Monday, April 30, 2007

SIDEWALK ARTS IN SAVANNAH

The Missus and I spent a thoroughly pleasant weekend in Savannah with our friends Gary and JoAnn, visiting the Mistress of Sarcasm. We had selected this past weekend in particular as it coincided with the annual Savannah College of Art and Design Sidewalk Arts Festival.

It had been four years since SWMBO and I had last attended the Festival, and it was time to recharge our Creative Artsy-Fartsy Batteries. Besides, the Mistress was getting ready to sign a lease on some new digs adjacent to Forsyth Park, so we could kill several birds with one cliché-raddled stone: see the Festival and see the new apartment without having to burn up a lot of shoe leather.

The Mistress of Sarcasm at the Park
Oh boy! Now I get to schlep boxes and furniture!

We arrived at the park Saturday morning around 11:00, after having witnessed the ceremonial Signing of the Lease. Things were just getting underway, so we took a quick stroll around and then headed out to run an assortment of errands, one of which was to help the Mistress look for a new car. Her 1995 Saturn was beginning to show signs of Impending Doom, and she did not want to lay out money for the ever-increasing repair bills that were beginning to loom over the short-term horizon. Ain’t nuthin’ scarier than Old-Car Roulette.

Mistress New Car
The Mistress and her latest acquisition.

Remember buying a new car for the first time? It can be a nerve-wracking business...but Gary and I were there to show her the Official Ploybook. There are certain Sales Tactics that are as predictable as sunrise, and it was amusing to watch the salesman and his manager go through the script line for line, almost as if it had been written out for them. We did not buy a car that day, but with the end of the month fast approaching, we left everything in the Mistress’s capable hands. [Sure enough, she ended up buying the car she wanted at very close to the price she wanted, after a couple of days of bargaining.]

Back at the park, the sidewalks had filled in nicely with Impromptu Works of Art. Here’s a sampling...

Hindenburg
Oh, the humanity!

Taiwan
This one took first place in the Student Individual category.

One of the minor highlights of the afternoon was a performance by a group that calls themselves Albania Mania. Their website looks like it was designed by Borat, and their music is reminiscent of Leningrad’s stuff from the late 1990’s - or the soundtrack of the movie Everything Is Illuminated. The kind of music a bunch of drunken Russians would make: right up my alley.

After we took in as much Forsyth Fun as we could stand, we repaired to the Sentient Bean, a pleasant little coffee shop on the south edge of the park, to refresh our spirits with Caffeinated Beverages. A willowy blonde provided a brief moment of entertainment by walking in wearing a pair of spandex camouflage pants so tight, you could see that she had had herself waxed. Exactly three days, eight hours, and 17 minutes ago. Plus, she had a dime in her pocket with a 1997 date...and a Denver mintmark. We dubbed her “Miss Camo-Toe,” and to my everlasting regret, I took no photos of her.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, even if we were unable to hook up with the Monkey Man, who was in town visiting his semi-disreputable brother.

More Sidewalk Art below the fold...

Zonker's Alter Ego
Remind you of anyone?

Mr. Monkay
Another one that seemed...Strangely Familiar.

Evil Clown
A fair enough drawing, but check out that signature!

Volcano
Live action always jazzes things up. This was the first place entry in the Student Group category.

Chinababy
A big-eyed kid? What next? Dogs playing poker?

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