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 26 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 Art + 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.
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 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
Our flagship project is Sulfur Studios, which acts as the homebase for the majority of our programming. Sulfur Studios 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 8 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 trandition to nonprofit status was in order. To honor the first 8 years of operation, our homebase retains the name Sulfur Studios, and the nonprofit that emerged with 501c3 status is ARTS Southeast Inc.
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:
Thursday - Sunday, 12 to 5PM
or by appointment
Contact us:
info@artssoutheast.org
(912) 231-7105
2301 Bull Street Savannah, GA 31401
arts southeast staff
Executive Director
Emily is a fine art photographer, a Savannah native and one of the original co-founders of Sulfur Studios. She is also the co-founder and Editor of IMPACT Arts + Culture Magazine. She received her BFA in Photography from SCAD in 2007. In 2020, she published a monograph of her Late Night Polaroids series, a document of Savannah’s nightlife scene from 2012 - 2020, which was released in conjunction with her first museum solo exhibition at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center.
www.emilyearlphotography.com @emilyearlphoto
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. Jon Witzky maintains an active artistic practice and can often be found working in his studio at Sulfur.
www.jcwitzky.com @jon_witzky
Alexis Javier
Gallery Staff
After receiving his BFA in Fashion from the Savannah College of Art & Design in 2006, AJE has immersed himself in the Savannah community. As a Co-Founder of Sulfur Studios, AJE has been active in the arts community advocating for collaboration and inclusiveness using a variety of creative outlets including murals, music, performance, installation art, and civic engagement.
@alexisjavierexperiments
Samantha Mack
Exhibitions 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
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.
Treasurer
Jennifer is a fiber artist, educator and independent curator. She is one of the original founders of Sulfur Studios, and served as the Exhibition Director from 2015 to 2020. Prior to moving to Savannah in 2011, she was a member and co-curator of Exquisite Corpse gallery in Kalamazoo, MI. In addition to her studio practice, Jennifer teaches university level courses in weaving and fiber structures.
Cindy Gilbert
Secretary
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 B.A. in psychology from UNC Chapel Hill and a M.S. 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 in Savannah, and Central Atlanta Progress, the Georgia Research Alliance and Georgia CASA in 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. She is delighted to be working with ARTS Southeast to help fulfill the mission of supporting artists, and promoting awareness and appreciation of the arts in the Greater Savannah community!
Calvin Parker
Board Member
Calvin Parker, born to an awesome military family, traveled the world at an early age and fell in love with music, portraiture and architecture. He founded Calvin Wayne Photography to create with musicians and artists to capture their visions and create his own. Calvin has also worked to preserve homes in the Savannah community. Working with many museum homes, private homes and churches, he now oversees the Old Sorrel Weed House on Madison Square. Calvin is the Vice Chair of Friends of African American Art at Telfair Museums, and sits on the board of Hello Neighbor and the Sorrel Preservation Foundation.
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.
Jamie Coffey
Board Member
Jamie Coffey is delighted to bring her collective experience in the performing arts and nonprofit administration to the board of ARTS Southeast. Over the past 15 years, Jamie has built her career working with incredible organizations and institutions such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Barnard College/Columbia University, Ringling College of Art and Design, Field Arts and Events Hall, and the Savannah Philharmonic.
Her passion lies in fostering a strong sense of community and creating access to the arts for all. Jamie holds a master’s degree in Performance Studies from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and a B.A. in English from Rollins College. She is also a certified yoga instructor and enjoys hosting and attending retreats across the globe. She and her partner Jay own Sweetwater Charters of Savannah in Thunderbolt, where they live with their Jack Russell puppy named Ginger.
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.
Calli Laundre
Board Member
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.
ARTS Southeast is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
