The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.
Turtle Eller
Not at all. Being raised in central Georgia as an artist is not ideal because many tell you that you’re not going to make it anywhere in life. I don’t sell much work at home due to the ‘provocative’ and ‘mature’ nature of my style. I then got an offer to SCAD and the journey at school alone with financial struggles has been stressful, but nonetheless I am here and improving my skills as an artist and overall a human being. Read more>>
Hitman Benny
But when you’re alone in a new city with a criminal record, starting over isn’t as simple as packing a bag. Opportunities are hard to come by. I slipped back into the streets to survive—selling drugs just to keep a roof over my head and eat. But for the first time in a long time, I had a roof again. I had a place to call home. And that gave me space to think, and to finally reconnect with who I used to be. I would pick up gigs as a freelance graphic designer, and also did some branding and marketing work for a few small local businesses Read more>>
James(Big Spade) Middleton
Honestly it was just a thought in the middle of the night. My brother and I were talking on how to reinvent myself. He came up with the idea that I should do comedy. I wrote a 5 min set, rehearsed it, and went up on the next open mic which was help at Eclipse downtown Savannah. Things from there picked up quickly and I been consistently working since. Big Spade has traveled to Pittsburgh, Augusta, Columbia, Atlanta, and more. Follow Big Spade @therealbigspade & @play2winthepodcast Read more>>
Dame Darcy
Our 50 Episode TV series Turn of the Century directed by Lisa Hammer , blends koo koo with surrealism, animation and storytelling in a variety show with puppets and animation all with a unique silent film aesthetic. Read more>>
James Zamora
Early on, I posted a painting every day and sold them directly online, which taught me how to connect with collectors and keep momentum going. That daily discipline gave me a foundation for running my art business and growing a loyal audience. Over the years, I’ve exhibited with galleries across the U.S. and internationally, and I’m currently based in Savannah, teaching at SCAD and painting full-time on the side. Read more>>
Shamim Shoomali
I am Shamim, and I identify as a media artist and design researcher. My whole life, I’ve been looking for ways to tell stories. I began my professional journey studying visual communication to better understand the underlying structures of visual culture. I then pursued higher education in animation directing to learn how to bring my stories to life. Later, I decided to enter a PhD program to delve deeper into exploring what happens when story, design, and technology intersect. Read more>>
Jenna Winfield
I fell in love with wedding planning when I planned my own wedding here in Savannah, GA in the Fall of 2023. I loved every part of planning Caleb, my Husband, and I’s wedding, from booking the venue and vendors to the small details like personalized napkins and finding ways to our incorporate our pets, it was all so much fun. Putting together a vision and then watching it come to life is unlike any other experience. Especially when it involves love stories and couples making a commitment to spending the rest of their lives together. Read more>>
Donovan Washington
At the time, I was an entry-level photographer with only a handful of paid shoots under my belt. Moving to a new city felt intimidating, but I embraced the challenge. Throughout my time in college, I sought mentorship, practiced relentlessly, and welcomed every opportunity to improve my craft. I became the team photographer/videographer for SSU’s football team, turned my dorm room into a studio, and collaborated with fellow students as models. I also joined LA Nation, a prestigious modeling troupe, where I refined my skills in event and low-light photography. Read more>>
Chelsea
My son then was around 2 years old and I was then pregnant with my daughter and at that time I knew it was time to pivot and I decided to booth rent. I booth rented for about a year and at the end of the day I just had such a vision for how I felt a salon should be ran. It was December 2024 the opportunity presented itself for us to buy a commercial property. We ended up closing April 22,2025 and my husband and I now own Mane Focus Hair Salon. Our salon offers Booth rent opportunities as well as commission. We also have an education space that allows us to help shape our stylist to always keep up with the latest trends! Read more>>
Taylor Reese
I started as a student athlete in middle Georgia. Basketball was my means of escaping everything that weighed on me in my childhood, and I worked so hard at it that I earned a full ride scholarship to play in another state starting in 2015. It was challenging for me to be away from home, and the game that I loved wasn’t so much fun anymore. I wound up hurting my knee and I hung up my jersey soon after. I completed my degree in 2019, but I felt defeated and betrayed by my own body for the first time. Any committed athlete will tell you that, once the ball stops bouncing, it feels like starting from the very beginning of life. So, I dedicated myself to physical fitness to improve my physical condition and my mental well-being. Read more>>
Kaylie Foskey Roman Roberts
Our story began with two friends, Kaylie Foskey and Roman Roberts, who came together through shared passion, timing, and a love for creativity and community. Roman is originally from Michigan and moved to Savannah in 2023 after completing his degree from the University of Alabama. Kaylie was raised as an Air Force brat and considers California home. She discovered a love for jewelry making through her mother, who taught her to appreciate the joy of crafting something meaningful. In 2023, Kaylie also moved to the Savannah area. With her husband’s family rooted in Georgia, it felt like a natural and easy decision. Read more>>
Lindsay Gilchrist
It’s definitely a cliche but there is something to be said about being a starving artist. I’m a single mother and going to school and working on my courses, at the same time to be attentive to my daughters takes a lot of energy. I always find time to balance my work and family and still try to be creative. Read more>>
Martin Tsai
Though I don’t have much resources or ideas of what I’m doing. Somehow I still managed to consistently capturing ships on River st. After just few days of photographing ships, around dinner time just as I was about to capture another ship. A gentleman came up to me. He said “what do you do with all these photos? It would be great if you post them on social media and share with people.” I went back to my dorm and mentioned this to my roommate who had plenty of experience on running social media accounts. That was the night I created @Sav_ships_photography on Instagram for my photos. Read more>>
Jordan Frazier
In an era where most people chase trends, I try to carve my own lane—one sketch, one design, one limited drop at a time. I never had a blueprint, just visions, sketchbooks, and a need to create. I got my start early, drawing on anything I could get my hands on. Furthermore, growing up with a mother who loved fashion helped shape that side of me, as well. She unknowingly planted entrepreneurship in my veins at a young age, inspiring my love for making clothes and creating printouts of my drawings as wall art. Read more>>
Anna Keck
At that time, I was weaving my paintings and spent the year developing a body of work. After my residency ended, I returned to Charleston, SC, where I grew up and had my first solo exhibition at The City Gallery in the Dock Street Theater (also in Charleston), showcasing this new work. I stayed in Charleston for many years and worked at a high-end framing shop, Haven’s Picture Framing, designing and assembling framed artwork. Read more>>
Brandon Jones
From the beginning, Jones has been committed to establishing Watersedge as a fixture in the Bulloch County business community and a trusted resource for clients seeking a bespoke, personal approach to design. With a broad range of services—from new construction and remodels to space planning and interiors—the company specializes in creating designs that are both functional and deeply personal. “Our goal is to create homes and spaces that tell our client’s story,” Jones explains. Read more>>
Jamie Weaver
In 2024, I finally hired a full-time office manager (aka my organizational fairy godmother), and let me tell you, that was life-changing. I now get to be choosy with my shoots, taking on the ones that light me up—mostly dreamy tourist sessions, family portraits, and surprise proposals that make me cry like I’m watching a rom-com on a plane. Read more>>
Julie Jade S Noens
My early artistic years eventually led me to study Illustration and Visual Media at UAL in London, with a dream to work in children’s editorial illustration. Living there was eye-opening, and I was immersed in art, culture, and creativity. Like many others, the pandemic led me to pivot trajectories, and I moved back to China in 2020. I took a gap year to reassess how I could use my skills to communicate with more impact, and I began to see design as a language that could bridge understanding and build connections. Read more>>
Yung Beria
I first started doing famous artists hit songs cover back then I would go on stage and perform them like it’s my music so a friend of my told me do I know I can write my own lyrics and do my own songs instead of doing hit artists music cover. I listen to him and started writing my own lyrics after I would memorize them and go to the studio my first recording actually came out good so started focusing more on writing my own songs . At first it’s was hard because no one believed in me at the time people didn’t take me seriously till I started putting in more work I had to convince them I’m a true musical artist I had to deal with doubts, nonbelievers, hate and all that but I didn’t give up I had to work harder to get people to believe I can do it Read more>>
Shannon Langas
Art was not an expected path for my life. I come from a family of engineers, scientists, and military servicemembers. I was one of a very small number of my high school friends who attended a college out of state, as specialized fine arts education in Texas is fairly limited. I feel incredibly privileged to have had the means to pursue my career in the way that I have, and increasing accessibility in the arts remains a driving force of my work. Read more>>
Allyson Porter
While attending Georgia College and State University, I started a small side business baking cakes and cookies. It quickly grew into something much larger than I ever expected — especially for a full-time college student. By the time I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology, I was regularly traveling back and forth from Milledgeville to fulfill custom orders for weddings, birthdays, baby showers, and countless other celebrations. Read more>>
Nancey B. Price
As I grew older, my child-like creativity was replaced with a drive to achieve a career that was more socially-acceptable. And throughout my teen years and early adulthood, I did the things I thought I was supposed to do to achieve a achieve a career I thought I was supposed to have. All the while, my creativity lay dormant, patiently waiting for me to remember the ways of my youth. That re-memory came after I graduated college and decided to step away from the dream I thought I wanted to live, which created space for the dream I’m currently living. Read more>>
