Foundation Studies Honors Exhibition 2025-2026 

Thank you for considering the Foundation Studies Honors Exhibition (FSHE)! The purpose of this annual exhibition is to spotlight the most stellar achievements of students enrolled in Foundation Studies courses over the past year. 

Eligibility: Open to all students enrolled in a Foundation Studies Class at the all SCAD locations (SAV, ATL, NOW) during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Submission Guidelines: 

To be considered for Exhibition for Honors individual artworks awards, students may submit up to 3 images of artworks created in any Foundation Studies course. These should be clear, professionally-documented .jpg images at 300 dpi. 

To be considered for Exhibition for the Portfolio Award, students must submit a .pdf of 4 images of artworks created in Foundation Studies courses (one for each course). These should be 4 exemplary works from across different Foundation Studies courses. Exemplary work should demonstrate mastery in the areas of 2D, 3D, Drawing and Color. Works submitted for the portfolio award will automatically be considered as individual artworks for exhibition. 

Only complete submissions will be considered. 

*Please do not duplicate images in both categories

Submission Requirements:

To be eligible, students can have no more than 82 Credit Hours. 

Students must also be currently enrolled in a Foundation Studies class at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s SAV, ATL and SCADnow locations during winter quarter 2026.

Students must provide an unofficial transcript* (accessible via MySCAD). 

Honors Exhibition Award Prizes: 

Best use of Drawing $500 valued prize

Best use of Color $500 valued prize

Best use of 3D $500 valued prize

Best use of 2D $500 valued prize

Overall Portfolio Award Prize:

Tuition waiver for one SCAD course

AWARDS NOT CLAIMED AFTER 10 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER BEING AWARDED WILL BE FORFEITED.

Important Dates: 

• Call for Entries: Monday, March 2, 2026 
• Entry deadline for submissions: Sunday, April 5, by 11:59 p.m. EST
• Notification of Acceptance:  Friday, April 10     
• Delivery of artwork:  

1.    2-dimensional artwork by Monday, April 13 by 4 p.m. EST
2.    3-Dimensional and digital artwork by April 17 by 4 p.m. EST                                

• Exhibition Dates: Monday, April 20 – Thursday, May 15, at Wallin Hall. 
• Reception: Friday, April 24, 4 - 6 p.m.   

Procedure: 

All files must be digitally submitted via the Submittable link provided. 

Images must be .jpg or .jpeg, 300 dpi, and not exceed 12 inches in any direction.

• Video – mp4 or mov. files only.
• Digital Work that is not time-based that is accepted for exhibition will be displayed as prints. Student will need to print at 300 dpi. This will be addressed in the Acceptance Information.

 Portfolio must be .pdf 

Applications will need the following information:

·  Student Full Name

·  SCAD Email address (No external email accounts)

·  SCAD Student ID number

·  Student Phone number

·  Student Intended Major

·  Home Address (not your SCAD address)

·  Instagram Handle (if applicable)

·  Artwork Title

·  Artwork Medium 

·  Artwork Dimensions - Dimensions should be listed (in inches) as height x width. Or for 3D work height x width x depth. For example: 48" x 24" x 3"

·  Date of Completion

·  Class in which it was Produced

·  Professor of class in which work was produced

·  Question: Was this work in a different SCAD student competition or exhibition?

NOTE: 

All SCAD SAV and SCAD ATL pieces submitted for review must be available to hang on or before April 17, 2026 by 4 p.m. 

All SCAD NOW artwork accepted will be displayed digitally on a digital monitor.

Further information will be provided upon final notification about the exhibition. The exhibition committee holds the right to refuse any works that are not available or are found not to be representative of the work submitted for the application. 

SCAD Atlanta welcomes exhibition inquiries and proposals from faculty of all departments to showcase current student artwork in Trois Gallery. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but priority will be given to exhibitions showcasing 2D work with intent to show during the Fall and Spring quarters. The SCAD Exhibitions Team will not accept exhibition inquiries that are submitted 2 months prior to the anticipated exhibition date.  

If accepted, the SCAD Exhibitions Team will offer guidance to the department on how best to realize the exhibition, including offering templates for wall labels and layouts/floor plans. SCAD Exhibitions Team will also oversee the maintenance and upkeep of the gallery space, schedule SCAD art handlers to install artworks, source pedestals (if needed), and create signage for the exhibition title. The department will be responsible for:

• Creating and advertising the call for entry, if needed
• Gathering student and artwork information to prepare a checklist
• Ensuring all exhibited work is properly framed
• Producing wall labels for each work on view
• Planning and covering expenses for the reception and catering, if desired
• Scheduling photography/exhibition documentation, if desired
• Ensuring all works are deinstalled after the closing date

PLEASE NOTE: This is not an application for current undergraduate students, alumni, or individual faculty members to propose solo projects or exhibitions. Current graduate students interested in showcasing their thesis exhibitions in Trois Gallery should submit their materials via the SCAD Submittable MFA Thesis Exhibition open call.

Who is eligible to apply for this exhibition?      Any current ATL SCAD student that has taken Foundation Studies classes during the 2024/25 school year can submit work for the exhibition. All work submitted must come from Foundation Studies classes from April 2024 to April 2025. 

 Award Categories            

• 2D Design            
• 3D Design            
• 4D / Time            
• Digital Art / Design            
• Color Work             
• Drawing            
• Figurative Works            
• Sketchbook: collection of process work with at least half the compositions coming from foundation studies courses.  This must be a single physical book for exhibition.  

Award Criteria      Awards are given to works that exemplify creativity, skill, and craftsmanship.    

When are the awards announced?     The awards will be announced during the exhibition closing ceremony on May 22nd, 2026, between 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Award presentation will happen at 4:30. Participants should be present to receive their awards.   

How many works can I submit?      In total, a student may create three submissions: three individual project / sketchbook submissions across any Foundation Studies course taken from April 2025 - April 2026. Students can submit more than one project from a single course.  For a sketchbook category submission, please submit images of at least 6 pages, designed and composed into a single image file, submitted as a JPG. Remember that this must be book intended for exhibition - a bound book, original sketchbook or portfolio folder.

 Minimum presentation requirements for accepted works   - We strongly encourage you to frame your work for the exhibition. All framed works must use plexiglass, no glass will be allowed. Framing in white or black wood is required, no metal frames.

- If you choose not to frame the work, a white or off-white window mat may be used. Colored mats are not allowed.   - Artworks must be professionally presented and ready to hang (with wire on back, if framed) at the time of submission.    - The exhibition committee holds the right to refuse any works that are not found to be representative of the work submitted for the application or does not meet professional presentation standards. SCAD is not responsible for damage due to poor craftsmanship of presentation or the use of glass in frames.   - Accepted works that do not meet these requirements or do not exhibit a high level of craftsmanship may not be exhibited.   

Digital artworks must adhere to these presentation requirements:   - Images must be submitted as a .jpg (at highest resolution) and be at least 3000 pixels on the largest side, with a 300 ppi resolution, and should be saved in RGB color mode.   - Videos must be submitted as a .mov or MP4 file and be no larger than 100 MB.

All students are encouraged to work with their professors to ensure professional presentation standards.  

Matting workshops      A workshop for matting will be offered on May 9 to assist those students that would like to mat their own work. You may also have your work professionally framed. We recommend Binders for framing works for the Beyond the Dot exhibition.   

Delivery of accepted works      Accepted works must be delivered, between the hours of 10am and 5pm to room 567C of 1600 Peachtree street on May 8th. To be accepted all work must be matted or framed and ready for exhibition.   

Calendar (Spring Term)

Monday, March 23, 2026 (Week 1) - Spring Term begins.

• Thursday April 2 (Week 2) - Submittable portal open for submissions.
• Friday April 17 (Week 3)  - Deadline for submission is 11:59 pm.
• Friday April 24 (Week 5) - Students will be notified of accepted works.
• Friday May 8 (week 7) - Works must be delivered, framed  or matted and ready for exhibition.
• Friday May 15 (Week 8) - Works will be installed
• Wednesday May 20 (Week 9) - Exhibition opens on 5C / 1600 Building
• Friday May 22  (Week 9)- Exhibition Awards and Closing Ceremony. Please invite friends and family. 
• All award winners will keep their work in the exhibition for future display at the Foundations building 1430. All other work should be removed and taken home at the close of the exhibition .

 Questions?      For any questions about the exhibition, please email beyondthedot@scad.edu 

The Rides and Tides Surfboard and Skate deck Design Challenge is a juried exhibition and competition focusing on skills learned in Foundation Studies design classes. Entrants create two-dimensional surface graphics for application on surfboards or skate decks. Winning designs must be of high enough quality to be scaled to full size.

The top fifteen designs for each category (surfboard and skateboard) will be printed and mounted on substrates and displayed in Wallin Hall, Savannah, GA. The Grand Prize-winning surfboard and skateboard design will be printed on real boards and revealed at the reception. 

Theme: Unity in Motion

Unity in Motion celebrates the connection between movement, balance, and community. Students are invited to capture the rhythm of motion, whether inspired by ocean waves, city streets, or the act of moving forward, and translate it into visual form. Through skateboard and surfboard design, participants will explore how freedom, balance, and individuality merge to unite form, culture, and motion.

Open Call Dates:

Monday, January 12 - Sunday, February 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Workshop on Illustrator and Submission Process:

January 16, 2026 in Wallin Hall, lab room 102, at 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Email Notification of Acceptance: 

Monday, March 16

Exhibition

Monday, March 23 – Sunday, April 12

Reception

Friday, April 10, 4 - 6 p.m.

Award Categories:

Grand Prize Surfboard 

First Runner Up Surfboard 

Second Runner Up Surfboard

Honorable Mention Surfboard

Grand Prize Skateboard 

First Runner Up Skateboard

Second Runner Up Skateboard

Honorable Mention Skateboard 

Eligibility:

The Design Challenge is open to students who are enrolled in or have successfully completed a Foundation Studies course within the current academic year (Fall 2025 and/or Winter 2026). SCADnow students who meet the criteria are also eligible to enter.

Submission Requirements: Contestants must download and use the appropriate template for their preferred submission (Surfboard or Skate Deck). 

Please keep artwork inside the bleed lines (inside lines) of the template. 

Submissions must be ready for reproduction.

Contestants are responsible for pre-flighting their files for quality assurance. Technical issues that prevent the work from being printed at full size may disqualify the submission. The committee reserves the right to reject improperly formatted or incorrectly named files.

Files need to be: JPEG (quality 12), 300 dpi, Adobe RGB 1998

Click on the following link to download template for the designs: Rides & Tides Illustrator Templates 

AI Disclosure: For the Rides and Tides competition, student participants are allowed, but limited, in using AI as a Consultative and Transformative tool. For example, participants are allowed to use AI to help brainstorm ideas and color palettes, as well as help visualize style changes. Student participants are NOT allowed to use AI as a Generative Primary: AI-generated text, images, audio, video, code, data that materially shape the submission. Student participants must add an AI Disclosure Note on any AI-involved submission (tool, version/date, what AI did, key prompts). Keep process evidence: drafts, sketches, notes, prompt/output logs; provided on request. Student participants are responsible for accuracy, originality, and ethics in your work. 

• Disclosure: If used, add an AI Disclosure Note (tool, version/date, and key prompts). Keep a brief log of prompts and outputs.
• Original work first: AI can support brainstorming or refinement; it cannot do the work for you.
• Verify & cite: Verify all facts in original sources; build your own citations/reference lists. Don’t submit AI-generated bibliographies.
• Integrity: Undisclosed or unauthorized use of AI (or fabrication of sources) constitutes academic misconduct and will result in automatic disqualification and other sanctions. 

Examples: outline with ChatGPT; generate mood-board thumbnails with Adobe Firefly; get a code refactor suggestion and then write tests yourself.

The AI Disclosure Note should follow the following format(s): 

Text: “Used ChatGPT (Aug 2025) to brainstorm 3 thesis ideas and suggest two transitions. Prompts/outputs attached. I verified all facts.”

Image: “Generated 6 studies with Adobe Firefly (2025-08-12). Selected one, composited with my photo, repainted edges in Procreate. Prompt log attached.”

Code: “Used Claude Code (2025-08-10) to propose a refactor of my function. I wrote 5 tests and documented changes. 

Final Notes: Contestants may enter into one or both categories. Anyone who enters into both is eligible for only one (1) award total across both categories. The Exhibition committee holds the right to refuse any applicant that does not complete all of the required materials.

For more information, email Professor Nikki Zuaro, nzuaro@scad.edu