SCAD SERVE Transforms Local Communities With Paint Our Parks Public Art Initiative

16 Parks and Play Spaces in SCAD communities of Savannah and Atlanta have been revitalized with vibrant, larger-than-life murals by SCAD alumni artists

ATLANTA and SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is proud to share the transformative effect on local neighborhood communities through the university’s unique SCAD SERVE Paint Our Parks public art initiative. Since launching in 2021, SCAD SERVE Paint Our Parks has beautified and enlivened 16 basketball courts and play spaces in the university’s hometowns of Savannah and Atlanta by creating larger-than-life murals conceptualized by an elite roster of talented SCAD alumni artists.

Envisioned by SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace, SCAD SERVE is a university initiative that brings together the SCAD community to address neighborhood needs, listen to local leaders, and create meaningful design solutions that improve quality of life. As part of SCAD SERVE, Paint Our Parks serves the citizens in SCAD’s hometown communities of Atlanta and Savannah through the university’s vast network of supremely talented students and alumni to revitalize shared recreational spaces with vibrant and scenic murals. To date, SCAD SERVE Paint Our Parks murals amplify spaces at 16 parks, recreational centers, and school playgrounds across the state. Through Paint Our Parks, deserving communities and neighborhoods have been uplifted, unified, and forever changed through the shared power of public art and altruism that are at the heart of the SCAD university community. 

In the collaborative spirit of SCAD’s ethos, each Paint Our Parks mural project is led by a SCAD SERVE Alumni Artist to conceptualize a unifying mural design for each neighborhood. These murals are unique works of art for each local neighborhood and school community, all with defining colors, symbols, iconography, and meaning to each location’s sense of place. SCAD SERVE Alumni Ambassadors oversee teams of volunteers composed of SCAD students, faculty, community advocates, and local citizens to fully realize these murals and bring these vibrant works to life.

“The places where we lounge, laugh, and play. The spaces where we stroll, reflect, and reinvigorate. Our parks are where we find our best selves — and SCAD SERVE’s Paint Our Parks public art initiative, invites our neighbors and friends to enjoy the work of accomplished SCAD artists,” said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. “SCAD SERVE Alumni Ambassador artists — whose murals enliven streetscapes worldwide— lead each Paint Our Parks public art initiative to realize shared visions of positivity, wellness, and joy, and uplift neighborhoods from Atlanta to Savannah.”

Through this Paint Our Parks initiative, the university has made a significant investment to revitalize play spaces in Atlanta and Savannah. To date, SCAD’s financial contributions for Paint Our Parks totals over $667,000 which include restoration of park surfaces, new top-of-the-line basketball goals and nets, and painting materials. Paint Our Parks has engaged over 2,000 volunteers from the SCAD community and local neighborhoods and utilized over 2,000 gallons of paint to realize these larger-than-life works of art. Over the past 18 months, SCAD has worked with local partners including: Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Atlanta Public Schools, City of Savannah, Savannah Chatham County Public School System, Savannah Jewish Educational Alliance, and Greenbriar Children’s Center.

To commemorate this initiative, the university has produced a short film showcasing all 16 beautified parks with testimonials from community leaders, talented alumni artists, educators, and K-12 students highlighting how the Paint Our Parks initiative has positively impacted their local community now and for years to come. The film can be viewed at scad.edu/scadserve. 

SCAD SERVE Paint Our Parks murals, to date:

Atlanta (10)

• Arthur Langford, Jr. Park by artist Emily Eldridge (B.F.A., illustration, 2024)
• Mozley Park by artist Carla Contreras (M.F.A., painting, 2019)
• Adair Park I by artist Alex Waggoner (B.F.A., painting, 2012)
• Adair Park II by artists Joseph Veazey (B.F.A., graphic design, 2009) and Dohyun “Odni” Lim (B.F.A., animation, 2018)
• Sara J. Gonzalez Park by artist José Ray (B.F.A., painting, 2011)
• Howell Park by artist Drew Borders (B.F.A., animation, minor motion media design, 2020)
• Thomasville Heights Recreation Center by artist Alexandria Hall (B.F.A., illustration, 2019)
• Stone Hogan Park by artist Nina Robinson (B.F.A., animation, 2019)
• Usher-Collier Elementary School by artist Alexandria Hall (B.F.A, illustration, 2019)
• Decatur Cooperative Ministry

Savannah (6)

• Coastal Middle School by artist Peach Tao (B.F.A., illustration and printmaking, 2010)
• Greenbriar Children’s Center by artist Chris Nickels (B.F.A., illustration, 2012)
• Hodge Elementary School by artist Joe Dreher (B.A., architecture, 1993)
• Savannah Jewish Educational Alliance by artist Melyssa Amann (B.F.A., illustration, 2020)
• WW Law Community Center by artist Anthony “Mojo” Reed II (B.F.A., sequential art, 2015)
• Southwest Middle School by artist Cherry Chandra (M.A. illustration, 2021)

SCAD plans to continue this legacy initiative throughout 2024 in both Savannah and Atlanta with park restoration and mural plans for Cook Park in Atlanta, and Heard Elementary, DeRenne Middle School, and Southwest Elementary School in Savannah.

“SCAD has given our students and our community the most amazing gift – a gift that combines art, joy, and play,” said Coastal Middle School principal Allison Schuster-Jones. “The SCAD SERVE Paint Our Parks team transformed what was an eyesore of an outdoor space into a work of art.  Our Parent Teacher Student Association has been working to beautify the space for years, but SCAD swept in and worked their magic as only they can.  Our students, families, and community will enjoy this amazing spot for years to come.  Thank you, SCAD!”

For more information on SCAD SERVE, please visit: scad.edu/scadserve.

SCAD: THE UNIVERSITY FOR CREATIVE CAREERS

SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 120 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator.

SCAD is No. 1 in the U.S., according to Art & Object’s 2023 Best Art Schools ranking, with additional top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2023 study found that 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more. Visit scad.edu.

SOURCE Savannah College of Art and Design