Georgia Magazine - January 2015 - 22

SCAD

Cultivating creativity
From Savannah to the world in art

BY JANE F GARVEY * PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
.

SCAD-a short way of describing
with China leading the count at 640
one of Georgia's most highly rethis year. Brazil has a program that
garded institutions of higher learning.
sends students to SCAD for one year,
The Savannah College of Art and Deand this year, 205 are participating
sign even refers to itself in its printed
in that program. The school also
matter as SCAD, because that's how
recruits internationally.
it's known across the globe.
That ﬁrst renovation in 1978
SCAD's impact on Savannah
kicked off a ﬂurry of building acquican't be overstated: The buildings
sitions and renovations in Savannah
it has renovated contribute to the
that, at present, totals nearly 70 struccity's tourism appeal, and that brings
tures. In Atlanta, the school acquired
in dollars. New businesses ﬁnd the
and renovated the former Peters
atmosphere more amenable where
Mansion at Piedmont and Ponce de
buildings aren't run-down, so they
Leon avenues. Today known as Ivy
take space in nearby structures, addHall, the building houses classes for
ing to the city's enhancements.
the Atlanta campus and provides
Founded in 1978 by Paula Walan abode in part of the mansion
lace, her then spouse Richard Rowan
for an artist-in-residence. The Hong
and her parents, May and Paul
Kong campus also operates out of
Poetter, SCAD started out in a single
a heritage building-the old courtRomanesque Revival building in the
SCAD offers many majors, among them illus- house building in Kowloon-that
heart of Savannah's historic district.
tration, which this SCAD student is pursuing. the school won in a competition and
Now named Poetter Hall for her
restored. Meanwhile, in LaCoste, in
parents, who borrowed the $200,000 needed to buy the
Southeastern France, the school purchased a former art
structure in 1978, the building originally was the Savanschool housed in a 14th-century building, but since then
nah Volunteer Guard Armory and dates to 1892. Another has renovated for its use many other structures in this
building-the 1858 Norris Hall-formerly provided
ancient Provençal town.
housing to indigent widows and elderly single women;
Some aspects of life at SCAD are typical of any
speculation is that its purpose explains its pink color. It
university. The school ﬁelds sports teams, which may
currently houses students pursuing studies in sequential
seem a bit odd for an art school. Called "The Bees,"
art (think comics, cartoonists and video game designers, SCAD's sports teams cover a wide range, from soccer to
among others).
swimming to lacrosse and even equestrian, which is also
From that starting point on Savannah's Bull Street,
a ﬁeld of study at the school. There's a golf team. And
the college launched in 1979 with 71 students, eight fac- the teams compete with others that are members of the
ulty members, four staff, ﬁve trustees and eight majors.
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Today, it embraces four campuses, two outside of the
But forget football when you come to SCAD. No
United States, and reaches 12,000 students, approximate- basketball either. Also, unlike many colleges, SCAD does
ly 23 percent of whom come from 100 other countries,
not have sororities or fraternities. SCAD faculty are not
22

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Georgia Magazine - January 2015

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