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It is believed that the supper-club phenomenon started in the 1930s. Like any good fad, the idea has died and resurfaced with the times. Over the last decade, supper clubs have been popular epicurean destinations of the foodie scene.

A supper club is the best way for a chef to break free from the four walls of a restaurant and do something completely different and unexpected. Oftentimes each dinner is held at a different (and sometimes secret) location, allowing for the kitchen to constantly draw inspiration with new environments. The concept has also served as a way for restaurateurs to raise funds for a brick-and-mortar restaurant they hope to open one day.

When the pandemic hit, the supper club fad died once again. Initially, there was no way to host a full room of guests while following coronavirus safety precautions. But out of necessity, restaurateurs, chefs, and kitchens have found a way to adapt to our new normal.

Eden Supper Club was one of the first supper clubs to pop up in Savannah, and it is now the first supper club to evolve with the times. With the inability to host its exciting seasonal dinners, Eden Supper Club introduced the Eden Box − the supper club experience in a to-go version. Your own dinner table can now serve as the hot place to dine.

The creator of Eden, Chef Jared Jackson, explained his supper club’s evolution.

“The Eden Boxes themselves sort of spawned out of necessity. When the world shifted last year due to the pandemic, I noticed the food industry had the unique challenge of finding different ways to provide our services,” Jackson said, adding that this was especially difficult for “an industry based fundamentally on people leaving their homes to enjoy our food,” forcing foodsmiths to get creative.

“This pandemic was and continues to be a big problem for chefs and restaurant owners all around the world. I think I honestly lucked out in a way, having built a strong community of patrons who were still interested in the experience of Eden,” Jackson continues. “I thought that if we could minimize the risk and cater towards how the world was shifting, we could still reach those people and provide them with a unique experience − just in the comfort of their own home.”

The Eden Box is available for two at $75, which gets you enough food to feed a tiny army. I ended up parceling mine out over a couple of meals. The ‘For Four’ option is only $125.

“Typically an Eden Box includes three to four courses for two or four people to enjoy. Usually two starters, a main, and something sweet. I designed it with the thought of it being at least two meals, or one really large one that you might not get up from the table after,” Jackson said. “I've tried to keep the dishes simple at heart but intentional with flavor and seasonality. So our fans might miss the full experience of Eden Supper Club, but the boxes provide a little taste.”

Each box normally includes four different dishes handmade by Chef Jackson himself. And even though you may not get the full experience of dining out with a take-home box, customers still get the full taste of Eden. “My method for creating menus usually stays the same. I think about where people are eating and how they are going to likely experience the food, and move from there. I think of flavors of the seasons, which just pushes the creative train forward,” Chef Jackson told me.

For the box I ordered, the menu included a flavorful cauliflower soup, a bold and spicy broccoli salad, red-pepper lasagna, and classic pound cake to finish.

Because there was so much food, I split it all over the weekend. For my first meal, I ate the first two dishes − the soup and salad. The Loaded Cauliflower Soup is called “loaded” because Chef Jackson created it to be topped with buttery croutons, warm gooey Brie cheese, and umami-filled bacon. The soup itself was a standout. Extremely creamy, almost like it was whipped into mousse, and full-bodied in flavor. To pair with the Loaded Soup, I chose the bold and spicy Burnt Lemon Broccoli Salad.

The second day I heated up the Eden Lasagna, which was my favorite dish of the bunch. Chef Jackson makes every noodle by hand to layer his unique take on lasagna. It was a showstopper because the Eden Lasagna did not taste like the often-heavy and over-sauced dish. Somehow, Eden Box pulled off a hearty fresh mozzarella-jammed pasta that was bright due to its roasted red pepper and heirloom tomato sauce.

If you missed the chance to order this lasagna, don’t get upset, because according to Chef Jackson, “You will probably see a pasta dish on every other menu, just because I love making pasta. I’ve always had an attachment to making pasta. Cooking is craftsmanship just like baking. I feel like making perfect pasta requires another skill set. I’m far from perfect yet, but I work at it often.”

It was hard to save the dessert for last, and I am slightly disappointed I waited so long to try it. The Sour Cream Pound Cake was so delicious I asked Chef Jackson for the recipe. You know a pound cake is perfect if it can stand up to the buttery Southern pound cakes that your grandmother or mother always makes. Chef Jackson’s hit all the markers: a thick sugary crust on the outside with an almost undercooked buttery center inside each slice of cake.

Other Eden Box menus have included items like Honey Roasted Butternut Squash, Meyer Lemon Risotto, Buttermilk Pie, and Pumpkin Pappardelle.

To order a box of your own, says Chef Jackson, “Right now the best place is our social-media @edensupperclub on Instagram and Facebook. Updating the website will allow me to offer them through my platform. Hold tight for that, but still visit the website edensupperclub.com. Join the e-mail list and we will send e-mails with the menu once a week.”

He elaborated, “I have a goal of having one every week available. Making a few updates to my website in order to streamline things in that department. Hopefully by the spring I can do it once a week consistently. For right now, I’m creating a new menu every other week, which will be available for two weeks.”

There are plenty of Savannahians that missed the chance to experience Eden Supper Club for what it can be in person. This year Eden is slowly opening the doors to its well-loved supper-club experience. In early February, Eden joined up with Savoy Society and the Together in Paradise studio to host yet another one-of-a-kind event. Visit Eden’s website or Instagram page to find out the next time Savannah with have a supper club to enjoy.

Eden Supper Club: visit edensupperclub.com for more information. Check out epicuropedia.com to read more by Lindy Moody.

As a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Bradley Collins began a journey of odd jobs that ranged from monotonously moving boxes off an 18-wheeler to picking up bowling pins at the Starland District’s Moodright’s Bar. The pins eventually pointed the way to the idea of having his April 2020 SCAD thesis show, called “Work Order,” in the back room at Moodright’s.

Now 14 pieces by Bradley Collins are on display in his second solo show, “Found a Job,” at another popular Savannah hangout: The Sentient Bean coffee shop near Forsyth Park. All of his “Found a Job” paintings were made during a time when Collins found himself out of work after graduating during a pandemic, excluding two pieces he calls “Lines in Silence,” which “were the start of my journey into the idea of painting,” Collins says.

It could be said that these paintings by Collins are abstract works, but they were all created according to his own regimented system of overlapping intersecting lines and randomly chosen colors that result in boxy patterns and blurry patches inviting the viewer to get lost in wavy wonder. All of the paintings in “Found a Job” are interpretations of the relationship between employer and employee, and examine how creativity can emerge from even the most repetitive tasks.

“My process, it’s more conceptual, it’s different. Like seeing most art for the first time, you can look at it and build your own ideas about it. You can enjoy it just by looking at it and creating your own meaning. You can like it if it’s what you’re into, but then, in my case, you figure out the process that goes into the pieces, and it just gives it more life,” Collins said.

Since actually becoming employed in November, Collins has been balancing creativity in the studio with working in the kitchen at The Fitzroy in downtown Savannah.

“I have a studio I get to be in every day, and I get into the flow space. Then I have to pack up and go to an actual job after months of not working; it’s brought something new to my process. I’m constantly thinking about work in the sense of where I want to be and what I love to do − painting. But I have to do other things to get funding for that. It’s an interesting time to be making work,” says Collins.

His artistic process is driven by chance-based responses of “yes” or “no” from rolling dice or flipping a coin, which removes him from decision-making. He then goes from being “the boss” to becoming “the worker” by fulfilling those tasks implemented by a sequenced set of rules.

“I have a specific set of questions written out before I start a piece. So, for example, if I flip the coin and it lands on tails for the question I’m asking, the task will not be applied. If I have a question, flip, and it lands on tails for the question I’m asking, the task will not be applied. If I have a question, flip, and it lands on heads, I fulfill that labor aspect of it. I treat it like a job. Going through this list and following the directions,” Collins explained.

“I think it’s hard for people to understand because they want you to finish a painting. And as an artist, if you don’t like it, you can just go back in and mess with it or change something or add something. My process doesn’t let that happen. It’s just what it is, and when it’s done, it’s done,” explains Collins.

Casual viewers of Collins’ finished works most likely would never guess that they were painted according to arbitrary twists of fate. The blending lines and colors create soothingly intriguing visuals that play with the eye and beckon for second looks as new forms and subsections make themselves apparent based on each viewer’s interpretation and imagination.

Grab a coffee and let yourself drift into Collins’ paintings on display at The Sentient Bean through March 2, with the artworks available for purchase in varied price ranges through Sulfur Studios (sulfurstudios.org). The artist specifically made his works smaller so that the pieces can remain affordable. The artist’s closing reception is open to the public, happening during 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19.

“This is all the work I did during 2020, after graduating and not having a job anymore, during a pandemic − assigning myself tasks. I was in a sense giving myself a job,” says Collins.

‘Found a Job’ is on view at The Sentient Bean (13 E. Park Ave., Savannah) through March 2. Visit bradleycollinsart.com for more information.

Don’t get stuck in a romantic rut of buying the same flowers and mass-produced candy for your sweetheart every Valentine’s Day − Savannah has many talented creative artisans who offer alternatives to shopping at the big-box stores, providing uniquely charming gifts that will make your loved one happy and help the community’s economy at the same time. Here are eight local businesses proffering irresistible presents that your loved one will be delighted by.

KRISTEN BAIRD JEWELRY

Since graduating with honors from the Savannah College of Art and Design’s jewelry design department, Baird has forged a wide variety of distinctive earrings, bracelets, and other precious personal ornaments. As for a perfect local Valentine’s day gift, nothing says Lowcountry like an elegant pearl necklace − but Baird set out to create something that is anything but your mama’s demure necklace. Inspired by oysters, her freshwater, half-drilled pearls are set with accents of sterling silver with patina to give the classic pearl beauty with a modern twist. There are three versions, allowing collectors to layer the necklaces for a dramatic and romantic effect. Baird’s designs are available at the Grand Bohemian Gallery at the Mansion on Forsyth Park (700 Drayton St., Savannah), or check out kristenbaird.com to view her online store.

SALACIA SALTS

For any significant others in need of a little self-care or simply an at-home spa day, Salacia Salts has your valentine covered. The salt soak is available in their signature gift set. The blend of Atlantic and Epsom sea salts is infused with essences of rose, jasmine, basil, and lemon, sure to calm the mind, sooth aches and pains, and soften the skin. Also included in the pack is a chamomile-and-beeswax body butter, a moisturizing sea-salt and shea-butter scrub, and two bath bombs. It’s completely ready for gifting, packaged in an attractive box tied with their signature blue bow. All Salacia Salts products can be picked up curbside at the company’s two Savannah locations (208 W Hall St. and 148 Abercorn St., Savannah), or visit salaciasalts.com to have products shipped to your home.

SATCHEL

Savannah College of Art and Design graduate Elizabeth Seeger produces custom-made bags and accessories at her store. While we may be too close to Valentine’s Day to consider commissioning a completely made-to-order project, you can still get Satchel’s hand-stitched quality to gift your significant other. The Walker classic men’s wallet makes a quality addition to a gentleman’s wardrobe, offered in black, navy and a fatigue green, as well as unique colors and patterns like marshmallow croco print. The Sherry wristlet, a combination of wallet and purse, has just enough packing room for a night out, offering compartments for cash, cards and a little storage. Stop by the Satchel studio (4 E. Liberty St., Savannah) to see items in production and prepare to be impressed. Visit shopsatchel.com to view the store’s online selection.

ELONWICK CANDLE CO.

In 2015, Elondia Harden experienced health issues from harmful chemicals in her beauty and wellness items, inspiring her to develop a line of products free from toxic chemicals. Her all-natural, hand-poured candles are created with soy wax, lead-free cotton wicks, and clean fragrances free of parabens and carcinogens. Not only do her products offer a healthier alternative to other candles, they reflect Southern grace and culture in every jar, and each nine-ounce candle features a safe burn time of up to 50 hours. Try the Southern Gent candle for the guys, with notes of wood and musk, or the praline-inspired Savannah Shuga that fills the room with delicious aromas of warm vanilla, butter, and sugar. All of ElonWick’s candle collections – including the Breathe Easy and Southern Charm lines – are available through the elonwick.com online showcase.

CHOCOLAT BY ADAM TURONI

Chef Adam Turoni’s chocolates are as exquisite to look at as they are to eat. With his business partner, Alexandra Trujillo de Taylor, they’ve created two stores that are each a decadent chocolate experience. This year, the specific line for Valentine’s Day has a unique spin. The Corazon Chocolate Treasure Box starts with a dark-chocolate edible heart box. Included in the package is a mallet to break the outer candy, exposing a Heart & Passion Fruit Truffle inside, coated with a candy pearly sugar-sprinkle mix. If you feel like being even more sweet, the Grand Corazon has 20 assorted truffles inside. Chocolat By Adam Turoni is found in two locations, The Dining Room (323 W. Broughton St., Savannah) and The Library (236 Bull St., Savannah), or visit chocolatat.com to see the online selection.

GHOST COAST DISTILLERY

Gifts of fine spirits are almost always appreciated by those who imbibe, and if your valentine falls into that category, a bottle from Savannah’s own Ghost Coast Distillery will certainly earn you some heartfelt gratitude. In late January, Ghost Coast was honored by Travel + Leisure as one of the top 25 distilleries in the U.S.A., and anyone who lives in the Savannah area can visit their intoxicatingly charming facility (641 Indian St., Savannah) with an onsite shop and cocktail room to peruse the entire collection. Try their Master Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a smooth bourbon with flavors of warm caramel, dried apricot and walnut, sure to raise the spirits of your beloved. Visit ghostcoastdistillery.com to see the full selection, along with a variety of detailed cocktail recipes sure to enliven any romantic evening in.

MARCHE DE MACARONS

If your sweetheart has a sweet tooth, look no further for that ideal Valentine’s Day gift than Marché de Macarons, a well-known Savannah specialty shop for cake-light French delights. February brings limited-time-only flavors inspired by the celebration of love, like the Violet Cassis featuring two floral-infused confections enveloping black currant jam filling. Other romantic options include the Champagne Macaron, a bubbly-infused version with buttercream and gold sanding sugar, or the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry variety. The macarons at this Savannah spot are all delicate and perfectly prepared, with a crisp exterior giving way to a chewy interior, and they can be encased in charming gift boxes. These delicate treats are made fresh onsite at the company’s downtown store (42 Abercorn St., Savannah), or visit marchedemacarons.com for more information and place an online order.

SMOKE & SPIRITS

Savannah residents Matt and Chrissy Rippetoe have created a wide variety of lovely gift items all made with a nod to their Kentucky roots. After making their own presents out of old bourbon barrels to surprise the groomsmen at their wedding, the couple decided to turn this inspired idea into a cottage industry. The Rippetoes now offer handmade serving trays, charcuterie boards, wall-mounted bottle openers, and other home-décor items all crafted with rustic flair from former whiskey barrels. Their one-of-a-kind jewelry and cuff links have distinctive charm, while their Bourbon Barrel Smoking Chips − cut from reclaimed Maker’s Mark bourbon barrels – add a heady fragrance when used in the grill or smoker, and their customizable “Bottoms Up Coasters” can be emblazoned with words of love. Visit shopsmokeandspirits.com to learn more.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson is urging Savannahians to attend a job fair on Saturday, Feb. 13, for employment opportunities at the Savannah Arena construction site.

At his weekly press conference on Feb. 9, Johnson said that AECOM Hunt will host a job fair at the Savannah Civic Center (301 W. Oglethorpe Ave.) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 13. The fair is open to job-seekers aged 18 and over.

According to Johnson, the Savannah City Council is aiming to increase job options for Savannah residents, and this job fair will provide opportunities for gainful employment.

“The Savannah Arena project has a need for additional workers, and our citizens have the opportunity to be a part of it,” Johnson said. “This is the largest and most significant public infrastructure event in Savannah’s soon-to-be 288-year history.”

Job-fair attendees can explore a career in the construction industry, connect with local unions, discuss training opportunities with WorkSource Coastal, and meet trade representatives in construction industries including the electrical, plumbing, and drywall fields.

Johnson said that after getting involved with the Savannah Arena project, workers will gain new skills that they can utilize in the future. At the job fair, resumes are encouraged but not required, but face masks or face coverings are required for entry.

The cultivation of art is a way to hold a meaningful conversation without even speaking.

For Black History Month, the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation’s Beach Institute and the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System called on students and teachers to create artworks that reflect the importance of Black and Brown lives, influences, and culture in the community throughout history, which are now presented in the new #BLM exhibit.

The #BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement began as a human rights crusade to address violence and systemic racism faced by Black people in America. To contribute to the #BLM exhibit, students and teachers from across the district submitted portraits of their smiling Black and Brown faces and eclectic fashion senses, interracial hands grasping each other to represent unity, collages of contemporary and historical Black and Brown figures, and many additional paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other 3D art pieces.

The Beach Institute hosts exhibitions highlighting numerous topics year-round, but for Black History Month the curators decided to cultivate an exhibit that they have never done before, inspired by the 2020 police-brutality murders of 46-year-old George Floyd on May 25th and the 26-year-old Breonna Taylor on March 13.

“We were planning the exhibit in our main gallery for Black History Month during the height of the protests and unrest surrounding the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor,” said exhibit curator Jenny McCord.

The struggle of schools and students figuring out how to approach education, especially arts education, amid a suddenly virtual world during the pandemic outbreak of 2020 also played a role in the curation of the #BLM exhibit, according to McCord.

“We wanted to give young people and teachers, who have suffered greatly due to our current reality, space to freely express themselves,” said McCord.

A few pieces of the many works that were submitted came from various Garden City Elementary School students and their teacher, Daria Collins, who was enthusiastic to have her students participate in the exhibit. Collins said that she thought taking part in the exhibit created a great connection for teaching diversity through art.

“As an African-American art teacher, it is important to me to teach my students to create art that reflects their reality and to feel proud about it,” said Collins. “I focus on teaching my students that through the creation of art, they have a voice. I love observing what they choose their narratives to be.”

Collins also submitted a painting with its own message.

“I painted a young innocent girl who is listening to the affirmations from a hummingbird, also known as a doctor bird in West Indian cultures. Written throughout the infinity symbol is a conversation where the hummingbird is telling the young girl that she is worthy to be loved, she is strong, she is beautiful and that her life matters,” said Collins. “Through my personal art submission, HUMAN, I wanted to celebrate African-American people by showing my audience that we are just as curious, worthy, and as beautiful as anyone who is not African American.”

Other schools whose students contributed to the exhibit are Otis J. Brock III Elementary School, Sol C. Johnson High School, Windsor Forest Elementary School, the Savannah-Chatham E-Learning Academy, Southwest Elementary School, STEM Academy at Bartlett Middle School, New Hampstead High School, Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School, Charles Ellis K-8, and May Howard Elementary School.

The #BLM exhibit is currently on view at the Beach Institute (502 E. Harris St., Savannah) through April 30, open Tuesday through Saturday from noon-5 p.m. Visit beachinstitute.org/exhibits for more information.

The excitement in Jeremy Davis’s voice is evident as he bursts with information about his upcoming show.

“It’s a whole lot,” he said. “It’s almost too much, to be honest with you.”

But how could one limit enthusiasm when it comes from the prospect of experiencing live music again with friends at one of Savannah’s top venues? Especially when that experience brings about the fun and excitement of multiple holidays ruined by the pandemic.

The Savannah-based Fabulous Equinox Orchestra intends to do just that when they perform their swing-music favorites along with new tunes live on Feb. 11 at Victory North with their “Valentine’s Party Gras Movie-thon and Album Release Show,” providing a now-rare opportunity to celebrate amongst their fans while debuting their eagerly anticipated new album, Bridge.

Led by Davis and his best friend Clay Johnson, this big band is celebrating four special occasions that are close to the members’ hearts: Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, the release of a new film featuring their music, and the debut of their new album, which is the first in a trilogy of albums to be released in 2021.

“People in Savannah know us, and we travel all over the world,” said bandleader Davis − nicknamed “The Kingpin” – who also sings and plays tenor sax. “This is just a chance for us to really reconnect with Savannah, people that we haven’t seen in a long time. And, we want people to feel comfortable, to come out and celebrate with us and just enjoy life.”

The combination of all the liveliness of Mardi Gras and the romance of Valentine’s Day would already make it a big-time party, but then combining that with celebrating the movie premiere and the debut of their album make it all the most “over the top” thing the band has ever done, Davis said.

“One of these alone would have been enough to sell the show, and we have four of them that are all kind of crazy,” Davis said. “You’ve got that fun New Orleans festive music, all the way to wonderful Sinatra love songs.”

They will be playing new music from the album as well, Davis added, with T-shirts and CDs available at the show.

Of course, the pandemic won’t take a pause for this concert, so Davis said that guests will be asked to wear a face mask and practice social distancing while the show is underway.

“It’s one of those things where we’re in the middle of all this, and all we can do is be careful and respectful and gather together in a way that makes sense and just celebrate music and life,” Davis said. “So, that’s what we’re going to do, and we’d love to see all our friends and fans come out and support the show.”

“We have so much to celebrate,” Davis said. “It’s just so much fun. We’re just about as excited as can be.”

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Davis said the venue has taken special precautions to allow for a safe show, and for guests to remain healthy. The venue can hold about 500 people, but for this show and for the safety of their guests, that number will be limited to about 150. Tickets will be sold for separate-table seating to allow for social distancing between different parties.

The venue has also installed a new GPS air-purification system, which cycles air rapidly to keep guests safe, according to Davis.

“We’ve done our best to kind of take away some of the natural hurdles one would face when you’re trying to do any sort of public gathering,” Davis said.

The movie featuring the orchestra’s music is called Courting Mom and Dad. Davis said the film’s director and producer, Anna Zielinski, who went to high school with Davis and Johnson and now lives in Los Angeles, contacted Davis and requested songs to go in her film.

“Over the course of four days, we wrote four songs … and she loved it,” Davis said. “It just happened that we were doing our recording session for all these tunes that we were set to record the next week, so we just added those songs to the session.”

Davis said the opening and closing songs are theirs, as well as a song played during a meet-cute in the movie.

“If it had worked out any other way, there is no way we would have ever pulled it together,” Davis said. “It’s a big deal.” Davis and Johnson − the voice, the trombone, and nicknamed “Mr. Showtime” − are both from Louisiana but have been based in Savannah for 15 years. The orchestra has traveled the world performing their music, and are currently scheduled to go back to Israel, Davis said.

“I am truly blessed I am able to do what I love,” Davis said. The remaining albums in the trilogy are set for release later in the year: the second album, Davis said, will be Victory, to be released in April, and the third, Charade, will be available in summer.

“We have so much to celebrate,” Davis said. “It’s just so much fun. We’re just about as excited as can be.”

The “Valentine’s Party Gras Movie-thon and Album Release Show” begins at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Victory North (2603 Whitaker St., Savannah). Visit equinoxorchestra.com for more information and tickets.

The Chatham County Police Department and Phi Beta Sigma Incorporated’s Tau Beta Sigma Chapter signed a memorandum of understanding on Feb. 9, with the goal of strengthening relationships between law enforcement and the African-American community, according to a CCPD spokesperson.

Several CCPD officers are Phi Beta Sigma members, and they approached CCPD Chief Jeff Hadley about the idea of forming the partnership. Under the agreement, the fraternity chapter and police department will work together on various programs and initiatives designed to build trust and provide a stronger and safer community with initiatives including community forums, “Shop with a Cop” opportunities, and law-enforcement appreciation events.

“This partnership goes hand-in-hand with our community policing philosophy,” Hadley said. “To work with a fraternity that has a number of our officers as members is a privilege, and we look forward to the insight and ideas they will share as we move forward with this collaboration.”

Phi Beta Sigma member Deion Williams says the organization will continue to build upon its motto, “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity,” by continuing initiatives like this.

“This initiative is something that has never been done before, and it’s something that both parties are looking to build upon,” said Williams. “This initiative is a way for us to have those conversations with our police departments and the community. So, we will be able to understand each other a little better and work hand-in-hand to rebuild our community for the better.”

Phi Beta Sigma was founded in 1914 by three African-American men at Howard University, and now boasts thousands of members around the United States, including roughly 70 members in the Chatham County area.

This fall, Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus in Savannah will offer a brand-new music-industry degree, growing Savannah’s music scene and giving fresh opportunities to local students.

Students working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in music industry will have the option of declaring an emphasis area in music technology or the music business. The program will provide students with hands-on experience in 21st-century industry technology including recording-studio applications, live sound reinforcement, and music-industry software, all taught by faculty members with professional experience.

“We could not be more excited about this program,” said Steven A. Harper, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Music. “For many years, the music program has been itching to expand its reach and regional impact. Savannah is perfectly suited for a degree of this type, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have this degree come to fruition.”

Steve Primatic, a music professor at Georgia Southern who teaches percussion, theory, jazz, and music technology, says the new music-industry program – which is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music – will open many doors for students who may not have been previously interested in earning a music degree.

“We wanted to offer a degree program for somebody who wanted to make music their career, but didn’t want to do the traditional route, didn’t want to be a band director, didn’t want to be a choir director, or train to be a classical performer,” Primatic said.

The music-industry program includes courses in music management, live sound, recording studio techniques, digital audio workstations, and music entrepreneurship. These courses prepare students for a variety of jobs ranging from artist manager or event planner to concert promoter or audio engineer.

“We’re trying to get students prepared for the jobs that are there, so that they can do music and have a path to employment,” Primatic said.

“We’re really looking for the students who sit in their room and make music who don’t necessarily play in the band or sing in the choir,” he added.

Primatic says that Savannah is a perfect city to offer the music-industry degree because of its rich music landscape.

“Outside of the greater Atlanta area, there is no other city in Georgia that has the offerings of music and music industry that we have,” he said.

Primatic emphasized that the university wants students to have access to internships and jobs. He says Armstrong students have opportunities in their own backyards, citing connections with the Savannah Music Festival, the Savannah Philharmonic, and the city’s film industry.

Primatic says Savannah’s music scene has grown over time thanks to the addition of venues like Plant Riverside District, Victory North, and other live-music spots around town. He says he expects Georgia Southern’s music-industry students will help the local music community flourish even more.

“There will always be thriving arts in Savannah,” Primatic said.

Visit programs.georgiasouthern.edu/musicindustry for more information or to apply for the program.

Michelle Obama, Woody Guthrie, and André 3000 are the subjects of three new paintings by Panhandle Slim now on view at Savannah’s Drive Thru Art Box. This unexpected space for public art is a perfectly poetic way to frame Panhandle Slim’s free-range paintings.

The installation radiates messages of love, freedom, and political engagement − the ethos of Panhandle Slim’s paintings. In 1943, Guthrie infamously painted “This machine kills fascists” on his guitar as a declaration of his belief in the power of music and patriotism. In 1995, at the Source Awards, André 3000 made the prophetic declaration “The South got something to say.” And, in a 2011 ABC News interview, Michelle Obama recounted advice she gave her daughters for falling in love: “Choose people who will lift you up. Find people who will make you better.”

Panhandle Slim is a cultural icon, former professional skateboarder, social-justice advocate, and a self-proclaimed “soldier in the war on poverty” who lives in Savannah. While he was not available for an interview, Emily Earl with Sulfur Studios – which organized the Drive Thru Art Box display – explained, “Panhandle Slim has been eyeing the box for a while. We’re excited he created these paintings specifically for this installation.”

In a reductive way, you’d call Panhandle Slim a painter. His usual method is pretty straightforward: a colorful portrait and an inspiring political message on a piece of wood or paper. Panhandle Slim prefers his work to be outside, fastened to telephone poles, fences, and trees instead of being exhibited on what he describes as a museum’s “indoor sterile white walls.”

Similarly to the lifework of many of his subjects, Panhandle Slim’s art lives out in the world. His paintings move around, weather, age, and bear the marks of being exposed. This is not only fine with him, maybe, in fact, it is the point. As you walk through Savannah, keep your eyes open for his work – it just seems to appear.

Yet the reach and impact of his art extends far beyond Savannah. Recently, one of Panhandle Slim’s paintings of Hank Aaron was held by Aaron’s grandson at the baseball Hall of Famer’s funeral. Jimmy Carter once sent a handwritten thank-you note for one of his paintings. Even Lucinda Williams projected an image of a Panhandle Slim piece during a recent European tour.

Back in Savannah, The Drive Thru Art Box is presented by Sulfur Studios and Green Truck Pub as a public art exhibition space started in 2012 by Matt Hebermehl, James Zdaniewski, and Mike Williams as a part of the SeeSAW (See Savannah Art Walls) Project. Located in the rear parking lot of the Green Truck Pub (2430 Habersham St., Savannah), The Drive Thru Art Box is a converted drive-thru menu box that now serves up an ever-changing free art display.

Don’t miss this opportunity to check out the three Panhandle Slim paintings currently on view through March 5 at The Drive Thru Art Box, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week – just pull up and pause. Instead of thinking about what you’d like to order, take a moment and recognize what you’re being given.

Visit sulfurstudios.org for more information on the Panhandle Slim Drive Thru Art Box installation. Sulfur Studios is selling the original paintings for $250 each, along with posters of all three images available for $25 or $40.

As a celebration of Black History Month, beginning in early February the Massie Heritage Center will debut a new exhibition to highlight the legacy of Savannah civil-rights leader W.W. Law, in partnership with the city’s Municipal Archives department.

Savannah-born Westley Wallace Law (1923-2002), commonly known as W.W. Law, is considered an icon of the civil-rights movement as a historian, teacher, preservationist, and an inspiring presence in the community during an era of inequality and social injustice.

Among Law’s many accomplishments, the Massie Heritage Center exhibit will highlight the Negro Heritage Trail, an educational walking tour in Savannah that Law curated. Law also led the movement to preserve one of Savannah’s historical treasures, the King-Tisdell Cottage, which at one point was slated for demolition.

The collaboration between the Massie Heritage Center and Savannah’s Municipal Archives will include a visual exhibit shedding light on Law’s legacy, with documents and images capturing the inception and early years of the Negro Heritage Trail. The display will be on view during Feb. 8-March 8 in the Massie Heritage Center’s Heritage Classroom.

To complement this exhibit, recreations of the Negro Heritage Trail tours − “Revisiting W.W. Law’s Negro Heritage Trail” − will be offered every Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. throughout the month of the exhibition. Tours will focus on the National Historic Landmark District, and they will highlight Law’s legacy in the city of Savannah.

“We are here as educators, and Mr. Law was a pioneer of heritage education in Savannah. He fervently believed that in order to empower yourself you have to know about your past, and he believed that you cannot possibly tell the history of Savannah without the Black perspective, so that’s why he put this trail together,” said Massie Heritage Center Curator Steven Smith.

Admission is $10 per person for both the exhibit and tour, with pandemic-safety precautions enforced and face masks required throughout the exhibition. Visit massieschool.com for more details.