Where to go, what to see and who to know in the world of Southern arts and culture. This blog masterfully blends art, culture, and local exhibitions around the American South. Uniquely Southern, topics on this arts and culture blog include art, artists, installations, paintings, photography, graffiti, fashion and more. Above all, you will discover how culturally rich the South has become, especially its bigger cities such as Atlanta, Savannah, Nashville, Charleston and Charlotte. Moreover, smaller towns like Greenville, S.C. and Birmingham, Ala. are not far behind. The arts and culture scene is what is driving these burgeoning cities of the South.
Two-Sided Southern is an arts and culture blog started by Stephanie Davis Smith. If you have a penchant for the finer things in life, as well as a firm appreciation for lower brow offerings, you will find what you’re looking for in this Southern-based blog.
I can’t be certain how I discovered Zoom cooking classes at Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. (Yes, that’s the real name and yes, it’s fabulous!) It was during “Covid Times” for sure. The post du jour was for Carbs 101, a new series of Zoom cooking classes offered by the school’s dean, Suzanne Pollak.
While battling cancer, Jamie Annarino took up woodworking. She started Grain Craft Creations back in the fall of 2020 and is making wood charcuterie boards and bespoke furniture for friends and family in Atlanta. It’s National Small Business Week.
Southern handbag designer LIndsay Rakestraw of Garland Bags comes to Atlanta for a cute clutch purse pop-up. The Savannah entrepreneur is wowing women with her structured rectangles handbags.
It’s time to get outside and enjoy some incredible 2021 events again and these five are too good to miss. From art to outdoor concerts (hello, Robert Earl Keen!) from Charleston to Atlanta and from the shores of Florida to the hills of Tennessee, 2021 events are back, baby!
When the proficient and ingenious photographer Derek Blanks isn’t photographing Usher, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj or Regina Hall, he’s the creative director for Missy Elliott. I first worked with him on photoshoots for luxury magazines in Atlanta photographing the who’s who of the city’s socialites. His work was impeccable and… ooh lord, this man has style. He is always dressed like a champ whenever I see him and being in tip-top shape is so important to him. Just look at how he wears a suit! (Although he does enjoy the All-Star Special at Waffle House as much as a night out at Two Urban Licks).
The South is filled with skilled artisans, crafty entrepreneurs and makers of all kinds. I love going into a boutique or hitting up an outdoor craft festival and discovering new creatives (usually with a thick drawl and impeccable manners) at work making incredible things. From candles to booze to prayer sticks (wha?), here are six things made by southerners I’m loving right now.
The Royal family is one of the most refined and regal group of people in the world. In the Crown, they put them to the famous Balmoral Test.
I know I’m Two-Sided Southern when I’m in my hometown of Atlanta, and the small turn-of-the-century bungalows of Decatur and Candler Park delight me as much as the ornate Victorians of Inman Park. The Greek revival homes with their stately white columns across Middle Georgia are as pretty to me as the smaller tudors with their sloping roofs that have been left untouched around my neighborhood of Lake Claire and Druid Hills.
I am always fascinated by what outsiders think of the South or Southerners and their style. Most southerners are stylish, and many people find that surprising. Not me.
Try this foodie-lover’s list of my favorite high- and low-brow restaurants in Atlanta. It’s a mix of casual and fine dining around the city.
