Savannah College of Art and Design President and Founder Paula Wallace rings in Georgia Day with the Savannah Women of Vision investiture, honoring 10 women of peerless valor, altruism and intellect. During the ceremony, each honoree will be extolled through prose, music and art. As a permanent tribute, portraits of the 10 women, carved by SCAD alumnus Michael Porten (B.F.A., illustration; M.F.A., painting), will adorn the walls of Arnold Hall, SCAD's home for liberal arts. The university invites the public to join the celebration at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, at Arnold Hall, located at 1810 Bull Street.

The genesis of Wallace's Savannah Women of Vision initiative, which elevates a traditionally underrepresented – and yet tremendously influential – demographic, can be traced to the 1930s' Works Progress Administration mural featured in the historic Arnold Hall theater. The mural, a visual ode to the titans of Savannah's history, is notable in its omission of women. This imbalance is especially disconcerting given studies that prove strong female leadership has a salutary influence on society as a whole.

By symbolically righting the historical record, Wallace adds ten paragons of civic virtue to whom students – men and women alike – can look for inspiration. The university will offer tours of the Women of Vision portrait installation in Arnold Hall to K-12 students and educators. A free curriculum guide provides historic context to the portrait installation.

As Wallace explains, "Savannah as we know it rests on the triumphs of its women — mothers, entrepreneurs, authors, patriots, philanthropists. I created the Savannah Women of Vision to illuminate trailblazers and their transcendent work, keeping their names and deeds not only in our hearts, but publicly acclaimed. These are our heroines."

With this timely tribute, Wallace salutes 10 Women of Vision: Mary Musgrove Matthews Bosomworth, Abigail Minis, Mother Mathilda Beasley, Juliette Gordon Low, Flannery O'Connor, Nancy N. Lewis, Emma Morel Adler, Frances Wong, Alice Andrews Jepson and Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears. Each woman is drawn from the ranks of history and modernity, spanning class and creed. Milestones from their lives and legacies are enumerated below.