BEFORE YOU get caught up in the whirlwind of holiday traveling and partying, treat yourself to an evening of art and a chance to see what SCAD has been up to. For one evening this Friday, the school is hosting a holiday gallery hop featuring five stops with shuttles running between each destination. This event is free to the public and offers the chance to mingle with SCADerati.
“Fresh Paint” is a show featured at the Pinnacle Gallery at 320 E. Liberty Street. Artist here are BFA students that minor in painting. The participants were selected by a panel of faculty and include work from a range of media like painting, drawing, and digital exploration.
“Small Works” will be at the Red Gallery at 201 E. Broughton Street and features art by SCAD students, faculty, staff, and alumni. This stop offers the public a great opportunity to buy a piece of art without breaking the bank. All pieces are 18 inches or less in each direction and are priced at $500 or less.
Artist Jen Jenkins has work up at both “Fresh Paint” and “Small Works,” and is really looking forward to showing in Savannah again.
“This is my community of artists,” says Jenkins, ”so I enjoy the dialogue and getting the chance to see what other artists are up to.”
Jenkins is showing 18 India art sketches based on a familiar domestic friend. “It’s mostly fat cats,” laughs Jenkins. “They have these beautiful, odd-bodied forms.”
Aside from the two galleries Jenkins is showing at, Jenkins is excited about another stop, shopSCAD at 340 Bull Street. It’s a delightful store where you can find the expected art pieces and jewelry and the unexpected tea cup chandeliers and fleece buck mount.
“ShopSCAD is a wonderful support for SCAD artists,” explains Jenkins. “It gives people the chance to see all the kinds of things SCAD students and faculty produce.”
Working Class Studio at 235 W. Boundary St. is a great stop on the hop to see where the magic can start. Headed by Jonathan Osborne, Working Class includes interns from all SCAD majors and focuses on the creative process, from conception to production and distribution.
Specifically for this open house, the Studio will be doing a screen-printing demonstration. “This is a cool way to see how it gets from the computer screen to the finished product,” says Osborne.
Working Class is unique in that it is the only university that takes the designer and gives them a start to finish experience in the business. The interns aren’t working alone, but rather banding together to bring a concept to life.
“Wet Ink,” housed at Pei Ling Chan Gallery at 322 MLK Jr. Blvd., includes art from Savannah’s printmaking faculty and staff. Traditional intaglio and lithography as well as photo-computer-aided printmaking processes are among the featured work.
Eun Lee embraces the opportunity to show her work essentially while the ink is still drying. “It’s a wonderful experience to show your work while it’s current, fresh, and still evolving,” says Lee. “With finished, polished work you so rarely get to see the artist when they’re still struggling with it and working through their process.”
Gallery curator Erin Dziedzic explains that while the gallery’s goal is always to meet the needs of the school and to entertain and engage the community, this hop especially does so with its accessibility. “You really get to see the results of what the SCAD community is working on and meet the artists, which is usually so rare,” says Dziedzic. “This round really has something for everybody.”
When asked why people should take a break from their busy plans and holiday melee to experience the Gallery Hop, Jenkins answers succinctly by saying, “For me, art and enjoying art is a break from the commercial engine, a refreshing break from the mundane.” cs
SCAD Holiday Gallery Hop
Shuttles run between all stops and refreshments are provided at Wet Ink and Fresh Paint.When: Friday, December 12, 6-8pm.
Cost: Free
