City of Savannah Department of Cultural Resources

Join us for an inspiring evening of art, performance, and community at Elevate! ✨

This special event brings together the creative work of our visual and performing arts students and instructors in a vibrant celebration of their talent and work here at the Cultural Arts Center. This year’s theme, Color, explores the powerful role color plays in art, movement, self-expression, and the unique voice of the artist.

When: Friday, May 1 | 5:30–8:30 PM
Where: Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center, 201 Montgomery St.

The evening begins with the visual arts exhibition in our Visual Arts Wing from 5:30–6:30 PM. You are then invited into Ben Tucker Theater for the art awards ceremony at 6:45 PM, followed by the performance showcase at 7:00 PM.

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

We are excited to be unveiling an interpretive sign for the Oglethorpe Lane Building, at 4 PM on Thursday, April 30th!

Located on the lawn of the Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center, this historic structure is the oldest standing building in Elbert Ward. The newly installed sign shares the story of the building and its surrounding area, offering valuable historical context for visitors and pedestrians.

This free event is open to the public. Attendees will hear from the project team about the area's history and the project's development. Light refreshments will be provided.

Visit bit.ly/OLBSign to RSVP by 5pm on Tuesday, April 28th.

Our Art Camp for youth who are blind or have low vision is back this summer!

In this week-long arts camp for rising grades 1st-11th, youth who are blind or have low vision will go on a food-themed art quest through movement, storytelling, ceramics, and tactile art activities specially designed for them. Campers will work in ceramics to explore food-inspired textures and shapes, make functional pieces like mugs and plates, and create tactile art pieces. Students will be grouped by grade range to ensure age-appropriate activities.

Email [email protected] to register your child today!

On Friday, April 11, we celebrated the opening of our latest gallery exhibition, Beyond Sight! Attendees enjoyed an evening of interactive art and conversations with the artists and gallery curators.

Each piece in this fun and unique exhibition invites visitors to touch, smell, taste, and even lay on (!) the artwork. Stop by to experience it for yourself now through May 22.

Artists: Abby Edwards, DeAndré West, Joshua Gary, Lois Harvey, Lucas Benitez, Samantha Mack. Curated by Antonia B. Larkin and Joshua Alexander.

Our gallery is always free and open to the public. Visit savannahga.gov/arts for more information to view our gallery hours.

Join us on April 14th from 6:30-8:30pm for an evening of creativity, storytelling, and cinematic talent from student filmmakers at New Hampstead High School and New Hampstead K8!

This event, organized by New Hampstead teacher and Cultural Arts Center Audio Visual Production Specialist Jaleisa Gilbert, will feature screenings of a variety of films created by these talented students in our Ben Tucker Theater.

Free and open to the public, ticket reservations are required. Visit events.ticketleap.com/tickets/savculture/a-night-of-film-2026 to reserve yours.

Photo by MTD Photography.

Spots are still available in our Foundations of Drawing class! Registration closes tomorrow (4/8) at 12pm.

Fridays, 10:00am-12:00pm - 4/10 - 5/15
This course will introduce you to the drawing fundamentals and technical skills that will enable you to create simple and complex forms through gesture, line, textures, patterns, perspective, value, and shading. Designed for complete beginners and those looking to brush up their skill set, this course will equip you with the knowledge to create finished drawings, and better prepare you for classes in painting.

Register here - https://bit.ly/4mgJF8L

We had an incredible time at Day of Clay last Monday! ☀

From hands-on experiences at the pottery wheel to the excitement of Raku firing demonstrations, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Attendees of all ages explored the art of clay, discovered new techniques, and let their creativity shine.

A big thank you to our amazing student volunteers and dedicated staff (pictured last) whose hard work and enthusiasm made this event such a success.

We’re already looking forward to doing it all again—see you next year for another unforgettable Day of Clay!

This Friday, April 10, our latest exhibition, Beyond Sight, opens in our gallery! Join us for the opening reception from 6-8pm and be the first to experience the show.

Beyond Sight is a multisensory exhibition that reimagines how we engage with art through the intersection of aesthetics, functionality, and accessibility. In its third iteration, selected artists collaborated to create an immersive, tactile, and interactive environment that invites visitors to experience art as active participants rather than passive viewers.

Artists: Abby Edwards, DeAndré West, Joshua Gary, Lois Harvey, Lucas Benitez, Samantha Mack. Curated by Antonia B. Larkin and Joshua Alexander.

This event is free and open to the public, stop by anytime from 6pm to 8pm. Light refreshments will be served.

Spring term visual arts classes start next week, and there are still spots available in select offerings!

Whether you want to learn a new skill or work on a current one, we have offerings in Metals and Jewelry, Painting, Drawing, Youth Art and more to choose from including:

✏Foundations of Drawing
🎨Acrylics Beyond the Basics
🎨Color Theory
💎Jewelry Beyond the Basics
💎Handmade Metal Beads and Accents
🏺Youth Clay
And more!

All ceramics classes are full. Swipe to see classes with open spots and visit https://www.savannahga.gov/1041/Classes-Workshops or click the link in bio to learn more and register today. Registration deadlines begin this week. Please call 912-651-6783 or email [email protected] for registration assistance or questions.

Registration for Summer Arts Camps at the Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center will open at 12pm on Wednesday, April 1st (tomorrow)! ☀🎨

Get ready for a fun summer filled with creativity, art, dance, education, and more. This year will feature three weeks of camp for rising grades 1st-6th and two weeks of camps for rising grades 7th-12th. View the breakdown below and visit our website to learn more about each week.

June 8-12: 7th-12th Grade Visual Arts Camp

June 15-18: 1st-6th Grade Visual & Performing Arts Camps (4 days of camp)

June 22-26: 7th-12th Grade Visual and Performing Arts Camps

July 6th-10th: 1st-6th Grade Visual & Performing Arts Camps

July 13th-17th: 7th-12th Grade Visual and Performing Arts Camps

July 20th-23rd: 1st-6th Grade Visual & Performing Arts Camps (4 days of camp)

Registration will take place on our new registration software, CivicRec. We highly recommend you create an account and add all family members ahead of registration opening. Please visit https://www.savannahga.gov/1045/Art-Camp to learn more and get started today.