Written by Savannah Rake
Photo by Katherine Rountree
Even thunder and rainy weather couldn’t keep Savannah’s dedicated art community from attending Art March Savannah 1 in midtown Friday evening.
“I don’t know what it is about Savannah. It seems like we always get the hardcore art marchers,” said Emily Scott-Graham, the kids activity coordinator for Art Rise Savannah 2 . “If we all waited for the rain to go away, we’d never get to do anything fun, so they come out anyway.”
Attendees came to the Indie Arts Market prepared with umbrellas in hand.
“We’ve seen rainy art marches, dry art marches, really hot art marches, really cold ones. So it doesn’t really phase me,” said Executive Director of Art Rise Savannah, Clinton Edminster.
A trolley brings marchers around Art March free of charge.
Some marchers enjoyed conversation while sipping coffee and beer at Foxy Loxy Print Gallery & Café, while others shuttled from gallery to gallery on the free trolley. Accompanying the trolley-goers was the old-timey, two-man stringband, the Seaboard Stompers. Meanwhile other marchers settled at The Sentient Bean 4 , a café and gallery just off the south end of Forsyth Park where local artist Lisa Ocampo 5 held a reception for her painting exhibition.
“There’s a lot more galleries showing now, and new galleries that are opening,” said Ocampo, a veteran artist with Art March. Ocampo herself exhibited work at some of the first Art Marches more than two years ago. She and her family attend the event regularly. “It’s just a great addition to Savannah’s art scene,” Ocampo said.
Art on display at the October Art March.
This was the thirtieth successful Art March Savannah, but for Edminster the real cause for celebration was the platform that the Art March creates for midtown businesses to engage with one another.
Lisa Doyle, owner of Gypsy Girl Vintage, agreed with Edminster and even provided a positive spin on the weather.
“When it rains, people come in,” Doyle said. Located in the heart of the Indie Arts Market, Doyle’s shop received many customers. Shoppers filtered in and out, taking their time to look over her carefully curated vintage items. “I get more traffic on Art March night than I do any other day of the year,” Doyle said. “These three hours are incredible, it blows me away.”
As the evening progressed, the rain finally stopped and marchers were able to put away their umbrellas, soaked only in Savannah art culture at its finest.
