Photos by Melissa Brown
SCAD’s spring 2014 Sidewalk Arts Festival took place for its 33rd year at Savannah’s own Forsyth Park. SCAD students, faculty and the city’s community were encouraged to come support the contestants.
Students, alumni and prospective students were given the opportunity to create “temporary chalk masterpieces” along the entire walkway of the park.
“I had no idea what this would be and I thought everybody would be a little bit more tense but it is a wonderful day, it’s gorgeous,” said second-year industrial design major Lydia Batchelder.
A number of different majors were incorporated into the hundreds of paintings, allowing for an extremely widespread style.
“I have come here before two years ago and I am hoping to actually place this time,” said prospective student Sydney Flatt from Spalding High School in Spalding, Ga.
Alumni from as far back as 1987 returned to their college town to participate in the contest.
Student involvement, including District, the school paper, and SCAD’s radio station helped to promote, publicize and document the event. Numerous forms of social media kept the community updated on the course of the day, notifying them of SCAD’s drum line performance, the start of the drawing and the announcement of the winners.
The park was lined with booths providing a variety of food, Ex Libris apparel and information for both participants and attendees. A DJ played a remix of music from the stage throughout the entire event.
“We started out just around the corner of Poetter hall and then it spread across the street around Griffin and eventually we needed this much space,” said SCAD’s President Paula Wallace. “For SCAD it is like our homecoming. Families are here, students are here, alumni are here and it’s just a great day.”
Multiple categories and prizes were distributed to artists from different places, ages, majors and degrees.
The Best in Show award of $1,000 was given to illustration major 2011 alumni Madison Berger from Macungie, Pa., and graphic design major 2004 alumni Katie Campbell from Savannah, Ga.
The 35th anniversary (3-D) award of $750 was given to The Porch, including illustration major Jordyn Moss from Eldon, Mo., animation major Grant Whitsitt from Jackson, Tenn., animation major Abigail Slupecki from Coral Springs, Fla., and illustration major Taylor McCaslin from Houston.
First place of the Student Individual category of $700 was awarded to illustration major Nguyen Tran from Savannah, Ga. Following Tran was production design major Katerina Kojeva from Las Vegas, who was awarded $350. In third place was painting major Mirielle Jefferson from Hoover, Ala., who was given $200.
The first place of the Student Group award of $800 was granted to team “10’” with illustration major Hyeonji Kim from Kyeonggi-do, South Korea, and fashion marketing and management major Soobin Lee from Seoul, South Korea. Second place of $600 was awarded to team “Ariel and Chelsie” with painting major Chelsie Liberti from Columbus, Ind. and illustration major Ariel Gomez from Savannah, Ga.
Third place of $350 was presented to team “Broccoli Cheddar,” with illustration major Whitney Williams from Marblehead, Mass., illustration major Lindsey Cirmotich from Brunswick, Ga., and animation major Jordan Rosato from Tomball, Texas.
The Gray’s Reef award of $350 was given to animation major Jose Matheu and architecture major Ricardo Chiuz, both from Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The Graduate Student award of $500 was granted to illustration major Sanaz Bagheraloloum Yazdani from Savannah, Ga.
The Drawing Minor award of $100 was given to animation major Laurie Murray from St. Augustine, Fla.
The awards granted to SCAD alumni were presented in three places. First place of $700 was awarded to Cliff Lummus from Canton, Ga., who received his BFA in graphic design in 2006 and his MFA in writing in 2011. The second award for $350 was granted to Alan Gallardo, who received his BFA in graphic design in 2001 and is from Savannah, Ga. Third place of $200 for the alumni awards was presented to Stephen Cole from Savannah, Ga., who received his BFA in sequential art in 2001.
Finally, the High School Competition awards were distributed to Kari Hiner in first place for $200, Jessie Wilkinson in second place for $100 and Nicolas Moscosa in third for $50.
