A sublime springtime day conspired with the breadth of inspiration for the 37th iteration of Sidewalk Arts Festival, one of Savannah's finest traditions, held Saturday in Forsyth Park. SCAD students and alumni, as well as high school student adepts, competed for cash prizes while attendees bore witness to their works-in-progress. Sidewalk Arts culminated with the announcement of winners shortly after 4 p.m. Peep these pictorial highlights from a glorious day, and the winners below.

Spirit Award: Julia Chamberlain, Samantha Greene, Madison Ellis, Spencer Kohl

Best of Show: Tiffani Blevins, Kalai Krishna, Maria Negrin, Kaylee Prislac, Blake Scott

Graduate Student Award: Sarah Cherry

SCAD Student, individual 1st place: Candice Woon

SCAD Student, individual runner-up: Julie Arnold

SCAD Student group 1st place: Maisy Dewey, Hannah Oelz

SCAD Student group runner-up: Sara Brindisi, Brianne Olsen, Victoria Williams

SCAD Alumni 1st place: Anna Oresko

SCAD Alumni runner-up: Eleanor Grix

High school first place: Courtney Meyer

High school second place: Anelia Lane

High school third place: Kenna Schindler

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Lindsay Pike (M.A., business design and arts leadership) is associate artistic director of Commonwealth Theatre Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Committed to the development of "community through excellence in comprehensive theatre education and performance," Pike was selected this April as one of the inaugural recipients of the Louisville Young Leaders award.

For Commonwealth, Pike created a tool to track skills in students and thereby demonstrate a culture of assessment. At SCAD, Pike assisted performing arts professor Sharon Ott in 2017 in directing two plays by Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker at Mondanaro Theater. Known professionally by her union name Julane Havens ("Everybody knows me as Julane in Louisville"), Pike is an accomplished director and actor working to evolve the role theater can play in uniting communities. She walks the walk, onstage and off.

SCAD: Congratulations on the award, Lindsay. How did the honor come about?

LINDSAY PIKE: Last fall, the artistic director of Commonwealth Theatre Center, Charlie Sexton, nominated me for the Young Leaders award, a new initiative from Louisville Business First and Young Professionals Association of Louisville. This January I found out I was one of 20 honorees chosen from over 250 nominees. I was the only arts professional to receive the award. The arts have an economic impact, so it was an honor for me to represent the sector.

SCAD: How is your work at Commonwealth connected to your studies at SCAD?

PIKE: I started working at Commonwealth Theatre Center in 2009 and slowly worked my way up. In a theater, the artistic office and the business office often work in silos, so I wanted to bridge that gap and make things more cohesive across the entire organization. I came to SCAD to study business design and arts leadership because I didn't find another program like it in the country. I want to be an artistic director of a theater someday.

SCAD: Which SCAD class have you found most challenging?

PIKE: My favorite class was Professor Patrick Kelsey's class, BDAL 739 "Fundraising for Arts and Cultural Initiatives." We had to create a fundraising plan for a local arts organization, in my case Savannah Children's Choir. I learned a lot about the organization and created something they can actually implement. It's real hands-on work.

SCAD: What's next for you, Lindsay?

PIKE: I'm here in Louisville managing a fundraiser for Commonwealth Theater. To be an artistic director these days you have to have fundraising experience. And I'm excited to say that in June I'll be speaking at Americans for the Arts annual convention in Denver, and at Theatre Communications Group's annual conference in St. Louis. Had I not come to SCAD, I would be nowhere as near prepared to do those presentations and put that data together. I trained to be an actress and director, but my studies in the SCAD business design program allow me to articulate my work to people both within and outside the arts field. That's really important.

The winners of SCAD Drawing Works 2018 have been announced, with Camille Gbaguidi (M.F.A., architecture) awarded top prize. The exemplary student work, currently on display at Alexander Hall Gallery, was judged by alumni mentor Caroline Farouki (M.F.A., interior design, 2010), who said: "The entries were incredible. It was a real challenge to select the winners!"

Undergraduate students from all SCAD locations and minors/majors were eligible. Diverse drawing practices were considered, demonstrating traditional and unconventional use of media, experimentation, aesthetic expressions, styles and formats.

"Drawing is a tool for expressing one's ideas," remarked Farouki. "SCAD students are learning incredible fundamentals and how to think and communicate their ideas from talented professors.

"I was honored to be asked to spend a few days with students and faculty to share my thoughts on how drawing is a major part of my process as an interior designer. I sat in on classes, gave feedback on student projects, and held a workshop called ‘Advice from a Professional.' I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the students and am truly inspired by their work."

Best in Show ($1,000 Prize)
Outstanding in contemporary aesthetic and conceptual qualities, inventive use of composition and media handling techniques, fully expresses the unique attributes of drawing.
Winner: Camille Gbaguidi
Title: "Assemblage d'espaces"
Media: Digital illustration, inkjet print
Major: Architecture
Campus: Savannah
Caroline Farouki, judge: "The overall winner, Camille Gbaguidi, showed a variety of innovations in her drawing...from experimenting with perspective and layering, combining architecture work with illustration and fashion, and the overall composition was compelling."

Preparatory sketch/ideation ($500 Prize)
Demonstrating exploration into concept, content and composition, and use of sketch methods to inform and support research and development processes.
Winner: Nicholas Hammond
Title: "Site Analysis Notre Dame Cathedral: Architecture of Provence. Lacoste"
Media: Mixed media
Major: Architecture
Campus: Savannah
Caroline Farouki, judge: "The sketchbook winner, Nicholas Hammond, showed an incredible passion for experiential learning and experimentation in research."

Inventive exploration/play ($500 Prize)
Demonstrating creativity experimenting with traditional and/or nontraditional drawing media, expressive mark making, gestural approaches.
Winner: Oki Honda
Title: "Yellow Jacket"
Media: Digital painting over graphite sketch
Major: Illustration
Campus: Savannah
Caroline Farouki, judge: "The experimental drawing winning entry by Oki Honda is highly  compelling because it combines very gestural charcoal marks with digital drawing.  The color and movement are really intriguing."

Finished drawing/composition ($500 Prize)
Demonstrating drawing abilities in the production of a fully realized finished work.
Winner: Jenna Ward
Title: "Untitled"
Media: Charcoal
Major: Illustration
Campus: Savannah
Caroline Farouki, judge: "I awarded the completed work prize to Jenna Ward for a portrait that shows a real depth of emotion and beauty in the line work. Afterwards I learned the subject is the artist's grandfather, with whom she is very close."

Drawing Works 2018 exhibition through March 18 at Alexander Hall Gallery. All displayed artworks are for sale.

Voting is now open for Savannah Morning News' annual "Best of the Best" awards. SCAD has been nominated as "Best College" while the SCAD Museum of Art is in the running for "Best Museum." You are invited to vote for SCAD in these categories, by visiting Savannah Now.

Choose a category, click the vote button next to your favorite and you'll be asked for your email address. Fill in the registration form and you can vote for your favorites in each category once a day until March 15, 2018!

"The University for Creative Careers," SCAD is a place where career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university. Each SCAD student is assigned a career advisor to help establish goals, develop a distinctive resume and portfolio, rehearse for interviews and presentations and build a professional network.

Prestigious national and international companies conduct more than 600 visits to recruit SCAD students and alumni. According to a recent study, 98 percent of Spring 2016 graduates were employed, pursuing further education or both within 10 months of graduation.

SCAD enlivens the Savannah community with annual events including the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Sidewalk Arts Festival in Forsyth Park, and SCAD Sand Arts Festival on Tybee Island. The Savannah Women of Vision investiture celebrates an elite cadre of trailblazers whose remarkable ideas, insightful leadership and distinguished service have sculpted the city of Savannah.

The SCAD Museum of Art is a premier contemporary art museum established to enrich the education of SCAD students and to attract and delight visitors from around the world. Introducing new exhibitions every academic quarter, the museum showcases work by a range of highly acclaimed professional artists, inspiring and challenging students across disciplines to push the boundaries of their creative practice.

Discover additional alumni success stories at SCAD career resources.

Voting remains open until March, 15 at 11:59pm EST.

Winners will be announced at a Savannah Now "Best of the Best" event on April 26, 2018.

When it comes to the Academy Awards, it is a genuine honor to be nominated. Let's celebrate the unmistakable creative contributions of SCAD alumni across a stunning spectrum of this year's nominees!

At the 90th Academy Awards, SCAD alumni worked on nominated films including "Get Out," "Molly's Game," "The Post," "The Shape of Water," "Blade Runner 2049," "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," "Baby Driver," "War for the Planet of the Apes," "Beauty and the Beast," "Logan," "I, Tonya," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Coco," "Lou," "Kong: Skull Island," "Ferdinand," "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," and "The Boss Baby." Eleven of these alumni contributed their talents to more than one of these films. The diversity of these offerings is a testament to the exceptional preparation for professional careers these alumni received while students at SCAD, as implicitly acknowledged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Academy is made up of approximately 7,000 filmmakers and film professionals, divided into 17 specific branches. These are the Academy members who vote for the Oscars, championing professionals from every facet of the business.

"SCAD's film and television program prepares students to master the entertainment arts through award-winning, acclaimed faculty and unparalleled access to industry tools, experts, and life-changing opportunities," said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. "This preparation, combined with hard work and drive, is how our students are set up for success."

Recognized across 14 different categories, SCAD alumni contributed to nominees for best picture, feature-length documentary, original screenplay, director, adapted screenplay, cinematography, film editing, sound editing, sound mixing, costume design, visual effects, production design, animated short, and animated feature.

Congratulations to the following SCAD alumni, whose work has been seen and loved by millions of moviegoers, and rightly celebrated by their peers, the Academy, and the entire SCAD family.

Harsh Agrawal (B.F.A., visual effects), "Coco"
Brent Austin (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"
Nick Bartone (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008), "Coco" and "Lou"
Max Bickley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008), "Coco"
Tyler Britton (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015), "The Shape of Water"
Joshua Brock (M.F.A., animation, 2012), "Ferdinand"
Erich Burchfield (M.F.A., visual effects, 2012), "The Boss Baby"
Won Young Byun (M.F.A., computer art, 2002), "The Boss Baby"
Jon Campbell (B.F.A., computer art, 2005), "Ferdinand"
Chris Chapman (M.F.A., computer art, 2001), "Ferdinand"
James Charles (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014), "Blade Runner 2049"
Aaron Conover (B.F.A., computer art, 2002), "Coco"
Ryan Coster (B.F.A., animation, 2011), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Matthew Crnich (B.F.A., computer art, 2001), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Jonathan Davis (B.F.A., computer art, 2004), "Ferdinand"
Diana Diriwaechter (B.F.A., computer art, 1997), "Ferdinand"
Melanie Dorn Carter (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008), "Blade Runner 2049"
Thomas J. Doolittle (B.F.A., sound design), "Baby Driver"
John Doublestein (M.F.A. animation, 2007), "Kong: Skull Island"
Ryan Duhaime (B.F.A., visual effects, broadcast design/motion graphics, 2007), "Beauty and the Beast"
Duarte Elvas (M.F.A. motion media design, 2014, B.F.A., video/film, 2003), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"
Jack Kenny Evans (M.F.A., visual effects, 2007), "Beauty and the Beast"
Cheri Fojtik (M.F.A., animation, 2011), "Logan"
'Neon' Shaun Galinak (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009), "Coco" and "Lou"
Caterina Grasso (M.A., visual effects, 2016), "Coco"
Dorien Gunnels (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010), "Coco"
Dave Hale (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009), "Coco"
Noah Hamdan (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012), "Logan"
Jesse Hildreth (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008), "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Daniel Irons (B.F.A., film and television, 2015), "Baby Driver"
Jessica Jackson (M.A., Advertising, 2010, B.F.A., film and television, 2008), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Siddarth John (M.F.A., animation, 2012), "Kong: Skull Island"
Lauren Adams Jones (B.F.A., film and television, 2011), "Baby Driver"
Annee Jonjai (B.F.A., animation, 2008), "Coco"
Anthony Kramer (B.F.A., computer art, 2004), "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2"
Vicki Lau (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014), "War for the Planet of the Apes"
Lian (William) Liu (M.A., visual effects, 2012), "Ferdinand"
Gian Ignacio Lombardi (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Kirsten MacLeod (B.F.A., fashion, 2014), "Molly's Game" and "The Post"
Brandon Martin (B.F.A., animation, 2008), "Logan"
Dylan Maxwell (B.F.A., computer art, 1997), "Ferdinand"
Jason Mayer (M.F.A., computer art, 2004), "The Boss Baby"
Brian McCann (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010), "Beauty and the Beast" and "Kong: Skull Island"
Jie Meng (M.A., visual effects, 2015), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Johnathan Nixon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007), "War for the Planet of the Apes"
Christy Page (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011), "The Boss Baby"
Max Patrucco (B.F.A., video/film, 2002), "Logan"
Brittany Piacente (B.F.A., animation, 2012), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "War for the Planet of the Apes"
Clint Rea (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016), "Coco"
Brett Reyenger (B.F.A. visual effects), "War for the Planet of the Apes" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Christopher Reynolds (M.F.A., sculpture, 2014), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Ryan Ruiz (M.F.A., visual effects), "War for the Planet of the Apes" and "Ferdinand"
Rebecca Runyon (B.F.A., production design, 2015), "I, Tonya"
Naveen Sabesan (M.F.A., animation, 2017), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Cody Samson (B.F.A., motion media design, 2017) "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"
Eric Schultz (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014), "Blade Runner 2049"
Kevin Sears (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Sorya Sean Serei (M.F.A., visual effects, 2014), "Beauty and the Beast"
Andy Siravanta (M.F.A., film and television, 2015), "Baby Driver"
Alexander Snow (B.F.A., animation, 2009), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Ferdinand"
J. Jeongyeon Son (B.F.A., visual effects, 2012), "Beauty and the Beast"
James Spadafora (M.F.A., visual effects, 2017), "Kong: Skull Island"
John C. Sparks (M.F.A., visual effects, 2006), "Beauty and the Beast"
Lizzi Stuart (B.F.A., motion media design, 2017), "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"
Darren Sumich (B.F.A., animation, 2006), "Beauty and the Beast"
Michael Tanzillo (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008), "Ferdinand"
Aldrich Torres (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009), "Beauty and the Beast"
Ashley Travis (B.F.A., interior design), "Baby Driver"
Switzon S. Wigfall, III (B.F.A, motion media design, 2014), "Get Out"
Kevin J. Williams (B.F.A., animation, 2005), "Beauty and the Beast"
Ben Willis (B.F.A., computer art, 2005), "The Boss Baby"
D'Lun Wong (M.F.A., visual effects, 2007, B.F.A., computer art, 2001), "The Boss Baby"
Trevor Young (B.F.A., animation, 2008), "Ferdinand"

The above list was compiled from information submitted to Career and Alumni Success, culled from LinkedIn, and submitted by readers like you. If you are aware of a name missing from this list, please email information (Name, Degree, Year, Film, Role) to [email protected].

Last year, at the 89th Academy Awards, upwards of 45 SCAD alumni contributed to one or more Oscar-nominated film.

This year it's likely that even more SCAD alumni worked on Academy Award-nominated films. Are you one of them? Do you know someone who is? If so, we want to make sure proper recognition is given.

If you are aware of a SCAD grad who worked on a film nominated for a 2018 Academy Award, please email the relevant information (Name, Degree, Year, Film, Role/Credit) to [email protected].

In conjunction with the SCAD office of career and alumni success, SCADworks will celebrate these esteemed alumni with a blog post prior to the Academy Awards ceremony itself.

The number of SCAD alumni who worked on Oscar-nominated films is testament to the exceptional preparation for professional careers these alumni received while students at SCAD, as implicitly acknowledged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 4 at 5 p.m., hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

"Sound resonates through nearly every degree program at SCAD," announced SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace from the Trustees Theater stage, "and that's why our students should listen closely to tonight's honorees, two legendary artisans of sound and sense who have collaborated for over 35 years."

The honorees worth hearing were Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller. The occasion was the SCAD deFINE ART 2018 keynote lecture. The crowd — primarily but not exclusively students — filled the venue to its thousand-plus capacity as Cardiff and Miller unspooled the secrets behind what President Wallace deemed their "transcendent aural masterpieces."

When the couple took the stage, jocular, youthful, and slightly shaggy, the fun began. Renowned for their immersive sound installations and "audio walks," Cardiff and Miller have two major installations currently at SCAD Museum of Art: "Opera for a Small Room" and "Experiment in F# Minor." Both works repanel the museum-going mindset: movements trigger sounds, while Hitchcock's "Rear Window" mis-en-scène is flipped for the DJ generation.

"We've been collaborating as artists from the first time we met," Cardiff remarked about work she called "hybrids between theater, music and the visual arts." Their talk provided an overview of their accomplishments dating to the 1990s, when they began first experimenting with the potential of listening with both ears.

"We love binaural audio," said Miller, as a duck might speak of water.

When the pair produced Cardiff's first audio walk in 1991, participants listened to pre-recorded sounds on a Walkman while walking through a forest. Some of those sounds were birds Cardiff had recorded in the forest. The effect was "an overlapping of reality…is that a fake bird or a real bird, and what about that boat going by?"

"I wasn't sure if it was art," Cardiff admitted.

The pair proceeded to create hundreds of these "audio walk" experiences in different locations around the world. After the advent of the iPhone made digital video an everyday reality, they developed "video walks" under the same reality-curving principles. Representing their native Canada at the 49th Venice Biennale in 2002, they built a 16-seat cinema simulator that turned the moviegoing experience on – and into – its head.

"We like trickery or intrigue, to bring people in to wonder, ‘How are they doing that?'," Cardiff said.

"Making art, you manipulate your senses or reality to believe in things that aren't possible," Miller added.

The energy in Trustees Theater was predicated on the enmeshed personalities of the honorees themselves. Befitting a long-time collaborating couple, they demanded clarity from each other while evincing tenderness and trust.

As the couple continued screening clips from the works, a very Cardiff and Miller thing happened: the Trustees Theater audience sat looking at a moving image of a theatergoer looking at a screen depicting an audience looking at a screen. It felt natural of course, and totally hyperreal and transporting. It felt like SCAD deFINE ART 2018.

On Friday, Feb. 9, 2018, SCAD reprised the Savannah Women of Vision investiture. A full house gathered in the Arnold Hall theater to pay tribute to the honorees named by SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. It was a moment for reflection upon the realization of her vision.

In 2006, President Wallace walked into the theater of the 1920-Georgian Revival now known as Arnold Hall, once Chatham County's first public junior high school. The proscenium arch bore a New Deal-era mural depicting bellwethers of Georgia history. She discerned a Yamacraw Indian chief, a governor of Georgia, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the father of Methodism, the founder of the colony of Georgia, and a handful of Revolutionary War generals under a patina of neglect. Immediately, she noticed that preservation was in order. (Luckily, SCAD specializes in old buildings. This particular restoration earned SCAD awards from the Historic Savannah Foundation and the Georgia Trust.) And she noticed a significant elision. The mural, funded by the Civil Works Administration and the National Recovery Administration, excluded women. In 2016, President Wallace launched the Savannah Women of Vision to right the record. 

This year, President Wallace added five honorees to the ten inaugural Savannah Women of Vision. Plaques bearing their names greet visitors at the entrance to the Arnold Hall theater. To the left is a large ship's wheel anchored by a quote by Diane Mariechild: "A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform." Golden bas-relief portraits, hand carved by SCAD alumnus Michael Porten (M.F.A., painting, 2012; B.F.A., illustration, 2004) flank the interior walls of the theater. In the spirit of inquiry proper to the liberal arts housed in Arnold Hall, the new art converses with the old. Juxtaposition encourages synthesis.

The timing of the ceremony coincided with an important cultural epoch. For a bright hour on a rainy Friday, women lifted their voices:

Artist and gallerist Tiffani Taylor (M.F.A., painting; M.A., art history, 2003; B.F.A., painting, 2002) welcomed guests and detailed President Wallace's history of empowerment. The SCAD Presidential Scholarship brought Taylor to the university as a freshman, and the Alumni Atelier residency embraced her as a graduate. Today, she endows a namesake SCAD scholarship.

One of the university's first dramatic writing majors, Allison Hirsch (M.F.A., dramatic writing, 2014; B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2010), put her narrative gift to good use in limning the irrepressible Miriam Center, an acclaimed author, playwright, and advocate for women.

A career in community and economic development ushered Ebony Simpson (M.F.A., historic preservation, 2002) into the orbit of former Mayor Edna Jackson. Simpson offered personal insights into the life of the city's first African-American mayor, citing Jackson's civil rights legacy and consummate statesmanship.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Sehila Mota Casper (M.F.A., historic preservation, 2014) recognized a kindred spirit and leading light in the late preservationist Mary Lane Morrison. Through meticulous written and photographic documentation, Morrison curated a portrait of Savannah and the city's architects for posterity.

Current SCAD Alumni Atelier ambassador and playwright A'ndrea Wilson (M.F.A., dramatic writing, 2017) vividly recalled the poignant film that etched actress Fredericka Washington into the cultural consciousness: "Imitation of life." Unlike the character Peola, Washington embraced her identity and advocated for civil rights.

Southern Living associate editor and tastemaker Hannah Hayes (M.A., arts administration, 2013) earned a big laugh by quoting critic Craig Claiborne, who ranked beloved restaurateur Sema Wilkes' biscuits among the greatest occurrences of his life. Today, Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is synonymous with the finest in home-cooked, family-style fare.

Noted philanthropist and 2016 Savannah Woman of Vision Alice Jepson graciously delivered closing remarks, acknowledging honorees past and present. As she spoke each name, a shaft of light illumined the respective likeness.

The celebration culminated with a powerful rendition of "I'm Here," by "American Idol" Season 12 winner Candice Glover (B.F.A., performing arts) and Sandie Lee (M.F.A., performing arts; B.F.A., performing arts, 2015) that brought the audience to their feet. Everyone agreed the Women of Vision were fully present, fully represented.

This Friday, Feb., 9, 5:30 p.m. at historic Arnold Hall, SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace will present the 2018 Savannah Women of Vision investiture, honoring women of peerless valor, altruism and intellect who have shaped the great city of Savannah. All members of the university and Savannah community are invited to attend.

At a ceremony suffused with oratory, music and art, each honoree will be extolled in permanent tribute with an individual relief portrait carved beforehand by SCAD alumnus Michael Porten (B.F.A. illustration, M.F.A. painting). The portraits will adorn the walls of Arnold Hall, home of the SCAD School of Liberal Arts.

The 2018 Savannah Women of Vision honorees are:

• Miriam Center
• Edna Jackson
• Mary Lane Morrison
• Fredericka Washington
• Sema Wilkes

These women represented a range of civic, educational, philanthropic, and creative endeavors. They are all trailblazing contributors to the legacy of Savannah.

Friday’s event is the second annual Savannah Women of Vision investiture. This year’s honorees join previous honorees Emma Morel Adler, Mother Mathilda Beasley, Mary Musgrove Matthews Bosomworth, Alice Andrews Jepson, Nancy N. Lewis, Juliette Gordon Low, Abigail Minis, Flannery O'Connor, Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears and Frances Wong.

The genesis of Wallace’s Savannah Women of Vision initiative can be traced to the Works Progress Administration’s 1930s mural in the Arnold Hall Theater. The mural, a visual ode to the titans of Savannah’s history, is notable in its omission of women. Wallace created the Savannah Women of Vision to elevate an underrepresented yet tremendously influential demographic.

By symbolically righting the historical record, President Wallace honors paragons of civic virtue to whom students can look for inspiration. The university offers tours of the Savannah Women of Vision portrait installation in Arnold Hall to K-12 students and educators. A free curriculum guide provides historic context to the portrait installation.

“Savannah as we know it rests on the triumphs of its women,” remarked President Wallace. “I created the Savannah Women of Vision at SCAD to illuminate trailblazers and their transcendent work, keeping their names and deeds not only in our hearts, but publicly acclaimed. These are our heroines.”

The following SCAD alumnae will speak during the ceremony: Tiffani Taylor (M.A., art history, 2003; B.F.A., painting, 2002); Allison Hirsch (M.F.A., dramatic writing, 2014; B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2010); Ebony Simpson (M.F.A., historic preservation, 2002); Sehila Mota Casper (M.F.A., historic preservation, 2014); A'ndrea Wilson (M.F.A., dramatic writing, 2017); Hannah Hayes (M.A., arts administration, 2013). Closing remarks will be delivered by Alice Jepson, Savannah Woman of Vision. A musical performances by Sandie Lee (M.F.A., performing arts; B.F.A., performing arts, 2015) and American Idol winner Candice Glover (B.F.A., performing arts) will elevate the celebration on a rousing note.

SCAD invites the public to join the celebration for this free event.

On the evening of January 18, 2018, in the Great Hall of Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace was introduced by Caroline Baumann, director of the Cooper Hewitt, at a celebration of the publication of "SCAD: The Architecture of a University" by Assouline Books.

Written by contributing authors Paula Wallace, Margaret Russell and Chuck Chewning, "SCAD: The Architecture of a University" is a 360-page volume, replete with 40 detailed narratives and 200 sublime photographs, highlighting the university's most inspired and inspiring spaces. The book leads readers from the university's flagship building, Poetter Hall, to the panoply of SCAD architectural marvels around Savannah, and in Atlanta, Hong Kong and Lacoste.

President Wallace's following remarks, delivered in her address at Cooper Hewitt, celebrate the connection between SCAD and the institution of the Smithsonian.

PAULA WALLACE: Thank you, Caroline, for your personal attention to this book launch and for leading the world's preeminent design museum. Please also join me in recognizing SCAD Trustee Lucy Cookson, and giving special thanks to Galerie editor-in-chief and Honorary Dean of the SCAD School of Building Arts Margaret Russell and acclaimed designer and SCAD alumnus Chuck Chewning, both of whom contributed essays to this special book we're celebrating tonight. And, of course, thank you to our esteemed publisher, Assouline.

I love this place and its rapturous marriage of historic architecture and contemporary design. This is very SCAD. Old buildings tell stories. The story of this historic mansion speaks of the Gilded Age, and the tale might end there. But, thanks to the Cooper Hewitt, the narrative of this building has advanced into a new century with a new purpose: as a sanctuary for the study and celebration of the Cooper Hewitt collection and myriad fascinating exhibitions.

Of the more than 210,000 objects in this museum collection, the most precious design object surely is this very building itself. The adaptive rehabilitation of architecture is distinct among design disciplines, where the maker rescues a beautiful object and creates a radical new purpose for it. It's a kind of double design. We are in the midst of a great human migration to cities, and our world desperately needs solutions that employ this double design thinking, as practiced by Cooper Hewitt and SCAD.

The story we tell in "The Architecture of a University" is about the power of adaptive new use to foster human flourishing.

Preservation design also strengthens economies, as proven by the half-a-billion-dollar economic impact of SCAD. Adaptive reuse generates more jobs than new construction, especially when you fill the architecture with a purpose that addresses a cultural need. Cooper Hewitt and SCAD are doing just that: Repurposing history for the future, for memory, for vitality.

Please visit the museum store and find a copy of "The Architecture of a University," a memorable gift for anyone who loves architecture and design. Thank you, Cooper Hewitt, for hosting SCAD here tonight. This magical space truly does feel like home.