Sulfur's artist residency artists on display at ON::View Revue, opening Friday

 The Annual Exhibition will be an opportunity to see what the artists are up to now, and how their practices communicate

SULFUR Studios' mission is to create Savannah as a destination for art and culture. I had the pleasure of speaking with Gallery Assistant and Director of Public Relations, Samantha Mack, to get more information on their ON::View residency program and their upcoming Annual Exhibition.

The ON::View Residency program was founded in 2018, and the first Annual Exhibition that celebrated the previous year’s program was held in 2019. Mack says that all kinds of media/art are welcome and are considered as long as they are feasible in the studio’s space.

“A panel of jurors, which includes our Diversity and Inclusivity Committee as well as Executive Director Emily Earl and Exhibitions and Residency Director Jon Witzky, considers applicants based on the articulation their of vision for the project, its feasibility, and any plans they may have to engage with the community through workshops or another programming, as well as on the overall quality of their work and writing,” Mack says about the selection process.

Sulfur Studios selects ten artists for each calendar year; that means that one artist is selected per month starting in February until November. After an artist is chosen, they have to complete a month-long project, with a closing reception coinciding with First Friday. In the last five years, they’ve hosted 40 artists.

The studios open their gallery for visitors to check out the exhibition for the duration of its displays. These visitors include locals who are familiar with the residency program, those who have collaborated in some way, and tourists who are learning about other artists as well as about the gallery space.

Mack hopes that the Annual Exhibition will give people the chance to look back on the wonderful artists in residence from last year. She says that the event will be an opportunity to see what the artists are up to now, and how their practices communicate. Many of the artists have never met each other in person, but they have experienced the residency in their own way and are united through the exhibition. Sulfur Studios can bring artists from around the world to Savannah, and that is something that they are proud of.

Community is at the heart of everything Sulfur Studios does. The word community is the focus of this year’s current programming. As the first exhibition of 2023, On:: View Revue sets the tone for that focus.

“ON::View Revue is an example of just how far the reach of the community can go – how artists from around the world, with an incredible diversity of practices and lived experiences, can come together and resonate with one another. The ON::View Residency also offers opportunities for cultural and intellectual exchange, Savannahians get to welcome and teach the residents about the city, and the residents come here and share their work, practice, and expertise,” Mack says.

This year’s exhibition is special because 2022 was the first year that Sulfur Studios was able to provide lodging for artists from all over the world due to The 5th Dimension Apartment. This apartment is located a few blocks from Sulfur and is open for artists who travel to Savannah to participate in the month-long residency program.

Mack says that in the show, there are many echoes from one work to the next. Artists explore similar ideas from different perspectives or take the same material and treat it in unique ways.

When asked what makes the Annual Exhibition a success, Mack says, “In many ways, the Annual Exhibition is the culmination of a successful year, as it looks back on our fantastic lineup of Artists-in-Residence. It celebrates not only their time in Savannah but also their current explorations.” One thing that a successful exhibition will do is bring justice to each artist’s work individually. The Annual Exhibition will bring together traditional and experimental approaches to making, as well as with a lot of shocking overlap and exchange.