If you’ve ever wished you could see Savannah for the first time all over again, you’re in luck. Artist Marc Hanson’s landscape paintings might put a whole new spin on your favorite spots around town. The best part? You’ll get to ask him all about that perspective during the Kimpton Brice’s May Artist Spotlight, a small-scale gallery offering local artists a chance to showcase their work and connect with hotel guests.
“We want to amplify voices that are maybe not heard, especially in specific environments, and I think being a luxury boutique hotel, a lot of people forget that hey, we are in the city for, you know, everyone is here for a different reason, but this is what we offer here in Savannah,” Kimpton-Brice Public Relations and Nightlife Manager Co’Meh Shaw said.
Although he lives on Tybee Island today, Hanson’s life hasn’t always been rooted in just one place. Growing up in a military family, he had a chance to experience multiple different cities and natural environments throughout California, Alaska, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and even Norway.
Although these numerous moves and changes might annoy some young minds, Hanson said they helped shape his desire to become an artist. Across these numerous moves and landscapes, Hanson grew up visiting museums and art galleries that each offered an artistic overview of some of each place’s unique landscapes and environments.
“You get so much more from [seeing] just a variety of things. You’re much more open-minded, I think, about a lot of things and able to adjust to things more easily,” Hanson said.
That ability to adapt came in handy when Hanson realized his interest in birds was based more in aesthetics than science. This shift encouraged him to switch from ornithology to the arts, and soon he was setting out for ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. Those experiences helped again when his interests panned out from birds alone. With roughly 25 years of illustrations, paintings and a field guide under his belt, Hanson started getting interested in a broader view of the natural world and began working on oil, acrylic and gouache landscape paintings.
With that inspiration in his artist’s toolbox, Hanson graduated from art school and continued exploring the various environments on view in Minnesota, Colorado and Mississippi. Thanks to all that moving, Hanson had a pretty good idea of what to expect from just about any location. But when he moved to Savannah with his partner in 2019, Hanson was surprised and enchanted by the area’s natural ebb and flow.
“One of the things I loved about [the area] was that it’s a constant change going on out there. The tide changes twice a day, so the marsh is changing constantly,” Hanson said. “I would have thought before I moved here that this part of the south would have been a constant look, you know? But it’s never constant. It’s actually the opposite of that. It’s constantly changing. As a painter, that’s a really great thing because there’s always something interesting out there.”
Inspired by his new environment, Hanson began exploring the area in hopes of providing viewers with a new perspective on the Lowcountry and the natural world in general.
“There’s a lot of disregard for nature. And I think building the value of the end of the conversation with people visually through art, writing or music. It’s a way to show them that, hey—this is kind of a treasure that we have. And it’d be nice if it was taken care of and preserved in some way, at least on a personal level,” Hanson said.
To get an idea of how you can help preserve the local wildlife, strike up a conversation with Hanson at the Brice’s Meet the Artist Wine Hour and Social. During the event, hotel guests are invited to chat with the artist to get a better understanding of the minds behind the magic and, perhaps, purchase their work. Since all sales return to the artist, each purchase goes a long way to support local creativity.
Speaking of local creativity—locals, there’s no need to worry about being left out of this unique meet and greet. The Brice also has tickets for non-hotel guests interested in viewing Hanson’s work and meeting the naturalist behind the insightful landscapes.
“Experiencing art is one thing and creating art is another. Some people are doers and some are observers. I think both matter deeply when it comes to artistry and shaping your everyday life,” Shaw said. “There’s so many things in life that can be inspiring and so I think it’s important to make sure that we have artists that not only are local to Savannah, but that are able to tell their stories.”
The Artist Spotlight at the Brice will feature a few local spots Hanson found particularly interesting. You might even find a new perspective on your new favorite spot. He encourages spotlight guests to take a simpler view of his work, embrace the beauty of familiar sights and the emotions in each brushstroke.
“There’s no hidden meanings or deep messages other than the messages on the canvas, which is how I felt about a place that I painted. And I would say, absorb it and enjoy it and see where that goes,” Hanson said. “See where that takes you when you’re looking at art.”
Hanson’s work is available for purchase at the Kimpton-Brice throughout May. For more information, visit bricehotel.com.
