On the night of June 12th, 2009, almost a year after Jason Statts had been innocently shot in the neck and left mostly paralyzed, the community of Savannah is still very much aware of how important it is to come together and support Jason and his wife.  The event, titled "For the Benefit of Statts" was held at Savannah Station (the space was graciously donated by the owner) and thanks to many talented people and generous donations, the evening was a huge success.  

Amy Harvey and her team at Harvey Designs once again out-did themselves and created an incredible atmosphere for the event, which was only enhanced by the ambiance lighting donated by Stage Front Presentation Systems. 

We here at New Arts Ensembles, and in partnership with Igor, provided the PA System and had the pleasure of show managing all of the talented musicians who donated their gifts of music and time.  

 

 

Joe Nelson, The Josh Maul Blues Band, The 8-Tracks, and DJ Emkay (artists Marcus Kenny) kept the party going until late in the evening.

Every year, Connect Savannah conducts a poll to ask the public who, what and where are the best people, events, and places in Savannah.  Ricardo Ochoa, co-owner of New Arts Ensembles was voted "Best Classical Musician" and Roger Moss was voted "Best Local Vocalist" for 2009.  This is the second year celebrating this coveted title for Moss and the third year for Ochoa.  Silver Lining also received the runner-up title for "Best Local Jazz Band," only to be beaten out by the wildly popular Savannah native Ben Tucker.

Contratulations Ricardo, Roger, Maggie, Jackson and Mark!

If you have ever been to a local club or bar in downtown Savannah that features live music, you've probably seen Maggie Evans perform.  She's commonly known as "the girl bassist" (which automatically gets her a lot of attention) but the moment she plugs in her instrument and begins the opening lyrics to a sultry jazz standard (think: "My Funny Valentine") Maggie has her audience in a trance and the "girl bassist" title goes out the window and is replaced with admiration and awe of her musical abilities.  Maggie and her husband Jackson have been part of the New Arts Ensembles community of musicians for over 5 years and their well-known trio, Silver Lining, continues to grow in popularity.

However, what you wouldn't know if you were watching Maggie's performance at a lounge or a wedding reception is that she is an accomplished artist with an incredible understanding of her work: where it has come from and where it is going. 

Maggie Evans was born in Denton, Texas in 1980. She graduated from Utah State University with a BFA in Illustration in 2003 and received an MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2007.  She received Best In Show at the Telfair Arts Fair in 2008 and her work is shown at a number of local and national galleries. 

Upcoming exhibits include:

• August 7 at Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta
• September (entire month) solo exhibit at Estel Gallery in Nashville
• Judith Costello Gallery in Hilton Head

This past weekend, Maggie participated in Savannah's Open Studio Sunday  where local artists open their private studios for visitors can view artist's work space and get to know them on a more personal level. 

The Open Studio ran from 12:00-5:00 on May 17th and featured over 30 artists.  In keeping with a tradition which started a few a years ago, artist Morgan Santander hosted the after party at his home/studio.  Maggie and Jackson were the musical entertainment and captured the attention of every person who walked in the room.  It was the perfect way to end a day that has so much focus on local artists, their visions and inspirations, and their influence on the community of Savannah and beyond.

Silver Lining performs every Friday at the Casmir Lounge at The Mansion on Forsyth from Park from 9:00-Midnight and can be heard at a number of local establishments including Blowin' Smoke, Isaac's, and The Mercury Lounge.  Our Event Calendar is constantly being updated, so check in for infomation on their upcoming shows.

 

 

A number of incredible people who work with us at New Arts Ensembles recently participated in an amazing fundraising event for America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia.  The Jewels & Jeans event raised over twice as much as the previous year, and with the help of some very talented (and generous) contributions, such as Amy Harvey with Harvey Designs , Beachview Tent Rentals, photographer Emily Adams, locals restaurants and caterers (Lady & Sons, Uncle Bubbas Oyster House, Lulus's Chocolate Bar, Mrs. Wilkes, and Chu's Liquor and Wine to name a few) working along side with our creative committee, everyone had a amazing evening!

Sponsorship was provided by Infinity, St. Joseph's Candler, and The Coastal Source- WJCL and Fox News 28.  A live interview took place at the event and here's what Jennifer Beal had to say:

"Dress them up or dress them down, it’s hard to go wrong with jeans and jewels. The Second Harvest Food Bank's annual fundraiser “Jeans and Jewels” was held tonight. The event gives the community a chance to check out the facility on East President Street and how they work towards ending hunger.

Some of the highlights included appetizers from many different restaurants, live music, and a silent auction featuring everything from an autographed copy of Madonna’s "English Roses” to artwork from local and international artists. The money raised will help stock the bank for the summer months.

"There are 21,000 children that qualify for free or subsidized meal programs while they're in school, so when they're not in school the question is where they are getting their nutritious balanced meals. Second Harvest is able to deliver those meals to families and those children,” says Kristin King."

The Second Harvest Food Bank serves about one hundred and 30,000 people each year.
Copyright 2009 The Coastal Source

 

 Gorgeous jewelery was donated for auction...

 ...and everyone had a great time helping with the set-up!  Above: Kimberly Barnhill of Sea Island Bank, committee member and chairperson for the event, and Tony Clarke of The Clarke Group in Atlanta, helped hang the chandeliers designed by Amy Harvey while Ricardo Ochoa worked on lighting design. 

 

New Arts Ensembles provides the programing for the monthly series "Jepson Live" at the Jepson Center for the Arts in downtown Savannah.  Last evening we produced a wonderful show featuring classic Tango music as well as local dancers.  The event was one of the best attended of this series and many of the patrons were bold enough to attemempt a dance or two with the professionals...

Ricardo Ochoa: Violin

Annelise Nelson: Cello

Bruce Spradley: Guitar

Eric Jones: Piano