SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival

Saturday, April 26
Forsyth Park

Time and Purpose: SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival brings focus on community.
The people of Savannah witnessed a grand display of visual “street art” as Forsyth Park transformed into a sprawling canvas at the annual SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival. Beneath the late spring sun, hundreds of artists — from current students to alumni and even local high schoolers — chalked up their imagination onto the concrete squares.
As I wandered through the sidewalk gallery, it felt like stepping straight into a living dreamscape. Cartoon characters danced beside photorealistic portraits, surreal landscapes melted into abstract explosions of color — each square telling its own tale. The talent on display was jaw-dropping, but even more powerful was the shared energy of it all: artists laughing together, friends encouraging one another, and curious onlookers snapping photos while sipping sweet tea.
There’s a unique magic that occurs when a community comes together like this. Families spread out picnic blankets, dogs tugged excitedly at their leashes, and music drifted from everywhere — a perfect celebration of imagination and connection.
And yet, as inspired as I felt soaking it all in, I couldn’t help but reflect a little on my own relationship with creativity. These days, between teaching my kids, trying to squeeze in a few precious minutes with my guitar, and keeping up with the pace of everyday life, finding that mental space for creative play can feel like getting enough sleep, a pipedream. Today was a gentle reminder that creativity doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit — it thrives in community, in encouragement, and in those little messy, joyful moments we share.
Short tips on creativity:
Focus on “play” not perfection. Purpose and process rather than product.
If finding time is an issue, try to be creative with how you handle the tasks you take on during the day rather than trying to find “spare” time for arts.
Be in the moment. If you’re yearning to paint or practice an instrument, but time gets in the way, create a playful way to complete your tasks. For example, I sometimes will improvise some approach while cooking using the recipe as word inspiration.
There is no one perfect solution to any one problem, only a limitless variety of options.
Creatively,
Melanie Nolan
Photo credits to: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News, J Lanning Smith, and Allison Cobb