Silent auction makes historic preservation a cause for all majors
A chalkboard globe was among the many items up for sale at last night’s silent auction.
Photo by Ysabel Cacho.
The Student Preservation Association (S.P.A.) hosted a silent auction last night, but most in attendance would agree it was anything but silent. While students and guests ate their bacon-wrapped shrimp and pork stuffed ravioli, catered by the Flip Flop Tiki Bar, they headed up to the second floor of the Lucas Theater where most of the items for sale were located.
Guests could bid for a wide variety of items, such as architecture books, S.P.A. t-shirts, stickers and measuring tapes, photographs of abandoned houses in Georgia, and card illustrations by Zoe Leung.
S.P.A.’s communications director and third-year historic preservation major, Maggie O’Neal, explained that the proceeds would go the organization’s fund for next year. Specifically, the money earned would help support the association’s annual preservation week and workshops, which are free and open to the public.
According to O’Neal, the preservation week is usually held during the last week of April or the first week of May, with the Historic Savannah Foundation helping to put on the show. During preservation week, S.P.A. holds workshops on things such as brick repointing or plaster casting.
On Monday, May 6, they host a roundtable discussion with SCAD professors from many different departments at Habersham Hall. Aside from historic preservation professors, the panel will include professors from art history, architecture, film, and photography. They plan to discuss “how preservation works in their fields,” said O’Neal, adding that the club wanted to bring a lot of diversity into the discussion.
O’Neal explained that S.P.A.’s goal is to create a place for the community “for historic preservation majors and non-majors alike.” They hope to establish “a collaborative effort to enhance our education” through different activities such as walking tours and preservation week. The organization stands as a place “to fill in the cracks” in preservation that other classes don’t typically get to do.
There is a lot of hard work and dedication aimed at promoting preservation among SCAD students. It’s important to “learn from the past, so we won’t repeat the mistakes in the future,” said O’Neal. “Preservation is not just for buildings. It’s about preserving our cultural practices and our history.”
