When jewelry designer Eddie Borgo told us he was heading to SCAD in Savannah, Georgia, we couldn’t help but ask him to put his own Savannah city guide together. Here are Eddie’s picks for what to check out in town.
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Eddie Borgo's Savannah
I arrived to sunny Savannah and drove to Magnolia Hall, a Victorian residence owned by our hosts the Savannah School of Design. As our host gave us a tour of the beautiful home, we were told that most porch ceilings and doors in Savannah are painted in a soft blue, called Haint, which is meant to symbolize water, preventing evil spirits from entering the home.
Magnolia Hall
Magnolia Hall overlooks Forsyth Park, a public park in the historic district. The fountain located in the park was constructed to resemble the fountains of the Place de la Concorde in Paris. James Ogelthorpe founded of the city of Savannah in 1733 and designed the unique gridlike layout of the city squares and parks to help facilitate growth. We were reminded that in 1864, the city of Savannah had been a Christmas gift to President Abraham Lincoln from Union General William T. Sherman.
Forsyth Park
I spent a lot of time walking around and exploring the city and the many great antique stores, including Alex Raskins, located in the historic Noble Hardee Mansion, built in 1869 and overlooking Monterrey Square.
Alex Raskins
I was fascinated by the Victorian design details. Inside, every inch of the former mansion was covered with unique antiques from various periods and styles. The building itself has never been fully restored and the original detailing in the moldings and ceilings are still visible.
Inside the Noble Hardee Mansion
We eventually made our way over to the waterfront and up to the top of the Bohemia Hotel where we watched the oversized tankers come in and out of the port of Savannah. The Talmadge Memorial Bridge cuts across the Savannah River connecting the city to Hutchinson Island and South Carolina.
On Top of the Bohemia Hotel
We then received a private tour of the impressive SCAD Museum of Art with Aaron Levi Garvey, the assistant curator of Exhibitions of Art. He introduced me to Orly Genger's sculptures and knots. This piece was cast in glass but most of the other work on display was made from actual fishing rope. We also viewed Dustin Yellin's The Tryptich, a 12-ton sculpture made of hand cut collage, glass and acrylic.
Orly Genger at the SCAD Museum of Art
SCAD has restored countless buildings across Savannah and prides itself on preserving the architectural heritage of the city. The SCAD Museum, a National Historic Landmark, was constructed in 1853 and is the oldest surviving antebellum railroad depot in the country. The original walls feature handmade Savannah gray bricks and the building serviced the Central Georgia Railway.
SCAD Museum
On our way back from the museum we stumbled across vintage patrol cars outside the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department. The city is literally filled with relics from the past.
A Relic-Filled City
We made our way back towards campus for a tour of the Harmonie Club, which now houses the SCAD School of Fashion Marketing and Management. It’s located in a circa 1850 gentleman’s club that is a masonry building originally constructed in 1853 for banker and philanthropist Alexander A. Smets. Throughout its life, the building has served as a grand residence, a notable men's club and now as an academic hall for Savannah College of Art and Design. It is currently a multi-media interactive design center and inspirational environment for learning and creativity that allows idea collaboration across multiple remote platforms.
Harmonie Club
That night we made our way to Hangfire, a local bar on Whitaker Street, to see the Urban Pioneers play. The Urban Pioneers are fiddle player Liz Sloan and upright bass player/banjo player Jaren McGovern. At the end of the set, Nashville-born singer/songwriter Rachel Kate Gillon joined Sloan for an encore nightcap.
Hangfire Bar
The following day we visited SCAD's Fahm Hall for one-on-one sessions with the jewelry students. It was really interesting to see the advanced equipment and technology that the students are given as resources. The jewelry students have access to incredible tools through the school's Jewelry and Objects program, including 3D printers, laser welders, extensive casting and plating systems, and individual benches for each student with every tool they could desire.
One-on-Ones with the Students
Before visiting the Fibers school at Pepe Hall, I stopped by Graveface Records & Curiosities, a local recording space and music store. They have an impressive collection of new/used vinyl as well as rare objects and taxidermy for sale.
Graveface Records & Curiosities
The Fibers School at SCAD is one of the most advanced in the world. We were shown how the students print on, dye, create, texturize, develop, and manipulate fabrics. The screen-printing room is especially impressive, covered in silkscreen tests that have been attempted over the years.
Silkscreens at the Fibers School
We were shown examples of the intricate patterns of jacquard weaving made possible by the Dobby Loom, one of the many pieces of equipment used to construct material and fabric at SCAD.
The Dobby Loom
We also explored the jewelry student gallery with the Chair of Jewelry, Jay Song. Jay walked us through the students' final projects, which were all incredibly impressive and thoughtful. One senior student had interned with us last summer. It was great to see her work on display!
Our Former Intern’s Work
We made one last stop at the CLC, The Collaborative Learning Center at SCAD which partners business and brands with the best students from about 50 design disciplines to problem solve and collaborate on unique product launches and design strategies. The program is really impressive and the students are given great creative freedom to explore and experiment with new ideas. The building that houses the program had an extensive art collection, including three massive hanging spider webscuptures made up of antique costume jewelry findings.
SCAD’s Collaborative Learning Center
For our last night in Savannah, we could not resist the offer of a private ghost tour. The favorite local site we visited was the infamous Pirate House established in 1753 (and thought to be the oldest standing building in the state of Georgia). We were given private to view the underground rum cellars used by the pirates to smuggle goods out to their ships docked on the nearby Savannah River. The tunnel is also said to have a more notorious purpose; the captains would wait until an unsuspecting sailor was drunk and flog them over the head. The unconscious sailors would be taken through the tunnel by crew members, later waking up to their new life on a pirate ship.
A Private Ghost Tour
I arrived to sunny Savannah and drove to Magnolia Hall, a Victorian residence owned by our hosts the Savannah School of Design. As our host gave us a tour of the beautiful home, we were told that most porch ceilings and doors in Savannah are painted in a soft blue, called Haint, which is meant to symbolize water, preventing evil spirits from entering the home.
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