On Creativity with Paula Wallace

One—Two—Three—Four!...

Few art forms have the international appeal and accessibility of music. The right combination of vocals, instrumentation, and vibrations produces an undeniable feeling in the body and mind of the listener. Kiran Gandhi, known around the world by her stage name - Madame Gandhi, makes it her mission to share inclusivity and unity through the power of high energy and insightful compositions. She's toured the world and is now live streaming concerts from her studio in solidarity with social distancing. She spoke with Paula Wallace via Zoom as part of SCAD's ongoing Guests and Gusto program, a way to bring industry leaders to SCAD from a safe and secure virtual platform. For the first time in SCADcast history, you'll be treated to musical breaks thanks to Gandhi's passion for sharing her art. This episode includes two of Madame Gandhi's tracks from her "Visions" album, "See Me Thru" and "Waiting For Me." In addition to Paula Wallace's one-on-one with Madame Gandhi, you'll hear from SCAD Film and Television junior, Cori Graves, leading an audience Q&A from the live broadcast. Adjust that bass and treble, because it's time to give the stage to Madame Gandhi.

The Deafening Character Of Silence...

The modern pantheon of theatre styles reflects how rapidly art and culture evolved in the 20th century. The era gave birth to some of the finest theatre artists we will ever know, including today's special guest, Robert Wilson. Wilson holds many titles; he's a director, designer, actor, sculpture, author, drawer, and more. He is, in the true sense, an artist. His creative abilities are as endless as the conversations spurred by his iconic productions. He is revered for his masterful interplay of light and shadow, movement and stillness, sound and silence. During SCAD deFINE ART 2020, Wilson enthralled the SCAD community with a performative lecture and rare insight into his creative process. Paula Wallace sat with Wilson after the performance to further discuss his aesthetic, his formative background, and methods for constructing powerful moments onstage.

Raw Beauty...

Today on SCADcast, we'll hear from painter, photographer, and sociocultural activist, Marilyn Minter. For close to fifty years, her work has challenged and enlightened — exposed and heightened. Minter visited Savannah as SCAD's 2020 deFINE ART Honoree, and her retrospective exhibition, "Nasty Woman," is currently on view virtually at www.scadmoa.org/exhibitions. During her visit to SCAD, she encouraged students to consider techniques that are underutilized and to question the status quo. Minter's tenacious spirit echoed through her paintings and photographs that adorned the walls of the SCAD Museum of Art, and drew in audiences with their magnetic appeal. Paula Wallace sat with Minter during the deFINE ART festival, and the two looked back on the techniques and materials Minter has mastered over the years, her collaborations with top brands, and her continued advocacy for women's rights.

Passion Worth Sharing …

Introducing On Creativity LIVE, presented as part of Guests and Gusto, a new Zoom series that connects SCAD students with the professional creative community during this time of virtual learning. On this episode, SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace is joined by all-star film and television producer, executive, and head of television at TED, Juliet Blake, whose zest for life and passion for storytelling brings forth voices from every corner of the globe. After decades of producing hard-hitting television, Blake launched her career onto the big screen alongside producing partners Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey with "The Hundred-Foot Journey," starring Helen Mirren. Blake recently announced a deal with Spielberg’s production company Amblin Partners to produce her second feature film, adapted from a memoir, titled "Stolen Time." Her mission to amplify stories never seems to cease, no matter the circumstances. President Wallace reunited with Blake virtually to share Blake’s pro tips for maintaining the creative process and fruitful collaborations during social isolation. Together they reflect on the keys to compelling storytelling and how emerging professionals can prioritize their efforts and abilities to succeed in their career paths. In June 2018, SCAD awarded Blake an honorary doctorate of humane letters for her work in film and television.

Kaleidoscopes Of Joy…

“Be inquisitive, be curious and be more creative than ever before.” Through this positive call to action, Mary Katrantzou perfectly encapsulated our “On Creativity” mission statement. Her much admired eponymous label sparks positivity in the eye of the wearer and the beholder through dazzling prints and color palettes. In 2019, SCAD was honored to host an exhibition in honor of ten years of the Katrantzou brand at the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. During the exhibition, Paula Wallace sat with Katrantzou to explore the vibrant world of Katrantzou’s design aesthetic, her business model, and how artists can best describe their work to clients, critics, and everyone in between.

The Pupil Becomes The Master...

In this episode, Paula Wallace takes us to Paris and the halls of Jean-Paul Gaultier's revolutionary couturier. After fifty years in fashion, Gaultier recently stepped back from the helm of his eponymous fashion label. For many, Gaultier is the master of high fashion. Students everywhere study his designs and find endless inspiration in his expression, but for Gaultier, that honor belonged to his first mentor: Pierre Cardin. In the SCAD-produced animated short documentary, "Le Futur," Gaultier speaks of his beloved mentor, Cardin, as the highest ambassador for global fashion and as an artist whose every move is punctuated by boundless creativity. Gaultier did not fall far from the Cardin tree, and his bold expression amplifies looks unbound by time.

The Climb To Primetime...

On this episode of “On Creativity,” Paula Wallace is joined by Emmy Award-winning actor, Eric McCormack. McCormack currently stars as the titular Will Truman in NBC’s juggernaut sitcom, “Will and Grace.” For eleven seasons and two-hundred and forty-six episodes, McCormack has brought charm, dignity, and humor to the airwaves along with his co-stars of television’s finest. His creative journey has brought him from classic American sitcoms to hard hitting dramas like "Travelers" and "Perception." In recognition of McCormack’s singular contribution to television, he was honored with the Impact Award at the 2020 SCAD aTVfest in February. There he sat with Paula Wallace and four SCAD School of Entertainment Arts students for this wonderful dive into his storied career.

You Can't Make This Up...

Welcome back to "On Creativity with Paula Wallace" as we launch our second season! With SCAD and the global community committed to halting the spread of the Coronavirus and practicing life saving social distancing, we hope this podcast helps keep you connected with your creative genes and inspires you to continue to create during these unforeseen times. We need inventiveness, ingenuity, and creativity now more than ever as we reach out to the world around us primarily through virtual means. As today's "On Creativity" special guest so aptly observed, "these are uncharted and difficult times for everyone. But telling stories to one another––whether it's in person or on-line, whether we're in a crowd or sitting alone with a book or video monitor––has always been how human beings grapple with making sense of the world. It reminds us that we're all in this together. These are precisely the times when your creative energies are most helpful––and useful. Tap into them."

That special guest is award-winning historian, documentarian, and author, Dayton Duncan. Through his thirty-year collaboration with Ken Burns and Florentine Films, Duncan brings the excitement, drama, and adventure of American history to the curious masses. His passion for uncovering forgotten histories and rediscovering the stories left behind is admirable and inspiring. He gives our past a perspective that helps us forge a stronger future. Duncan and Burn's most recent collaborative achievement was the 2019 eight-part series, "Country Music," and its companion book, "Country Music: An Illustrated History." As with all his work, Duncan's master storytelling abilities resonate alongside the tunes of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, and more of country music's shining pantheon. Tune in to hear how Duncan and Burns became the team they are today, how Duncan recognizes value in the annals of history, and where the past borders on fiction.

Threads Of Time, Clothes That Define...

On this final episode of our premiere season, Paula Wallace sits with award-winning costume designer Terry Dresbach. For fans of the flagship Starz series "Outlander," Dresbach weaves the visual tapestry of wardrobes that grace the characters of the historical time-traveling drama. She achieves couture-level artistry through in-depth historical research to best portray 18th and mid-20th century cultural trends. Dresbach's work on "Outlander" garnered her two Emmy nominations, and she won an Emmy for her designs on HBO's "Carnivàle." SCAD honored Dresbach and her art with an exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art titled, "The New World: Season Four," a dramatic installation of costumes presented with cinematic and sculptural elements to evoke the early American landscape. Tune in to hear Dresbach and Paula Wallace dive into the histories behind "Outlander" designs, and how the popular series has become an individually significant series for women of all ages.

Framing The Conversation...

In this episode, Paula Wallace sits with Toyin Ojih Odutola to reflect on her exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art, "Testing the Name," and on the impact of art in popular culture. Toyin's masterful use of mediums and materials create novels out of a carefully curated collection of drawings as she challenges her audience to "read her pictures." Her work is deep and dynamic with an emphasis on texture that has become a signature of her artwork. Her exhibition was praised by SCAD students who found endless inspiration in her use of ink, pastels, charcoal, and pencil. Tune in and enjoy Toyin's passion for art's power in the twenty-first century.