Sculpture in Savannah Show

Savvy sculpture

In 1970, Texas sculptor Garland Weeks quit his day job and never looked back.

"I've never regretted that decision," he said. "I quit a perfectly good paying job to pursue the vagaries of the art world."

Today, Weeks is one of the nation's most acclaimed contemporary figurative sculptors, working from his studio in Lubbock, Tex., and delighting collectors with his intricately detailed work.

Weeks will be one of a dozen sculptors participating in the Fourth Annual Sculpture in Savannah Show on May 16 at the Green-Meldrim House. This one-day exhibit, which is sponsored by The Coastal Bank, will showcase more than 100 pieces of three-dimensional art by prominent local, regional and national sculptors. Additional highlights include live music and complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres.

Organized by Savannah sculptor Susie Chisholm, who is perhaps best known as the creator of the bronze statue of Savannah songwriter Johnny Mercer that anchors Ellis Square, the event includes work crafted from bronze, wood and fired clay.

"We try to get a good mix of work each year," she said. "This show is a great way to educate people about sculpture and what the difference is between a trinket you can buy at a gift shop and a real work of art."

Four years ago, Chisholm invited nationally-acclaimed artists and artisans to participate in a sculpture show in Savannah. The response was so positive that the event has since become an annual tradition.

Proceeds from the Sculpture in Savannah Show, which is free and open to the public, help restore the Green-Meldrim House, a National Historic Landmark originally built by cotton merchant Charles Green and which later served as General William Tecumseh Sherman's Civil War residence during the Union occupation of Savannah in 1864.

This year, the Sculpture in Savannah Show features work by returning local artists Susie Chisholm, Mary Adams and Dicky Stone as well as popular national sculptors like Wayne Salge of Johnstown, Colo., Leslie Hutto of Aiken, S.C., and Martin Gates of Micanopy, Fla. Three new artists will join the lineup including Glo Coalson of Dallas, Tex., Jack Hill of Beverly Hills, Fla., and Matt Lewis of Acworth, Ga.

For Garland Weeks, a longtime member of the National Sculpture Society, the Sculpture in Savannah Show serves as an annual highlight.

"I'm looking forward to returning to Savannah," Weeks said. "The quality of the work at this particular show is top-notch."

IF YOU GO
What: Fourth Annual Sculpture in Savannah Show
When: 5-8 p.m. May 16
Where: Green-Meldrim House, 1 W. Macon St.
Cost: Free
Information: 912-441-6261