THE ART SCENE: Savannah artists, makers bet on The Stables

When Sarah Sandin and Ryan Lawrence relocated to Savannah from Los Angeles in 2016, they came with intention. A quick visit to Savannah a few months prior revealed a vision of artists and makers that the couple wanted to expand upon.

“Savannah did what it does,” said Lawrence. “It lured us in. It showed up the opportunities here.”

Within two years, the couple had rehabbed their house three doors down from my own in the Starland District, while simultaneously converting an old trolley warehouse on the West side. The Stables, as they called it, quickly became a mecca of creativity catering to the underserved Savannah artists.

The name nods to Sandin’s Western roots and play-on-words. “A stable of artists, a stable of horses, a stable of misfits,” she mused. This sanctuary, and the two artists who created it, have proven a vital part of the landscape in our community.

The Stables officially opened its doors in April 2018 and, until recently, hosted gallery openings, fashion shows, album releases and artist workshops within the 5,000-square-foot building. The space was built out to accommodate numerous art studios and houses woodworkers, painters, sculptures, glass blowers, ceramicists and photographers – including use of a full dark room.

While the artists and artist workspaces remain today, Sandin made the decision recently to close their gallery space indefinitely to make room for more studios.

“The uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis has forced me to, unfortunately and heartbreakingly, adapt to what is and what’s to come,” she wrote in the announcement on Instagram.

But Sandin is also looking to the future, which, luckily for them, is literally right outside the door.

Swap to small local businesses

The 7,000-square-foot parking lot and green space that surrounds The Stables’ building has seen its fair share of crowds. From bonfires to concerts and drive-in movies, the masses have gathered to celebrate all forms of art.

And the sprawling parcel also allows for the upcoming socially distanced Savannah SWAP, a new shopping experience from the mind of local entrepreneur Josh McCray.

When promoting the event, McCray encouraged the masses to “stop shopping at the mall” and instead pull up to participating artists and merchants to support small local businesses.

The more than 25 vendors include McCray’s own business, Off the Wave, Simply Potted Savannah, Pashley Pottery, Mood by DiCo, DingBatssFont and Black Lotus Botanicals, along with a crew of locals artists including Sandin and Lawrence, Stephanie Foy and Nathan Finely, to name a few. Sandin will also sell local honey – which she cultivates in collaboration with Wild Light Honey – and, of course, The Stables swag.

Savannah SWAP will be from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Stables, 7 Rathborne Drive. Masks are strongly encouraged and vendors will be spaced appropriately.

Meet monthly with artists

For McCray, the event is a nod to growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida.

“I’ve been living here over 10 years, but I’ve always stuck to my home roots,” said McCray. “I remember going to swap meets with my mom and grandma in the ’90s. You could find everything there.”

It was that diversity of items and talents that kept him coming back. McCray’s own business deals in hard-to-find vintage street wear, other vendors make handcrafted art and organic products. The common denominator, he said, is that most of vendors aren’t located at a storefront. This gives them a chance to be in front of the masses and go beyond their online store.

The SWAP aligned perfectly with what Sandin and Lawrence set out to create in the early days of the Stables. It’s always been self-run, self-funded and self-built.

“It’s creation, that’s what we promote, whatever that creation may be,” said Sandin.

Even still, she wishes that the voice of local artists would be better seen and heard by its community. And McCray agreed. He’s hoping to continue the event monthly to increase visibility of local merchants. Sandin said the Stables is the perfect place to do so.

“As we all know a lot of artists move away after graduating or after living here for a few years to seek out more opportunity,” said Sandin. “But I think that the opportunity exists in Savannah. The Stables wants to be a place to showcase all veins of art in order to connect people with the right opportunities; to be a place for people to come to in order to hire an artist for a specific job. We can all support each other and act as a community. The talent is here, the job market is here, and the opportunities are here.

“Let’s focus on what we have right in front of us,” she said. “It’s what draws so many of us to this magical place. It’s the epitome of DIY, and that’s the Savannah vibe.”

Molly Hayden is a local writer, photographer and problem-solver. This is her column about art. She can be reached at molly.a.hayden@gmail.com.