SCAD Announces Spring 2017 Alumni Atelier Ambassadors

SAVANNAH, Ga., March 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is pleased to announce the Spring 2017 Alumni Atelier ambassadors. The Alumni Atelier was conceived and endowed by SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace to enrich the creative and professional endeavors of distinguished SCAD graduates. Five alumni will be participating in the artist-in-residence program this spring—currently offered at SCAD's locations in Savannah, Atlanta, and Lacoste, France.

SCAD Savannah welcomes Christopher Lee (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2009; M.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2013), Sauda Mitchell (B.A., visual communication, 2013), Malina Omut (M.F.A., illustration, 2013) and Hasani Sahlehe (B.F.A., painting, 2015). SCAD Atlanta welcomes returning Alumni Atelier ambassador, Gabriela Iancu (M.F.A., photography, 2015).

"SCAD has always celebrated and supported our alumni," says President Wallace. "We're a relatively young university—almost 40 years young!—and our graduates deserve continued support as they launch themselves into ever higher levels of professional and creative achievement. This university is about more than helping you get that first job. At SCAD, once a Bee, always a Bee!"

As part of the residency program, the university provides complimentary on-campus accommodations and access to signature events and university resources. Resources include rapid prototype and 3-D printing labs, libraries, computer labs, studio space, and performance venues. Under the mentorship of President Wallace, recipients also serve as university ambassadors—sharing the work created during their residency with the community via on-site exhibitions and customized events.

The spring program will run April 4 through May 27, concluding with an Alumni Atelier Salon offering a first look at the artists' completed works. This event is free and open to the public.

SCAD's 32,000 global alumni are invited to submit proposals to participate in the Alumni Atelier program. Interested applicants should visit scad.edu/success/alumni-atelier for details or email [email protected]. 

About the Ambassadors

Christopher Lee (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2009; M.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2013)
Christopher Lee is traveling from his home in Los Angeles to participate in the Alumni Atelier program, and is the first interactive design and game development ambassador. Lee's project, entitled "Truth in the Simulation" will explore of the use of photogrammetry in the creation of highly detailed digital characters and objects.  Lee will work with the interactive design and game development professors at SCAD to explore possible ways to create a photogrammetry studio at SCAD so that it could be incorporated into curriculum moving forward.

Sauda Mitchell (B.A., visual communication, 2013)
Sauda Mitchell studied graphic design and art history at SCAD, and will develop linoleum relief prints while at the Alumni Atelier highlighting African American stories from Savannah's rich history. Some of the prints will focus on the work of W.W. Law, who was awarded an honorary doctorate from SCAD in 1997 in recognition of his civil rights activism and his efforts to preserve local history. The prints will also feature several of SCAD's 70-plus buildings in downtown Savannah, many of which are preserved historical properties.

Malina Omut (M.F.A., illustration, 2013)
Romanian artist Malina Omut will be creating a fantastical world called "Fuzz," surrounding the viewer with two and three-dimensional artwork reflecting a positive, playful view of life. While studying at SCAD, Omut received recognition through the SCAD Illustration Outstanding Achievement Award (2013) and the SCAD Exceptional Student Scholar Award (2011). Omut's work has been published in Harvard Business Review, Washington Post, and Women's Health among others.

Hasani Sahlehe (B.F.A., painting, 2015)
Hasani Sahlehe graduated from SCAD Atlanta's painting program, and currently lives and works in Atlanta. Sahleha's work has been featured prominently throughout the greater Atlanta area, and he recently created a mural at The Shops Buckhead as a part of a collaboration with SCAD. For his Alumni Atelier residency Sahlehe will be creating large-scale paintings as well as a site-specific installation with painting, sculpture, and sound.

Gabriela Iancu (M.F.A., photography, 2015)
Gabriela Iancu is a multidisciplinary visual artist, and the first ambassador to have her residency extended as part of the Alumni Atelier program. After recently completing a piece entitled "Experiences from the Outside World" at SCAD Savannah, Iancu will travel to SCAD Atlanta this spring to expand her body of work. Her multi-sensory project offers an innovative depiction of nature and culture that combines still life photography with motion and sound design to reveal new ways of experiencing time and space.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university offering more than 100 academic degree programs in 43 majors across its locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Hong Kong; Lacoste, France; and online via SCAD eLearning. SCAD enrolls 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The innovative SCAD curriculum is enhanced by advanced professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources, as well as opportunities for internships, professional certifications and collaborative projects with corporate partners.

In 2015, the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings placed SCAD in the top four universities in the Americas and Europe. Career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni placement rate. In a study of Spring 2015 SCAD graduates, 98 percent were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. For more information, visit the official SCAD blog.

SOURCE Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

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