Volume 3, No. 5 December 6, 2002
Oglethorpe Row offers exhibition space By Hannah Pittard In addition to the 12 galleries run by Savannah College of Art and Design, students, faculty, alumni and staff have a number of non-SCAD galleries to choose from in the downtown area when searching for exhibition space. Oglethorpe Row Gallery, 406 E. Oglethorpe Ave., presents itself as one of the most obvious alternatives for artists looking to display their work outside SCAD facilities. The fact that the gallery is nonprofit and non-commission makes it an understandable favorite. Commission-free exhibition space does come at a price, however. For $500, Oglethorpe Gallery happily offers solo, group, experimental, video, photography, illustration and installation projects seven four-hour days of display time. Though a sum such as $500, which pays the gallery’s monthly rent, is likely to be followed by a gulp in the throat, especially by most students, it does purchase a fully-staffed, Saturday night reception (the artist needs only to supply food and drink), a staffed exhibition space, and a guarantee that nobody will mess with or alter the work. Oglethorpe Row’s offerings have not gone unnoticed by the community. The space is booked through February, with two slots in March still available. The gallery — which, as of the first of the year, will be open seven days a week, noon to 4 p.m. — is run by a group of approximately 15 volunteers, who are in it for the experience and not, obviously, for the money. "Because of what I’ve learned while volunteering, I can now open a gallery of my own if I want to," said Cathy Oblak, one of Oglethorpe Row Gallery’s managers. Oblak, who is a graduate photography student at SCAD, said the gallery is looking to venture out and broaden its appeal in the upcoming year. "We want versatility. Most of our volunteers are photography majors so we attract mostly photography students, professors and alumni," she said. Oblak said she is hoping that students with a wide range of majors — especially illustration, video and painting — will show up for the volunteer meetings that will be held winter quarter on Thursday nights at 6:30 p.m. at the gallery. "We realize that it often isn’t logical for painting majors to pay for exhibition space since they have Alexander Hall," said Oblak, "but we’re hoping to get more volunteers with that background." Oblak and others are working on securing 501(c)(3) status for Oglethorpe Row. This would render the gallery tax exempt and ultimately lower or even eliminate the $500 exhibition fee. Whether you’re a student looking to exhibit artwork outside your department, an alumni looking to display your risqué installation, or an artist with dreams of one day owning a gallery of your own, an affiliation with Ogle-thorpe Row may be just the ticket. With the holidays approaching, consider asking Santa for a paid week of exhibition space. For more information, contact Oglethorpe Row Gallery at 236-4421.
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