Last Saturday, Savannah’s own Tiffani Taylor debuted her lastest collection of paintings titled “Expressionistic Marsh Landscapes,” at the Irene Sullivan Gallery on Tybee Island. The event showcased some of Taylor’s most recent paintings and showed the magnificent beauty of the marsh and how they are communicated through the artistic prowess of Tiffani Taylor.

Taylor’s paintings capture the essence of coastal landscapes, landmarks and an array of poppy fields in the most beautiful, uniquely ornate and intriguing ways. Many came out in support of Taylor, including South Magazine’s Publisher and Creative Director Michael Brooks and his family.

Last night Cha Bella hosted its first ever Wine Dinner. Cha Bella with Lambert Bridge wines, presented an amazing five course menu of five star dishes accompanied by wines du jour. A cocktail hour preceeded the excitement filled dinner that started with a glass of 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (Dry Creek Valley), a Walker Farms celery and potato puree along with a Duck rillette and potato tuile, followed by 2006 Chardonnay (Sonoma County) with Maine Lobster gnocchi, baby Vidailia, grilled lettuce and an exquisite meyer lemon butter sauce.

The third course presented a 2007 Viognier (Sonoma County) accompanied by a local organic citrus salad with gorgonzola dolce and tangerine balsamic. The fourth course ushered in a 2005 Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County) with North Carolina scallops, pastured pork belly, king trumpet mushrooms and roasted local carrots.

Looking for a few good causes? Well we’ve got the right one for you! South Magazine has always had a knack for giving and this time it’s no different. The Ronald McDonald House Charities are synonymous for their civic involvement and dedication to improving the lives and healthcare of children everywhere. Here in the Coastal Empire they are far from being short of accolades.

By providing locals and visitors with needed assistance, the Ronald McDonald House Charities offer a peace of mind for parents and children alike, who may be fighting rare diseases, receiving treatment in the area or who just need the basic health care aide.

Tonight, one of Savannah’s best furniture showrooms, 24e, is teaming up with the Furniture Design Department at the Savannah College of Art and Design  (SCAD) to celebrate the innovation and creativity of SCAD’s furniture design students.
The student projects on display have been selected by SCAD faculty and judged by a panel of local jurors from the press, city government and furniture industry.  Three students will receive awards in honor of their work.
In addition to showcasing up and coming talent, the event will provide guests with the opportunity to visit 24e’s new Design Center, featuring a huge array of fabrics and enhanced ordering through the showroom.

Get the star treatment while supporting a good cause! The Creative Coast Alliance and the Savannah Film Commission are rolling out the red carpet for the 82nd Academy Awards this Sunday at Meddin Studios. Dress to impress, stroll the red carpet, sip champagne and strike a pose for South magazine’s photographers as you help raise money for the Backus Children’s Hospital.
The evening will begin with a cocktail hour at 7:30pm, complete with movie snacks, and the awards show will be presented on the big screen thanks to Stage Front productions! Bring a children’s DVD and you’ll be entered to win a locally sponsored Oscar Gift bag. There will be an optional Oscar pool for the main categories, as well as prizes for the best dress. Knowing the ladies of Savannah, it will be quite a competition!

Tickets are $76 and all proceeds go to charity. For more information, visit Meddin Studios.

Sponsored by: Image is Everything, Meddin Studios, Savannah Film Commission, South magazine , StageFront and the Creative Coast Alliance

Wow!  What a way to go!  This Tour D’ Epicure was a “foodie’s” dream.  Hopping from one fine dining establishment to the next, being graciously chauffered through the gorgeous tree-lined historic streets of downtown Savannah with no worries about driving or parking, anxiously anticipating the next stop, made for a magical, memorable evening of tasty treats, tantilizing tastings, and tempting art.

Kudos must first be extended to the go-getting gals who co-organized this inaugural tour for the over 120 participants.  Shelley Smith, owner of Eos and Kristin King, co-owner of New Arts Ensembles, are to be loudly applauded for all their tenacity and unselfish effort that went in to putting this all together for such a worthy cause.  According to Kristin,  “We are very excited and hopeful for it to become established as an annual event.”

Judging by the throngs of people waiting to catch a glimpse, and the hour and a half line waiting outside Savannah Technical College where he spoke today, the Hostess City lived up to her name.  The presidents used his first visit to Savannah in office to help promote his new energy/jobs housing program. The program promises to help lower housing costs, work with clean energy and create “tens of thousands” of jobs.

The president was also able to tour the local art facility Meddin Studios. President Obama visited the facility to learn about Meddin Studios’ “pitch to post” solution for digital media and the advanced workflow that puts Meddin Studios on the cutting edge of the industry.   Speaking to the press, the President highlighted his interest in the facility as a regional success story, aided in part by federally backed SBA loans, and the addition of such unique infrastructure, which opens doors to a wide array of creative individuals and companies in the Southeast.

With jam bands rampant throughout the country, I could understand the apprehension towards listening to yet another one. However, The New Deal has an edge. This group of three guys out of Toronto, Canada has a unique distinction. Jamie Shields, Darren Shearer and Dan Kurtz were all front men of their own respective bands until they collectively decided to leave their own groups and create something entirely different, hence their name. None of them had a background in house or electronica, but according to Darren, “We wanted to leave everything behind and focus on playing new music.”

Enjoy a night of sophisticated fun while raising money for a good cause!  On February 27^th, the Rape Crisis Center (RCC) of the Coastal Empire will host their annual live and silent auction at the Savannah International Convention Center.

The Un-Maskarade will raise money to benefit the RCC’s vital services and programs to the community. The organization provides counseling and support for sexual assault victims and their families, self defense classes, prevention and education programs in schools, and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) training. The RCC’s message to everyone is to “unmask the violence…don’t live in silence.”

Don’t miss the latest Creative Seed lecture at Trustees Theater tonight, featuring DJ Stout. This award winning graphic designer has work in the permanent collections of a variety of museums and archives, and is in high demand as a judge and speaker at international design competitions and conferences.
DJ Stout garnered national acclaim for his thirteen years of work as the art director of Texas Monthly magazine, which was nominated for 10 National Magazine Awards and won three times during his tenure. His eye for photography and commitment to using the best photographers in Texas Monthly earned him a spot on American Photo magazine’s list of “100 most important people in photography.”