Geeks don’t always hide behind their computers. They also get out and get social.

And Tuesday is jam packed with delicious Savannah geekyness in the form of two fun back-to-back events: (introducing) the Social Media Club at 5:30pm @ SEED Eco-Lounge and Refresh Savannah following at 7pm @ the SEDA Building.

This week marks the official launch of the Savannah chapter of Social Media Club, an international group founded in 2006. “If you get it, share it” is their mantra. It’s all about bringing together the people who make up today’s creative class: content creators, journalists, publishers, communications professionals, artists, teachers, students, developers and others.

The goal of the local Savannah chapter is to support the area’s social media junkies and increase awareness and understanding of social media tools, strategies and best practices. The club’s first event is Tuesday, September 15th at SEED Eco Lounge starting at 5:30 pm.

When you’re finished up with drinks and networking at SEED, head over to Refresh Savannah at the SEDA building on Hutchinson Island to hear fellow Low Country geek Murray Wilson talk about his computer repurposing project. He’ll get started at 7 pm.

It is no secret that Savannah has alot to offer aspiring (and established) artists, art lovers and artistry. Between the area creatives and the students of the Savannah College of Art and Design, we abound with talent (and receptive audiences and aficionados of that talent). Today, I bring you the good word on three exciting art-related newsbites, specifically: studio, social media and show.

STUDIO: Open a Community Artspace Studio

On May 1, 2009, nineonetwo artspace studio opened its doors at 114 East 40th Street. Their purpose? To provide a place for artistic expression that is accessible to all at no cost to participants, utilizing art as a vehicle to break down barriers between our community. To achieve this end, nineonetwo offers art groups, workshops, live performances and open studio time. They also provide Art Psychotherapy by request at a sliding scale from
one of Savannah’s only licensed & certified Art Therapists.

What is open studio? An open studio is a place that is accessible to all-comers, where works of art can be created and viewed collaboratively. nineonetwo exists to foster creative expression and encourage cultural exchange, conversation, artistic experimentation, and freedom of expression in Savannah. It is a place for artists and non-artists alike to come together and create, the only entry requirements being curiosity about new and traditional artistic mediums, and a lack of inhibition about creating in a semi-public space.

I have been hearing about the Coastal Georgia Greenway (CGG) since I moved to Savannah three years ago. Alot of people in this town (and beyond) have been heavily invested in furthering this great recreational endeavor, noteworthy among them is the Savannah Bicycle Campaign. (Many other organizations also support the Greenway, including the Center for a Sustainable Coast, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and the Million Mile Greenway.) The goal is thus: to complete the proposed legacy project of a 161-mile continuous multi-use trail system that links Florida to South Carolina through Georgia’s six coastal counties. When complete, this thruway would include ferries, historic canal corridors, abandoned rail corridors, scenic byways; the National Gullah-Geechee Heritage Corridor and its historic towns.

The idea behind the Greenway is one that parallels the principles of sustainability:

• Economic – to generate recreational tourism as visitors travel by foot, horse or bicycle along the Georgia Coast;
• Social
  - to create recreational opportunities for visitors and residents,
  thus contributing to health, well-being and quality of life;
• Environmental
  - to construct the trail under principles of historic reuse, protection and connection of public greenspace, and education on stewardship and our coastal resources.