct access to the world's top companies and most influential leaders in fashion and related business sectors.

FSF Grand Prize scholarship winner Naecia Dixon.

2022 SCAD STUDENT FSF SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

FSF 2022 Grand Prize Scholarship - $25,000
Naecia Dixon (B.F.A., fashion design)

SCAD 2022 Virgil Abloh "Post-Modern" Scholarship Winners – $7,500
Naecia Dixon (B.F.A., fashion design)
Kachina Daniel (B.F.A., fashion design)
Korin Jones (B.F.A., fashion design)
Gianni Williams (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management)

SCAD Class of 2022 FSF Scholars - $7,500
Laura Elena Bach (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management)
Sophie Berner (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management; jewelry design)
Regina Perez-Corona (B.F.A., business of beauty & fragrance; fashion marketing and management)
Kaitlyn Delong (B.F.A., fashion marketing & management)
Georgia Holbrook (B.F.A., fibers; fashion design)
Savannah Johnson (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management; fashion design)
Anna Lanyi (B.F.A., fashion design; fashion marketing & management)
Julia Malloy (B.F.A., fashion design)
Victoria Malloy (B.F.A., business of beauty and fragrance; fashion marketing & management)
Valeria Martinez (B.F.A., fashion design)
Grace Miller (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management; fashion design)
Sudarshini Mukherjee (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management; art history)
Olivia Rogers (B.F.A., fashion marketing & management; fragrance marketing & management)
Jack Winkler (B.F.A., accessory design)
Morgan Winslow (B.F.A., fashion design)

Congratulations Naecia and all the winners!

"I'm learning as much about myself as my students are learning from me," says Brandon Sugiyama, professor of motion media design. "It's my job to help them develop what's in their heads into what they create on the screen, and in turn I'm discovering how to set them up for success."

Previously the lead animator on Emmy award-winning Netflix show "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj" and a 2017 fellow of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at CUNY, Sugiyama came to SCAD Savannah in Fall 2021. His résumé includes more than a decade of experience with revered agencies including BigStar, Framestore, Eyeball, and Trollbäck+Company. He joins a growing SCAD department named by The Rookies as the #1 place to study motion media design for five consecutive years.

"As we continue to lead the way in motion media design education, Brandon joining our faculty makes our department even stronger and more versatile," says Kelly Carlton, chair, motion media design. "His professional experience inspires our students to get excited about their own work, and his relatability helps them envision their own futures more clearly. I'm really pleased he's here."

What might surprise students and fellow faculty is Sugiyama's other chief discipline. This punctilious paladin is a nine-time member of Team USA in competitive wushu and taiji, and an internationally certified martial arts judge and  instructor whose classes are available on YouTube.

"When I teach martial arts, I teach complex movements to people with varying degrees of ability," Sugiyama says. "Teaching wushu online has helped me find new ways to engage, both with groups, and by providing individual attention to students. Those experiences have helped me transition to teaching motion media in classroom and hybrid settings."

This quarter at SCAD, Sugiyama is teaching Principles of Motion Media Design (MOME 105) and Motion Media Design Techniques I (MOME 130), where students develop skills in the Abode application for post-production called After Effects. He also helms Screen Design and Typography (MOME 501) and Motion Analysis and Application (MOME 502) which he describes as "graduate-level courses for M.A. and M.F.A. students that are also popular with non-MOME majors who want to explore motion media design."

Born and raised in Southern California, Sugiyama has lived, worked, and studied in countries from Barbados to China. He is attuned to the challenges faced by SCAD's international students. "Language and culture contribute to how people learn." he says, recognizing the gulf between colloquial and technical jargon. "The way an international student hears me speak English is not the way a native speaker hears me speak English. In the classroom it means we pay a little more attention to details, which winds up being good for everyone."

All this has an aim: to prepare a diverse student body for their creative careers. As Sugiyama says: "Students want to work on big movies and projects, and I show them that they can do beautiful and impactful work at smaller companies too. Some industries may be shrinking, but motion media is opening up. There's going to be a new place where you can put a screen, a new place where you can see a video, a new interface where people are going to need to communicate a message visually. That's the place for motion media designers to shine."

Visit Brandon Sugiyama!

Action photograph by Logan C. Thomas (B.F.A., photography, 2014).

"How do you recreate something without real reference images?" asks Miranda Leighr (B.F.A., visual effects). "When you don’t have photos, what do you do?"

In October 2021, six students in professor Joe Pasquale’s Visual Effects Studio I (VSFX 408) course undertook a project using CG and digital compositing techniques to present a restored visual experience of Savannah’s historic Eastside Theater, which closed in 1969.

"The idea came when we were location scouting and saw this interesting old building on Broad Street," Leighr says. "We could tell it had once been a theater, and thought, what was it really like?"

Guided by art history professor Chad Newsom, the students’ research revealed that during segregation, the Eastside was the desirable destination for Black moviegoers. "It was upscale and glamourous, an entertainment hub for the South," explains Valerian Ortmann (B.F.A., visual effects).

With Leighr as producer, project manager and compositor, the stalwart student group included lighting and look development artist Ryan Harper (B.F.A., visual effects), compositor and actor T’Naige Wallace (B.F.A., visual effects), compositor Jake Diana (B.F.A., visual effects), photogrammetry expert Ben Gilbert (B.F.A., visual effects), and modeling and look development artist Ortmann.

"The only archival image of the Eastside we found is a black and white illustration, which made other parts of our research especially important," Ortmann says. "Because the same architects designed Trustees, Lucas, and Savannah Theaters for the Weis family, we were able to go to those locations and create visual references of design trends that we could incorporate. The neon marquee and tiled panels are pretty identical across all Weis theaters."

The group decided not only to recreate the Eastside’s facade, but to build a scene where a patron approaches the booth to purchase a ticket to see Douglas Sirk’s groundbreaking 1959 film Imitation of Life—which their research revealed had shown there.

The theater building as it appears today; the restoration visualization created by students.

Key exterior elements like the ticket booth, vestibule, poster displays, lights, and neon marquee were all designed based on research. Scans were made of the concrete outside the vacant theater, where Harper had scattered digital popcorn Gilbert created. Green screen filming captured Wallace engaging with a booth attendant played by Baylie Bright (B.A., performing arts). The ticket, featuring the Eastside logo, was printed on paper from the 1950s sourced by Ortmann.

The team impeccably documented these technical flexes and their weekly progress on their blog sites, like this one by Leighr. In mid-March, the group showed their 45-second epic on the big screen at Trustees Theater during SCAD VSFX showcase. The project was also shared with City of Savannah Municipal Archives Director Luciana Spracher (B.F.A., historic preservation, 1998), who added it to the Savannah Area Local Reference Files, where it is available to the public for research use.

The hours and effort that went into the project may be inestimable, but looking back, Leighr points to an early stage of the research process, when the group watched an archival video interview with former Savannah mayor Dr. Otis S. Johnson speaking about the theater’s significance.

"I knew then that we could do it justice, and that it would mean a lot to people in the community," Leighr says. "We made sure we were sensitive and approached it in a way that can be appreciated. It has a deeper meaning."

Left to right: Miranda Leighr, T’Naige Wallace, Ryan Harper, Jake Diana, Ben Gilbert, Valerian Ortmann.

Witness the work!

At the vanguard of footwear design, SCAD has launched the first-ever sneaker design minor. Based on student interest and alumni success in the industry, the minor is designed to further enhance professional credentials and propel graduates to the top of the growing, lucrative field.

The SCAD sneaker design minor is available to students at both SCAD Savannah and Atlanta locations, and includes new courses specifically created to amplify innovative and sustainable design and manufacturing practices. The minor includes five courses designed to develop knowledge and design skills in sketching, rendering, concept development, digital prototyping, and branding for luxury and high-performance sneakers. These courses provide students with access to leading technology resources and ensure students complete the minor with a professional-quality portfolio that includes both physical and digital prototypes of original sneaker designs.

Offered within the School of Fashion, the sneaker design minor illustrates SCAD's elite status within art and design education, innovation, and creative business leadership, and demonstrates the university's mission to prepare students for professions at the forefront of evolving industries. SCAD alumni are already making major waves in the 80-billion-dollar international industry, working with leading brands like Nike, adidas, YEEZY, Reebok, Skechers, and others, and creating their own successful companies.

"From streetwear to sportswear, SCAD Bees define what is hot, haute, and happening," says SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "SCAD grads work for the biggest names in the shoe game. They launch their own lines, too, like Q4 Sports, where SCAD alum Quintin Williams teams up with NBA stars to design shoes that command the spotlight. So many SCAD Bees are already at the top of the sneaker game, and SCAD's new sneaker design program empowers future sneakerheads everywhere to leap into their creative careers. It's a slam dunk."


One of the new hires to facilitate the excellence of the program is accessory design professor Quintin Williams (B.F.A., industrial design, 2011), who has designed footwear for professional athletes in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and WNBA. "I put in years of learning, and timeless hours of first-hand experience in both business and design in order to one day have the opportunity to share my personal knowledge and skillset," Williams says. "I'm super excited to take on this new endeavor and give all that I can the future of designers and entrepreneurs here at SCAD."

Coinciding with the launch of the sneaker design minor, SCAD showcases talented student and alumni designs in an exhibition at SCAD Atlanta, on view March 28–Dec. 2 at SCAD Studio. Alumni including Zaneta Horne (M.A., design management, 2018; B.F.A., industrial design, 2015), Vincent Vu (M.Arch., 2008; B.F.A., architecture, 2007), Carson Whittaker (M.A., industrial design, 2018), Quintin Williams (B.F.A., industrial design, 2011), and current accessory design students Tim Buchanan and Jordan Earley are featured.

In addition to the exhibition, SCAD will host two sneaker design conversations at the upcoming SCADstyle 2022 signature event. On April 5 in Savannah, SCAD alumni take part in the panel Up Your Game: The Future of Sneaker Design. In Atlanta on April 6, 11:30 a.m. SCAD hosts a conversation with alumni, The Next Big Thing: Sneakers from Concept to Market, moderated by SCAD professor and footwear designer Michael Mack. A public reception for the sneaker design exhibition at SCAD Studio will be held April 6 from 7–8:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the SCAD sneaker design minor.

Design by Quintin Williams (B.F.A., industrial design, 2011) for Q4 Sports.

SCAD is proud to announce the wonderful work of more than 150 alumni who have contributed their talents to films nominated for the 94th Academy Awards®. This year, SCAD alumni and students contributed to a total of 21 films that received nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

These talented SCAD Bees represent a variety of award-winning degree programs, including animation, visual effects, film and television, production design, sound design, performing arts, sequential art, illustration, motion media design, fashion, painting, and photography.

Notably, SCAD alumni worked on all five films nominated for Best Visual Effects, including "Dune," "Free Guy," "No Time to Die," "Spider-Man: No Way Home," and "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Four of the five nominees for Best Animated Feature also featured the work of SCAD alumni, including "Encanto," "Luca," "Raya and the Last Dragon," and "The Mitchells vs. the Machines."

Standout SCAD alumni Andrew Finley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) and Alejandro Solorzano (B.F.A., animation, 2011) each worked on three different nominated films. Finley is currently Look Development Artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios; Solorzano is Lead Technical Animator at Luma Pictures.
 
SCAD alumni also made notable contributions to the look of Academy Award-nominated films outside of digital media. Jurasama Arunchai (M.A., production design, 2010) worked as assistant art director on "West Side Story," nominated for Best Production Design and Best Picture; Lauren Stewart (B.F.A., film & television, 2010) and Jordan Law (B.F.A., fashion, 2013) worked on props and costumes for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," also nominated for Best Production Design.

Three 2021 graduates contributed to nominated films: Hope Schroers (B.F.A., visual effects) was an effects intern for "Luca"; Vivian Amaro (B.F.A., visual effects) worked on "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (both nominated for Best Visual Effects) as a VFX artist for Perception; and Madison Boehme (M.A., creative business leadership) worked as Production Supervisor at Disney on Best Animated Feature nominated films "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon."

"Our students work in an environment of collaboration where the classroom is a living model of the industry," said Andra Reeve-Rabb, dean of the SCAD School of Entertainment Arts. "Cutting edge facilities, equipment and mentorship by Oscar-winning professors elevate student experience and creative content. Unique to our university, students work on professional film sets in above and below the line roles in Savannah and Atlanta during their time at SCAD, making them ready to launch the moment they graduate!"

Max Almy, Dean of the SCAD School of Digital Media said, "Our programs in the School of Digital Media are top rated in the world!  Our graduates are working at Pixar, Disney, ILM, Blue Sky, DreamWorks and dozens of great companies and the word is that they are the most talented, prepared and professional.  It's no surprise that so many of our alumni have worked on Academy Award®-winning and nominated films.  We are the best and we are so proud!"

SCAD is the only university named by the Hollywood Reporter in all of its top entertainment rankings: film, performing arts/drama, production design, costume design and visual effects.

Congratulations to the students and alumni who contributed to this year's Oscar-nominated films:

Aaron McGriff (B.F.A., animation, 2005) "Luca"
Adnan Hussain (B.F.A., computer art, 2000) "Spider-Man: No Way Home
Alasdair Willson (B.F.A., broadcast, 2008) "No Way Home:
Alejandro Solorzano (B.F.A., animation, 2011) "King Richard", "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings", and "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Alex Dubois (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) "West Side Story"
Alex Moed (B.F.A.,visual effects, 2011) "Free Guy"
Alex Wood (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014) Free Guy"
Alexander Snow (B.F.A.,animation, 2009) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Alexis Cabone (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018) "Cruella"
Alireza Bidar (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Allan Cox (B.F.A., sound design, 2009) "Coming to America"
Andre Danylevich (B.F.A., film and television, 2009) "Lost Daughter"
Andrew Finley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Encanto", "Luca", and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Andrew Hudson (B.F.A., sound design, 2010) "tick, tick…BOOM!" and "West Side Story"
Annie Taylor (M.A., sound design, 2019) "Lost Daughter"
Austin Bonang (B.F.A., computer art, 2005) "Dune"
Ben Girmann (M.F.A., animation, 2016) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Benjamin Lopatin (B.F.A.,visual effects, 2014) "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Bianca Gee (B.F.A., animation, 2012) "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Bobby Taylor (B.F.A., animation, 2009, "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Brandon Lee Karcher (B.F.A, animation, 2018) "Cruella" 
Brandon Martin (B.F.A., animation, 2008) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Brandon Nelson (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "King Richard"
Brian Freesh (B.F.A. film and television, 2005) "The Tragedy of Macbeth"
Brooke Eilers (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Caitlin Low (M.F.A., animation, 2017) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Cameron Black (B.F.A., naimation, 2014) "Raya and the Last Dragon
Carlos Alarcon (M.A., visual effects, 2010) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Carmen Wong (M.F.A., visual effects, 2014) "King Richard"
Chad Cox (B.F.A., animation, 2012) "King Richard"
Chana Klein (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) "Coming 2 America"
Charles Cronkite (B.F.A., animation, 2012) "The Mitchells vs the Machines"
Charles Ehrlinger (B.F.A., visual effects/film and television, 2004) "The Tragedy of Macbeth"
Chien-I Kao (B.F.A., animation, 2006) "Free Guy"
Christian Rodriguez (B.F.A., visual effects, 2021) "Encanto"
Christine Uyemura (M.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Cruella"
Courtland Jones (M.F.A. performing arts, 2012) "CODA"
Courtney Stephens (B.F.A., film and television, 2013) "CODA"
Daniel Irons (B.F.A., film and television, 2015) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Daniel Jardin (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
David Butler (B.F.A., computer art, 1997) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
David Michaels (B.F.A., computer art, 2002) "Free Guy" and "West Side Story"
Davies Rushing (B.F.A., animation, 2019) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Dawoon Kim (B.F.A., animation, 2018) "Don’t Look Up"
Demorrius Sims (B.F.A., animation, 2014) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Derek Nelson (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Diana Chu (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Coming 2 America"
Diana Li (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
D'Lun Wong (M.F.A., visual effects, 2001) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Douglas Addy (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007) "Encanto"
Dwayne Green (M.F.A., film and television, 2014) "Coming 2 America"
Dylan Nett (B.F.A., visual effects, 2020) "House of Gucci"
Elise Hannon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Emily Cramer (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) "Cruella"
Enna Chow (B.F.A., production design, 2017) "Coming 2 America"
Erik Toth (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) "Free Guy"
Erin Choroszylow (B.F.A., film and television, 2012) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Eryn Gruttadauria (B.F.A.,  film and television, 2020) "Free Guy"
Gal Roiter (B.F.A., animation, 2006) "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Galina Pak (B.F.A., animation, 2018) "Cruella"
George Watson (B.F.A., film and television, 2014) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Gian Ignacio Lombardi (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Hope Schroers (B.F.A., visual effects, 2021) "Luca"
Ian Ruhfass (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Ian Steplowski (animation, 2003) "Luca"
James Kuroda (M.F.A., computer art, 2002) "Free Guy"
James Spadafora (M.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Free Guy"
Jameson Everett (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) "Free Guy"
Jamie German (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Jason Koh (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016) "The Mitchells vs the Machines"
Jayda Cardoza (B.F.A., film and television, 2020) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Jeannine Kernisan (B.F.A., animation, 2015) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Jenn Epstein (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) "House of Gucci"
Jeremy Carroll (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) "Free Guy" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home:
Jesse Erickson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Jesse Hildreth (B.F.A.,visual effects, 2008) "No Time to Die"
Jessica Spinelli (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Jie Meng (M.F.A.,visual effects, 2015) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Jocelyn Cofer (B.F.A., animation, 2009) "The Mitchells vs the Machines"
Johnathan Nixon (B.F.A.,visual effects, 2007)"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"
Johnny Nam (B.F.A., animation, 2016) "Cruella"
Jon Balcome (M.F.A., visual effects, 2011) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Jordan Law (B.F.A., fashion, 2013) "The Tragedy of Macbeth"
Jordan Schilling (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
Joseph Hayden (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) "Free Guy"
Josh Holtsclaw (B.F.A., illustration, 2006) "Luca"
Jurasama Arunchai (M.A., production design, 2010) "West Side Story"
Ka Yaw Tan (B.F.A., computer art, 1995) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Kaitlin Duchene (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Karen Heston (photography, 1998) "King Richard"
Kate Kirby-O'Connell (B.F.A.,animation, 2013) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Kirsten Yamaguchi (M.F.A., animation, 2009) "Luca"
Kori Amacker (M.F.A., animation, 2017) "Encanto" and "Ray and the Last Dragon"
Kurt Judson (B.F.A., computer art, 1997) "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Landon Lott (B.F.A., sound design, 2010) "Free Guy" and "The Tragedy of Macbeth"
Lauren Driskill (B.F.A., fashion marketing and management, 2011) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Lauren Longoria (B.F.A., film and television, 2017) "Cyrano: 1 Tale 3 Hearts"
Lauren Stewart (B.F.A., film and television, 2010) "The Power of the Dog"
Liaowei Chen (M.F.A., animation, 2017) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Lindsey Butterworth Langston (B.F.A., animation, 2007) "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Liz Feldstein (M.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Free Guy"
Lucas Gregg (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) "Coming 2 America"
Madison Boehme (M.A., creative business leadership, 2021) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Mallory Mahar (M.A., animation, 2011) "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Margaret Cardell (B.F.A., motion media design, 2013) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Marla Walkuski (B.F.A.,  production design, 2017) "Coming 2 America"
Marq Faulkner (B.F.A.,  visual effects, 2009) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Matt Ward (B.F.A., film and television, 1999) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Maya Peart (B.F.A.,  sound design, 2016) "tick, tick…BOOM!"
Melanie Weldon (B.F.A.,  visual effects, 2017) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Meredith O'Malley (B.F.A.,  animation, 2018) "Luca"
Michael DalBello (B.F.A.,  sound design, 2016) "The Mitchells vs the Machines"
Michael Rogers (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"
Michelle Gao (B.F.A.,  visual effects, 2015) "The Mitchells vs the Machines"
Mitchell Snary (B.F.A., computer art, 1999) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Nancy Cummings (2000) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Nathan Engelhardt (B.F.A., animation, 2007) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Naveen Sabesan (M.F.A., animation, 2017) "Free Guy" and "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"
Nicole Taylor (B.F.A., animation, 2017) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Nicholas Cochran (B.F.A., sound design, 2011) "Coming 2 America"
Nicholas Leone (B.F.A., film and television, 2010) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Nick Bartone (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Luca"
Noah Hamdan (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Paris Smith (B.F.A., animation, 2017) "Free Guy"
Patrick O'Connor (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Prasad Kamalakar Narse (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Rachel Bell (B.A., production design, 2019) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Rachel Clarke (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012) "Cruella"
Rattanin Sirinaruemarn (M.A., visual effects, 2013) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Rebecca Ulmo (MA., film and television, 2012) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Rich Fallat (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Ross Macaluso (M.F.A.,  visual effects, 2014) "Spider Man: No Way Home"
Ryan Duhaime (B.F.A.,  visual effects, 2007) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’
Ryan Magid (B.F.A., computer art, 2003) "Cruella"
Sam Klock (B.F.A.,  visual effects, 2011) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Samantha Lee (B.F.A., painting, 2014) "Free Guy"
Sarah Ridenour (B.F.A.,  animation, 2016) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Satyajit Ranaprathapan (B.F.A., animation, 2016) "Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Scott Clark (B.F.A., illustration, 1992) "Luca"
Scott Johnson (B.F.A., film and television, 2007) "The Eye of Tammy Faye"
Scott Lebeda (B.F.A., film and television, 2005) "CODA"
Sean Loughran (B.F.A.,  visual effects, 2008) "Coming 2 America" and "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
Sean Palmer (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Shannon Dingle (B.F.A.,  animation, 2011) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Sharmishtha Sohoni (M.A.,  computer art, 2000) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Shaun Galinak (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Luca"
Sophia Yu (B.F.A., animation, 2015) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings"
Stephen Null (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Suan Tan (M.A., computer art, 1999) "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Taylor Aseere (B.F.A., animation, 2017) "Free Guy"
Taylor Tiahrt (B.F.A., animation, 2013) "Encanto"
Thomas Neugebauer (B.F.A., sound design, 2020) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Trevor Young (B.F.A., animation, 2008) "Encanto"
Tyler Kupferer (M.F.A., animation, 2011) "Encanto"
Tyler Old (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Spider-Many: No Way Home"
Viki Chan (B.F.A., illustration, 2016) "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Vivian Amaro (B.F.A., visual effects, 2021) "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Walker Kennedy (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon"
Wuyang Wang (M.F.A.,  visual effects, 2018) "Mitchell vs. the Machines"
Yuna Chen (M.A., visual effects, 2019) "Mitchells vs the Machines"
Zane Yarbrough (B.F.A., sequential art, 2010) "Encanto"

If you are aware of a name missing from this list, please email information (Name, Degree, Film) to [email protected].

Researched and produced by Jonathan Sage and Shannon Dade.

"Helping people has always been my goal, and your hand is so important to your life," says Chrissy Glover (B.F.A., fibers, 2017).

With Imago Rehab, CEO Glover and her team have created a telehealth solution enabling stroke survivors to conduct occupational therapy from home. Imago, recipient of a new investment from SCADpro Fund, is "a robot-assisted virtual clinic for stroke recovery," Glover explains. Focusing on hand rehab, Imago is developing a textile-based robotic glove that facilitates rehab activities.

"If you've had a stroke of the severity where you have little or no hand function left, it's been likely you will stay that way for the rest of your life," Glover says. "Patients need to do high-frequency rehab but can't drive themselves to a clinic. The solution is to get them the glove and an at-home telehealth program."

SCADpro Fund director Ray Crowell is enthusiastic: "Partnering with Chrissy and Imago exemplifies what we want to achieve: backing alumni start-ups using cutting-edge technology to make the world a better place."

As a SCAD student, Glover studied textile design and apparel design with an emphasis on wearable tech and textile-based sensors. By senior year, she was focused on assistive wearable technology for individuals with disabilities. She designed garments to help mediate the sensory environment for people with processing challenges such as autism. "I studied the clothing part of the equation first, and when I got involved in assisted wearable technology, I realized this was the kind of company I wanted to start."

When WOVNS co-founder Dena Molnar came to speak to SCAD fibers students, Glover was intrigued that Molnar's personal trajectory included Harvard Design School. After graduation, Glover decided to pursue her MDes in Technology at Harvard Graduate School of Deisgn, where she also worked as a researcher at Harvard BioDesign Lab.

Now based in Massachusetts, Glover prefers to bike to the Imago Rehab office in Arlington along the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway. "I've been an athlete most of my life. You learn a lot through sports that is applicable to work: soft skills like time management, the importance of rest, tempo, and interval days."

Chrissy competes in 2017.

At SCAD, Glover was an All-Conference runner in cross-country and a standout member of the cycling team. A native Savannahian who attended Savannah Country Day, she grew up with fellow hometown phenom Juliana Lupacchino (B.F.A., fibers, 2017), whose success she admires.

"I wanted to go to SCAD since I was little," Glover says. "I remember seeing a big purple boat they used to park outside Poetter Hall on SCAD Days, and as a little kid I'd think, Woah! Wait, so after high school you go to college? Well, I'm definitely going to SCAD!"

In February, Glover returned to SCAD in person as a judge at StartUp 2022, where she was awed by the advanced level of student projects and their potential viability in the marketplace. "You can't know everything at the start, because even you don't totally know what direction your company is going in. Surround yourself with mentors who can fill in key gaps in your knowledge and approach," she suggests.

"Everything I learned at SCAD set the foundation for what I'm doing now," Glover adds. "It feels great to continue my SCAD connection, which includes being a judge at StartUp, and having SCADpro Fund back what we're doing at Imago Rehab."

"I love traveling and I love road trips. One of my dreams is to buy an RV and visit all 48 continental U.S. states."

Tzuying Wang—called Wan by faculty and friends—is a native Mandarin speaker from Taipei, and a graduate of Ivy Collegiate Academy (ICA) in Taichung, Taiwan. Currently in her final quarter at SCAD, Wan (B.F.A., interior design) has designed a dynamic RV park, branded under the name The Bond of Border, aimed at revitalizing the U.S. tourist economy.

"RV living in an exciting alternative lifestyle choice that gives people the freedom to explore the world as part of their day-to-day," Wan explains. "During the pandemic, with air travel way down, people indicated a new willingness to travel by RV. That was an early inspiration for my project."

The capstone has evolved over two quarter-long classes: Interior Design Studio V—Design Thinking for Innovation (INDS 470) and Interior Design Studio VI—Design Development and Communication (INDS 480). Under the guidance of her thesis chair, professor Christine Van Duyn, Wan's project reveals great technical skill and a humane vision at work.

"I've known Wan since she was in my Introduction to Interior Design class (INDS 101)," says Van Duyn (B.F.A., photography, 2004). "It's been a pleasure to watch her grow into the designer she is today, always taking the extra step and making sure every detail is attended to."

"Instead of imposing limitations, Professor Van Duyn encourages us to extend the possibilities of our designs and develop a strong visual aesthetic," Wan says, noting that the professor gifted students the Elizabeth Gilbert book Big Magic: Creative Living Without Fear (Penguin Publishing, 2015), to liberating effect.

"With her thesis project, Wan is pushing boundaries," Van Duyn adds. "Her bold intentions and deep research mean she is designing a project both timely and thoughtful."

Wan visited local Savannah RV resorts including Red Gate and Creek Fire to research first-hand how wayfinding and amenities affect in the park experience.

"My project aims to create a complex for relaxing, socializing, and recharging," Wan explains. "My goal is to reshape the harmony between individual and collective, and revive local business economies through encouraging tourism."

Interior rendering of The Bond of Borders reception center, by Tzuying Wang (B.F.A., interior design)

Wan envisions The Bond of Borders as a replicable, environmentally sensitive model that can be iterated successfully in different locations. The multi-functional park features fresh food market, restaurant, RV maintenance station, interactive art gallery, outdoor gardening area, equipment rental for bicycle and kayak, and a pet café "because so many people travel with their pets."

In conversation, Wan exudes the self-sustaining enthusiasm of an international student who has embraced the range of opportunities at SCAD. In February, she participated in StartUp 2022, teaming with students from industrial design, graphic design, and animation to design a pair of VR glasses called Janus. "StartUp offered the chance to get valuable feedback on our project from industry leaders, and allowed me to take a workshop where I learned new facets in UX design."

With graduation on the near horizon, Wan is in the process of refining her portfolio. She hopes to stay in the United States, has obtained her OPT card, and is currently applying for design jobs.

"It will be hard to leave SCAD, but I know I'll be back. Maybe in my RV."

Visit Tzuying Wang.

And view all the project renderings on Wan's IG!

Starting Mon. Feb. 28, and continuing through Wed. March 2, SCAD deFINE ART 2022 comes alive with in-person and streaming events in Savannah and Atlanta. The 13th edition of the university's annual program features conversations, curated experiences, and exhibitions at the SCAD Museum of Art, including a special appearance at Trustees Theater by visionary artist Katharina Grosse, this year's honoree. In Atlanta, a keynote address will be delivered by master of photography Duane Michals.

This year, deFINE ART brings together an international roster of vital voices in art and design from countries including Canada, Cameroon, Germany, Iraq, South Korea, and the U.S. These artists' thought-provoking work and ideas encourage deeper engagement with inherited histories, creating spaces in the present moment to envision a future full of opportunity.

New exhibitions whose openings align with deFINE include a site-specific installation by Elaine Cameron-Weir (b. 1985, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada); recent works by Matthew Angelo Harrison (b. 1989, Detroit) in the museum's Evans Center for African American Studies; new works by artist Norbert Bisky (b. 1970, Leipzig, Germany) and designer Sang Hoon Kim (b. 1979, South Korea); recent paintings by Hayv Kahraman (b. 1981, Baghdad, Iraq); new large-scale commissions by Doreen Lynette Garner (b. 1986, Philadelphia); a survey of work by Barthélémy Toguo (b. 1967, Mbalmayo, Cameroon); and the first museum exhibition for SCAD alum Carter Flachbarth (b. 1996, Atlanta; B.F.A., painting, 2020).

This year's honoree, Kartharina Grosse (b. 1961, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany), will be represented by an expansive site-related textile installation as well as large-scale works on canvas created between 2006 and the present. Exhibitions programming also includes the group photography shows Icons Only and Taking Shape.

"Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the opening of the SCAD Museum of Art, the world's finest teaching museum, this year's SCAD deFINE ART promises special magic," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "From honoree Katharina Grosse's extraordinary paintings of incendiary color to Matthew Angelo Harrison's sculptures that explore diasporic identities, SCAD deFINE ART 2022 both interrogates the zeitgeist and begets boundless beauty."

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

Experience SCAD deFINE ART 2022.

Katharina Grosse, "Untitled," 2021, acrylic on canvas, 117 3/4 x 387 in. © 2022 Katharina Grosse and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Photo by Jens Ziehe.

When alumnus Jon Gosier returned to SCAD Savannah in early February to be a judge at StartUp 2022, it was a homecoming over two decades in the making. It was also a moment of confluence, as the serial entrepreneur's newest venture, a fin-tech company called FilmHedge, was recently awarded backing by SCADpro Fund.

"I like to share knowledge," says Gosier (B.F.A., sequential art), "and I enjoy addressing the business challenges people face that I think I can solve."

With FilmHedge, Gosier has created a company that is both a marketplace for film investors and a database of financial information. FilmHedge allows filmmakers to use debt to finance their films, while providing investment partners with opportunities to earn passive income from media lending. "By answering questions of efficiency and trust on the investor side, we make it easier for filmmakers to gain necessary access to capital," Gosier explains.

"FilmHedge is the first time where all my passions, skills, and interests have aligned: it's finance, it's media, it's tech. One of the biggest challenges for young filmmakers is rarely do they learn the financing side. Because that's a critical piece, it sets a lot of people back. I get to remove a complex barrier that they often don't know how to solve."

"Providing SCADpro funding to FilmHedge was something we went into without hesitation," says SCADpro Fund director Ray Crowell. "What Jon previously created with companies like Audigent demonstrates how far ahead he is of the competitive media curve. The fact that he is also a deeply empathetic speaker, writer, and leader makes him a perfect fit."

Conversation with Gosier is wind-ranging and edifying. He speaks of his post-collegiate days in Atlanta working as a sound engineer for everyone from Tyler Perry to André 3000, then details the years he spent living in Kampala, Uganda, where he founded the tech consultancy known as Appfrica.

While in Africa, Gosier, a prolific blogger, received an email from tech entrepreneur Angela Benton (M.F.A., graphic design, 2007). At the time, neither Benton nor Gosier knew that the other had attended SCAD. But after Gosier moved back to Atlanta in 2017, Benton mentioned that SCADpro Fund had backed her new venture Streamlytics. Gosier's own SCADpro Fund experience was on the near event horizon. In storytelling terms, this was Jon and SCAD's callback moment.

In 1998, after graduating from Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, near Atlanta, Gosier enrolled at SCAD Savannah to study sequential art. "SCAD did a great job bringing leaders from the comic book industry in to review student portfolios. The artist Joe Quesada came and complimented my work while giving me honest criticism. I realized I wasn't all-in with drawing, but I knew I couldn't give up storytelling."

Fastforward to StartUp 2020, when Gosier listened to dozens of pitches from SCAD student teams for products and services that served needs in the marketplace. It was the storytelling component of those pitches that, in Gosier's estimation, proved a key differential.

"At first I thought the students had been working on these projects all year, but no—most of them were created within a couple weeks, and they'd also being doing this during midterms. Their pitches were deeply impressive, and made me reflect on my own foundational SCAD experience," Gosier says.

"I'm happy to be part of what SCADpro is doing, both for FilmHedge, and for the new generation of SCAD students. I love SCAD. The SCAD ethos of creativity has guided me throughout my life."

Photo: Bret Hartman.