JOINUSATBURNSIDE’S ORTAKEOUT

are busy bees working behind the scenes to get everything in place for an exciting year of events and to spread the word about the Art of the Lowcountry. They’ve shared some details with us about what we can expect to see as we move through the anniversary year.

works. Our Art Market and art sales pay to keep the lights on in the building! Classes and workshops and bringing art and artists here that generate interest and spark creativity is really what GVA is all about.”

Betty continues, “While there are many challenges, we all love it. The greatest thing about working at GVA is that they truly love what they’re doing and who they work with. I’m glad we can pay tribute to all the changes and growth and to the cultural gifts that make this region so special.”

GVA Executive Director Michelle Register, Marketing & Development Director Terri Evans, Board Members Kari Morris, Margie Harris, Myrna Scott Amos, and many others

The Art of the Lowcountry events planned by GVA celebrate what makes our region so unique. If you’re wondering what the Lowcountry is exactly, this term was created to describe low-lying coastal areas located below the Fall Line. The Fall Line is a geographic region in which the hard rock of the mountains reaches the softer sand of the coastal plain. Not only is the Lowcountry region located in the lower portion of the state, but the land is also sunk lower into the water. For these reasons, the area is referred to as the “Lowcountry.” And yes, it applies to our south coastal areas of Georgia, as well as those in South Carolina.

One of the most distinct features of the Lowcountry is its alluring light. As they describe it, “Golden. Warm and welcoming, then shimmering as it spills into the day, followed by a dusky rose at days end. It is pleasantly predictable for painting.” According to our esteemed hosts, “This light and this landscape have long beckoned artists to this magical region of marshes, still rivers, graceful sea oats and live oaks draped with their wiry moss, at once clustered into molded curls, yet each distinctive from the other. The palmettos and palms await bursting with crowns of green, each slender blade casting its own sultry silhouette. And, of course, the ocean, ever present and never still.” Just look around at the number of artists who reside, either full or parttime, in and around our Golden Isles and you will agree that the muse is alive and well here.

Planned events will showcase the art of all things that reflect the Lowcountry life, “from the palette to the palate and beyond.” This will include art by local Lowcountry cultural influencers and the dramatic and distinct landscapes they have painted, as well as the storytellers, poets and writers who have shared their magical memories of Lowcountry life. Food will be offered from culinary artisans who have elevated what has been harvested from land and seas to delicious fare in a renowned art form celebrated around the world. No celebration of the Lowcountry would be complete without also recognizing its landscape and waters that invite the pursuit of leisure in year-round recreation and relaxation.

There will be opportunities to listen and learn from legendary Gullah Geechee experts who will share the customs unique to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. These traditions have had profound cultural influence on the visual, performing, and culinary arts and are deeply entwined with our roots here. GVA will celebrate the people and the families who have helped sustain this Lowcountry and the many artists who have documented and preserved the magnificent beauty of the Lowcountry of coastal Georgia. It is their hope that artists that may not have received popular attention or have been overlooked will now receive wider recognition.

Exciting monthly specialty workshops are planned that will focus on Lowcountry craft and art techniques like pluff mud potterymaking, basket sewing, and indigo fabric dying. There will be opportunities for plein air painting. Creative retreats on the barrier islands with Lowcountry guest speakers and artists will be offered, as well as artists’ retreat field trips. Some additional special anniversary year events planned include a VIP Sponsor Thank You celebration, a 70th Birthday Party at GVA in April, a GVA Member Family Day in the Fall, and a Halloween Family Night.

These special events will be in addition to GVA’s regular exhibitions of fine art that will take place during the year in the Portman Gallery, each month’s curated exhibit at the St. Simons Island Welcome Center, and the three juried art festivals held annually in Postell Park: April’s Art in the Park, Art Under the Oaks in September, and December’s Mistletoe Market.

GVA is striving to increase its presence at community events and to offer more opportunities for the community to interact with them. They do this by having booths or stations set up with artistic and creative activities at events like the Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee and PorchFest. They also opened an Art Market at their location on Skylane Road and have started hosting an Open Air Market there as well, offering farm vendors and other artisan makers to sell their produce and products. GVA coordinates on-site art instruction at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia. They also hosts kids summer camps. They will soon be curating art displays that will be available for viewing at Hotel Simone. And don’t forget about the classes, workshops, art forums, and many other offerings presented at Glynn Visual Arts and the Pottery Studio!

One of the best ways that you can support GVA and help them celebrate this important anniversary is to attend the Art of the Lowcountry Gala signature fundraiser. This will be the shining jewel in the crown of the 70th anniversary events. The Art of the Lowcountry Gala will be held Saturday, March 4 at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center on St. Simons Island. The elegant evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will take guests from the palette to the palate. There will be live and silent auctions of incredible art, coastal excursions, and more. Three Little Birds will be serving up iconic Lowcountry cuisine that is sure to please the palate. The celebratory atmosphere will be enhanced by jazz music performed by the Phil Morrison Trio. A sketch artist will be present to capture the festivities as they unfold. Guests will delight in all things true to the Lowcountry life and proceeds from ticket sales will contribute to the enduring mission of Glynn Visual Arts.

In addition to the general tickets to the event, there are “Friends of GVA” tickets available. Art patrons who take advantage of this special offering will receive some exclusive surprises that are currently under wraps, as well as a copy of The Sapelo Collection, a book/catalog of beautiful art prints of coastal scenes by local artists, originally published in 1997. It’s a beautiful keepsake piece. Elegant Island Living is proud to be a media sponsor of The Art of the Lowcountry and a partner of Glynn Visual Arts, and we urge you to join us in helping our community arts center and fine art gallery to continue enriching the cultural life of Glynn County as they have done since 1953. Your contributions will allow them to expand and imprint their artistic impact throughout Glynn County and reach even further in the years to come. To purchase your tickets and learn more about planned events for this special 70th anniversary year, visit glynnvisualarts.org

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