Savannah Savannah 2019

Spending a good length of time in another city is my favorite version of travel.  We're enjoying the sense of being in a 'second home' and have become 'regulars' at several favorite haunts. Apparently Savannah is more a short-term stay kind of place and people are surprised we're longer term visitors. But our longer stay allows us to enjoy discovering and rediscovering places, architecture, shops and restaurants.  There is a vast array of detail in everything that makes your most typical walk or visited place turn up something fresh and not noticed in that way before.  

ShopSCAD is one place we always check out.  A gallery shop of SCAD - Savannah College of Art & Design - on Bull Street and in one of the first SCAD restored buildings  with fine art, jewelry and fun little things as well.  This January window display caught my eye.

ShopSCAD

Henry's Restaurant on Drayton Street is one of our favorite breakfast places.  It has the vibe of an old school diner, very reasonable prices and really, the best grits in town. 

Henry's

Folklorico also on Bull Street is a wonderful shop always worthy of exploration, with many imported treasures, especially art from Mexico.  Last year my friend Joanie gifted me with a wonderful Frida Kahlo santos I had admired while we were in the shop together.  So Folklorico and Frida is a natural combo.

Folklorico Fridas

I came across an interesting collection of vintage photographs awhile ago and was looking for the perfect background and found it here in 24 E, which is the back of an vintage storefront on East Broughton Street, a main drag in the Savannah historic district. I later discovered that 24e is an interesting store, 24e Design, with unique furniture and art made from vintage and retro things, but the old brick wall and concrete spoke to me first. Felt fitting for our little group who, it turned out, were all members of an English early 1920's criminal gang.

24 e

SCAD Art - Savannah 2017

SCAD - Savannah College of Art & Design - pops up all over town.  The SCAD Museum of Art showcases amazing contemporary art.  There is a wonderful courtyard/garden area that features this very cool installation of oversize plastic chairs and sofas, which I found caught my fancy.

Chairs SCAD Museum of Art Courtyard

Garden Party @ SCAD - Savannah

Sofa With Pink @ SCAD - Savannah

The SCAD shop on Bull Street - ShopSCAD - is another place where I like to wander.  It features student and other artists work and artsy fun things and jewelry, and offers an online store.  And being right down the street from our favorite coffee place, Gallery Espresso,  makes it a great place for frequent browsing.

I was quite taken by the huge painting in the window, The Guardian by Alea Hurst, a SCAD student, The painting features an Indonesian mask as the subject's head. I am all about altering heads in both my collage and assemblage - animal heads, appliance heads, musical instrument heads - so this really spoke to me.  Here's my little tip-o-the-hat to The Guardian.  More about Alea below.

Shop SCAD - homage to The Guardian by Alea Hurst

  See Alea Hurst's work at her website  aleahurst,com

Here's a great interview with Alea  at Common Creative about her work and  what drew her to masks.