SCAD Museum of Art
Encyclopedia
The SCAD Museum of Art was founded in 2002 as part of the Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design
SCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design, is a private, accredited and degree-granting university with locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France.-History:...

 in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

 and originally was known as the Earle W. Newton Center for British American Studies.

The museum's collection of more than 4,500 pieces includes works of haute couture, drawings, painting, sculpture, photography, prints and more.

The SCAD Museum of Art is a teaching museum, serving Savannah College of Art and Design students and as well as members of the community and other visitors. A focal point is the Walter O. Evans Center for African American Studies, a multidisciplinary center for the study, understanding and appreciation of African American culture, art and literature. It is complemented by the new André Leon Talley Gallery, named for the Vogue contributing editor and SCAD Board of Trustees member.

On Oct. 29, 2011 the SCAD Museum opens its doors to a new era, unveiling the most extensive rehabilitation project the university has undertaken since its inception.
The revitalized museum features new galleries and classrooms, a 250-seat theater, a terrace and outdoor projection screen, a conservation studio, a museum café, as well as a 12-foot-long orientation touch table. An 86-foot tall steel and glass lantern welcomes visitors and elegantly redefines the Savannah city skyline.

History

The museum originally was housed in an 1856 Greek Revival structure that was once home to the headquarters of the Central of Georgia Railway. This National Historic Landmark is the only surviving antebellum railroad complex in the country. Originally conceived as a major trade post for Savannah, the railroad complex was occupied by Union troops at the close of the Civil War. In the early 20th century, the area surrounding much of the Central of Georgia Railroad buildings emerged as an important African American commercial district and cultural hub, and remained so through the mid 20th century. Despite its prime location and significant pedigree, however, the complex was beset by five decades of neglect, and by the late 20th century the depot and its Savannah gray brick lay in ruins.

In 1992, SCAD acquired the deteriorating former railroad headquarters and began renovations. A year later, the building was dedicated to Virginia Kiah (1911-2001), a member of SCAD’s Board of Trustees and pioneer of African American female art.
Established in 2002 as the Earle W. Newton Center for British American Studies (named after the gift of a major collection of British and American art from Newton in 2001), the museum was renamed the SCAD Museum of Art in 2006, recognizing its expanding collections.

Further exterior renovations were completed in 2007 and 2008, including masonry repair, window restoration, drainage improvements and the replacement of the original 150-year-old roof. Today, the adjoining 1853 depot is the continued focus of SCAD’s most recent restoration efforts.

The Expansion

Following a groundbreaking ceremony in January 2010, SCAD architects, designers and craftsmen integrated the building's history with its future, analyzing and reproducing key original components, down to the chemical compounds of the 19th-century mortar.

At present, the museum is outfitted with low-energy-consuming light fixtures, zoned climate control, exterior cooling towers, low-flow plumbing fixtures for water-use reduction and low-emissivity (low-E) glass on the south elevation. Landscape planning for the courtyard made use of xeriscape planning, porous paving materials and custom irrigation plans.

Salvaged bricks and original heart pine timbers appear throughout the museum, as well as a majority of original high ceilings that allow for optimal temperature regulation and provide a dramatic background for the display and experience of art.

Artworks

The SCAD Museum of Art houses the Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art, one of the largest collections of African American art in the United States, which includes prized works by Edward Bannister, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Robert Scott Duncanson, Richard Hunt and Jacob Lawrence, while the Earle W. Newton Center of British and American Art features rare books, antique maps and paintings by William Hogarth, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough and others. SCAD’s permanent collection of more than 4,500 works also includes items by Salvador Dalí, Nicholas Hlobo, Willem de Kooning, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Wangechi Mutu, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Carrie Mae Weems, as well as haute couture from Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Givenchy, among many others.

Upon its re-opening on Oct. 29, 2011, the museum will kick off exhibitions by renowned contemporary artists Alfredo Jaar, Stephen Antonakos, Liza Lou, Bill Viola, Kendall Buster and Kehinde Wiley.

Curators

Laurie Ann Farrell, Executive Director of Exhibitions

Isolde Brielmaier, Chief Curator of Exhibitions

Walter O. Evans Collections of African American Art

The Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art is one of the most important collections of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 visual art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....

 dating from the 18th century up to the present.

The collection has been exhibited at many art museums around the country, including the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...

 in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, the Columbia Museum of Art
Columbia Museum of Art
The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, South Carolina has a collection of European and American fine and decorative art that spans several centuries...

 in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

, the Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...

 in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 and the Tacoma Art Museum
Tacoma Art Museum
In May 2003, Tacoma Art Museum opened a new facility twice the size of its previous home, allowing the museum to expand on its vision and mission. American Institute of Architects AIA Gold Medal winner Antoine Predock designed the building located in the heart of Tacoma’s Cultural District...

 in Washington.

In 2006, part of the collection was donated to the museum.

Earle W. Newton Center for British and American Studies

Created by Earle W. Newton in 2001, this collection of reference materials covers the interconnections between the two countries in the 17th, 18th and 19 centuries. It also has several hundred portrait painting
Portrait painting
Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...

s by artists from both countries.

The SCAD Costume Collection

The SCAD Costume Collection includes garments donated by Cornelia Guest, daughter of fashion icon C.Z. Guest, and haute couture from Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Givenchy, among others.

The Modern and Contemporary Art Collection

The Modern and Contemporary Art Collection includes an array of Modern art works by major 19th- and 20th-century figures, from Goya and Renoir to Rauschenberg, Dali and Picasso as well as contemporary works by artists such as Nicholas Hlobo, Yeondoo Jung, Wangechi Mutu, Yinka Shonibare MBE and Carrie Mae Weems.

The 19th- and 20th-century Photography Collection

The 19th- and 20th-century Photography Collection, featuring works by Cartier-Bresson, Mapplethorpe, Leibovitz and Warhol.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scadmoa

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scadmoa

Google+: https://plus.google.com/118126878187045901677
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