The Savannah Women of Vision investiture, created by

Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private nonprofit art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. Founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the Unit ...

(SCAD) President and Founder Paula Wallace, commemorates women of notable altruistic and intellectual achievement from

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

. The first induction was in 2016 at SCAD Arnold Hall, and has continued biennially.

About the investiture

The origins of the Savannah Women of Vision investiture can be traced to the proscenium in the university's historic Arnold Hall, anchored by a New Deal-era mural that depicts Savannah's historical leaders:

Button Gwinnett Button Gwinnett (March 3, 1735 – May 19, 1777) was a British-born American Founding Father who, as a representative of Georgia to the Continental Congress, was one of the signers (first signature on the left) of the United States Declaration o ...

Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependabl ...

George Whitefield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...

, and

Casimir Pulaski Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski of the Ślepowron coat of arms (; ''Casimir Pulaski'' ; March 4 or March 6, 1745 Makarewicz, 1998 October 11, 1779) was a Polish nobleman, soldier, and military commander who has been called, tog ...

, among others. Wallace noticed the omission of women in this visual depiction of the notable citizens of Savannah. As Wallace explains, "Savannah as we know it rests on the triumphs of its women — mothers, entrepreneurs, authors, patriots, philanthropists. I created the Savannah Women of Vision investiture to illuminate trailblazers and their transcendent work, keeping their names and deeds not only in our hearts but publicly acclaimed. These are our heroines."

Inductees

About the reliefs

To commemorate the Savannah Women of Vision and their impact on the community, SCAD commissioned alumnus Michael Porten to create large relief portraits of the honorees. Although the portraits are executed in classic

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

— a style of portraiture perfected by the ancient Greeks — Porten uses advanced tools and software to render each woman's visage in sculpture, infusing a classic medium with modern technology. The gilded finish holds meaning, as gold traditionally represents generosity and compassion.

References

External links

Savannah Women of Vision
{{Authority control Women's halls of fame Lists of American women State halls of fame in the United States Lists of people from Georgia (U.S. state) Halls of fame in Georgia (U.S. state) History of women in Georgia (U.S. state) Culture of Savannah, Georgia