SCAD Announces 30th Sidewalk Arts Festival

Popular annual festival to be preceded by Films in Forsyth

The Savannah College of Art and Design announces its annual crowd-pleasing Sidewalk Arts Festival, set for Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Savannah’s historic Forsyth Park. The festival will be preceded by Films in Forsyth featuring family friendly films on Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April 29 on the big screen at Forsyth Park’s band shell. All events are free and open to the public.

The Sidewalk Arts Festival will draw thousands of visitors to view temporary chalk masterpieces created by SCAD students, alumni and prospective students on the sidewalks of Savannah’s historic park. The Sidewalk Arts Festival has been a cornerstone of SCAD Savannah’s spring activities and marks its 30th anniversary this year. Its participants represent SCAD’s many areas of study, from animation to architecture. First, second- and third-place monetary prizes are awarded in three categories: students, alumni and prospective students.

Judges for the 2011 Sidewalk Arts Festival include Ed Murrieta , senior creative director of character art for Cartoon Network; Dan Weiss, senior creative recruiter at American Greetings; and Rachael Cole, art director for Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books. Sponsors of the festival are Wells Fargo, American Greetings, Seacrest Partners, Allied Barton, Bahama Joe’s, Coca-Cola and Grays Reef.

The Sidewalk Arts festivities are kicked off by Films in Forsyth, SCAD’s outdoor film series for the SCAD and Savannah communities. “Goonies” will be screened on Thursday, April 28, and “Toy Story 3” will be shown on Friday, April 29. Both movies will begin at dusk, around 8 p.m.

Returning for the second year is the Cyberwalk Arts contest for SCAD students, alumni and prospective students worldwide who are not able to attend the festival in person. The Cyberwalk Arts contest is open for entries until April 28 and can be viewed at scad.edu/sidewalkarts.

The Sidewalk Arts Festival also includes a children’s activity area. Food from local vendors and Coca-Cola products will be available for sale during the event.

Visit scad.edu/sidewalkarts for more information. Media may contact Emily Belford at 912.525.5210 or ebelford@scad.edu for interview and image requests.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor’s and master’s degrees to prepare talented students for professional careers. As the most comprehensive art and design university in the world, SCAD offers more than 40 majors and more than 50 minors at distinctive locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning.

SCAD has more than 20,000 alumni and offers an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of more than 10,000 students, comes from all 50 United States and nearly 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and motivated by a faculty of more than 700 professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience. These professors emphasize learning through individual attention in an inspiring university environment. SCAD’s innovative curriculum is enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources and has garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications, including 3D World, American Institute of Architects, BusinessWeek, DesignIntelligence, U.S. News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times.