ABOUT ARTS SOUTHEAST

Mission: To make Savannah a destination for art and culture in the Southeast by supporting established and emerging artists, engaging a diverse community with creative programming, and developing awareness and appreciation of the arts.

ARTS Southeast is an artist-driven 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Savannah, GA. We support artists through programming that provides space, support and inspiration to emerging and established local, regional and international artists.

Our organization fosters a flourishing artistic community in Savannah, celebrating artists of the Southeast by offering support and opportunities to artists at all stages of their careers. We offer 27 below-market rate studios to emerging and established artists, host two galleries, the international ON::View Artist Residency, the locally-focused Incubator Artist Initiative, and we produce IMPACT Arts + Culture Magazine. 

Each year we curate nine exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists in The Ellis Gallery and Supporter Gallery. Our fully funded ON::View Artist Residency program welcomes artists from around the globe to live and work in Savannah for up to three months, with free accommodations and studio space. Our Incubator Artist Initiative provides year-long access to free studio space, professional guidance, and mentorship, to nurture local emerging talents as well. Our Ossabaw Residency launches in 2026 and brings artists to experience the magic of Georgia’s third-largest barrier island.

In addition to our physical spaces and programs, we shine a spotlight on the rich artistic culture of the Southeast through our semi-annual IMPACT Magazine, available in-print and for free online. Through this publication, we celebrate the talents and creativity of artists and creators across the region.

To further engage with our community, we organize a variety of events, such as Starland First Fridays & Sulfur Street Fairs, public art projects that reimagine public space, like the Drive Thru Art Box, enlightening Artist Talks, and hands-on artist-led workshops. By offering affordable space, opportunities, and free public access to our programming since our inception in 2014, ARTS Southeast is fulfilling its goal of making art accessible to all. 

HISTORY

ARTS Southeast originally began under the name Sulfur Studios and was started in 2014 by three artists who recognized a vacuum in Savannah’s art scene. There was a need for Savannah to have a space for artists to take risks, find their voice and share their vision. What started as a DIY art space has since grown and matured into a vibrant and vital homebase for Savannah’s art community, providing studio space for hundreds of artists and serving as a springboard for countless projects, collaborations and artistic careers. After 7 years of programming, from exhibitions and performance to critique nights, film screenings, public art projects and more, it became clear that in order to sustain this roster of programming, a transition to nonprofit status was in order.

Still headed by working artists, ARTS Southeast exists as a sustainable model to support artists within the community that we helped to establish. This transition, made with the receipt of our 501c3 designation in 2021, allowed us to increase community support, diversify our funding and give the organization a more sustainable future.

business Hours:

 Th - Sun, 12 - 5PM

or by appointment

Contact us:

info@artssoutheast.org

(912) 231-7105

2301 Bull Street Savannah, GA 31401

ARTS SOUTHEAST STAFF

Emily Earl

Executive Director

Emily is a photographer and designer, a Savannah native, and one of the original co-founders of Sulfur Studios. She helped the organization transition to ARTS Southeast, a 501c3 nonprofit in 2021 and became the nonprofit’s inaugural Executive Director. She is also the co-founder and Editor of IMPACT Arts + Culture Magazine. She received her BFA in Photography from SCAD in 2007. Her monograph, Late Night Polaroids, a document of Savannah’s nightlife scene from 2012 - 2020, was published in conjunction with her first museum solo exhibition at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center in 2021.

www.emilyearlphotography.com @emilyearlphoto

JON WITZKY

Program Director

Jon is an artist, educator and independent curator from Columbus, Ohio. He received his BFA in Painting from Ohio State University and an MFA in Painting from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Jon is co-founder and Editor of IMPACT Arts + Culture Magazine. He maintains an active artistic practice and can often be found working in his studio at ARTS Southeast.

www.jcwitzky.com @jon_witzky

SAMANTHA MACK

Programs Assistant & Director of Public Relations

Samantha is an artist originally from Pittsburgh, PA whose work in painting, fiber and light engages with time and mortality in a continual recoding of the cycles of life. She received her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018 and an MFA in Painting from SCAD in 2022.

www.samanthamackart.com. @samanthadmack

GRACE LAWSON

Event Coordinator & Gallery Assistant

Grace is an artist and educator from Houston, TX. Their photographic collages explore the intersection between past and present in the LGBTQ+ community. They received their BFA in Photography/Digital Media from the University of Houston in 2021, and their MFA in Photography from SCAD in 2024.

www.lawsonimages.net @lawsonimagery

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BETH LOGAN

Board President

A native of Northern Ireland, Beth Logan's career was in H.R. recruitment, volunteer services, and marketing for a major hospital system and a nonprofit hospice in Savannah, GA. A still life oil painter, she has over 15 years' experience as a gallery curator, and now writes about art and artists for a local weekly publication.

BUD GREEN

TREASURER

Bud has lived in Savannah since 2017, when he and his wife bought a home on their first visit to the city. Before that, he spent two decades in Chicago building a software company which served the advertising industry. His creative pursuits include photography, vinyl DJing, and creating craft cocktails for the occasional bartending stint. He is also a producer for the annual Dog Days Music Festival, which brings a diverse lineup of bands from across the country — and beyond — for three days of live music in Savannah.

CALLI LAUNDRE

Secretary

Born in South Korea and adopted by a loving family in rural Michigan, Calli discovered her passion for art early on. Encouraged by a high school teacher, she pursued a BA in art from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. After relocating to Savannah to be closer to family, she joined Telfair Museums in 2015, where she managed membership programs and the database for nearly a decade. Calli recently joined Benedictine Military School as Coordinator for Advancement Operations. Alongside this new role, she is eager to continue advocating for Savannah’s vibrant arts community. Outside of her professional pursuits, Calli enjoys hiking, traveling, ballroom dancing, learning French, and occasionally making art.

CARMELA ALIFFI

Board Member

Carmela Aliffi is a visual artist living in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. She has received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from University of Georgia and  Master of Visual Arts in Drawing and Painting from Georgia State University. She has been an Artist in Residence in Cortona, Italy, Ossabaw Island, Georgia, and several cities throughout Argentina.  She was a 2009 recipient of a Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship in Hungary and the Czech Republic. She has been a part of the adjunct faculty of Armstrong Atlantic State University and was Art Department Chair of St. Vincent’s Academy 1990- 2020.

EMILY DOHERTY

Board Member

Originally from Indianapolis, Emily moved to Savannah to attend Savannah College of Art & Design and enjoyed Savannah enough to stay and call Georgia home. Having worked in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors as a marketing professional, she is passionate about community banking as the Director of Marketing at Great Oaks Bank. Emily is a Rotarian and serves on the Metro Savannah Rotary board, volunteers at Emmaus House, and is a member of the Savannah Marketing Group. Emily was extremely instrumental in organizing and raising funds for Friends of Statts, who hosted fundraisers and concerts to help with healthcare costs for beloved local musician and graphic artist Jason Statts.  When Emily isn't working or serving the community, she enjoys time with her husband, Tim, their son, Patrick, and their sweet rescue dog, Flower.

SHELLEY SMITH

Board Member

Shelley Smith, originally from the Mississippi Delta, has lived in Savannah for over 30 years having moved here for graduate school in photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her first business venture was The Athena Gallery, an art gallery that featured works by local artists, professors, and cutting edge art events. She went on to open Venus de Milo, an eclectic wine bar that also featured monthly art shows, wine tastings and event experiences. Shelley has been a metal artist, sculptor, writer, painter, photographer, fire blower, event planner and now, realtor with Berkshire Hathaway, having made Top 10 agents in her first year. 

ryan madson

Board Member

Ryan Madson is a writer, artist, and design educator. His writings about art, environments, and their intersections with futurity have been published in CLOT Magazine, Offscreen, Sound of Life, Strelka Mag, and others.

Kate Stanton Melendez

board member

Kate Stanton Melendez received a BA in Art History and a Museum Studies Certificate, both from Florida State University. Her professional background consists of more than a decade in galleries, museums, & arts non-profits. Most recently, she served as a Gallery Director in Charleston, SC, and is the current host of Savannah’s talk show “Art(s) on the Air”. You can find her volunteering with variety of local groups, or being bossed around by a toddler. She’s fueled by Thai food, travel, and Pilates.

Cindy Gilbert

board member

Cindy grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland but has lived most of her adult life in Savannah and is proud to call it home. She has a BA in psychology from UNC Chapel Hill and a MS in Urban Studies from Georgia State and enjoyed a fulfilling career in social services, working for the state mental health system, Greenbrier Children's Center and Senior Citizens (Savannah), and Central Atlanta Progress, the Georgia Research Alliance and Georgia CASA (Atlanta). She is now the Office Manager for Gilbert & Ezelle Commercial Real Estate. Cindy's interest in the arts is inspired by amazing artist friends and the recognition of how much art can add to our lives and bring people together.

ARTS Southeast is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization