Savannah arts

Dressed in familiar traditional garb, a Tibetan Buddhist monk hunched over a square table in the middle of the glass-enclosed atrium of the Jepson Center for the Arts in Savannah, rubbing a metal rod he held in his right hand against the serrated surface of a long, thin metal funnel (called a chak-pur) in his left. As tourists of the historic district’s antebellum mansions entered the conspicuously contemporary structure to escape the sudden summer storm, joining those who intended to attend this event, the monk remained solely focused on task before him, despite the squeaking sneakers, increasingly audible chitchat, and camera flashes. The colored grains of sand flowed like liquid through the chak-pur (a result of the vibrations caused by the metal rod) on to the wooden platform, guided by the monk’s steady hand and concentrating mind.

After nearly 30 hours over several days, the group of lamas from the Drepung Loseling Monastery eventually completed the mandala, a remarkably intricate circular design composed of millions of grains of various colored sand. Once finished, it was destroyed. Read more…

Non-Profit, Quarterly Arts Journal Launches in Savannah

One of the great things about Savannah—this big small town (or, depending on your perspective, small big city) on the Georgia coast that I’ve called home for 20 months—is its robust, ever-expanding arts scene, generating a palpable creative energy suitable for invoking the muse.

Despite this burgeoning arts community, and even with a fairly respectable assortment of local print publications, Savannah lacked an “offline” magazine dedicated solely and specifically to this community, its creative creatures and their admirers. I, for one, thought it obvious that such an arts journal could not only survive but thrive here. Luckily, I wasn’t alone. Read more…

In an effort to showcase the work of more artists, The Madness of Art is pleased to announce the start of a new feature: Exhibit A.

Each post in this ongoing series will feature a single piece from a visual artist, along with a bit of information about the artist, including where to view and buy his or her work. Obviously, the criteria I will use to make selections are subjective: An artist whose work I have discovered—perhaps locally here in Savannah, throughout my travels or somewhere on the Web—and find appealing and compelling, in such a way that speaks to me, qualifies. I certainly welcome suggestions of artists you think warrant inclusion in Exhibit A (send a message, with “Exhibit A” in the subject line, that includes the artist’s name and Web site).

During these tough economic times, artists and galleries need more support than ever. The intention of this feature is to shine a light on some interesting (and, most likely, unheralded) artists who might benefit from the attention.

To access Exhibit A, click on the button located between “Connect” and “Listen Up!” in the far right sidebar.

Rob Gibson, executive and artistic director of the Savannah Music Festival, announced earlier this evening the lineup for the 2010 edition of the two-week, multi-venue musical celebration in March, and it’s arguably the most impressive, and diverse, roster of artists yet in the festival’s eight years.

After attending my first Savannah Music Festival last year—five concerts in about ten days (mostly of the classical music variety) that surpassed even my exceedingly high expectations—I didn’t think it could get much better. Until tonight’s lineup announcement, which will likely result in a severely depleted bank account by tomorrow afternoon (tickets go on sale Friday morning). But, as the 2009 experience demonstrated, it’s worth every penny. Read more…

Once Destined for Dump, Street and Traffic Signs
in Disrepair Upcycled by Savannah Artists

What do you think of when you see a stop sign? Stop, of course. What runs through your mind when you pass a speed limit sign? I better slow down. Such signs are intended to force instinctive reaction, with little or no conscious thought. Beyond the instructions they provide us as drivers, street and traffic signs are not exactly fodder for much musing. Unless you’re Miriam and Jacob Hodesh. Read more…

Some suggestions to satisfy your reading and viewing appetite throughout the weekend…. Read more…

Musicians, Visual Artists Collaborate
to Offer Peek at Creative Process

Earlier this month at the opening of its “Seeing Sounds” installation at Gallery S.P.A.C.E. in Savannah, the Creative Force Artist Collective—a newly formed group of about 20 diverse local artists—pulled back the curtain on the seldom-seen creative process, revealing what is for many a mysterious enterprise. Read more…