Paula Wallace, a former elementary school teacher with an alternative vision for creative studies in the US, created Savannah College of Art and Design, a private art school, in 1978. Wallace is still the institution’s president today. With a loan from her parents and a desire, she established the seat of learning, which today has a global reputation and locations in Savannah, Atlanta, and Lacoste, France, in Georgia. Celebrities from Hollywood, members of the international press and media, and CEOs from the fashion business frequently visit the three locations at President Wallace’s request to speak to and motivate the students.
Rebecca Hessel Cohen, the creator of Love Shack Fancy, designer Jean Paul Gaultier, renowned film director Sam Taylor-Wood, TV host Kelly Ripa, Francesco Rosso, the creative director of Marni, actor/filmmaker Ethan Hawke and his daughter Maya, and Wes Gordon, the creative director of Carolina Herrera, are just a few of the international creatives that have called SCAD home in recent months.
SCADstory, an immersive animated presentation housed in a turreted red brick structure with wooden staircases reminiscent of Hogwarts and book-lined chambers with fireplaces, striking mantels, and tartan walls, is one of the first things guests visiting the school are asked to do. The show features light displays, animated photographs, and a cartoon depicting Paula Wallace envisioning this new kind of learning environment that she would come to be associated with while seated at her kitchen table. The final product is an emotional collage featuring SCAD graduates working in every industry, including a behind-the-scenes look at NASA. Information meets prospectus.
As someone who was educated in the UK fashion system, this reviewer was originally unsure of how to respond when they saw SCADstory. Such unbridled optimism isn’t something that’s typically associated with art and design school on the other side of the pond, and this kind of naive earnestness usually makes us cringe. But after three days of touring the various departments, chatting with instructors and students, going to the yearly fashion show, and seeing the high caliber of student work, I came away completely changed. In reality, I could see its allure to my 17-year-old self, who was looking for a place to flourish artistically.
Achurra had thought that NYC would be the best place for her undergraduate program, but after seeing SCAD, she had second thoughts. Savannah is a tiny town, but the surrounding landscape is quite motivating. The squares, parks, and trees provide a lovely background that inspires creativity and gives a sense of place.
Achurra, who is currently employed in the field, has discovered that the shift from the classroom to the workplace is very seamless, which has given her newfound faith in her undergraduate decision. “I’ve learned from speaking with alumni from other colleges that SCAD offers the best preparation available. The teachers, as well as the technological and design instruction, are outstanding. No idea is too large or tiny in this welcoming atmosphere, which feels incredibly empowering. I could go on forever about how wonderful it is, but you really have to experience it for yourself.”
