Union Mission’s Growing Hope Artisans Cooperation will be hosting their 2nd Annual Growing Hope Gallery Expo next Saturday, September 8th from 9:00am – 3:00pm next to the Starfish Cafe (near East Broad and Gwinnett).

Quoted from their Press Release:

This is a free, public event featuring 24 local and regional artists demonstrating their work as well as offering hands-on arts and craft activities for all ages. These artists will also showcase and sell original art in this indoor/outdoor event. Performances featuring artists in music, dance and spoken word are part of this day of creativity and fun. For more information on this event, contact Teri Schell at 236-7423 ext. 108, growing.hope@gmail.com or visit the Union Mission website. Program Funding has been provided by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

An exciting addition to this years’ event will be the Generations of Change/My Savannah archive booth. Community members are encouraged to draw, write or speak (and be recorded) about their experiences and the changes they’ve seen in Savannah – especially in the areas of East Broad and Gwinnett Streets. This ongoing project will be included in a larger archive to be housed at the future Growing Hope Gallery & Studio on East Gwinnett Street.

With the recent arrival of chain stores downtown, it makes one (and the SMN) think – is Broughton Street morphing from charm to chain? An article in the Savannah Morning News highlights the merging of these two retail types.

When tourists board a trolley in Savannah to drink in the sights, they ask to be taken to the Historic District’s well-known byways: “Take me to Broughton Street, take me to River Street,” they say. When they re-board after a few hours, their shopping bags mark where they’ve been. Some of the bags sport national brand names such as Banana Republic and Marc by Marc Jacobs, but still others bear the logos of local shops such as BleuBelle Boutique and Copper Penny Shooz.

Now Broughton is no stranger to nationwide restaurants and retail shops, we have a Panera, Starbucks, Quizno’s, Subway, Lenny’s (I ‘heart’ the Chicken Philly Salad!) AND a Blimpie located within blocks from each other. Combine those with The Gap, Banana Republic and Marc Jacobs and you have a wide selection of main stream shopping.

If ya do, it’s time to nominate them in the 2nd Annual Ten Best Bosses in the Coastal Empire contest. If you’re feeling bold and want to brag about how much your boss rocks, leave a note in the comments – it’s always refreshing to hear about admirable leadership!

Free this Saturday?

Gennie from Dizzy Girl is hosting a Savannah Blogger/Flickr Members Meetup this Saturday starting with a photo excursion to Bonaventure Cemetery (2:30pm – 5:00pm) and ending with cold drinks at Loco’s on Abercorn (about 6:00pm). Check out her site for more details and registration info!

Winners were announced earlier this month for the 2007 Adobe Design Achievement Awards – among the finalists was Savannah’s own Jarratt Moody.

In the Motion Graphics category the winner was the team of Benjamin Stephan and Lutz Vogel of Augsburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany, and the finalists were Jarratt Moody of Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., and Justin Schrader of Rochester Institute of Technology.

Congrats Jarratt!