In 2005, the Georgia Rural Economic Development Center (GREDC) held their second meeting concerning developing an art incubator in Swainsboro, GA. Jack Bareford, GREDC Director, met with the Emanuel Artists’ Guild and Stillmoreroots to discuss what an art incubator might entail. The premise of the project is that if you bring in artists, then you bring in more resources, and then you bring in more business. Art Incubators are economic tools that boost local business through the arts.

The project did entice several artists from the Stillmoreroots group to move to Swainsboro, but the project got held up again for about a year. During this time, the Emanuel Artists Guild, Stillmoreroots, and the Emanuel Arts Council began working together on developing arts festivals, exhibits, lectures, and educational opportunities. A mural was started in downtown Swainsboro and organizations in other communities were coming to see what was happening in Emanuel County.

During the summer of 2006, Anthony Faris and Jean Gray Drake of Stillmoreroots began writing a grant proposal to re-start the Art Incubator project. The two looked for locations in downtown Swainsboro and saw Mary’s dress shop on North Green Street. “Mrs. Kent was given offers to sell her shop but she held off because she really liked the idea of what we wanted to do,” says Mr. Faris. “We saw the inside and could imagine was a great building it would be for the incubator. Jean Gray and I didn’t look any further after we saw the Mary’s building.”

In October, funding from the GREDC came through for two staff positions and the Art Incubator was on its way. Ms. Drake took a job at Portal Elementary School in October so the search was on for a qualified professional to fill the position. Bryan Ghiloni, a graphic designer and photographer, took the position on the 15th of October and he and Mr. Faris began the renovation phase of the building. “It’s kind of symbolic, I think, the transformation the building went through,” explains Mr. Ghiloni, “because the hard work that it took to turn the building into an art gallery is like the hard work that it’s going to take to get the Art Incubator running.”

Mr. Faris and Mr. Ghiloni spent the last two and a half months of 2006 transforming the building from a dress shop into an Arts and Education Center. The project became known as Gallery RFD. On January 13th, 2007, the gallery opened with Swainsboro’s first Art Stroll. During January 340 people came from 16 different cities and 3 states to share in the inaugural exhibition. The gallery plans to host 12 exhibitions a year, offer educational opportunities to all age groups, and create outreach programs that benefit all of Emanuel County and its neighbors.

 

 









Gallery RFD is a non-profit organization whose goal is to promote economic enrichment in rural communities through the Arts. Gallery RFD hosts twelve original art exhibitions a year exploring diverse, challenging, and pertinent subject matter. In addition, the gallery also plans art exhibitions, live music, and art activities for their Second Saturday Art Stroll in downtown Swainsboro. Gallery RFD creates original educational programming for elementary and middle school students and develops county-wide outreach projects focused on promoting rural communities and the arts.

The Mission of Gallery RFD is three-fold:
1. To cultivate an environment in which the Arts thrive for the economic and cultural benefit of Emanuel County
2. Provide educational opportunities to students, curatorial experience for the Artist in Residence program, and offer regional and national artists a venue to exhibit their work in the rural South
3. Promote and educate the community of Swainsboro to the value and feasibility of art incubators by developing outreach programs aimed at bringing artists, visitors, and community members to a revitalized downtown









 


Keep up to date with Gallery RFD, Art Stroll, city and regional events with our monthly newsletter. You may subscribe to receive monthly email reminder links, or check back here to view the current or past newsletters.

 
 


 


Timothy Bryan Ghiloni - Co-Director, Graphic Designer

Bryan graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2002 with dual B.F.A.s in Photography and Graphic Design, achieving honors in each. After graduation he moved to New York City for 2 and a half years where he lived, freelanced, and made art. In 2006 Bryan moved back to GA, reuniting with his artist collective, Stillmoreroots, to exercise the group vision of working in rural communities through the arts. The most recent derivate of this iniative is Gallery RFD, which Bryan co-founded with Stillmoreroots member, Anthony Faris. He is also a working artist is variousl mediums including photography, music, and mixed media works.

 
 

 

Andrea Laborde - Co-Director of Exhibitions

Andrea graduated in 2004 from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A in Photography. She moved to Swainsboro from Atlanta, GA after a four year period of working with Canon, U.S.A. as a technical representative and educator. She is a practicing artist and specializes in education and outreach. She joined Gallery RFD's team in July 2008.
     
 

Gina Henry - Gallery Assistant

Gina is a native of Anchorage, Alaska. She has found the Emanuel-Johnson County areas here home. Gina holds a diploma from Bauder Fashion College in Fashion Design and currently is enrolled at Swainsboro Technical College in the Accounting Degree program. She specializes in accounting and book keeping, and is also a vital assistant with general gallery activities.

 








 


James Anthony Faris - Gallery Liason

Anthony is the co-founder and former co-director of Gallery RFD. In January 2008, Anthony was hired for the position of Head of Downtown Development in Swainsboro. He continues his association with the gallery as an enthusiastic advocate of the arts, a Stillmoreroots member, and a practicing artist.


   
 

 


Amber Fields

Amber is a Junior at Swainsboro High School and dreams of traveling the United States after graduation. She plans to attend the University of Georgia to major in Business Administration, and aspires to run her own art gallery someday. "Though I'm not sure where life will take me, Art will always be a part of it."
 

 


Paula Powell

Paula is also a Junior at Swainsboro High and plans to attend art school when she graduates. Traveling with the other interns is a priority of hers. Though she isn't exactly sure where life will take her, she hopes that interning at Gallery RFD will help her decide.
 

 

Nikki Skipper

Also a Junior at Swainsboro High, Nikki would like to travel with Amber and Paula before going on to college. Nikki has a strong intetest in the arts and photography. She enjoys filling her free time as an intern at RFD because she's "leaning and having fun all at once!"
 

 

Troy Dobbins

Troy is a student at Swainsboro Tech studying electrical engineering. He enjoys the arts and is an amateur photographer. He also enjoys creating music with his guitar, and plays in a rock band.
 

 


Michael Willis

Michael is in the 8th grade at Swainsboro Middle School and a participant in Gallery RFD's mentoring program. He volunteers at the gallery in his free time where he is learning the responsibilities of gallery maintenance and the basics of analog photography. He also loves animals and likes to ride his skateboard and 4-wheeler.

 

Jermichael Kirkland

Jermichael is a poet and a risk taker. A self proclaimed rebel, he likes to challenge "what is" or "what is suppose to be". He spends his spare time training to be a professional wrestler and hopes to do something productive with his life and have a positive impact on his community.




Mason Blalock

Mason is a sculptor and poet as well. He says that he " lives and breathes art" and that his work "revolves around the drama he has seen." Mason is interested in learning all he can about art so that he can be a better artist himself.

 









Gallery RFD is located at 106 North Green Street in downtown Swainsboro. It is both one block off of US 80, and one block off of Business Route US 1.

From the North:
Take US 1 south to Business Route 1 south into Swainsboro. At the intersection of Bus US 1 and US 80 (West Main Street), make a right. Make a right at the next light, which is Green Street. Gallery RFD is in the first block on the right.

From the South:
Take US 1 north to Business Route 1 nouth into Swainsboro. At the intersection of Bus US 1 and US 80 (West Main Street), make a left.. Make a right at the next light, which is Green Street. Gallery RFD is in the first block on the right.

From the East:
Take US 80 west into Swainsboro. You will pass the fountain of downtown on your left, then make the next right at the light of Green Street. Gallery RFD is in the first block on the right.

From the West:
Take US 80 east into Swainsboro. You will pass a Dollar General on your right, then make the next left at the light of Green Street. Gallery RFD is in the first block on the right.










To download the meaurements of the gallery in PDF form, click the image to the left.