SCAD fine arts students in the graduating class of 2024 recently exhibited their culminating artworks at the senior showcase, which took place on Thursday, May 30, from 5–7 p.m. at the university’s Alexander Hall gallery. This year, 45 painting majors graduated from the school of fine arts, with the showcase representing the pinnacle of their artistic and academic endeavors at SCAD as well as a communal celebration leading up to commencement, which was held on Saturday, June 1.

School of Fine Arts Dean Honor Bowman believes that SCAD’s painting program uniquely positions students to prosper in their post-graduate careers, which makes it particularly attractive to aspiring artists.

“The painting major at SCAD is growing, and I believe the reason is because in 2024, the most relevant skill set an artist can have is humanity and individuality,” said Bowman. “I think students are attracted to the fact that they can study and learn, connecting with their personal voice, and once you do that, you can apply that skill set to any job.”

Bowman added that SCAD’s dynamic painting curriculum prepares students for any number of positions that go far beyond the scope of painting.

“You can also be a curator, a gallerist, an entrepreneur, an art director, a service designer. … You could work in art consultancy and production … There are infinite applications for the skills of creative thinking, critical thinking and developing artistic ideas. And that’s what our program teaches,” she said. “Looking at the graduating class that we have this year, every single one of these graduates is hardworking, has an independent voice, and has a sense of [how] they would like to apply those skills.”

Across all the disciplines that the university teaches, SCAD puts an emphasis on preparing talented students for real, sustainable and successful careers.

“We work really hard to make it clear in our curriculum … that it’s vital to learn business skills at the same time as your creative skills. I’ve been really impressed looking at our senior class this year. They’ve taken it seriously. I’ve had several students come forward and present their CV, website and materials for me to review,” said Bowman. “They’re working with the [SCAD] Office of Career and Alumni Success … They’re interviewing for jobs and putting themselves out there. They’re getting opportunities. And I know that comes from hard work, self-belief and the fact that they’re prepared. It’s that preparedness that we take very seriously.”

Bowman and the other faculty members in SCAD’s school of fine arts have worked with this year’s graduating class of painters to ensure that they are equipped with all of the tools necessary to thrive in the intersection of art and business.

“Ultimately we’re teaching them to be the best problem solvers, the best critical thinkers, and to be able to adapt to professional opportunities and situations — working across industries. Our painters have shown leadership skills, perseverance, writing skills, communication and speaking skills,” said Bowman. “What I’m proud of from the showcase and the program is that we’re graduating seniors who can do anything and work anywhere. It’s the background in fine arts that makes them a perfect candidate for those opportunities. I want people to understand that fine arts makes you a formidable force in the professional world.”

Haley Bullington and Malikah Tamirah, two artists from the painting program’s graduating class who are looking forward to making their impact professionally after graduation, both found their footing at SCAD.

“I’ve been into art since I was little,” said Tamirah. “I have drawings from third grade. I always knew I was going to be an artist. But going into high school, I lost track of art. I went to Georgia Southern for civil engineering and I didn’t like it. So I decided to transfer to SCAD. … It was the best decision I ever made.”

Artistic inclination is in Tamirah’s blood; she credits her grandfather, who was also an artist, for piquing her interest in the field.

“He did painting, oil painting, drawing — every medium you could think of, charcoal, pastels,” said Tamirah. “I used to be intrigued by him when I was younger, watching him. So I tried to copy him in a way before he passed away. That’s how I got into [art]. He’s my inspiration.”

For Bullington, her artistic abilities weren’t recognized as early.

“I never thought that I could do art or that I was good at art. Then [in] high school, I was taking an art class, and I heard about SCAD. So I did their Rising Star program and had Honor as my painting professor. I didn’t even know how to make the color pink, and she was like, ‘you just add white.’ She was so kind to me … and it was so fun to just learn and I really fell in love with SCAD,” said Bullington.

SCAD empowered each of the then-budding artists with the instruction, resources and tools needed to help them discover their own artistic perspectives, which have been realized in the artworks they’ve created for the senior showcase.

For Tamirah, she took inspiration from her upbringing and experience as a Black woman in the American South, specifically recalling and reflecting on the days of her youth spent exploring Savannah’s streets with family and friends. Her painting, titled “Field Trip to Broughton Street,” is a meticulously rendered snapshot capturing the verve and vibrancy of Black young adulthood.

“I decided to take my friends to Broughton Street and have them pose in this spot we used to go to when I was younger,” said Tamirah. “I had them be themselves. Most of the time with my paintings, when I start off, I take pictures of [the subjects]. But I want them to be authentic. I don’t tell them to wear certain things or dress in a certain way. I want everything to be real and raw.”

While Tamirah’s painting is direct and immediate, Bullington’s senior project is more of an abstraction by comparison. But like Tamirah’s artwork, Bullington draws upon experiences from her youth to inspire her final piece, specifically her past life as a gymnast.

“I had drawn this picture of these women’s bodies, and it was from poses that I used to do in gymnastics … these insane ways that my body was able to bend that it can no longer bend. So I was trying to remember those old movements and put them all on the canvas, so like a time lapse of my floor routine, essentially,” said Bullington. “I drew it and then reflected that image and projected it. I was going to make these lines symmetrical, but then I decided to drift away and work more intuitively and build upon the marks that were already on the canvas and let the composition inform itself.”

Both of these stellar student works presented challenges for each artist during their creative processes. Bullington described the difficulties of working with such on a large scale and the challenges that came with construction and wall mounting. Tamirah said time management was a challenge she had to overcome, recounting nights where she’d be up until 4 a.m. working, sleep in her car, and return to the studio bright and early the next morning to keep at it. With every struggle and sacrifice, the resulting artworks are striking and compelling testaments to each student’s artistic prowess.

Beyond graduation, both Tamirah and Bullington have plans to pursue graduate education in the future. In the interim, they plan to continue to build their portfolios and take advantage of exciting opportunities in the art world. Bullington plans to return home to Houston, Texas, with hopes of completing Sotheby’s online business program. And Tamirah has plans to make a name for herself in Atlanta’s burgeoning art scene — a feat that should be fairly easy considering the fact that her art is already garnering international acclaim. SCAD helped Tamirah submit a piece to the Venice Biennale, which is the largest and most prestigious art fair in the world. Only 120 artists are accepted globally, and one of Tamirah’s artworks was accepted.

“The painting department and photo departments identified students with large-scale work because it’s hung in a huge, huge hall, and SCAD actually financially supported the application for these students to apply and get these works in, which was great,” said Bowman. “SCAD is also paying to send the work, so it made it an accessible opportunity for everybody because application fees, shipping fees and re-stretching and framing fees to send a piece to Venice are very high. But the school really supports competitions like this, and we’re so proud that Malikah’s piece is going.”

Both Tamirah and Bullington are grateful for the education and support they received throughout their respective SCAD journeys, noting the opportunities to refine their techniques and boost their self-confidence as highlights of their studies.

The school of fine arts wasn’t the only school with a senior showcase. Senior photography students within the school of visual communication also exhibited works within the Graham Scott gallery. One such student is Wyatt Junnila, who focuses on commercial photography. Junnila was introduced to the photography profession by his mother who was a portrait photographer. He would assist his mother on shoots all throughout his life.

“I like to say on my resume that I’ve been a photo assistant for 11 years now because I’ve been with her,” said Junnila. “I’ve had plenty of experience with holding a reflector, stuff like that, but most importantly, working with people, and working with kiddos as well.”

He found that many photographers avoid working with children, but Junnila, who is very exuberant in his own way, found himself gravitating towards the youth, “because of their light-hearted nature, and sweet spirit.” For his final, he decided on the theme of nostalgic kid food.

“I grew up eating Uncrustables, Mott’s or Welch’s [fruit gummy snacks], and then Goldfish or Cheez-Its. . . And so I thought that this would be a fun idea to have super colorful backdrops and all the snacks and food everywhere and Kidz Bop playing and Capri-Suns, and stuff like that.”

Junnila actually used his neighbors’ children, a brother and sister, as his models, after approaching their parents and explaining what he wanted to do. He made a concerted effort to do everything possible to ensure the child models were as comfortable as possible, which contributed much to the final shot.

“This photo is a photo that she [the sister] suggested we do. . . and so we did this photo a couple times to get the perfect shot, but there were so many people laughing on set, her telling little silly jokes, and he’d tell a joke or a secret. … It was cute and sweet,” said Junnila.

In the resulting image, the children are laying down on a vibrant backdrop with snacks scattered about, while the sister whispers a silly joke to her younger brother. The color and energy jump off the paper, artfully conveying the innocent, carefree nature of youth to the viewer, which stirs up a longing for simpler times.

This final project marks the end of his SCAD journey as a student, but also a new beginning with SCAD post-graduation.

“I am very excited to be joining SCAD as a production assistant on their visual media team,” said Junnila, who was initially a work-study employee before being offered a full-time position.

“I’m staying here a bit longer, and I’m super excited to get my own place soon. It’s a big adult step,” he said.

Of his SCAD student experience, Junnila said he wanted to make the photography community feel as welcoming and inviting as possible. Whenever he could, he often took younger students under his wing, inviting them to assist on photo shoots and providing advice. His message to the future classes of photography students is this:

“No matter who you are on set, you matter because you help the bigger picture and make the work speak.”

SCAD’s graduating class of 2024 is teeming with talented students across all artistic disciplines ready to make an impact in their respective fields. To learn more about The University for Creative Careers, visit scad.edu.

This article appears in Connect Savannah I Best of Savannah.