Sleek, elegant, powerful, and fast: the sports car is the conjunctive joining of art and design.
The culmination of that fusion was on full display during the recent “Shift Into High Gear!” event.
Atlanta’s Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) campus delivered a unique opportunity for their students to advance their skill set in an open-air classroom with modern sports cars as their subjects.
By 10 am, the 3rd-floor parking deck, which held the event, was buzzing with over 70 students eager to sketch, photograph, and draw inspiration. Engaging workshops were scheduled throughout the day to hone the talents of students.
We sought out the event’s creator, Dr. Denise Smith, to provide additional insights.
Dr. Smith holds the position of Associate Dean for the Schools of Business Innovation, Design, Liberal Arts, and Visual Communication.
Preparing For Creative Careers
Rod Worley – Editor – Dr. Smith, thank you for the invitation to this fun, engaging event. Bringing cool cars and eager art students together is an exciting concept. What were your overarching goals for the event?
Denise Smith, Ph.D. Associate Dean – Rod, we’re glad you could attend. As you know, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is all about preparing students for creative careers. One of our most important values is to create transformative experiences.
Shift Into High Gear is intended to provide such a transformative experience for our students, particularly those studying Industrial Design, User Experience Design, Animation, Photography, Illustration, and Sequential Art.
And let’s not forget those that just love cool cars.
These wonderful cars will be the models for students participating in workshops about The Geometry of Speed, UX for the Automotive Experience, Drawing Dynamism, and An Introduction to Car Design with Gravity Sketch (a software where students wear VR headsets and draw/design/paint in a virtual space).
Our faculty demonstrate how to draw and design automotive forms in traditional media as well as cutting-edge technology.
Transformative Experiences
Rod Worley – Editor – How does this event tie into the SCAD experience for your students? Are there other unique events available to students?
Denise Smith, Ph.D. Associate Dean – SCAD creates transformative experiences for students but also gives them the experience to engage with experts in the industry and spotlight their excellent work on a grand stage during some of the university’s signature events, such as SCAD AnimationFest, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, SCAD TVfest, SCADstyle, SCAD deFINE Art, SCAD FASHION, and many more.
Such events provide opportunities for our talented student artists and designers to interact with leading creatives in their field and the public.
Largest Private Arts University
Rod Worley – Editor – For those who aren’t as familiar with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), could you briefly share your insights?
Denise Smith, Ph.D. Associate Dean – The Savannah College of Art and Design is the largest private art & design university in the U.S., with over 16,000 students enrolled across our locations in Atlanta, Savannah, Lacoste, France, and online via SCADnow.
We offer over 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs in creative fields and provide our students with opportunities to connect with their industry through SCADpro, our design consultancy studio, a robust mentorship program, numerous signature events, and a dynamic Career and Alumni Success office.
We prepare students to become successful entrepreneurs, not starving artists. Many of our programs are ranked number one by their industry, and our students have won competitions on the national and international levels.
Our goal is to provide students with the opportunities to give them an edge, a distinction, and a way to stand out and progress to professional and creative success.
Career preparedness and success is at the core of our foundation, and we are proud that for the fifth consecutive year in a row, 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within ten months of graduation.
SCAD provides students – and our alumni – with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, our professional presentation studio, SCADamp signature events, expert programming, and more.
The Automobile Is A Passionate Subject
Ken Eberts, Founder of the Automotive Fine Arts Society, once said, “The automobile is a passionate subject that resonates with all of us.” Gauging by the enthusiastic student turnout, we can vouch for the passion these sports cars evoked.
The professors seemed to have just as much fun, evidenced by their wide grins and engaging energy. Sitting in on some of the presentations from Spencer Nugent, Rafael Corazza, Robert Brown, and Quintin Williams, we came away with fresh insights.
Somehow, we don’t remember our University days being so much fun. Perhaps Savannah College Of Art & Design should have been on our shortlist.
We do know that SCAD has locations in Savannah, Atlanta, and Lacoste, France. Also, we know one eager Vettes of Atlanta Magazine editor who is willing to cover the “Shift Into High Gear!” event in Lacoste.
Once again, our sincere thanks go to Dr. Denise Smith for inviting us to participate in this exciting day of art & design.
SCAD Information
Website: Savannah College Of Art & Design
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 800-869-7223
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