Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) founder and president Paula Wallace has been named a Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), one of France’s highest civilian honors.
The knighthood, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture, was presented during a recent ceremony at Villa Albertine headquarters in New York City.
According to a press release, Wallace was given the award on account of her “enduring commitment to advancing the arts and cultural life of France and the international creative community.”
Founded by Wallace in 1978, SCAD currently enrolls more than 18,500 students from over 100 countries, offering degree programs in a wide array of disciplines (including architecture, applied AI, fashion, film and more) on campuses in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, along with Lacoste, France.
In Lacoste (a medieval village located in France’s Luberon Valley), the university has restored more than 50 historic structures since 2002, transforming them into modernized academic spaces featuring advanced libraries, studios, lecture halls, galleries, theaters and student residences.
“I am profoundly honored to receive this knighthood from the Republic of France, which honors the success of every SCAD student and graduate who’s studied at SCAD Lacoste for more than a generation,” said Wallace. “This recognition affirms the beauty of cultural exchange and the importance of nurturing international higher education.”
This latest honor is not the first time that the country of France has recognized Wallace for her SCAD Lacoste efforts.
Previously, Wallace was awarded the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 2005, the Medal of the State of Vaucluse in Provence in 2022 and the Presidential Citizens Medal last year.
“On behalf of the French Republic and French Ministry of Culture, I extend my warmest congratulations to Paula Wallace on her investiture as Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres,” said Mohamed Bouabdallah, Cultural Counselor of France in the U.S.
“Through her visionary leadership and enduring dedication to creative education, historic preservation, and cultural exchange, Paula Wallace has made a lasting contribution to France’s cultural landscape. We are proud to recognize her as a distinguished steward of the arts and an essential partner in strengthening the cultural dialogue between France and the United States.”