Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Fun Things To Do in Savannah in March

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Savannah is an artsy city, with SCAD placed right in the heart of downtown. Art is alive here and March is the month to explore creative expression in the city. There are two free events to get you started in the beginning of the month. Another big theme for March is of course music. First there’s the Stopover festival and then the big Savannah Music Festival. March is also the month when everything turns green, and I’m not talking about spring here – I’m talking about St. Patrick’s Day. Here are some of the events coming to Savannah in March.

telfair museum, savannah, georgiaFree week at Jepson
 Feb 27 – March 4, 2012
Jepson Museum
This week is the best time to take in a little culture at the Jepson Center. The art museum is offering free admission everyday, all day to the public Feb. 27 through March 4. Don’t miss this great opportunity to enjoy one of Savannah’s heralded museums at no cost. View the posted link for details about the different events offered each day during Free Week at Jepson Center. Hours are 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information call 912.790.8800.

PULSE 2012
Feb 27 – March 4, 2012
Telfair Museum Explore how art and technology can intersect in Telfair Museums’ Art and Technology Festival will be back in 2012 with a line up of exciting exhibitions, performances, lectures, workshops, and events celebrating technology and creative innovation. These events are free. 

Savannah International Boat Show
March 2 – 4, 2012
Savannah International Trade and Convention Center Set course for the annual Savannah Boat & Outdoor Show. The show attracts thousands of boat owners and outdoor enthusiasts with its extensive displays of the latest in watercraft lines, marine equipment, accessories and services. Live music, fishing clinics and simulations, kids’ activities and great food make this a family-friendly event.

st patrick's day savannah georgiaFirst Saturday on the River
March 3, 2012
Riverfront Arts and crafts, entertainment and fun for the entire family on historic River Street. This is free and open to the public. Fire engines, fireworks, fish and fiestas for First Saturday on the River. More information at www.riverstreetsavannah.com

Savannah Stopover Festival March
March 7 – 10, 2012
Historic downtown Savannah The best up and coming indie bands stop over in Savannah on their way to SXSW in Austin, Texas for 4 nights of music in the the city’s famed historic district.The Festival, founded in 2011, takes places across multiple venues within walking distance of all Savannah has to offer. Over 60 bands will perform. More information at www.savannahstopover.com The Greening of the Fountain March 9, 2012 Forsyth Park The official start of St. Patrick Day Celebration is the greening of the fountain in Forsyth Park. The greening takes place at noon.

Tara Feis
March 10, 2012
Emmet Park
This is the family-friendly version of the St. Patrick’s Day celebration with lots of fun for the whole family. Read more on our special page for Tara Feis.

Tybee Irish Heritage Celebration Parade
March 10, 2012
Tybee Island
Tybee Island outside Savannah has its own parade. Tybee Island’s fun, family-friendly parade to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Dress in green & join in the fun at 3pm on Saturday. Parade starts at City Hall and proceeds down Butler Avenue to Tybrisa Street. Call (912) 786-5444/(800) 868-2322 or visit tybeevisit.com

Girl Scouts over the Bridge
March 10, 2012
Join the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia in beautiful Savannah with a Centennial Bridging Ceremony and Party in the Park! Thousands of Girl Scouts will cross over the Savannah Bridge to symbolically cross over to the next century of the Girl Scout movement. Later Participants will gather at Forsyth Park in beautiful Historic Savannah for an afternoon of fun. Call 912.233.4501 or visit http://www.juliettegordonlowbirthplace.org/ for more info.

March of Dimes Shamrock Run
March 11, 2012
The annual March of Dimes 5K Shamrock Run begins and ends in City Market. The race starts at 6 p.m., with a free 1/4 mile Kiddie Fun Run prior to the race start. Call 912.354.5900 or visit www.savannahcitymarket.com for more information.

St Patrick's Day Parade in Savannah, GeorgiaCeltic Cross Ceremony
March 11, 2012
Charles H. Morris Center
The Celtic Cross Ceremony is a time to honor the city’s Irish ancestors and the contributions they made.

St Patrick’s Day on the River
March 16-17, 2012
Come to Riverstreet to wear, drink, eat, and be merry celebrating on historic River Street. The great green St. Patrick’s Day fun for the O’Masses with non-stop live entertainment and more. More information at www.riverstreetsavannah.com

St Patrick’s Day Parade
March 17, 2012
Savannah is famous for it’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration with lots of people and lots of fun. This year it’s the 188th year for the parade. Read all about St. Patrick’s Day parade here.

Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens
March 22 – 25, 2012
For the past 76 years, Savannah has played host to the Annual Tour of Homes & Gardens, which offers residents and visitors alike a rare opportunity to enter some of the City’s finest private homes. Historic Savannah Foundation partners with the Women of Christ Church to host the Tour, giving participants the chance to admire restored interiors and special furnishings that have been treasured by families for generations. In addition to a variety of walking tours, guests will enjoy seminars, special trolley tours, evening events and some of the best food and hospitality the South has to offer. Call 912.234.8054 or visit Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens page for more information.

Savannah Music Festival
March 22 – April 7, 2012
various locations
The Savannah Music Festival is a city-wide musical arts event showcasing renowned performers in jazz, classical, Americana and world music against the backdrop of one of America’s most enchanting historic districts from March 22 to April 7. Described by The Times of London as “one of the best events around the world,” the festival features more than 100 productions over 17 days. Highlights include numerous festival debuts and unique collaborations. In addition to a wealth of varied concert programs, SMF gives attendees a chance to hit the dance floor with Cajun, Salsa and Zydeco dance parties, and also presents an unmatched variety of American acoustic music, blues and jazz. More information at savannahmusicfestival.org

Nel Adams at Gallery S.P.A.C.E in Savannah, GAThe Annual Sheep to Shawl Festival
March 24, 2012
Oatland Nature Center
Observe and participate in the magical creation of a shawl from sheep shearing to carding, spinning, dying and weaving the wool. Members of The Fiber Guild of the Savannah’s join Oatland staff and volunteers in making this traditional spring celebration fun for the whole family. Crafts, games, hay rides, pony rides and other children’s activities as well as food concessions will be available. 10 am – 4 pm. For more information call 912.395.1500 or visit oatlandisland.org

Spring Garden Festival
March 24, 2012
Bamboo Farm & Coastal Gardens
Visit the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens’ 18th Annual Spring Garden Festival. This event will help raise funds and will include educational lectures, activities for children, plant vendors, and arts and crafts vendors. Call 912.921.5460

Market at the Lighthouse
March 25, 2012
Tybee Island Lighthouse
“Market at the Lighthouse” on Sunday March 25th from 9 am. To 4 pm. The market features select local dealers selling art, antiques, collectables, jewerly, and photography. The market will take place on the field adjacent to the lighthouse grounds. Admission is free to the market.

SCAD Fashion Grad competes in “Project Runway”

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April Johnston
April Johnston, fashion designer

2010 SCAD fashion grad and Savannah resident April Johnston is to be a competitor in upcoming season of “Project Runway”.

At 21 years old, April will be the youngest of the 17 contestants, the largest number of designers in the show’s history. And the Savannah resident is the only contestant from the South.

“Everybody at SCAD is thrilled for April. We’ll all be glued to our sets,” says School of Fashion Dean Michael Fink. “If her provocative and powerful senior collection is any indication, we’re confident she’ll create some exciting and intriguing clothes.”

April’s senior collection was inspired by deconstructed halls, old asylums and abandoned morgues. Her SCAD Style Lab mentor, Zac Posen, guided her through the creation of her collection. The result was a theme of dark beauty—black and grey designs whose beauty was found in the detailed textures.

“Project Runway” premieres on Lifetime Network Thursday, July 29 at 9 p.m. EST.

April Johnston's SCAD Senior Collection
April Johnston's SCAD Senior Collection

SCAD presents annual fashion show with fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg

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The Savannah College of Art and Design will honor venerable fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg at the university’s annual fashion show Saturday, May 15, 8 p.m. at Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St. SCAD President Paula Wallace and Vogue Contributing Editor André Leon Talley will present von Furstenberg with Talley’s namesake Lifetime Achievement Award.

In May 2000, the university honored Talley with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was renamed to include Talley’s name and has been presented successively to fashion legends Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Tom Ford, Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, and most recently Isabel and Ruben Toledo. In 2004, Zac Posen was honored with the André Leon Talley New Look Award. Talley is a member of the SCAD Board of Trustees.

Hailing from Brussels, Belgium, von Furstenberg first arrived in the fashion world in 1972 with her iconic wrap dress, the seed of what is today a full fashion house. By 1976, von Furstenberg had sold millions of her dresses, coming to symbolize female power and freedom to an entire generation. In 1997, after a hiatus from fashion, she reemerged on the New York fashion scene with the re-launch of the dress that started it all and began transforming her company into the global luxury lifestyle brand it is today. The impact of this garment to women and the fashion industry is so profound that it is now part of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian.
In 2004, she was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from SCAD. In 2005, von Furstenberg was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) for her impact on fashion, and one year later, was elected president of the CFDA, an office she continues to hold today.

Headquartered in New York City, there are currently 33 freestanding DVF boutiques worldwide and DVF collections are also sold in select retail specialty stores in more than 71 countries. As a longtime resident of New York’s Meatpacking District, von Furstenberg is a vocal member of the local community. She opens up her studio on a regular basis to host cultural events and is actively involved in the campaign to save and redevelop the historical High Line railway. A firm believer in the power of women, she sits on the board of Vital Voices, a women’s leadership organization that empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the world.

110 undergraduate and graduate students are currently vying for one of 30 prestigious slots in the SCAD Fashion Show, which has become one of the top student fashion shows in the country. Selected by a jury process, the students’ work is critiqued every step of the way, from sketches to garments, by some of the top professionals in the fashion industry.

SCAD has the largest and most comprehensive School of Fashion in the world, and offers more degree programs and specializations in fashion and accessory design than any other art and design university. Encompassing fashion design, accessory design, fashion marketing and management, luxury and fashion management, and menswear, the SCAD School of Fashion prepares students for the practical and professional needs required in today’s global fashion industry through innovative design combined with state-of-the art technology, anchored in creative thinking.

Complementing classroom instruction, the SCAD Style Lab mentorship program in the School of Fashion affords students a realistic glimpse of working industry standards, offering direction and inspiration for a select group of students’ senior collections through one-on-one critiques and guidance from concept through production. Mentors have included Brian Wolk and Claude Morais of Ruffian, Yigal Azrouël, Lars Nilsson, Zac Posen, Catherine Malandrino, Bryan Bradley and Angel Sanchez.

Tickets for the 2010 SCAD Fashion Show will be available beginning April 30 for the SCAD community and May 3 for the general public at the SCAD box office, 216 E. Broughton St., online at www.scadboxoffice.com or can charged by phone at 912.525.5050. A matinee at 4 p.m. will precede the 8 p.m. gala featuring von Furstenberg. Matinee tickets are $20 each or $10 with a SCAD ID. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $50 each or $25 with a SCAD ID. All tickets are limited to two per person for both shows.

Sidewalk Arts Festival Winners 2010

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The Savannah College of Art and Design held its annual Sidewalk Arts Festival Saturday, April 24, 2010, in Forsyth Park. Thousands of visitors viewed temporary chalk masterpieces created on the walkways of the historic park, and approximately 600 SCAD students competed for prizes. Over 100 SCAD alumni and more than 100 prospective students also participated in the competition. For the inaugural Cyberwalk Arts Contest, nearly 100 artists logged on for the online competition. The 2010 Festival also included three award sponsors: Gray’s Reef, American Greetings and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Savannah.
The following is a complete list of winners:
Best in Show
Madison Burger, illustration, Macungie, Pa.; Sam Spratt, illustration, San Francisco, Calif.

Individual Student
First Place: Tori Spriggs, illustration, Spanish Fort, Ala.
Second Place: Gaby Esteves, painting, Sunrise, Fla.
Third Place: Cynthia Guzman, visual communication, Mexico City, Mexico

Group—Students
First Place: Debbie Chen, industrial design, Taipei, China; Ran Wang, design management, Beijing, China; Wen-Shan Huang, industrial design, Pingtung, China; Jun Yan, interior design, Guangzhou, China
Second Place: Wei Hsin Lai, industrial design, Taipei, Taiwan; Wan-Cheng Hung, arts adminstration, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
Third Place: Sam Miller, illustration, Charlotte, N.C.; Elyse Robichaud, illustration, Windham, Maine

Alumni
First Place: Jeremy Caldwell, B.F.A., illustration, 2009, Savannah, Ga.
Second Place: Jordan Shapot, B.F.A., illustration, 2009, Citrus Springs, Fla.
Third Place: Hannah Jackson, B.F.A., illustration, 2009, Jacksonville, Fla.

Cyberwalk Arts Contest Award—Students
First Place: Lindsay Anne Rosenberg, illustration, Saginaw, Mich.
Second Place: Joan Olkowski, graphic design, Dearborn, Mich.
Third Place: Eunlee Cho, animation, Nairobi, Kenya

Cyberwalk Arts Contest Award—Alumni
First Place: Tran Ngoc Nguyen, B.F.A., illustration, 2009, Savannah, Ga.
Second Place: Nicole Seitz, B.F.A., illustration, 1994, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Third Place: Jade Taylor Nellans, B.F.A., illustration, 2008, Atlas, Mich.

Gray’s Reef Best Underwater Environment Award
First Place: Ryan Sanchez, illustration, Savannah, Ga.
Second Place: Jamie Gordon, photography, Seattle, Wash.; Mariana Ruiz, fashion, Miramar, Fla.; Corie Jones, art history, Palm Beach, Fla.; Kasandra Torres, photography, Miramar, Fla.
Third Place: Leslie Martin, animation, Cincinnati, Ohio; Chelsea Deering, animation, San Antonio, Texas

American Greetings Award
First Place: Casey Crisenbery, illustration, Lebanon, Ohio
Second Place: Jayne Morgan, painting, Birmingham, Ala.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church “Where the Spirit Meets the Art” Award
Victoria Burke, South Effingham High School, Guyton, Ga.

Drawing Minor Award
Chok-Bun Lam, illustration, Hong Kong; John Sutherland, illustration, Denver, Colo.; Clark Rogers, graphic design, Frankfurt, Germany; Moises Silva, interactive design and game development, Peabody, Mass.

Graduate Student Award
Cheng-Fang Lee, interactive design and game development, Taipei, Taiwan

Prospective Students – Undergraduate
First Place: Kendra Ashe, Rosman High School, Brevard, N.C.; Jennifer Fleming, Bryan County High School, Pembroke, Ga.
Second Place: Toan Nguyen, Groves High School, Savannah, Ga.; Shane Chapman, Rosman High School, Brevard, N.C.
Third Place: Adam Bryant, Richmond Hill High School, Richmond Hill, Ga.; Bethany Gill, Johnson High School, Savannah, Ga.
Best replica of a famous artwork: Kari Schneider, Bloomingdale, Ga.
Best use of color: Gabrielle Luppacchino, St. Vincent’s Academy, Savannah, Ga.
Best special effect or optical illusion: Alnesha West, Groves High School, Savannah, Ga.
Best nightmare: Olivia Israel, Rosman High School, Brevard, N.C.
Best comic hero: Cesar Bautista, Groves High School, Savannah, Ga.
SCAD's Sidewalk Arts Festival 2010 Best in Show winner

Sidewalk Arts Festival 2010 – Savannah, Georgia

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The annual Sidewalk Arts Festival takes place on April 24, 2010 from 11 a.m to 5 p.m.  This popular festival draws thousands of visitors to Forsyth Park to view  a chalk drawing competition on the sidewalks in the park. The talented students and alumni from SCAD, the college of Art and Design, come out to compete and you can spend a day in the park watching art being created right in front of you.

Sidewalk Arts Festival SCAD Savannah, GeorgiaFree Films in Forsyth
The Sidewalk Arts Festival activities kicked off with Films in Forsyth, a series of outdoor cinema screenings in the park. “Back to the Future” will be screened on Thursday, April 22, at 8 p.m., and “Up” will be shown on Friday, April 23, at 8 p.m. Both screenings are free.

This is definitely a great day to plan for a trip to Savannah.  The festival also includes food, and children’s and youth areas for young artists as well as live music throughout the day.

Sidewalks in Cyberspace
New for 2010 is the online Cyberwalk Arts Contest for SCAD students and alumni worldwide to compete online with a virtual concrete canvas. Those not able to make it to the festival can experience the digital chalk work of talented SCAD artists competing in the contest. The entries will be available for view April 12-24 at http://www.scad.edu/experience/events/sidewalkarts/. The online winners will be announced at the festival, with SCAD‘s eLearning department awarding three current students and the alumni department awarding three alumni works.
The Sidewalk Arts Festival has been a cornerstone of SCAD Savannah’s spring activities for more than 20 years. Its participants represent SCAD’s many areas of study, from animation to architecture. First, second- and third-place monetary prizes are awarded in three categories: students, alumni and prospective students. This year marks the return of a perennial award sponsor, Gray’s Reef, whose competition theme for student-specific awards is “Best Underwater Environment.” Two new partners are also involved: American Greetings will sponsor a flora and fauna competition theme, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s award theme is “Where the Spirit Meets the Art.” Prospective student award categories range from “Best Copy of a Famous Work” to “Most Whimsical.”

Admission is free and open to the public. For more information call 912.525.5865 for more information or visit www.scad.edu