Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Fashion in Focus – Savannah, GA

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Oscar de la Renta for Pierre Balmain, Evening Gown
Oscar de la Renta for Pierre Balmain, Evening Gown – Haute Couture, black silk tulle with laser-cut tulle skirt and train, c. 2001. Photo by SCAD

The SCAD Museum of Art announces its latest exhibition, “Fashion in Focus: Photos and Evening Wear from the SCAD Museum of Art Collection,” ongoing now through Sept. 30, 227 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

This exhibition of more than 30 objects highlights recent couture gifts to the SCAD Museum of Art including exquisite evening dresses by contemporary designers Ralph Rucci, Oscar de la Renta for Balmain, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Isabel Toledo, Valentino, and Lars Nilsson for Bill Blass. The aesthetic ranges from the sumptuous splendor of an aubergine opera coat and the charm of an ice cream pink ball gown to the clean simple lines of a little black dress or the austere grace of silver and ivory evening dresses.

Among the fashion photographs on view are images from the past few decades by noted photographers Sir Cecil Beaton, Horst P. Horst, Karl Lagerfeld, David Bailey, Arthur Elgort, Herb Ritts and others, in images that graced the pages of Vogue or other fashion journals and featured the top models of the time.

As a teaching museum, the SCAD Museum of Art supports the academic and creative programs at SCAD by providing students with direct encounters with works by major artists while enriching the artistic, educational and cultural offerings available to the university and wider communities. The museum is a cultural gem that adds to Savannah’s reputation as an ideal location for visitors and those interested in the arts and architecture.

For more information about the exhibition and to arrange group tours, call 912.525.7191, or visit www.scad.edu/scadmuseum. Museum hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

Juneteenth at Telfair

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JUNETEENTH AT TELFAIR – Savannah, Georgia

June 14-19, 2010
Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom

In June, the Telfair proudly presents its third annual Juneteenth Festival, celebrating the anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States. This year’s event focuses on the roots of African music as well as its impact on American music. Throughout the week, the Telfair will present programs at multiple sites to explore black history, culture, and identity. Highlights include a talk by author and political commentator Farai Chideya, a performance by the renowned Senegalese rap group the Gokh-Bi System, and the third annual Juneteenth Family Day.

The Telfair will kick-off the 2010 Juneteenth festival on Monday, June 14, with an opening ceremony featuring storytelling by Aunt Pearlie Sue. Aunt Pearlie Sue is the creation of Anita Singleton-Prather, a native of the Sea Islands in Beaufort County, South Carolina. From 6:30-7:30 pm, the Aunt Pearlie Sue character, based on Prather’s grandmother, will entertain visitors with Gullah-flavored stories and folktales.

Owens-Thomas House Tour/Talk:
“How the Owens-Thomas House Got the Thomas Name”
June 15, 5 pm
Telfair’s Owens-Thomas House

Lecture by Multimedia Journalist Farai Chideya:
“The Color of Our Future: Race in the 21st Century”
June 17, 7 pm
Second African Baptist Church, 123 Houston Street
A former host of NPR’s News and Notes, Chideya is an award-winning political reporter and writer who has worked in print, television, and radio, as well as online. She has authored several books, including Kiss the Sky and Don’t Believe the Hype: Fighting Cultural Misinformation about African Americans.

Akonting Workshop with Sana Ndiaye of the Gokh-Bi System
Presented in collaboration with the Ships of the Sea Museum
June 18, 6 pm
Ships of the Sea Museum, 41 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Museum Garden Pavilion
Musician Sana Ndiaye will lead a workshop on playing the akonting—a stringed, banjo-like instrument used in parts of West Africa including Senegal and Gambia. Bring your akonting or come by to listen. Registration requested.

Juneteenth Family Day
June 19, 10 am – 1 pm
Telfair’s Jepson Center
This fun-filled morning features storytelling, instrument-making demonstrations, and more!

Family Day Schedule

10-10:10 am
Welcome with Drumming/Libations – Majied /J’miah

10:10-10:50 am
J’miah’s Juneteenth Storytelling

10:50-11:10 am
Health Restoration 101:
Presentation by Carolyn Guilford, Consulting Nutritionist

11:10am-11:40 am
Juneteenth and the Puppet People Theater

11:40 am-12 pm
World Music Interlude: “Hanif aboard the Black Star Liner”

12-12:30 pm
Conversation with Sana and Tony Pizzo, Director of Ships of Sea Museum (Musician Sana Ndiaye)

12:30p m
World Music Interlude and Broom Jumping with Sista V and Jahwalks

Activity Stations
Eckburg Atrium
Health Talk – Carolyn Guilford
Oral History Table – Barbara Fertig, Volunteer (Dr. Barbara Fertig, Preofessor of History at Armstrong Atlantic State University
Basket-weaving Demonstration – Jery Taylor

Gokh-Bi System/Rap Tassu from Senegal Concert
Presented in collaboration with the Ships of the Sea Museum
June 19, 5-7 pm
Ships of the Sea Museum, North Garden
Recognized as one of the leaders in contemporary African music, the Gokh-Bi System unites hip-hop with its ancient West African roots. The group uses a variety of instruments, including djembe drums and the traditional, stringed akonting, while rapping in English, French, Arabic, and Wolof.

All Juneteenth programs are free of charge and open to the public, thanks to project funding provided by the City of Savannah. Additional support for selected programs has been provided by the Ships of the Sea Museum.

telfair museum, savannah, georgia

Contemporary Charleston 2010 at City Gallery – Charleston, Sc

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The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs presents Contemporary Charleston 2010, a Piccolo Spoleto Festival Exhibition at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park. The public is invited to the opening reception in honor of the artists, on May 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. Sponsored by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, Contemporary Charleston 2010 was curated by Erin Glaze, gallery coordinator and artist Max Miller. Contemporary Charleston 2010 will be on display through July 3, 2010.

Contemporary Charleston 2010 features 10 local visual artists who are creating works specifically for the exhibit that have been inspired by the work of 10 local poets. The exhibit will also feature a documentary on the exhibit, from the meeting of the artists to the creation of the work, by the local filmmaker from Contemporary Charleston 2009, Austin Nelson. The visual artists and poet match-ups are as follows:

Artist, Timmy Pakron and Carol Anne Davis, poet
Artist, Benjamin Hollingsworth and Paul Allen, poet
Artist, Scott Debus and Brian Penberthy, poet
Artist, Kat Hastie and Katherine Williams, poet
Artist, Sarah Haynes and Dennis Ward Stiles, poet
Artist, Jocelyn Chateauvert and Carol Peters, poet
Artist, Max Miller and Morrow Dowdle, poet
Artist, Julio Cotto and Jonathan Sanchez, poet
Artist, Hirona Matsuda and Marcus Amaker, poet
Artist, Lynne Riding and Ellie Davis, poet
All the visual artists will hold lectures and demonstrations regarding their contribution to the exhibit on the following dates:
June 5: Scott Debus and Jocelyn Chateauvert
June 12: Kat Hastie and Lynne Riding
June 19: Hirona Matsuda and Julio Cotto
June 26: Timmy Pakron and Sarah Haynes
July 3: Max Miller and Ben Hollingsworth

The exhibit is open May 20 to July 3, 2010. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Noon to 5 p.m. During The Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the City Gallery at Waterfront Park is open special hours, Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The City Gallery at Waterfront Park, owned by the City of Charleston and operated by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, is a venue for contemporary artwork that is new, vital and innovative, with a focus on broadening Charleston’s arts outlook. The City Gallery provides access to the visual arts for everyone in Charleston, S.C., visitors and residents alike, by offering exhibits that are all admission-free. The City Gallery is located at 34 Prioleau St. in downtown Charleston, S.C., and gallery hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information, please call or e-mail the City Gallery at (843) 958-6484 or CityGallery@ci.charleston.sc.us and visit www.charlestonarts.sc.

Jacksonville Green, Health and Wellness Expo 2010

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This year’s expo takes place at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in downtown Jacksonville on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday May 16, 2010.
Click the play button here to check out the interview we did with Martin Kabaki from the Jacksonville Green Expo and Dwain Stephens from Publix regarding the event.

Green Living, Health and Wellness under one roof
The event offers seminars and exhibits on green living and building, health and wellness topics. The annual Jacksonville Green Expo is run by Global Greenup, LLC. The company’s President Martin Kabaki says, “We’re very excited that the Green Expo is growing. ”
Purity Gikunju, Operations VP of Global Greenup, says, “In addition to fantastic displays of environmental products and services ranging from CFL bulbs to solar panels, there are going to be informative workshops to show people innovative and practical ways to be more environmentally conscientious in their lives and in their workplaces. We’ll have a Green Kids Zone, for children to play while they learn the importance of taking care of the environment. We are also planning to host a speaker series to brainstorm on different ways which will help in bringing more green jobs to the First Coast.”

North Florida Clean Cities Coalition
The 2010 Jacksonville Green Expo will also be used as a launch pad and a forum to bring awareness to the newly created North Florida Clean Cities Coalition. The Coalition is a campaign by the federal government to help reduce dependency on foreign oil and promote regional economic opportunities.

Exhibition Hours: 10am to 5pm on both days. For more information about the upcoming Green Expo, please  visit www.JacksonvilleGreenExpo.com

Last year we visited Jacksonville Green Expo and made this video.

SCAD Style 2010, April 26 – May 6 – Fashion in Savannah

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Renowned Style and Design Event to be held in Savannah and Atlanta

The Savannah College of Art and Design will host SCAD Style 2010, the college’s nationally recognized, signature style and design event, April 26 – May 6, at various locations at SCAD-Atlanta and SCAD-Savannah. This series of events features world-renowned artists, designers and industry professionals and highlights several of the college’s programs of study, including fashion, fibers, interior design, industrial design, and architecture. All lectures are free and open to the public.

Throughout SCAD Style, students and the public will have the opportunity to participate in lectures, workshops, exhibitions and book signings from some of the most well-known artists, designers and industry professionals.

Among the eclectic group of style and design experts currently scheduled to participate in SCAD Style 2010 are:

Chris Benz
Chris Benz at SCAD Style 2010

• Chris Benz. fashion designer, noted for spearheading the reemergence of classic sportswear in American design, CFDA Award recipient;
• Venessa Bertozzi, Editor-in-Chief of Etsy, the world’s most vibrant handmade marketplace;
• Derek Blasberg, Senior Fashion News Editor at V, fashion and style journalist, blasblog on Style.com;
• Simone Bodin, known professionally as Bettina, was a French fashion model of the 1950s and an early muse to the fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy;
• Hamish Bowles, author, European Editor at Large for Vogue, recognized as one of the most respected authorities on the worlds of fashion and interior design;
• Michael Bruno, founder/president of online antique and vintage design resource 1stdibs.com;

Michael Bruno
Michael Bruno

• Clodagh, renowned architecture and interior designer;

• Thom Filicia founder of Thom Filicia Inc., widely-known for his role on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy;”

• Rita Konig, NYTimes blogger, decorator, author;
• Derek Lam, fashion designer, multi-CFDA Award-winner noted for his luxurious but wearable clothes;
• Fern Mallis, Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion and widely credited as the creator of New York “Fashion Week;”
• Claude Morais and Brian Wolk, fashion designers behind Ruffian, the popular ready-to-wear fashion label;
• Caleb Mulvena, architect, principal of Mapos architectural design firn, collaboated with Peter Marino on Louis Vuitton flagship store in Paris;
• Jonathan Olivares, furniture and industrial designer;
• Nicole Phelps. Executive Editor of Style.com;
• Robert Rufino, editor-at-large for House Beautiful;
• Cameron Silver, premiere authority on vintage fashion;
• Paula Wallace, President of Savannah College of Art and Design, author of “Perfect Porches: Designing Welcoming Spaces for Outdoor Living.”

Bettina
Bettina

For a complete schedule of events at SCAD-Atlanta and SCAD-Savannah, visit www.scadstyle.com.