The Artists and Artisans Tour is Thurs. Feb. 8 5:30-8 p.m. Tickets are $60 at Eventbrite.
THIS THURSDAY, explore the beautiful homes on East Jones Street and enjoy local art while benefiting two great causes.
The Artists and Artisans Tour is the Arts Resource Collective (ARC) Savannah’s fourth annual event showcasing local artists in a home setting. This year, Hospice Savannah joined in the fun.
The homes on the tour route will feature food stations by the Grey and beverage stations by The 1970 Vodka.
The theme of this year’s event is “Under the Influence,” and each artist explored the influence they have on Savannah and vice versa.
We spoke with ARC’s events chair and local artist Lynn Bowling last week.
1. What’s new and exciting about the tour this year?There are a lot of changes in store for this year’s show. First is our new partner Hospice Savannah. We have also added many more artists than before. The night starts with check in at Judge Realty at 347 Abercorn St at 5:30 p.m. and then you get a peek of smaller works by each artist next door at Kim Iocovozzi Fine Arts. Then one block away we have three great houses full of larger works by the same artists.
2. How do you select the homes that are featured?In the past, we have heard criticism of the locations being too far apart. This year we decided to focus on one block of historic Jones Street. There are two houses that are next door to each other and the third is directly across the street. We are featuring some larger sculptures that require an outdoor setting, so that was another consideration. Something else new is that we are using multiple floors in two of the houses. We also wanted houses with clear wall space so not to confuse the owners’ collection with what we are offering to sell. It sounds easy but has been a labor for most of the year.
3. What can we expect from the art on display?We will have a large variety of styles from about 30 artists. I don’t want to name names for fear of playing favorites, but I feel no one will be disappointed.
4. How does this year’s partnership between ARC and Hospice Savannah benefit both organizations?We know all the good work that Hospice Savannah does for our community, so the chance to help with that work is very interesting. From ARC’s point of view, it is a way to fund our free ART MAP SAV that connects people and galleries. I feel this will be very beneficial to both organizations.
5. Why is an event like this mportant for our art culture in Savannah?The Artist and Artisans Tour is another of the special events that help knit our city together. It is an evening that unites known artists and lesser exposed artists on the same playing field, giving everyone a chance.
