The SCAD Annual Sidewalk Arts Festival

This past weekend, The Savannah College of Art and Design held its annual Sidewalk Arts Festival in Forsyth Park. It’s an event I enjoy every year (and not just because I get a nifty free T-Shirt for being an alumnus). The event is always extremely well attended, both by students and wanna-be artists, as well as the community in general.
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That’s right guys, Mother’s Day will soon be here. What are you going to get the woman who endured the painstaking stresses of giving birth to you, made sure your nose was snot-free, that boo-boos and ouchies were kissed and cared for, and forced you to eat brussel sprouts and carrots to keep your colon and vision healthy and strong? My Mom has a smart, eclectic style so I can’t just walk into a Hallmark Store and find her the “perfect gift.” Also, with me being the oldest, my ego won’t allow for my gift to not be the most favored out of the three.

Then there is the Mother we all have in common. The life-giving nurturer and sustainer of life, Mother Earth. Since the beginning of time she has given our biosphere the necessities for existence. So, I’ve been searching for gifts that are unique, functional, well designed, and also green, to show my appreciation for my Mom as well as Mother Earth. Here are some cool sites with products that incorporate all of these elements:

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Between around 7:45 and 9:00 last Wednesday night, The Trustees Theater was filled with riotous laughter. The culprit wasn’t a visiting comedian but a Graphic Designer. Actually, Designer/Art Director/Editor/Musician/Novelist is more accurate. Seeing Chip Kidd’s performance that night gave me, to some extent, a sense of reassurance that I’m not crazy for being in this profession, but mostly an acute case of low self esteem.

Working in the somewhat geographic fringes of the design world, it’s easy to tend to idolize my design celebrities; seeing them as super-designers that can do no wrong and somehow transcend the mundane concerns that I deal with on a day to day basis. But one of the strongest impressions that I left with last night was that Mr Kidd was just as much a brilliant problem solver as he was just another designer having to satisfy difficult clients, deadlines and bosses. So it was great to see his more popular work, but any trip to Barnes & Nobles would do that. What really amazed me were the rejected ones.
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As a consumer, I can spot an “organic” or “green” product from a mile away. The packaging is usually plain, some off-beige color - just falling short of being wrapped in a brown paper bag - with a green colored font (or even a leaf, I guess to signify its friendliness to the environment). This is the maker’s way of letting us know the product fits within the parameters of our desire to be considerate of the environment as we purchase our household products. But how did it come about that green had to be so not sexy?
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Where else can you see these 3 Divas in one weekend?

This past weekend the wife and I had the pleasure of seeing Audra McDonald, Anna Moura and Angelique Kidjo at the Savannah Music Festival, all in the space of 24 hours. Each year I’m amazed at the quantity and quality of acts the SMF brings in to town, and giving us the chance to experience, fado style singing, Broadway classics and Afro Pop in one weekend (sometimes in one night) is why it’s one of the reasons I’m glad to call this place home.