Jacquie Brasher
Doing the art thing!

Progressive art can assist people to learn not only about the objective forces at work in the society in which they live, but also about the intensely social character of their interior lives. Ultimately, it can propel people toward social emancipation. Salvador Dali.

In case you missed it, Swainsboro now has two art galleries in town! Gallery RFD opened its doors to a large and an admiring public Saturday, showcasing its first exhibition entitled "The Art of Communication." It joins the ranks of the Kalmanson Gallery as yet another venue for budding and established artists to show their work. In conjunction with the grand opening Saturday, the first ever Art Stroll debuted downtown. Several local businesses stayed open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and many visitors, local and out-of-town, walked the streets of Swainsboro to four different locations that had art on display.

It certainly was a fun night in town. I've never seen so many people out and about, on foot. I don't think I've ever walked that much in Swainsboro in all the years I've been here! It was a beautiful night, too, at about 70 degrees and didn't seem like the middle of January. Art Stroll will be held the second Saturday of each month and promises to be quite an event. Similar to First Friday in nearby bigger cities, Art Stroll is a welcome addition to our small town.

Gallery RFD itself is quite unique. Its directors, Anthony Faris and Bryan Ghiloni, whom some may know as part of the artist group Stillmoreroots, are hoping to "promote better communication with rural communities." The exhibition, they said, "was inspired in part by the gallery's name, RFD or Rural Free Delivery. Rural Free Delivery was a system advocated by the Grange Movement in the 1800's to have the postal service deliver mail directly to rural residents." The exhibition displays artwork from many area residents, especially students, who obviously got a big kick out of sending their works of art through the mail. They were noticeably inspired, creative and, maybe more importantly, seemed to have had a ton of fun.

I hope all of you will visit these galleries and businesses displaying art. It's definitely a family outing and the kids will enjoy it. Gallery RFD is at 106 N. Green Street and The Kalmanson Gallery is at Emanuel Arts Center at the corner of Church and Green streets. Other local places with art on display are Jack's Java Cove and Brantley's Billiards. Come out and support the arts!-- Jacquie Brasher is senior staff writer for The Forest-Blade and may be reached at jacquie@forest-blade.com

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