Connect Savannah | February 2, 2022

CONNECT SAVANNAH

FEBRUARY 2 - 8, 2022

9 CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH ON A TOUR OF LOCAL HISTORY AND PRESERVATION WITH THE SCAD MUSEUM OF ART

DEREK LARSON AND HIS WHIMSICAL ART: COMING BACK TO TRUE NORTH

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connectsavannah.com

SAVANNAH’S RUNNING COMMUNITY IS A TIGHTKNIT GROUP THAT NEVER STOPS MOVING

WHO

RUNS THIS TOWN?

find the leader in you. an immersive 2-day leadership experience right here in savannah.

An immersive, 2-day leadership experience.

FEB. 28 & March1 Trustees’ Garden

The Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum is a two-day event that brings together more than 400 leaders representing neighborhoods, non-profits, civic groups, government, businesses and the up and comers.

The FIRST EVER Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum will bethe a two-day event Organized

by Morris Multimedia Inc., with generous support of Georgia Southern University, the Georgia Ports Authority, that brings togetherGeorgia more than 400 leaders representing neighborhoods, Power and Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, the first ever forum is taking place on February 28 & March 1 2021 non-profits, civic groups, government, and up-and-comers. at Trustees’ Garden businesses in Savannah, Georgia.

To help our communities succeed in an ever changing and fast paced society, the

forum is focused on discovering our collective potential to be greater by committing to new ideas, supporting the growth

To help our communities succeed in an ever-changing and fast-paced society, of our emerging and established leaders, and by being purposeful in building collaboration from all segments of our diverse the forum is focused on discovering our collective potential to be greater, by communities. committing to new ideas, supporting growth and being purposeful in building collaboration from all segments of our diverse communities.

feb. 28 - march 1

Working together we can make our communities stronger and better.

Visit southeastgaleadershipforum.com trustees garden, Savannah visit www.southeastGAleadershipforum.com for more information! for more information.

FEB/

2-8

WEEK CONNECT SAVANNAH

AT A GLANCE

WEDNESDAY 2/2

VOLUNTEER FOR MEALS ON WHEELS

(Ongoing, Mondays-Fridays, 10:45 a.m.)Senior Citizens Inc., 3025 Bull St., There are seniors in our community who are hungry. You can make a difference by volunteering one hour a week to delivering Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors. We have routes throughout Savannah, so we can match you to an area that is convenient. Training included.

Volunteers use their own vehicle. Gas stipend is optional.

There are over 500 seniors on the waiting list to receive meals, and the number continues to grow. For more information, contact Lauren at Volunteer@ seniorcitizens-inc.org or 912236-0363

GRAND TOUR: CARIBBEAN COOKING CLASS

OPEN MIC AT MINT TO BE MOJITO BAR

Musicians & Singers Wanted!

Join host Larry Broussard (of the band LAX) for Savannah’s Best Open Mic every Wednesday. Watch LIVE ON TIKTOK! (Cajuncookin). Larry plays your favorite hits and requests between sets. Call 912-713-1009 to book your 30 minutes of stage time. No cover charge! 5-11 p.m. Mint to Be Mojito Bar & Bites, 12 W State St.

To have your event considered for inclusion, please send an email to happenings@connectsavannah.com.

Include the event name, date, time, location with address, cost, website address for additional information, and a contact number. The submission deadline is 5PM each Friday before the following Wednesday’s edition.

WHISKEY WEDNESDAYS

Discounted regional and international whiskey and bourbon selections every Wednesday at Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen. Come try something new on the rocks, as a smoked drink, or perhaps with natural shrubs and fresh pressed juices in one of their craft cocktails.

5500 Abercorn St. Suite #36

THURSDAY 2/3

FREE YOGA ON THE BEACH AT THE DECK

Enjoy free yoga on the beach at Tybee sponsored by The Deck Beach Bar & Kitchen. Bring a large beach towel, your mat or a tapestry, a hat and sunglasses, water and a friend.

9-10 a.m. The Deck Beachbar and Kitchen, 404 Butler Ave.

FRIDAY 2/4

HEATHER MCMAHAN

Johnny Mercer Theatre | 8 PM Put the phones down! Your favorite high functioning hot mess, comedian Heather McMahan is coming to Savannah. She’s live, liberated and lubed up. Doing the most and the least at the same damn time. Catch our exclusive interview on the What are We Doing? podcast this week! savannahcivic.com

AMBER HIGGINS’S “HEART AND SOUL” TRUNK SHOW

(Ongoing) The Mansion on Forsyth Park’s Grand Bohemian Gallery will feature the work of Toronto-based glass artist and self-taught bead maker Amber Higgins.

The “Heart and Soul” trunk show will showcase Amber Higgins’s beautiful handmade jewelry, which she has been creating for over two decades.

A returning artist to the Grand Bohemian Gallery, Amber Higgins’s one-of-a-kind jewelry

FRI/

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features imported Italian glass and sterling silver fabrications, making these wearable works of art the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (daily) kesslercollection.com

PASTA WORKSHOP

Experience the incomparably delicious taste of freshly made pasta. At this workshop, which is designed to celebrate fresh pasta, guests will learn to create traditional noodles, filled pastas as well as several foundational sauces. Class menu items include Ravioli Quattro Formaggi, Tortellini, Potato Gnocchi with Sausage Ragu as well as Fettuccine with Basil Pesto served with salad and dessert. 700 Kitchen Cooking School at The Mansion on Forsyth Park mansion.classesbykessler.com

COMEDIAN HEATHER MCMAHAN @THEJOHNNY MERCER THEATRE | 8 PM

Put the phones down! Your favorite high functioning hot mess, comedian Heather McMahan is coming to Savannah. She’s live, liberated and lubed up. Doing the most and the least at the same damn time. Catch our exclusive interview on the What are We Doing? podcast this week!

LAX AT COFFEE BLUFF MARINA

The dynamic duo of Larry Broussard and Jeri Boxx are Lectric Acoustic Xperiment. LAX plays your favorite songs with a fun and fast acoustic twist. This is not your typical coffee shop slow, sedation songs. Coffee Bluff Marina, 14915 Coffee Bluff Dr. 6-8 pm This is an All ages show, pet friendly, no cover Fresh seafood BYOB

LOW COUNTRY STAPLES COOKING CLASS

Learn the secrets and stories behind Low Country cuisine, which blends American, indigenous and African flavors with the bounty of fresh seafood and agricultural products of coastal Georgia and South Carolina.

6 - 9 p.m. 700 Kitchen Cooking

School at The Mansion on Forsyth Park 700 Drayton St, mansion.classesbykessler.com

BLUEGRASS BY THE PINT WITH SWAMPTOOTH Join Service Brewing for Bluegrass by the Pint every Friday featuring live bluegrass from favorite local favorite’s, Swamptooth.6 p.m. Service Brewing Co., 574 Indian St.

SATURDAY 2/5

FORSYTH FARMERS MARKET

Local and regional produce, honey, meat, dairy, pasta, baked goods, and other delights. Rain or shine.

9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Forsyth Park.

Drayton St. & East Park Ave.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

Taste the flavors of the islands in this geographically focused class, which invites guests to learn the techniques used to prepare some of the Caribbean’s most iconic and colorful dishes. The class menu items include Jamaican Beef Patties, Cuban Fricasé De Pollo, Belizean Ceviche, Puerto Rican Tostones and Quesillo.

6 - 9 p.m. 700 Kitchen Cooking School at The Mansion on Forsyth Park mansion. classesbykessler.com

HIGHLIGHTED PICKS FROM HOSTESS CITY HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK

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WEEK

AT A GLANCE

ADMINISTRATIVE ERICA BASKIN PUBLISHER erica@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4378 WENDY WICKHAM BUSINESS MANAGER wendy@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4373

CONTENT CHRISTOPHER SWEAT CREATIVE | CONTENT DIRECTOR christopher @connectsavannah.com JAMIE BURTON MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST jamie@connectsavannah.com MCKENNAH DRURY GRAPHIC DESIGNER

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

YOGA + SIPS AT KIMPTON BRICE HOTEL

OUR VALUES Connect Savannah is a weekly arts, entertainment and news magazine, focused on Savannah and the Coastal Empire life and experience.

We strive to feature stories that impact our community and the people who live here— to educate, entertain, inform and foster conversation.

We appreciate and encourage readers to share news and information with us, and to share any criticism and questions.

We want to be your comprehensive source for what happens in our community and beyond.

We are here to serve you.

Find us on the following social media platforms or reach out to us at news@connectsavannah.com or 912-721-4378.

/connectsav

@ConnectSavannah

/connectsavannah

PROUD SPONSOR OF

LOGAN HINTON DIGITAL SALES MANAGER logan@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4354

GARDENING SESSION

First and Third Saturday of every month, 9:30 a.m. Charles H. Morris Center10 East Broad St., Savannah Free and open to the public. Learn how to garden and harvest vegetables and herbs to bring home. Kerry Shay, an organic farmer and owner of landscaping company Victory Gardens, provides free instruction. First and third Saturday of every month.

LIVE JAZZ SUNDAY BRUNCH

Featuring the Howard Paul Jazz Trio Live performances from legendary jazz guitarist Howard Paul at Myrtle & Rose Rooftop Garden at Plant Riverside District. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. 400 West River St

BUCKY BRYANT STRATEGIC MARKETING CONSULTANT bucky@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4381

ON THE COVER Unknown runners compete in a race held at Wormsloe. Photo by Corey Brooks.

DISTRIBUTION

© 2021, Savannah Media, LLC. 611 East Bay Street Savannah, Georgia 31401 Phone: (912) 231-0250 | Fax: (912) 238-2041

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Enjoy half off bottles of wine and fire pits in the courtyard. Purchase one of our s’mores kits (marshmallows included) for the ultimate fall experience. 6-9 p.m. Foxy Loxy Cafe, 1919 Bull St.

Multiple sites across Savannah and Georgia. georgiahistoryfestival.org Explore more than 100 sites in person and online during Super Museum Sunday. Georgians and visitors alike experience our state’s rich history and cultural life as historic sites, house museums, art museums, and other points of interest throughout Georgia open their doors for an exceptional opportunity to experience the history in our own backyard.

ADVERTISING

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FIRE & WINE

SUPER MUSEUM SUNDAY

INFORMATION: (912) 721-4378 sales@connectsavannah.com

WAYNE FRANKLIN DISTRIBUTION MANAGER (912) 721-4376

Celebrate the weekend during anupbeat, poolside yoga classes.

60-minute high energy yoga class with Savannah Yoga featuring a welcome cocktail, social hour, and more!

Reservations required. Kimpton Brice Hotel 601 E Bay St. bricehotel.com

SUNDAY 2/6

Jesse Blanco, Frank Ricci, Jamie Burton, Marley Gibson, Kareem McMichael, Lauren Wolverton, Bunny Ware, Corey Brooks, Dave Gil de Rubio

LAUREN WOLVERTON STRATEGIC MARKETING CONSULTANT lauren@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4380

(CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

BINGO! AT ELKS LODGE

Join Elks Lodge for Bingo from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Enjoy great family fun, good food at the snack bar, and many chances to win cash. Elks Lodge, 183 Wilshire Blvd.

ISLANDS FARMERS MARKET

Weekly farmers market on Talahi Island highlighting local growers and makers, healthy foods and a positive environment. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 912-6565626 401 Quarterman Dr.

SUNSET PARTY SUNDAY

Wrap up the weekend with a Sunday Funday Sunset Party on the roof.

Local DJ Doc Ock on the 1s and 2s, an amazing view, Long Drink and Herradura specials, and $3 Rosé all day.

6 - 9 p.m. Top Deck, 125 W. River Street

MONDAY 2/7

MIDTOWN MONDAYS

Savannah’s largest industry night at Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen. Enjoy Pubstar Karaoke hosted by Shane along with DJ B-RAD playing today’s hits inbetween singers. Enjoy $4-$5 drink specials all night along with a late night menu and craft cocktail bar. The fun starts at 10pm every Monday! 5500 Abercorn St. Ste. 36

PILATES CLASS

Skidaway Island United Methodist Church (SIUMC) offers, to church and non-church members alike, basic Mat Pilates classes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:15-10:15 a.m., for only $5.00-$6.25 per class. Classes focus on improving core strength, posture, flexibility and muscle tone. Visit siumc. org/nurture 54 Diamond Causeway

TUESDAY 2/8

WHISKEY TASTING CLASSES

Taste and learn differences between six different whiskey varieties.

Reservations required. 7:30 p.m.

Congress Street Up, 220 W. Congress St. americanprohibitionmuseum.com

TRIVIA TUESDAYS

Voted one of Savannah’s best places to enjoy trivia in 2021. Enjoy video trivia hosted by Hangover Entertainment at Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen. Free to play, and starts at 7pm with prizes for top 2 teams. Full menu and craft cocktail bar.

5500 Abercorn St. Suite #36

STAFFORD’S TUESDAY COMEDY OPEN MIC

The ghost of Savannah’s legendary open mic returns. Head out to the sequel to the open mic Hannibal Buress called “whack” and “please put that phone down”. All experience levels welcome! Come out and give us your best 5 minutes, or just come and laugh at us, we like it. 8:30-11:45 p.m. Stafford’s Public House, 306 W. Upper Factor’s Walk.

COMMUNITY Even though she’s originally from sunny Clearwater, Florida, Mary Holstein has found her own bright path right here in The Hostess City.

INTRODUCTIONS

MEET

Holstein was first attracted to Savannah in 2014. “I came here on a small getaway trip,” she said. “I was sitting on some steps down on River Street, looking at the water, and it just hit me. I knew I wanted to move here.”

MARY

Holstein immediately started reviewing job postings and, the next thing she knew, she was hired to work at the Mansion on Forsyth as a massage therapist. Flash forward to today where Holstein successfully runs her own company, Balance Mobile Spa, offering in-home spa services around Savannah and Hilton Head. She has never looked back on her decision to make Savannah her home, feeling it is a part of her and her life.

HOLSTEIN

“I belong here,” she said. “It truly is the hostess city.”

MASSAGE THERAPIST

“There are so many—almost too many—things I love about this city, especially the absolute awe-inspiring beauty everywhere you look. Sometimes. I’ll drive down a street like Washington Avenue and I have to pinch myself thinking, ‘I really live here.’”

Holstein believes Savannah is so attractive to visitors and locals alike because it is a character itself, full of other interesting characters.

By Marley Gibson

“There’s so much that stands out. Savannah is a living, breathing, entity herself. The history and the people.

There’s also the incredible variety of food and art in so many forms throughout the city. We’ve got haunted tours, live music, and the Southern hospitality here is fantastic.”

A friend recently visited Holstein and commented, “Everyone is so nice here.”

Mary agreed, and said, “That is what makes Savannah so special. It’s not fake…people are real. There is this rich history of families who have been here for many years, but there is also this incredible influx of people who have moved here from all over which only adds to this already awesome place. It all blends together.”

Her best advice to visitors of Savannah is to ask locals where they go. “Whenever I travel, I seek out locals for tips and recommendations. They know the best places… and Savannah is no different. I will say, nothing beats a brunch on River Street with friends while watching the ships come in and out. It’s really unique to our town.”

A hidden jewel of our area, Mary said, is simply store hopping. “Nothing beats walking around downtown, looking in and shopping at the different stores, supporting local businesses, and even marveling at the various neighborhoods.”

“Get out and enjoy this gorgeous and amazing city to the fullest,” she recommended, enthusiastically.

“You never know what treasures you’ll find and what memories you’ll make.”

Mary’s rescue dog, Pepper, often accompanies her.

“Savannah is an incredibly supportive pet community.

Almost every place you go has water bowls out for dogs and you can’t walk anywhere without encountering a capering pup enjoying this city, as well.”

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

She also recommends taking advantage of the city’s natural beauty, often hiding in plain sight.

“After eating all of our amazing food, head out to Bonaventure to walk it off,” she said with a laugh.

“It’s one of the most beautiful cemeteries you’ll ever see. And, yes… cemeteries can be beautiful. There’s a peacefulness and serenity to walking around Bonaventure and taking it all in…particularly when everything blooms and blossoms in the spring.”

Savannah, as well. habitat. It never gets old seeing them, especially when they swim close by to check out us humans, as well.”

“Visitors might not know this,” she said, “but Savannah is an amazing place to go antique shopping.

There are many places to check out… from high-end antiques to surprising vintage finds. Vintage Vortex has incredible clothes and Picker Joe’s is just amazing.”

Another favorite thing for Holstein is enjoying Savannah’s waterways.

“The Starland District and City Market are great areas for nightlife,” Holstein said. “Again…there’s food, drink, local music, and community fellowship. For special occasions, I love The Vault and Noble Fare. We have world-class restaurants right here in our backyard.

Honestly, is there anything we don’t have?”

“If you can get out on a boat on Savannah’s rivers, it will change you,” she said. “I often go out with my friends and we always see dolphins in their natural

So, this Florida transplant is delighted to be part of the Savannah community, taking advantage of all the area has to offer, and she hopes others will get to know

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COMMUNITY Enmarket Arena opens for Community Day Feb. 5

photo by Enmarket Arena

The City of Savannah and Oak View Group Facilities will host a ribbon cutting, followed by a Community Day, on Saturday, Feb. 5 to mark the opening weekend of the new Enmarket Arena. The invitation only ribbon cutting event will begin promptly at 1 p.m., followed by a Community Day inside the new arena from 2 to 6 p.m.

“I am ecstatic that we will finally open our beautiful, new Enmarket Arena with a celebration for everyone in our community,” said Mayor Van R. Johnson, II. “This will be a day of fun, family and community as residents from all of Savannah will have the opportunity to enjoy this first event in our remarkable new facility.”

The Community Day will feature a variety of activities for the whole family, including live music from local bands, carnival-style games, Enmarket Arena tours, activities for kids, and more. While the festivities will start at 2 p.m., attendees are encouraged to enjoy the fun anytime until 6 p.m.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

Beethoven and Awadagin Pratt

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February 12 | 7:30 PM

Lucas Theatre for the Arts Conductor Keitaro Harada Piano Awadagin Pratt TICKETS SAVANNAHPHILHARMONIC.ORG

SAVANNAH PHILHARMONIC

COMMUNITY NEWS

Celebrate Black History Month at the SCAD Museum of Art on Super Museum Sunday A JOURNEY OF HISTORY AND PRESERVATION

Quality Eats + Drinks

LUNCH DINNER FULL BAR MON-SAT 11AM-1AM SUN 11:30AM-5 PM

C lassic Sandwiches on Locally Baked Bread FRESH HOUSE MADE

soup

sides

pickles

dine in 912.200.4940 take out

Weekly Specials 1215 barnard street savannah, ga 31401 w w w . b l a c kr a b b i t s a v. c om Above: The historical marker at SCAD’s Jen Library to mark the civil rights sit-in at the former Levy’s department store/Azalea Room diner. Left: A photo taken in Trustees Theater across the street with photos of the three sit-in students on the screen.

Photos provided by SCAD.

By Kareem McMichael

having it preserved and being a part of the community highlights the importance of the building and the importance of the work displayed there,” said NaylorJohnson.

Other parts of the tour include SCAD’s role in designing and sculpting Savannah’s African American monument, the history of Virginia Jackson Kiah, and more.

“It’s an ongoing telling of a story. After the building is preserved, we get people talking about it and wanting to learn more.

I see people doing that more so they can understand the depth and richness of history in the city,” said Naylor-Johnson.

Tours also include special performances by current performing arts students and American Idol winner Candice Glover (B.F.A. dramatic writing) and a screening in the SCAD MOA theater of the SCADproduced documentary “A Thousand Miles and Counting,” which explores the historic journey of William and Ellen Craft as they navigated the country, including the site where the museum now stands, in pursuit of freedom from enslavement.

The free two-hour tours will be held at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., beginning and ending at the SCAD Museum of Art located at 106 Turner Blvd. Tickets are available on eventbrite.com - just search for SCAD Tours

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

The SCAD Museum of Art invites guests to travel throug history on Feb. 6 for Super Museum Sunday with free SCAD Tours.

The tour celebrates Black History Month and shines a light on SCAD’s commitment to preserving local Black history and the university’s lasting fellowship with community leaders.

“I get excited when people get the opportunity to engage and learn more about their history,” said Darrell NaylorJohnson, Senior Director of Library Services at SCAD and one of the tour guides.

Naylor-Johnson has been a part of the SCAD family for more than 30 years. First as a student and then as an employee. He has watched first-hand the changes and impact SCAD has had on preservation and the history behind the buildings saved.

“Since the 1980s SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace has been working with community leaders like former Mayor Edna Jackson, pioneer African American art collector Dr. Walter Evans, and the late W.W. Law and Dr. Abigail Jordan,” said Naylor-Johnson.

“Together they collaborated to save buildings - including some of the first schools for Black children in Savannah, and

the Central of Georgia Railway depot which was built by enslaved people - and install historical markers, create monuments, and produce films to tell important stories for generations to come.”

From significant civil rights sites to major contemporary restoration initiatives, each stop on the tour centers visionary voices from Savannah’s African American past, present, and future.

The bus tours will pass by many significant Black historical buildings and markers and make a few stops - at the SCAD Museum of Art, Arnold Hall, and Jen Library to showcase significant moments in Savannah’s Black history that SCAD has helped preserve and honor.

One building on the tour is the Beach Institute, founded in 1865 during Reconstruction as the first official school for African-Americans in Savannah.

The building had been abandoned, and in 1988 prominent Savannahian W.W. Law asked SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace to save the Beach Institute.

SCAD won the bid to purchase the building and restored it. Today, the original historic building is home to the Beach Institute African-American Cultural Center.

“Law understood of the importance of the community and of that school. Now

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COMMUNITY

Tickets are now on sale!

PETS OF THE WEEK Each week, we will highlight pets available for adoption from local rescue organizations. In February, we are featuring Save-A-Life, Inc.

KELLI

AGE: NINE MONTHS COLOR: BRINDLE WEIGHT: 50 LBS

WATCHHOUSE (FKA MANDOLIN ORANGE) Wednesday 3/30 at 8 PM

Kelli is a Parson Russell Terrier and Labrador mix. Kelli would be a great companion for a runner. She is vaccinated, spayed, crate trained, and on her monthly heart worm/flea prevention.

She does well with her house breaking.

She is healthy, happy, playful, and does well with the other dogs. She would be good with older children but is still too much for toddlers. Kelli is looking for an inside, active home with a fenced yard and a family wanting a playful companion.

To meet our little athlete, please fill out the application at savealifepets.org/ adopt.

SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL March 24–April 9, 2022

THE WOOD BROTHERS Sunday 4/3 at 7 PM

BILL BAILEY AGE: 9 YEARS COLOR: TRI COLOR WEIGHT: 24 LBS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

Bailey is a pure-bred Beagle. He is white with brown and black patches. He was surrendered to Animal Services. He walks well on a leash but prefers to go wherever his nose leads him. He is easy going and does well with other dogs and cats. Like all beagles he needs a good secure fence. Bailey is looking for an inside home with a family wanting a great companion. He is now neutered, vaccinated, crate trained, and has been treated for heart worms.

To meet this charming boy, fill out an application at savealifepets.org.

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full festival schedule & tickets: savannahmusicfestival.org Box Office: 912.525.5050

Save-A-Life, Inc. is an all-volunteer IRS 501 (c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization created to prevent overpopulation of companion animals through low-cost spaying and neutering. For more than 5 decades Save-A-Life has assumed a leadership role in advocating low-cost spaying and neutering in order to help prevent unwanted, homeless dogs and cats. Save-A-Life, Inc. is licensed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. We have been saving animal lives since 1967.

Compiled by Jamie Burton

‘Savannah Women of Vision’ celebrates trailblazing women of Savannah

By Kareem McMichael

Photo from Winter, 2020 Savannah Women of Vision (Michael Porten Art Process) at Arnold Hall, Savannah. Photo Courtesy of SCAD.

also served as executive vice president of global marketing for Avon, becoming the first African American woman to hold the position, as well as the chief executive officer and president of Girls, Inc. from 2000 to 2010.

More information about the work of these four women can be found online at the “Savannah Women of Vision” page.

The four new honorees will be recognized, and their relief portraits will be unveiled at a public celebration on Friday, February 11 at Arnold Hall, located at 1810 Bull St. SCAD is also hosting special public tours on Saturday, Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

During the year, the university offers tours of the installation in Arnold Hall to K-12 students and educators. A free curriculum guide offers historic perspective to the portrait installation.

For more information or to schedule a tour, visit scad.edu/ savannahwomenofvision

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

Savannah is rich with history, and woven in the fabric of its history is are many remarkable and influential women with vision to make their communities better.

“Savannah Women of Vision” created by SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace, commemorates a select group of leading women every two years. This year the new honorees will be celebrated on Friday, Feb. 11.

“Women have not always had the light shined on them.

President Wallace felt that it was really important to shine a light on the women that have shaped Savannah and Georgia,” said Kari Herrin, Vice President for Brand Experience at SCAD. This year’s honorees are Linda Evans, Sarah Mills Hodge, Joyce Roché, and Gale Singer, who will join the 17 other women inducted in 2016, 2018 and 2020. These women are being honored for their peerless valor, humanity and intellect that have helped transform Savannah into a better place.

President Wallace’s “Savannah Women of Vision” investiture was born after she was in the proscenium in the university’s historic Arnold Hall where a grand 1930s New Deal-era mural depicts titans in Savannah history, all of which are men.

Right away, Wallace noticed the absence of strong female leaders and sought to right this wrong by creating the “Savannah Women of Vision” installation.

“Savannah as we know it rests on the triumphs of its women; mothers, entrepreneurs, authors, patriots, philanthropists. I created the ‘Savannah Women of Vision’ investiture to illuminate trailblazers and their transcendent work, keeping their names and deeds not only in our hearts but publicly acclaimed. These are our heroines,” Wallace explained.

Each “Savannah Women of Vision” inductee is honored with a large, gilded relief portrait hand-carved by SCAD alumnus Michael Porten that is permanently installed on the walls of the Arnold Hall theater.

“To create these beautiful portraits of the honorees that now flank the walls of Arnold Hall is amazing. We still have the beautiful mural of the Titans of Savannah that are all men, but we also now have many women that we have celebrated. Now when you walk in the theater you can see all of these women from past and present that have shaped Georgia,” said Herrin.

The stories of the “Savannah Women of Vision” are also brought to life in “Etched in History,” an original SCAD film narrated by celebrated actor Phylicia Rashad.

Honoree Sarah Millis Hodge was born in Savannah and she was a staunch advocate for the less fortunate in her community. As the beneficiary of a considerable trust from her husband, engineer Henry Wilson Hodge, she established the Mills Memorial Home for elderly Black men, made generous contributions to the rebuilding of Charity Hospital, and financed the Frank Callen Boys Club building and programs, among other philanthropy.

Honoree Linda J. Evans, a Detroit-area high school science teacher for 26 years, was instrumental in establishing the first Medical and Natural Sciences Career Academy for high school students in the Southfield Public Schools system. In 2006, Evans and her husband, Walter, gifted more than 60 of these major works to the SCAD Museum of Art, forming the foundation of the museum’s Evans Center for African American Studies.

Honoree Gale Singer Gale Singer is founder and president of Circa Lighting. Prior to moving to Savannah in 1997, Singer worked for Visual Comfort & Co., the leading manufacturer of decorative lighting founded by her brother, Andy Singer. In 2017, Singer was recognized by the American Society of Interior Designers’ Georgia Chapter.

Honoree Joyce Roché served as the president and chief operating officer of Carson, Inc. in Savannah from 1996 to 1998. Roché has

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

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Photos this page provided by Marc Cameron

n any given weekend morning, most folks enjoy sleeping in, catching up on chores around the house, binging a new show, or just staying under the warm covers a bit longer before facing the week ahead.

However, there is a whole community of people dedicated to health, fitness, camaraderie, and, most of all, taking advantage of all Savannah has to offer, and supporting local events.

Groups like the Savannah Striders have been walking, walk/running, and running the streets, parks, and neighborhoods of the city since the early 1970s. With healthier resolutions and efforts to be more physically fit while also getting out of the house, the running community in Savannah is seeing a welcomed boom.

“The Striders started as a small running group out of [then] Armstrong State College,” said Tharon Lambert, president of the Savannah Striders and 20-year group member.

“There was a running boom in the country at the time [the 1970s]. With those four original runners, they added a few people here and there and the Striders just grew from that.”

Today, the group has regular meetups for runs, events, and general community socialization. The group celebrates upwards of 300 members striving to exercise, move, and stay in the best health possible.

“The Striders had a marathon back in the day on Hunter’s campus,” said Cecilia Arango, an active Rotarian and longtime member of the group. “Now, we have get-togethers, regular runs, we participate in events as a group, and we generally support each other. It’s all about community.”

That was certainly the situation Marc Cameron, 44, and his wife, Kelly, found when they moved to Savannah five years ago.

Cameron is the manager of Howe2Run, a locally owned business geared toward supporting walk/run fitness. In only

its third year, the store was named one of the best running stores in the country under his watch.

He can’t believe he’s such a big part of such a beneficial community.

“If you had told 36-year-old Marc that he would be a runner, have done countless 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and two marathons, he would have said, ‘no way… I’m living life hard and fast. If I make it to my 40s, it’ll be a success,’” he said.

Cameron’s journey to running was not one he saw coming or had even planned. He openly shared his experiences.

“Seven years ago, I was 350 pounds and felt like I was falling helplessly off a cliff,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong. I did this all on my own. I mean, I’m an Italian Jersey boy who likes to eat, drink, and have a good time. It was only when the number on the scale got so big, I knew I needed to make a lifestyle change.”

After losing some weight on his own, down to 320, Cameron’s doctor performed gastric bypass surgery to aid additional weight loss.

“Just because you get the gastric bypass surgery,” he began, “you still have to do the work. You have to adjust your eating habits. I was one of those guys who constantly ate meals that were too big and then my metabolism couldn’t process it.”

Simply following the doctor’s orders and moving his body proved to be the answer for Cameron in avoiding the pitfalls following this type of procedure.

“For me, the surgery was successful because of my coaching background. I took it as a challenge… like a new scouting report. I told myself I would follow everything I was supposed to, follow the game plan the doctor issued, drink the exact amount of water, and do everything according to instructions. I became pretty regimented and have stayed that way. I drank a lot of water, ate 5-6 small meals a day, and started moving. I started by walking.”

Cameron said he walked for 10 months, adding a little bit of running into the mix. In that time, he trimmed down to 175 pounds and knew he had a regimen for life.

“I began walking from one lamp post to the other. Then, I’d add more distance to the point where there were times my wife would call, wondering where I was,” he said with a laugh. “I was enjoying the fitness too much.”

Cameron’s weight loss, coupled with his newfound love of walking/running, coincided with his family’s move to the

Savannah area. (Rather, his wife’s move back as Kelly is a Savannah native.)

“I had done a few local races when I was in New Jersey, but things really took off here. I went from being overweight to now being a part of the Savannah running community and working in the running community for Phillip and Pamela Howe, which is just completely wild to think about.

Now, I’m the Running Shoe Geek.”

“It was a healthy lifestyle change that turned into a job that’s also something I love to do. It’s a win-win,” Cameron said.

Cameron’s journey is not an unfamiliar one. Many get involved in walking/running for all the right reasons, but they never expected finding a community, according to Lambert.

“We have a couple of people in their upper 80s and 90s in the Striders, but we also have people who run the gamut from very, highly competitive runners looking to make their best times to people who are just out there moving, doing what they can to get healthy, and also, socializing in a relatively safe, outdoor environment in these new normal times,” the Savannah Striders’ president stressed.

As for general well-being and energy, Arango feels there’s nothing better than running.

“The health benefits you get are understood, but there’s also accountability,” she said. “If you’re someone who struggles with an exercise routine or staying on track, then doing it with a group of people can help you stay motivated.

We hold each other accountable. Not in a pressuring way, but in a supportive way. It’s easier to achieve the goals you’ve set out for yourself when others are in your court cheering you on,” Arango said.

“We welcome everyone, no matter their fitness level, goals, motivation, etc.,” Lambert said. “Some people come out and walk while others run. It’s whatever people prefer.

We’re not in competition with each other. We’re there to support and encourage and keep people moving.”

Arango said one of the best things about running in a group is seeing people from all backgrounds. “The beauty of it is it’s a very diverse group with various running paces and abilities, but it’s a non-judgmental activity where you can belong, even if you’re just starting.”

Lambert is proud their Savannah Striders group is supportive at all levels. “Not only do you see people of different races, nationalities, body shape, abilities, you

Photo by Corey Brooks

WHO

RUNS THIS TOWN? SAVANNAH’S RUNNING COMMUNITY IS A TIGHTKNIT GROUP THAT ‘NEVER STOPS MOVING’

details when you’re driving that you really notice when you’re on a run.”

Lambert said the Savannah Striders have added some new running routes.

“We’ve incorporated the new Truman trail ad into our runs so we’ll do that during the week or on a Saturday. We also like to run out at Isle of Hope sometimes. Seriously, you could run in a different area every week and might not see the same area twice.”

Other areas Lambert and Arango suggested were Wilmington Island, Fort Pulaski, and, of course, the beaches and neighborhoods of Tybee Island.

“We’re excited about the upcoming Critz Tybee Run Fest,” Lambert said. “Our tradition is we start with a 10K in the morning and a half marathon that afternoon. A lot of us will only do the 10K and then we will sit right in front of Wet Willie’s and watch the half marathoners as they make it to the finish line,” he said.

“Cheer me on,” Arango added. “I’ll be doing the 5K.” Emily Dover Critz, public relations manager at Critz BMW and also assisting with the event, said, “We’re so pleased to be working with the YMCA again on the Critz Tybee Run Fest. It’s a chance to provide a great event for folks, but it is also about giving back to the community. The money raised will go to the YMCA of Coastal Georgia to help foster education and healthy lifestyles.”

The Critz Tybee Run Fest is an annual weekend event, running February 3-5, combining five different races from 1 mile to 13.1 miles, totaling up to the 26.2-mile marathon distance. In addition to a world-class race atmosphere, the race weekend provides entertainment for families and friends traveling with participants.

Critz stated there are 1,000 people pre-registered and some of the races have already sold out, so she encourages people to plan ahead.

“We have five races all together that total a marathon,” Critz said. “It’s a unique formula for how races go and we’re proud of the diverse group it brings out. We’re also one of the few events to include a beach race.”

As for the level of racers, Critz stressed how everyone is welcomed. “We have very serious runners looking to improve upon their times and we also have groups and/or families just walking together to help raise money, have fun, or simply to be together outside. It’s an event for everyone – you’ll see people ranging in age from two to 92.”

Cameron said the event—and running, in general—will help people get out of their pandemic cave-like living. “It’s such a good mental thing to run and clear your mind from all that’s piled up inside. It’s the best stress reliever. We’ve had people come out to our Wednesday night runs— #WednesdaysWeMove—who found us because they were sitting at home and for whatever reason, they want to get moving again.”

He continued, “The pandemic has unintentionally promoted weight gain, depression, lethargy, and lack of motivation. Especially when folks are working from home, they may not move around as much as they did before.

Add to it the mental aspect of being stuck in the house— sometimes alone—and it’s just so beneficial to get out, meet new people, join a healthy hobby, and enjoy life again.”

Cameron looks forward to the Critz Tybee Race Fest as a time to explore the activity.

“Running in and of itself is a socially distanced activity, but when we come together after or before races to cheer each other on, celebrate milestones, and, in this case, to do something that gives back to the community and helps others… well, there’s nothing better.”

Although Emily has worked (and run in) the event before, she is excited about the timing of this race and how it will benefit so many.

“It’s such a great, fun event for locals, visitors… anyone.

It’s also huge for Tybee Island because it brings people to the island during the off-season to enjoy the amazing restaurants and hotels. It’s a fabulous opportunity for locals to get out of the house, stop feeling cooped up, and join in an event that helps out the whole community.”

“What else could be better for your mental and physical health than being outside in nature and moving about?” said Arango. “Running is that answer. And… running in Savannah is like nothing else.”

“I started running with the New York skyline as my view, so I’m a bit spoiled. Even more so here with Savannah’s moss-covered squares, vibrant neighborhoods, and million-dollar views on River Street,” Cameron said. “It’s the best place for runners and I hope folks will join us in running this town.”

And, most of all…

“Never stop moving,” Lambert stressed. “Never. Stop.”

For a reference list of running events in the Savannah area, check out savannahraces.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

name it, but you also have some of those motivated selfstarters who are more Type A personalities and they help motivate and encourage others. Particularly with what we’ve just come through—worldwide pandemic and illness… we need each other.”

“We’ve had some folks express to me that coming to this group greatly helped them with their depression. Whatever their reason, people in the group understand the group’s major purpose. “It’s an all-around, completely supportive effort,” Lambert said.

Arango suggested as with any organization or group one joins, it’s what one puts in and takes from it.

“Shortly after I came to town, I caught the running bug.

I found the Striders and wanted to join the group for what Tharon mentioned … it’s not about ability, rather it’s more about camaraderie and people who have a similar interest in Photographed by mind.”

Adriana “At the beginning, it can Iris be aBoatwright bit awkward because you’re meeting new people, but then itYard becomes like this huge, at Starland supportive family that shows up for each other,” she said proudly. “That’s why I show up for the morning runs and races.”

Cameron also organizes runs out of the Howe2Run store on Gateway Boulevard. The large parking lot is ideal for socializing outdoors before the runs begin.

“We have paces for everybody that wants to walk, walk/ run, and run. The hashtag we use is #BigGiantRunFamily because it’s what we are,” Cameron stated. “We’re also close and like celebrating each other’s milestones and accomplishments. Obviously, before COVID, we had large groups celebrating people’s birthdays and anniversaries in person. We still do stuff together, just in different ways.

Folks go on ‘run-cations’ together or they’ll road trip to do other races. In fact, a bunch of us are doing New York City Marathon in November.”

As for the best places to run in Savannah and the local area, everyone agreed on the answer.

“Downtown,” Lambert said without hesitation.

“No place is better than downtown,” Cameron agreed.

“It’s the best tour on foot,” Arango said. “You’re up and out before anyone else is awake. You have the whole city to yourself and you can take it all in.”

Arango said when driving through Savannah, you can miss things. “If you’re running, though, you can take in the scenery, the environment, nature, architecture. You miss

13

FOOD & DRINK EAT IT & LIKE IT

Sweetheart Sale An equal opportunity institution.

PRESENTED WEEKLY BY SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE

SAVANNAH TECH’S FEBRUARY SWEETHEART SALE RETURNS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

EAT IT AND LIKE IT

By Jesse Blanco eatitandlikeit.com

14

Artisan breads and sweets made by our students

Pre-order for Feb. 10-11 pickup (Savannah Technical College • 5717 White Bluff Road)

BistroSavoir.com

If you look up right now, the calendar will tell you we have reached February. If you are like me, then you kind of consider the first week of February as a tipping point in the Winter season. Yes, we are likely still in for a couple of weekends of biting cold here and there but it is fair to say we know some late February weekends can offer something in the way of mild temperatures. The kind that invite the waving of green flags across the landscape. The next thing you know...boom.

But that’s a story for another Wednesday.

Right now, and most importantly for the men out there, you are on notice as you read that we are in a two week sprint to February 14th. Valentines Day. Flex your love day. Buy flowers, take her out to dinner. You know

the drill. “Walk the Dog” Day. Perhaps literally as well as figuratively.

If you are lucky you know what the lucky lady likes. If the threat of Valentines Day makes you break out in a cold sweat because you just don’t have any idea whatsoever how to handle this particular Hallmark Holiday, then I am here to tend to your needs.

Savannah Tech is back this year with one of the city’s best kept Valentine’s Day secrets. The Savannah Tech Sweetheart Sale is essentially a bake sale just like we had at school when we were kids, except these creations are made by Savannah Tech Culinary Students.

The selections are not only impressive but delicious. They include Eclairs, Mac-

aroons, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and more for under $10. Sure, you can splurge on a Lemon Raspberry Mousse Cake for $24 or a box of Assorted Truffles for that same price. They are all over the map with their offerings, yes, but the point being you can spend a little or you can spend a smidge more than a little for some handmade sweetness.

The proceeds from this sale (and their Thanksgiving Season sale) all go into the Savannah Tech Junior Chefs fund which is used for things like travel to culinary competitions.

The deadline to order some of these goodies is next week, February 8th. Pick up happens on campus at Savannah Tech on White Bluff Road on February 10th and 11th. They will even make plans to deliver to you at their Liberty County or Effingham County campus if you make arrangements in advance.

This a perfect something different for your Valentine. Don’t delay, the best sweets out there will likely be either pretty expensive or gone or both if you proscrastinate on this one. The Savannah Tech Sweetheart Sale will be glad to take your order online any time between now and next Tuesday.

Visit bistrosavoir.com for a full list of items available and a link to place an order.

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK

By Jamie Burton

jamie@connectsavannah.com

Savannah Refresher ENJOY AT:

CHURCHILL’S SAVANNAH 13 W BAY ST.

MADE WITH: SAVANNAH VODKA, MUDDLED BLUEBERRIES, SIMPLE SYRUP, FRESH LEMON JUICE, PROSECCO

THURSDAY-SUNDAY @9PM

We have some blueberries... I like to go a little heavy on the blueberries. I’m a big fan. Then, grab a nice, big, fat strawberry.

Muddle those blueberries and strawberries into the simple syrup. Now, I’m going to add some ice. Add one and a half ounces of Savannah Vodka. A half ounce of lemon juice, as well. Then we’re going to shake very thoroughly with a nice bartender smile. Pour the remainder into a cup. It tastes even better than it looks. Now add Prosecco and garnish with a couple of blueberries and a lemon slice.

Edward Southmayd I’ve been in Savannah for about three years now. My favorite part about being a bartender [here] is I get to meet people from all over the world. Just a couple of days ago I had some Germans in. I’ve met Hungarians. I met some Brits, my people.

Tequila is my favorite. It gives me wings. It’s definitely my go-to liquor and a little bit of vodka. My go-to drink would be a spicy margarita.

That’s usually my favorite with a little

bit of jalapenos, agave, tequila. All mixed in with some lime and little simple syrup. Maybe a little sour thrown on top. You’ll have yourself a very spicy and delicious margarita.

My favorite drink on the menu would have to be the Hickory Smoked Old Fashioned. We smoke that glass to give it that nice smoky flavor. We use a little maraschino cherry, some maraschino liqueur, with a brown sugar cube. It’s an Old Fashioned you’ve never had before. I would highly recommend you come and try it. It’s the best Old Fashioned in Savannah, hands down.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

MEET THE MIXOLOGIST:

15

Savannah African Art Museum’s exhibit explores the importance of Cowrie shells in African culture

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

By Kareem McMichael

16

The Savannah African Art Museum (SAAM) 2022 exhibit is coming this February.

“Culture, Currency and Continuity: The Significance of Cowrie Shells in African Art,” will officially open to the public on February 2 at the nonprofit museum, 201 East 37th St. “Our exhibits rotate out and start up every February with the launch of Black History Month,” said Billie Stulz, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the SAAM. SAAM reserves a gallery for annual rotating exhibits that allow for a more in-depth display of a specific aspect of African history and culture. The rotating exhibits are curated by Stultz along with a SAAM intern choosing a curatorial track for the semester. SCAD student Tiva Baloi was the intern who assisted with this exhibit.

“This last exhibit was ROOTS: Hair-Culture-History, Exploring the Hair & Cultures of West & Central Africa, where we focused on the importance of hair in African culture. This new exhibit is focusing on cowrie shells because they are connected to many things in African art and culture,” said Stultz.

The new exhibit corresponds with SAAM’s participation in the 2022 Savannah Black Heritage Festival, which runs from February 1-20, 2022. As part of the festivities, SAAM is presenting a workshop that ties into the new exhibit, “Creating Wearable Art” on Feb. 12 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the second floor of the museum’s Upbeat Village Terracotta Gallery.

“Cowrie shells have come to represent the African continent globally. They have taken root in pop culture, coming a long way since the startled looks and comments received by Venus and Serena Williams when they adorned their braided hair with them as a connection to their African roots during tennis competitions in the early days of their careers,” said SAAM Education Coordinator Lisa Jackson.

Though cowrie shells are not indigenous to Africa, they are mostly associated with African culture.

The shiny, small shells were more than just stylish, they had economic value in Ancient African societies.

For centuries, the beige shells were a representation of wealth and were used as a form of currency due to their sturdy and lightweight character.

Apart from their economic value, the shells were also distinguished for their power to bring prosperity, fertility, healing, and spiritual connection to ancestors.

“These shells were completely intertwined with the culture spiritually, emotionally, and financially. They were an important part of African life. We want our visitors to walk away with more knowledge about these popular shells than what they walked in with and share it with others,” said Jackson.

In addition to learning about the history of the shells participants in the workshop will have the opportunity to create wearable art out of cowrie shells and other materials. Also on Feb. 12, participants can have their photographs taken for posting and downloading on the SAAM website. Each photo will have a border placed around it displaying the SAAM and SBHF logos and the date, making them great keepsakes of the SBHF and SAAM Experience.

“I hope this exhibit brings an interest and a curiosity for people to start doing their own research into the shells and have this be a jumping off point to start the conversation about different forms of material that have a strong importance in Africa,” said Stultz.

NOTE: The gallery is stair access only, no elevator or wheelchair access available.

For more information about the new exhibit, visitsavannahafricanartmuseum.org.

For more information about the workshop, visit savannahafricanart.org/workshops.

STYLE:

WHAT ARE WE WEARING?

By Lauren Wolverton

lauren@connectsavannah.com

February is just around the corner from spring in Savannah, so now is the time to shop for some transitional pieces. Lightweight pieces can be layered for the next month or so, then worn solo when warm weather shows up.

Style this purple dress with a black belt around the waist, chunky black boots and a long coat for chilly days. Then, style it on its own with nude sandals in the springtime. Pair an embroidered blouse with blue jeans and an army green jacket now, then trade the jeans for shorts in a few months.

This cream and black top can be worn with jeans and a black leather jacket this month. It’s long and oversized, so it can be worn as a mini dress in the spring. To comfortably rock a mini-dress look, put some black bike shorts under the blouse. Black boots and some giant sunglasses will make for the coolest warm weather outfit you’ve ever worn.

Purple dress, embroidered blouse, gold necklace, jeans, cream printed blouse, and purse available at Midge Clothing & Goods (402 W Broughton St.).

CONNECT SAVANNAH

ART PATROL AMBER HIGGINS’S “HEART AND SOUL” ARTIST RECEPTION

Meet Toronto-based glass artist and self-taught bead maker Amber Higgins at a special artist reception! The Mansion on Forsyth Park’s Grand Bohemian Gallery will feature the work of Toronto-based glass artist and self-taught bead maker Amber Higgins.

A returning artist to the Grand Bohemian Gallery, Amber Higgins’s one-of-akind jewelry features imported Italian glass and sterling silver fabrications, making these wearable works of art the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. At a special artist reception, guests will enjoy the opportunity to meet Amber Higgins in person and be among the first to see her latest creations in the “Heart and Soul” exhibit. Free 5-7 p.m. kesslercollection.comGrand Bohemian Gallery, The Mansion on Forsyth Park, 700 Drayton St.

HEART & SOUL - WORN BEADIES TRUNK SHOW

Grand Bohemian Gallery, Mansion on Forsyth Park invites you to join us for our annual celebration of Love. Toronto-based glass artist AMBER HIGGINS is back with a fun selection of hearts, earrings, and flowers! Artist Reception Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022 5-7 p.m. FREE 5-7 p.m. Grand Bohemian Gallery, The Mansion on Forsyth Park, 700 Drayton Street.

CHUL-HYUN AHN: BEYOND

‘FROM DUST TO GOLD’

BY DAVID GUMBS

This exhibition represents the first U.S. solo exhibition by Caribbean artist David Gumbs, featuring immersive, interactive digital installations and

To submit an ART PATROL listing, please email us at happenings@connectsavannah.com

drawings. Gumbs is a multi-disciplinary artist from the island of Saint Martin, currently based in Martinique. Inspired

by Caribbean flora, fauna, history, and mythology, Gumbs’ work often is concerned with “the offscreen of perception, the cycle of life, the visible and invisible.” More on telfair.org 10 a.m.-5 p.m.. telfair.org Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St.

STAGES BY DANIEL E. SMITH

Stages by artist Daniel E. Smith is an exhibition of architectural abstracts and abstract paintings inspired by previous works accepted into Telfair Museum’s permanent collection. Through the use of color, shape, and light, the exhibition features work that reflects on the human existence and our role in the global, political, environmental, and social crises spanning the past forty years. Stages by Daniel E. Smith. On view at Kobo Gallery. September 17th December 31st, 2021. ongoing, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.. 912-201-0304. Kobo Gallery, 33 Barnard Street

BRUCE DAVIDSON: FACE TO FACE

Curated from Telfair Museums’ collection of 348 photographs by Bruce Davidson, this retrospective presents an overarching yet intimate look at his expansive career. Davidson’s belief that artists should “pay their dues” when granted the access to photograph someone’s life is evident through his lifetime of work. Organized chronologically and serially, the exhibition traces his lifelong methodology of recording moments of change through his keen eye developed through time and attention and a true desire for understanding. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. telfair.org Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St.

HIGH SCHOOL CONGRESSIONAL

The BFSDoArt will host the annual Congressional Art Competition for high school students in Georgia’s 1st Congressional District. Located in the Armstrong Fine Arts Hall gallery.

Admission: Free Feb. 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m..

912-344-2801. armstrongboxoffice@ georgiasouthern.edu. cah.georgiasouthern.edu/armstrong-box-office/ tickets/. Armstrong Campus, Georgia Southern University, 11935 Abercorn St.

BETH LOGAN’S RECOMMENDATIONS: Tonight, Wednesday, February 2, thirty artists will be featured at the opening reception of FAAA2022@SSU in the Kennedy Fine Arts Center on the Savannah State University campus. Friends of African American Art (FAAA) is a member group of the Telfair Museums, chaired by Savannah’s number one artist advocate, Calvin Woodum. The opening is between 6 and 7 p.m. this evening, with a round table discussion on Tuesday, February 22 from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. If you miss out tonight, the show hangs through Monday, February 28 and the Kennedy Fine Arts Center is open weekdays between 10 and 5 and This Thursday, February 3 between 5 and 7 p.m., there will be a trunk show and artist reception at the Grand Bohemian Gallery at The Mansion on Forsyth Park entitled Heart and Soul. Toronto-based glass artist Amber Higgins crates one-of-a-kind jewelry, perfect for Valentine Day’s giving.

This Friday, February 4 is First Friday in Starland and, as usual, there will be an opening at Sulfur Studios, 2301 Bull Street, between 5 and 9 p.m. The Main Gallery features Wonders! Marvels!

Miracles! a solo exhibit of painting and sculpture by Savannah resident Franco Andres who received an MFA in Studio Arts from Syracuse University and a BFA with a concentration in sculpture from Santa Fe University of Art & Design.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

Telfair Museums’ 2022 PULSE Art + Technology Festival features a solo exhibition by Baltimore-based artist Chul-Hyun Ahn (Korean, b. 1971) whose light boxes made from LEDs, one-way mirrors, and sculptural materials create the suggestion of infinite space, whether the illusion of a railroad track curving into the darkness or geometric abstractions in vibrant color. Ahn’s precise and mesmerizing works also reflect the influence of Zen Buddhism and providing otherworldly experiences that connect to the spiritual as well as the language and history of abstraction. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.telfair.org

2-8

FEB/

17

CULTURE Savannah’s Independent Bookstore since 1975 offering a selection of fiction, nonfiction, regional, and children’s books

WHAT ARE WE READING? PRESENTED AND CURATED WEEKLY BY E. SHAVER, BOOKSELLER VLADIMIR

BY JULIA MAY JONAS “When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me.”

And so we are introduced to our deliciously incisive narrator: a popular English professor whose charismatic husband at the same small liberal arts college is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. The couple have long had a mutual understanding when it comes to their extra-marital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become far less comfortable for them both.

And when our narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir, a celebrated, married young novelist who’s just arrived on campus, their tinder box world comes dangerously close to exploding.

AGENT TO THE STARS

BY JOHN SCALZI

The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity’s first interstellar friendship. There’s just one problem: they’re hideously ugly and smell like rotting fish.

So getting humanity’s trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal.

Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He’s one of Hollywood’s hottest young agents. But although Stein may have just concluded the biggest deal of his career, it’s quite another thing to negotiate for an entire alien race. To earn his percentage this time, he’s going to need all the smarts, skills, and wits he can muster.

VIOLETA CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

BY ISABEL ALLENDE

18

Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family with five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.

326 Bull Street

Behind the Desoto Historic Downtown Savannah 912.234.7257

eshaverbooks.com

Through her father’s prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses everything and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling.

FESTIVAL SATURDAY February 19, 2022

Author’s debut novel set near Savannah

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC OVER 30 AUTHORS

By Beth Stewart

In “The Sweater of My Soul,” a debut novel written by Lisa A. Greenlee, two fearless young women break from convention to live their truths in the face of adversity and against social norms and oppressive realities of the time. The novel takes place in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in a small rural community a stone’s throw from Savannah.

TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. ARE YOU FROM SAVANNAH?

I was born and raised in Circleville, Ohio which is a small town outside of Columbus, but I have relatives in the South and spent a lot of time visiting the South on summer breaks. The story actually takes place in Richmond HIll and outside Savannah. I have always been drawn to southern culture and I absolutely love Savannah. As much as I love the city, I am a bit of a country mouse and I love the slow and easy pace of the South.

HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN WRITING?

I’m a nurse case manager and work in geriatrics, however I always took creative writing, comparative religion and culture diversity classes in college. I’ve always loved writing and I write a lot of poems. I’m working on the second installment of the book and hope to have it published in late Fall of this year, and I would like to do a collection of my poetry. One of the characters in “The Sweater of my Soul” is a writer and I’ve lent some of my poetry to her so it’s scattered throughout the book.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING?

HOW DID THE IDEA FOR THIS NOVEL COME ABOUT?

It kind of touches on breaking boundaries of

Tamara Payne

Margaret Coker

Patricia Lockwood

Will Leitch

Mashama Bailey & John O. Morisano

Michael Ian Black

Mateo Askaripour

Gabriela Garcia

WHAT IS SOMETHING THE READERS CAN LOOK FORWARD TO?

It’s a love story. I very purposefully focus on it being a love story that anyone can read. I specifically chose a beta reader who was a very Christian, conservative woman and I wanted her to read it and her feedback was very important. I didn’t want this to be a gay and lesbian novel, I wanted it to appeal to everyone. I wanted it to be a beautiful love story. When she came back to me and we discussed it, she said she loved it and appreciated how it was written.

THERE IS GOING TO BE A SECOND NOVEL?

The second novel will be a flash forward 20 years into their life and goes back and reminisces on what happened in that 20 years.

I am working on it now and it should go to editing in early Spring with publication in late Fall.

In reflection, my hope is that any reader, once they’ve turned the last page, leaves the book feeling hopeful and good about life and love.

After all, happiness is paramount in life, and love, well, it’s the greatest gift we have for one another. One of the poems in the book has a line “Love knows no boundary of time, nor breadth of space between when it is you I have searched and found again and again.

For updates and to learn more about the author, visit lisagreenlee.com

PLUS, JOIN US FOR OUR HEADLINING AUTHORS ON February 17, 18, & 20!

T I CK ETS

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

I’ve been a contributing author to a text book, but nothing in this genre, it’s my first. When the health climate changed and the pandemic happened, I had been tossing around the idea of writing a novel for a few years so when COVID happened and a lot of my work went telephonically, I started writing it in early 2020 and finished it in January of 2021. It’s 213 pages and was published Oct 31. 2021. I self-published and I built my own publishing company. With that I have enlisted copy editors, cover designers and graphic artists geared toward first-time authors and new authors, helping them with their books and creating their novels.

sexuality and racial divide in the mid-century.

As much as I identify with southern culture and appreciate everything about southern culture, I love learning about history, the good and the bad. You can’t learn all about the good things without knowing and understanding all the bad things that have taken place. I wanted to paint a picture about the other side of life. As much as the sad and heartbreaking events in history took place and existed, there were plenty of good things and good stories and relationships between people that were good and honest. I wanted to tell a little of that side of history and talk about their relationship, the two women, not only was the relationship between a white and black person taboo at the time, it was taboo because it was same sex.

T.J. Newman

19

CULTURE

DEREK LARSON: COMING BACK TO TRUE NORTH

By Beth Logan

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

ART COLUMNIST

20

It took a pandemic for Derek Larson to discover, or more accurately, to rediscover, his passion, his calling, his True North.

Growing up in Maryland, he was always creative.

“My mom is in music, and I played piano and saxophone. I was always artistic and filling up sketch books,” he tells me. “In high school I chose visual arts over music and in 10th grade took my first ceramics class. I fell in love with it. I had a natural gift and was off to the races.”

Larson took a sculpture class in his junior year, a portfolio-building ceramics class at D.C.’s Corcoran School of the Arts and Design and a figurative sculpting class at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria.

But when it came to college, despite acceptances from such prestigious art schools as the Rhode Island School of Design, for whatever reason – he really can’t articulate it – he left art behind.

Following a degree in communications writing from Boston University, Larson began a business career with Arnold Worldwide advertising agency and enjoyed working on Truth, the national teen-focused anti-smoking campaign, but had little interest in promoting products.

Eventually, he listened to his creative side and enrolled in SCAD to take a Masters in Sequential Art. “I had made comics for my college newspaper and loved writing. I liked using modelling clay for the character development part of sequential art, the concept design, the world-building, but even as I worked on my degree I knew it wasn’t what I really wanted to do. I had found my way back to art, but I didn’t go all the way.”

After his Masters, there followed years of managing a small team of advisers who prepared SCAD students for their creative careers; working in restaurants; raising a son; opening a studio in City Market for a while where he painted and dabbled in other art forms. But again, “I knew something was missing…I got to the point where I wasn’t doing anything. I was depressed and not motivated to do much. I didn’t see a path... And then I took a ceramics class with Lisa.”

He is, of course, referring to Lisa Bradley, the owner of Savannah’s

Clay Spot and the subject of my first column for Connect Savannah. As I wrote then, Lisa has an almost magical little space on Barnard Street where students receive great instruction while being empowered to unleash their creativity.

Larson’s first class with Lisa was in February of 2020, right before the pandemic shutdown the studio for a few months.

The Public Kitchen & Bar, where Larson was working at the time, also shut down and, like so many of us, he was given the gift of time…Time to focus on his rediscovered passion. He took clay and tools home from the studio and started creating.

“I did a few things around the house, but after about a week or so, I settled into a routine.

It was beautiful. I’d go on long walks, listen to podcasts, listen to music, chat to friends on speaker, study the Tao and try to cultivate a ‘beginner’s mind.’ It was my therapy. I was in the moment and in the present. Public reopened briefly but then shut down again due to a kitchen fire, so in all, I had the gift of nine months to focus on my art.”

Today, Larson makes cottage houses, contemporary vessels, mushroom gardens, whimsical characters like roosters and rabbits, and container ships, all etched with his signature cartoon-like markings.

After the first firing, he uses a black wash technique on most pieces to achieve a more antique finish. Proficient in glazing, his favorite part of the process is the hand-building, “The wet clay part. Five minutes into to it and I’m immersed. Hours will go by.”

In addition to twice weekly open studio sessions at Savannah’s Clay

Spot, Larson creates his ceramics in the dining room space of his 1890’s rowhouse home on Seiler Ave., firing them in a small outside kiln he inherited through his connections at Savannah’s Clay Spot.

When I visit, the table is covered in a troop of intricate little mushrooms, fired, and waiting to be glazed. (Yes, I Googled the collective noun. A troop!)

We discuss the problem most artists eventually face – do they continue to replicate what they know will sell, or do they follow their own creative path?

Like most, Larson is balancing the two right now. He is down to working just one day a week as a server at Public, “selling the heck out of his whimsical pieces and the mushrooms,” but planning for new and bigger pieces to push his creativity.

“My ego drives me to hang in big galleries and create installations in huge spaces. I’m not interested in making ten times as many mushrooms, but I am interested in making larger pieces that can be ten times the price.”

In addition to working on fine art gallery pieces on a much larger scale, Larson is excited to explore the possibilities of creating collaborative vessels with a local fibers artist.

“We’ll have embroidery, stuffing, and fibers – the hard and the soft. Two contemporary crafts melding.”

He’s also inspired to make larger platters and mushroom caps that will hang on walls, each piece uniquely marked with his signature doodles, scratches, and markings. I admire a piece with multiple tiny square indentations creating by inserting the top of a chopstick.

Having been a career advisor with his alma mater, Larson is perfectly poised to make relationships with galleries in larger markets and with other ceramic artists who can aid him on his artistic journey.

He’s excited to travel more, enjoy ‘make-cations’ and apprenticeships, and to network with other alumni. He plans to write a proposal for the atelier program at SCAD’s campus in Lacoste, France. (Stay tuned – he’s already imagining a magical sculpture garden of fairies, gnomes, mushrooms, and cottage houses.)

Larson seems at peace with his progress and with manifesting new work – even a new and larger kiln – which, he feels, will appear when the time is right. He’s in the flow.

“I’m walking on the path I’m supposed to be walking on. It’s Taoism.” All is well.

Find Larson’s work at ShopSCAD, 340 Bull Street and at Gallery 209, 209 East River Street, or visit DerekLarsonCeramics.com and Instagram.com/dereklarsonceramics

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 GEORGE PORTER JR. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25 SING FOR GREEN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 YONDER MOUNTAIN

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MUSIC

Tickets are now on sale!

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F R I D AY, F E B R U A R Y 1 1 , 8 P M V I C T O R Y N O R T H S A VA N N A H TICKETS: $100 (VIP) | $30

‘FULL-ON ALICE COOPER SHOW’

AT JOHNNY MERCER THEATRE

VIP tickets include early access to the venue and a VIP pre-show party on the patio with drinks and New Orleans-inspired dinner and desserts catered by Thrive Catering and acoustic bluegrass by Swamptooth.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

By Dave Gil de Rubio

22

more information & Tickets: savannahmusicfestival.org Box Office: 912.525.5050

In coming out of the pandemic, Alice Cooper had plenty to grapple between getting over a case of COVID-19 in December 2020, to figuring out what direction he was going to head with his 21st solo album. Fast forward to the present and the 73-year-old former high school track star has recuperated from the coronavirus and is flexing his respiratory system by running two miles a night in 100-degree Arizona heat and waxing rhapsodic about “Detroit Stories,” the aforementioned new album, which features 15 songs thematically tied to his birthplace.

Phoenix may be where Alice Cooper calls home, but The Motor City is where the die was cast for the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. It was the driving inspiration for this latest project.

“We were recording it right when everything was starting,” Cooper

explained. “When my producer Bob Ezrin and I work on projects, they’re usually conceptual projects almost all the time, from “Welcome to My Nightmare” to “Alice Goes to Hell.” We do a lot of conceptual stuff and we didn’t really have one for this album. It developed on its own.

We decided to do a great album of really great hard rock songs. Then we decided we couldn’t do it in Nashville, because that’s not the right atmosphere for a hard rock album. L.A. was not good for that and New York was not good for that. The only place that really worked was Detroit. So we went to Detroit and at that point, the concept started taking place. Once we were there, I said since we were in Detroit, we should start writing the songs there and make them about Detroit. Then I said we should use all Detroit players.”

Cooper and Ezrin took to the task at hand with great relish. The duo tapped fellow Detroiters like Wayne Kramer

production, where an album took four months to do. Everybody was bragging about how much it cost to do their album.

This album was about capturing the live feel and there’s always going to be a little bit of Motown. If you take Wayne Kramer and Johnny Bee, who are walking Detroit— their DNA is just drenched in ‘Detroit,’ and if you put in Mark Farner and a few other great studio players in there, it’s in the DNA, that R&B is. Any other time I would say we shouldn’t hang on that. On this album I said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ The thing is that it is Detroit. Hard rock is Detroit.”

And as the dean of masterful stage presentation and spectacle, Cooper promises fans all the bells and whistles people have come to expect on the current tour.

“It’s the full-on Alice Cooper show,” he said. “I’ve got the best touring band of anybody right now. Hurricane Nita Strauss and Ryan Roxie on guitar. Glen Sobel was voted Best Drummer a couple of years ago. [Nita] was voted Best Guitarist of the Decade. So this band is unbelievable. We do all the hits and on top of it all, it’s probably the most theatrical show we’ve done since ‘Welcome To My Nightmare.’ It’s the full Alice package. Nobody will be disappointed in this show.”

Alice Cooper plays the Johnny Mercer Theatre on Sat., Feb. 5. For more information and tickets, visit savannahcivic.com -Last Word Features

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(MC5), drummer Johnny “Bee” Bedanjek, the Detroit Horns and original Alice Cooper band members Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith. Song choices include an uber-catchy take on Detroit power-pop outfit Outrageous Cherry’s “Our Love Will Change The World” and a gritty version of “East Side Story,” Bob Seger’s debut single with his first band, The Last Heard. All this on top of enlisting Kramer, Bedanjek and Grand Funk Railroad’s Mark Farner to put their stamp on a thumping cover of the MC5’s “Sister Anne.” For Cooper, pulling together songs that represent a broad swath of music was as important in representing Detroit as tapping musicians who hail from that city.

“This is the thing—we wanted to keep it in the realm of Detroit, so we did have to move around a little bit,” Cooper said.

“You can’t leave Motown out of Detroit.

So we wrote a song called ‘$1000 High Heel Shoes’ and I told Bob we should get the Detroit Horns and Sister Sledge and we’ll make this into a Motown song. Then you’ve got a blues song, and I brought Joe Bonamassa in. I wanted to play hard against his guitar because I knew I’d never get that chance again. Then we had a punk song, a hard rock song and a psychedelic kind of street song. I thought if we could capture all of Detroit’s feel, then that’s what we were going to do.”

For Cooper, the camaraderie he achieved on “Detroit Stories” is an extension of what he felt the first time he returned to Detroit after releasing his 1969 debut, “Pretties For You,” for Frank Zappa’s Straight label.

“The very first time we ever played in Detroit, we finally got this gig at the Saugatuck Pop Festival,” he recalled.

“We came in from out of state. We were used to playing with The Doors, Love and bands like that. We come into Detroit and there’s 300,000 kids out there—long hair and the whole thing. We were louder than The Stooges and had more energy than The MC5. We were welcomed because we were a Detroit band. At the end of that show, we met everybody because The Stooges and MC5 were watching our show. This was something that they had never seen. We got along immediately and when they found out the band was from Detroit, that was the capper. We were the long-lost sons. The great thing about the Detroit scene was that everybody was cheering everybody else on. There was no backbiting or fighting. It was all about rock and roll. When I did interviews, I would talk about The Stooges, The MC5 and bands like that. I’d read their interviews and they’d talk about us. We were all promoting each other.”

Not unlike the homecoming feeling he got at that long-ago festival, Cooper feels the same way with what he accomplished on “Detroit Stories.” “‘Detroit’ is in-your-face rock and roll,” he said. “It’s not produced on the level of “Welcome To My Nightmare,” “Billion Dollar Babies” or any of those big albums. That was in the era of the big

23

MONDAY NIGHT CABARET

Valentine's Day CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

AT VICTORY NORTH

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Cocktails @ 6pm Show @ 7-8:30pm

Visit equinoxorchestra.com for tables and tickets!

THE STAGE PAGE

By Frank Ricci

FRI, FEB. 11TH TO SUN, FEB 13TH

CALL TO RESERVE THE BEST SEATS FOR THE BIG GAME

KAMAL SECRET @ THE WORMHOLE

Sometimes known as Kamal the Secret Genius, check out his act and see why. Hilarious observations on pandemic life, people who work for the CDC for free, and why all food should have Sun Chips in them.

SATURDAY FEB 5 | 8 PM

2022

BUY YOUR 2-DAY SUPERFEST CONCERT PASS TODAY!

FRIDAY FEB. 11TH

TON THOMAS CL AX H YT M E H &T WITH OPENING ACT DROPKICK TURBO

FREE DRAG SHOW @ CLUB ONE

From the home of the late, great Lady Chablis, Club One is a Savannah institution and their drag shows are legendary.

Enthusiastic performers, great music, friendly drinks and a free and open atmosphere leads to a great time for anyone with two ears, a heart and a pulse.

THURSDAY, FEB 3 | 11 PM

SATURDAY FEB. 12TH

OYSTER ROAST 2PM BACK N BLACK THE PREMIER AC/DC TRIBUTE BAND IN AMERICA 7PM

WESS “WARM DADDY” ANDERSON QUINTET @ GOOD TIMES JAZZ BAR

By the time Anderson was 14, the altosax Brooklynite was deep in the local jazz scene, partially because of his jazz drummer father. Years later, he toured with the Wynton Marsalis Septet. His solo work highlights New Orleans jazz and Cannonball Adderley blues.

FRI & SAT, FEB 4–5 | 7 PM

SUNDAY FEB 13TH

Taking reservations for parties of 6 or more!

OYSTER ROAST 2PM LIVE MUSIC WITH JASON & ROSS (AND FRIENDS)

COMING SOON SAT, FEB 26TH

Mexico City’s electro-pop princess returns to Savannah with her sultry voice, unique vibe, and big bass and trap sound. During her career, Audiffred has been endorsed

by US and UK EDM big shots Skrillex and Flux Pavilion.

No small feat for a genre will endless competition.

SATURDAY FEB 5 | 9 PM

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2-8

FEB/

CONNECT SAVANNAH MUSIC

SOUNDBOARD WHO IS PLAYING WHERE THIS WEEK WEDNESDAY 2/ 2 LIVE MUSIC

Cohen’s Retreat Midtown Pickers, 6 p.m.

Driftaway Cafe Chuck Courtenay, 6 p.m.

McDonough’s Blues with Eric Culberson, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Ray Tomasino, 7 p.m.

PS Tavern Beer Pong Tournament, 10 p.m.

KARAOKE

Bay Street Blues Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Karaoke Night, 9 p.m.

The Hive Repertory Theatre LLC Adult Night Out - Karaoke!, 8 p.m.

Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

COMEDY

Totally Awesome Bar Savannah Comedy Underground, 9 p.m.

THURSDAY 2/ 3 LIVE MUSIC

Cohen’s Retreat Munchies & Music, 5-9 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES Bar Food Trivia Night, 8 p.m.

McDonough’s Family Feud, 7 p.m.

KARAOKE

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Karaoke Night, 8 p.m.

COMEDY

Totally Awesome Bar Open Mic Comedy, 8:30 p.m.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

TRIVIA & GAMES

TRIVIA & GAMES

El-Rocko Lounge Trivia with Jules and Chris Grimmett, 9-11:30 p.m.

Service Brewing Company Trivia Night with Jess Shaw, 6:30 p.m.

The Wormhole Bingo, 10 p.m.

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Coffee Bluff Marina LAX, 6 p.m.

Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant JodyJazz Trio, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Service Brewing Company Bluegrass By The Pint with Swamptooth, 6 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

DJ

Club 51 Degrees DJ B-Rad, 9 p.m.

Top Deck Sunset Deck Party, 6 p.m.

VICE Lounge + Mojito Bar Latin Night with DL Cesar, first Thursday of every month, 9 p.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Service Brewing Company Service Brewing Run Club, 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY 2/ 4 LIVE MUSIC

Congress St. Social Club Basik Lee 10 p.m.

KARAOKE

COMEDY

VICE Lounge + Mojito Bar Diva Royale Drag Queen Show Savannah, GA - Weekly Drag Queen Shows, 9 p.m.

DJ

Club 51 Degrees DJ Fer, DJ Emalo, DJ Lil G, DJ BRad, 9 p.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Club One Drag Show, 10:30 p.m. & 12:30 a.m.

SATURDAY 2/ 5 LIVE MUSIC

Congress St. Social Club JD Music Group 10 p.m.

Coffee Bluff Marina Gary Strickland, 6 p.m.

Ghost Coast Distillery Live Music with Cory Chambers, 4-6 p.m.

Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant JodyJazz Trio, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Blueberry Hill Pool Tournament, 2 p.m.

KARAOKE

Bar Food Karaoke Night, 10 p.m.

Bay Street Blues Karaoke, 8 p.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke, 10 p.m.

SAT/

5

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Club One Drag Show, 10:30 p.m. & 12:30 a.m.

SUNDAY 2/ 6 LIVE MUSIC

Collins Quarter at Forsyth Ember City, 2 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club Voodoo Soup, 10 p.m.

Myrtle & Rose, Rooftop Garden Plant Riverside Live Jazz Sunday Brunch Featuring the Howard Paul Jazz Trio, 11 a.m.3 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Roy Swindell, 7 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

Tubby’s Tank House (Thunderbolt) Bucky and Barry, 1 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Moon River Brewing Co. Trivia, 6 p.m.

KARAOKE

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

CORY CHAMBERS @GHOST COAST DISTILLERY | 4-6 PM

Savannah music fans will recognize Cory Chambers from veteran bluegrass band, City Hotel. Inspired by John Prine, Amy Winehouse, and all things between, Chambers brings endearing new songs to all music fans

MONDAY 2/ 7 LIVE MUSIC

Nickie’s 1971 Ray Tomasino, 7 p.m.

The Wormhole Open Mic/Jam, 6-10 & 10 p.m.-2 a.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Club One Super Gay Bingo, 5:30 p.m.

Starland Yard Music Bingo, 7-9 p.m.

KARAOKE

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS Fia Rua Irish Pub Family Movie Night, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY 2/ 8 LIVE MUSIC

McDonough’s Open Mic/Jam, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Roy Swindell, 7 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Basil’s Pizza and Deli Trivia, 7 p.m.

Fia Rua Irish Pub Trivia, 7 p.m.

McDonough’s Trivia Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen Trivia Tuesday, 9 p.m.

Savannah Taphouse Trivia, 7 p.m.

Starland Yard Trivia with Chris Grimmett, 6:30 p.m.; Trivia Night With Chris Grimmett, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The Wormhole Trivia, 9:30 p.m.

KARAOKE

Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

COMEDY

Stafford’s Public House Stafford’s Tuesday Comedy Open Mic, 8:30-11:45 p.m.

SOUNDBOARD IS A FREE SERVICE - TO BE INCLUDED, PLEASE SEND YOUR LIVE MUSIC INFORMATION WEEKLY TO SOUNDBOARD@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM. DEADLINE IS NOON MONDAY, TO APPEAR IN WEDNESDAY’S EDITION. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR CUT LISTINGS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS.

THE BAND PAGE

By Frank Ricci

HEYROCCO & H.A.R.D. @ EL ROCKO

Influenced by The Cure, Radiohead, The Strokes, and Built to Spill, Heyrocco (pictured) renovates a classic grunge sound with clean notes of early new wave and modern pop rock sensibilities.

H.A.R.D. comes from a seemingly bottomless supply of excellent Nashville rock bands featuring strong songwriting and superior musicianship. TUESDAY, FEB 8 | 8 PM

Straight outta Saskatchewan, the folk-bluegrass Canucks have been picking at it for 10 years. When two disillusioned members of an alt/ grunge band learned the banjo and mandolin, their plans for a “rockin’ stompin’ bluegrass band” came to fruition.

They lean into satire, but the music is no joke. Different sets each night. WED & THUR, FEB 2 & 3 | 7 PM

Cheech and Chong fans know the reference. Ardent fans know front man Reno Gooch clubbed the thunder broom for Laura Pleasants’ The Discussion last fall. Everyone MUST search YouTube for “Corpsewood Manor.” Space Coke does fuzzy, big riffin’ psych-punk-metal right. Bog Monkey and Damned to Earth give you time to get HAF. SATURDAY, FEB 5 | 8 PM

BIRD DOG JUBILEE @ BARRELHOUSE SOUTH

Do your ears perk up when you hear there might be something a little phishy about a certain band? If so, Bird Dog Jubilee is right up your alley.

The Atlanta quartet mixes up a potent cocktail of rock, psychedelic, and extended jams with an occasional touch of the blues.

SATURDAY, FEB 5 | 9 PM

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

THE DEAD SOUTH @ VICTORY NORTH

SPACE COKE @ EL ROCKO

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JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

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ACROSS 1. West African amulets (and bad word to open a certain game with) 6. Smoke detector noise 10. Frozen waffle brand 14. Backspace over, maybe 15. Pac-12 powerhouse 16. “Moonraker” villain Hugo 17. Entry at the top of some crossword grids, or a good description of the game’s dimensions?

19. Spice Girl who got a 2022 honor from Queen Elizabeth 20. Phobia 21. “Except ...”

23. Chess rating system 24. Make a choice 25. “You don’t have to tell me” 27. “In Living Color” acting family 31. Malfunctions, like a printer 34. “Easy On Me” singer 35. Radiant glow 36. Light bulb unit 39. Advanced H.S. math class 40. Blend thoroughly (and bad word to open with) 41. Highlight at The Met 42. Norway’s largest city 43. “Sorry, can’t” 44. Snarly kitten, maybe 45. “The Gift of the Magi” writer 47. Goat-legged revelers 48. Shows signs of tiredness 50. Complete collection 51. City area, briefly 52. Spirited gathering?

56. 1% alternative 60. It’s protected by a pad 62. Representation of a

synthesizer sound, or the onslaught of game solutions people are posting on social media?

64. “To ___ a Mockingbird” 65. Door word 66. Ending with way or sea 67. Cryptozoological giant 68. “The Lion King” lioness 69. Wood-related isomer derived from coal tar used to make tear gas and dyes (and a *terrible* word to open with) DOWN 1. “Survivor” host Probst 2. “Ugly Betty” actor Michael 3. Morning mugful 4. Operator 5. Coral or Caspian, e.g.

6. In the toaster for too long 7. Earth sci.

8. Contrarily 9. “Yeah, I’m out this round” 10. Dubstep or techno, e.g., for short 11. Eco-friendly bloc also seen when you win the game?

12. Ernest or Julio of winemaking 13. U-shaped bend in a river (and bad word to open with) 18. Baking measures 22. “Pretty sneaky, ___” (Connect Four ad line) 24. Free throw value 26. Iraq neighbor 27. Home of Baylor University 28. “Law & Order” figures, for short 29. Beginner’s karate wear, or clump you may see when letters are in the wrong places?

30. Tenor sax player who worked with Zoot Sims 31. Nervous from caffeine (and bad word to open with) 32. Indy champ Luyendyk 33. “Mad ___: Fury Road” 35. Love, in a telenovela 37. Stadium section 38. Road materials 40. Tavern 44. Mammal in a cave 46. Snaky letter 47. Fortune teller 48. Bad-tasting (a variant spelling ... and worse word to open with because of that) 49. Schwarzenegger, informally 50. Milan’s Teatro alla ___ 53. “2 Minute Drill” channel 54. Bluish color 55. ___ and void 56. Move back and forth 57. Designer Lagerfeld 58. Judith of “Brighton Beach Memoirs” 59. Jerry Garcia collaborator Saunders 61. Peyton’s brother 63. Das ___ (1990s hip-hop group)

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

MARC H 11-12 , 2022

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PHOTOS FROM LOCAL EVENTS

Photos by Bunny Ware

View more photos online at connectsavannah.com/connected

OPERATION KID FORWARD AT THE COLLINS QUARTER Operation Kid Forward held their first fundraiser at The Collins Quarter at Forsyth Park on Thurs., Jan. 27.

Operation Kid Forward is a nonprofit set up for helping underprivileged youth in our community by providing transformative travel and tangible items in hopes to improve daily living and/or expanded social experiences. Acording to the group, their mission is to mentor and provide transformative travel for youths, exposing them to productive pathways for career, social, and personal growth, and provide tangible items for holiday, educational, and social events to ensure that special life experiences are not hindered by financial barriers.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

Will Fritz, Rich Caponi, Tyler Merritt

30

Michelle Allen, Kathleen Rhine, Leah Gumm

CCSO Chief Deputy Gary Taylor, Amanda Tarmargo, Sheriff John Wilcher

Dr. Roy Maynard, Dr. Crystal Maynard, Vernon & Melissa Donovan, Rocco & Nisha Giustino.

David Hart, Michelle Alvarado

AJ Benacquisto, Kyle Brown, Andrew Williams

Dan Merritt, Darian Davis, Tyler Merritt

PHOTOS FROM LOCAL EVENTS

Photos by Bunny Ware

View more photos online at connectsavannah.com/connected

Diana Morrison, Mark Dana

Tammie Mosley, Phoenicia Miracle, Colleen Reynolds

Jamey Espina, Dale Parker, Holden Hayes

Julie Olsen, Bill Cathcart

Roger Moss, Zerik Samples

Robert Grant, Benjamin Simons, Ted J. Kleisner

The Rotary Club of Savannah’s weekly meeting on Mon., Jan. 24 featured inductees into the organization and guest speaker Anne Tennenbaum, who was presented the Key to the City by Savannah Mayor Van Johnson. Over the past 107 years, the club has championed local and regional developments that include completing the road to Tybee Island, improving the Savannah River for commercial traffic, enhancing the Dixie Highway system in southeast Georgia and building bridges over the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers. Most recently, in recognition of its 100th anniversary, the club raised funds and built an all-accessible playground in Forsyth Park. Meetings are held each Monday.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | FEBRUARY 2-8, 2022

ROTARY CLUB OF SAVANNAH AT SAVANNAH CONVENTION CENTER

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