SCAD president Paula Wallace receives French knighthood

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah College of Art and Design President and Founder Paula Wallace has been awarded France’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of the highest civilian orders bestowed by the French Republic.

The honor, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture, recognizes Wallace’s enduring commitment to advancing the arts and cultural life of France and the international creative community.

Wallace was presented with the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres insignia in a special ceremony held Wednesday at Villa Albertine headquarters in New York City.

“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. and Director of Villa Albertine. “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.”

Recognition for SCAD Lacoste impact

Established by the Ministry of France in 1957, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is France’s highest recognition of cultural influence and artistic excellence.

Wallace said the honor reflects the success of SCAD students and graduates who have studied at SCAD Lacoste and work for major French and international brands.

“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, as well as the many SCAD graduates who contribute to the cultural and economic life of France as creative professionals working for Hermès, Dior, CHANEL, Ubisoft, Airbus, L’Oréal, UNICEF, and so many other global brands,” Wallace said.

SCAD Lacoste has become the arts and culture epicenter in Provence’s Luberon Valley, welcoming over 30,000 students and visitors annually and contributing tens of millions of Euros annually to the local economy.

Previous French honors

This is not Wallace’s first recognition from France. In 2022, she received the Medal of the State of Vaucluse in Provence, and in 2005, was appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques, one of the French Republic’s oldest and most prestigious honors for distinguished service in education and culture.

In 2025, she was a recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian award in the United States.

Wallace founded SCAD in 1978. The university now enrolls more than 18,500 undergraduate and graduate students from 100-plus countries and has an alumni network of more than 55,000 design leaders.