The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is pleased to announce the renaming of the university’s workforce housing building to honor Lorlee Tenenbaum (1935-2020), a dedicated and respected philanthropist, art collector, and honorary SCAD degree recipient.

Lorlee was a monumental supporter in the creation of the SCAD Museum of Art, serving as an adviser, and encouraging the display of new and emerging artists across countless media. Together with her family, she provided considerable support to many nonprofits including the United Way, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, local food banks, and others. Lorlee is remembered for her zest for life, her giving spirit, and her deep appreciation for art, education, and culture.

"Lorlee loved fiercely, gave generously, and blessed my life and the lives of every SCAD student through her devotion to art, artists, and those seeking beauty in the world around us,” said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. “It is my great honor to name The Lorlee in her memory and continue her legacy of service to the people of Savannah.”

The Lorlee building is located on Barnard Street, overlooking Pulaski Square in Savannah’s downtown National Landmark Historic District. Built in 1916, the structure was originally a community center for the Savannah chapter of the Jewish Educational Alliance. SCAD purchased the building in 1990 and in 2021 the university converted the former student residence hall into 22 beautiful, modern, energy-efficient apartment units available to the public at below-market rate to help meet the workforce housing needs in Savannah.

Community members, guests of the Tenenbaum family and SCAD representatives gathered in Pulaski Square on March 16 to honor the renaming of Lofts on Pulaski to The Lorlee. Attendees enjoyed a performance by the SCAD’s premiere student vocal ensemble the Bee Sharps and took a guided tour inside the building.

“Seeing the name Lorlee on the building makes me so proud of my mother. It is so moving that President Wallace picked the absolute perfect building with the perfect mission to honor my mother,” said Ann Tenenbaum. “My mother always fought for what she believed in, and it was important to her to make the city a better place. She cared so much about affordable housing and people with fewer opportunities. She talked to President Wallace a lot about that over the years and I know she would be touched and excited that this opportunity existed in Savannah.”

SCAD has a legacy of preserving history and the dedication of this building to Tenenbaum is just one example of the university’s commitment to preserving Jewish history and its strong relationships with the Jewish community. SCAD has preserved several buildings attributed to architect Hyman Witcove including SCAD’s Student Center and the Gryphon tearoom. The student center building on Montgomery Street was designed in 1909 for the Congregation B'nai B'rith as their synagogue. The synagogue was decommissioned in 1970. SCAD acquired the building in 2003. The Gryphon is located in the former Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on Madison Square. It was built in 1914. SCAD purchased the building in 2020.