Alexandra Sachs is the executive director at SCAD FASH. Sachs started out at SCAD in 2011 as a curator of exhibitions and in 2015 became executive director for both SCAD FASH and for SCAD Atlanta’s galleries and exhibition.
The Connector: What and where did you study?
Sachs: I have a B.A in Art History from University of Maryland, and an M.A. in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute London.
The Connector: What is your relationship with the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film?
Sachs: I am the executive director and this encompasses many different responsibilities, but they all lead to a singular goal which is to bring thought-provoking exhibitions to SCAD FASH and work with artist and designers that reflect the diversity of our student body and community.
The Connector: How does the process of choosing the next exhibition’s subject work?
Sachs: I work collaboratively with colleagues to identify artists and designers who fit the mission expressed above. We also take into account university signature events like deFINE ART, SCAD Style and Savannah Film Festival so that our programming is in alignment. SCAD FASH staff oversees fashion-related exhibitions, events and programs throughout the university. Our staff curates exhibitions shown at the SCAD Museum of Art, organizes an annual summer exhibition at SCAD Lacoste and assists with the SCAD Fashion Show, among a myriad of other programs.
The Connector: How much time does it take and what is the process to prepare everything for an exhibition?
Sachs: That depends! There is no one template for creating exhibitions and can vary quite a lot depending on the artist or designer we are working with. We can expect an exhibition to take 18-24 months to plan and execute.
The Connector: What is your day like at SCAD FASH?
Sachs: What I love about my job is that every day is different! For example, yesterday I attended a community breakfast for the Midtown Alliance where SCAD was a sponsor, gave a tour to students of Derrick Adams ‘Patrick Kelly, The Journey’ exhibition, reviewed a contract for an upcoming exhibition, met with museum staff about our programming for Spring Quarter, answered question from press about our current shows, and send thank you notes to artists who had participated in deFINE ART. For those who are considering careers in arts leadership, a main aspect of the job is effective communication among your staff, with the public and in your writing.
The Connector: What has been the most memorable exhibition at SCAD FASH for you?
Sachs: We’ve mounted some spectacular shows in the past four years like Guo Pei, Pierre Cardin and costumes from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ but for me the most memorable part of the job is the people you meet along the way. They make the work gratifying!
