Savannah Women of Vision facts for kids
The Savannah Women of Vision is a special award created by Paula Wallace, who founded the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). This award celebrates women from Savannah, Georgia, who have done amazing things. They are honored for their kindness, smart ideas, and important work. The first ceremony was in 2016, and it happens every two years.
Honoring Savannah's Amazing Women
The idea for the Savannah Women of Vision award came from a mural at SCAD's Arnold Hall. This mural shows many historical leaders of Savannah, like Button Gwinnett and Nathanael Greene. But Paula Wallace noticed something important was missing: women!
She realized that women played a huge part in making Savannah what it is today. They were mothers, business owners, writers, patriots, and people who helped others. Paula Wallace created this award to make sure these "trailblazers" are remembered. Their names and good deeds are kept alive and celebrated publicly. These women are true heroes for Savannah.
Meet the Honored Women
Here is a list of the incredible women who have been honored as Savannah Women of Vision:
| Name | Image | Birth–Death | Year | Area of achievement | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Mills Hodge | (1875-1962) | 2022 | aka Sarah Wilson Hodge - Community service | ||
| Linda J. Evans | 2022 | Established the first Medical and Natural Sciences Career Academy for high school students in the Southfield Public Schools system | |||
| Clermont Huger Lee | (1914–2006) | 2020 | Landscape Architect | ||
| Suzanne Shank | (1952–) | 2020 | Entrepreneur, Investment Banker | ||
| Miriam Center | (1926–) | 2018 | Real Estate Agent, Civil Leader | ||
| Edna Jackson | (1944–) | 2018 | Two Term Mayor of Savannah | ||
| Mary Lane Morrison | (1907–1994) | 2018 | Archivist | ||
| Fredericka Washington | (1903–1994) | 2018 | Actress, Civil Rights Leader | ||
| Sema Wilkes | (1907–2002) | 2018 | Restaurateur | ||
| Emma Morel Adler | (1930–2020) | 2016 | Civil Leader | ||
| Mother Mathilda Beasley | (1832–1903) | 2016 | Georgia's first African-American nun | ||
| Mary Musgrove Matthews Bosomworth | (ca. 1700–ca. 1765) | 2016 | pivotal interpreter, negotiator, and cultural liaison between the English colonists and the local indigenous Americans | ||
| Alice Andrews Jepson | (1942–) | 2016 | Civic Leader | ||
| Nancy N. Lewis | (1927–2019) | 2016 | Civic Leader | ||
| Juliette Gordon Low | (1860–1927) | 2016 | Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA | ||
| Abigail Minis | (1701–1794) | 2016 | mother of Savannah's Jewish community | ||
| Flannery O'Connor | (1925–1964) | 2016 | Author | ||
| Leah Ward Sears | (1955–) | 2016 | Former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia | ||
| Frances Wong | (1940–2010) | 2016 | Educator |
Artistic Tributes: The Relief Portraits
To honor these amazing women, SCAD asked a former student, Michael Porten, to create special art. He made large relief portraits of each woman. A relief portrait is a type of sculpture where the image sticks out from a flat background. Think of a coin, where the face is raised.
Michael Porten used old Greek art styles, called bas-relief. But he also used modern tools and computer software. This mixes classic art with new technology. The portraits are finished with a shiny gold color. Gold is used because it traditionally represents kindness and caring.
