Westin hotel opens with SCAD artwork

Photo by Chia Chong
Savannah College of Art and Design President Richard Rowan speaks at the Westin
Hotel ribbon cutting ceremony. Many of the pieces of artwork hanging on the walls
at the hotel were created by SCAD graduates, students and faculty members.

By Christina Taylor
(from 12/10/99 issue)

The turn onto Hutchinson Island seems to plant the traveler in another universe. The world of downtown buildings, busy streets and majestic bridges changes, existing only in the rearview mirror.

In front, there is a seemingly endless horizon of low-lying swamp vegetation.

That image doesn't last. Suddenly, you are thrust back into the world of Savannah upon confronting a tan 16-story structure.

The structure is the new Westin Savannah Harbor Resort. Though the hotel is located on the relatively deserted Hutchinson Island, Westin officials are determined to make this hotel part of the Savannah community.

One way the Westin formed a link to Savannah was by buying and installing artwork by local artists. That made the Savannah College of Art and Design was a natural partner.

"We wanted to focus on art from Savannah which, of course, keyed us right into SCAD," said Virginia Cannon of Soho Myriad-Art Network, the company that found and bought artwork for the Westin.

"It was very important for us to have the community embrace this project," said John Cotrell general manager of the Westin. "We wanted to complement the beauty of the property with these artists and our consultant was able to interview a number of SCAD artists."

Almost half of the artwork in the Westin was created by SCAD students, faculty and staff.

During the ceremony, SCAD President Richard Rowan gave a short speech about the college's cooperation with the hotel.

He described the artwork in another hotel in Delaware. That hotel also commissioned a local artist to put artwork in the rooms. The young artist was N.C. Wyeth. Today, that collection is worth millions of dollars.

"Hopefully the artists that you have brought here will bring you that sort of recognition," Rowan said. "What is really wonderful about this is SCAD has a really nice venue."

One of Rowan's favorite artists is Michael Goins. Goins' photographs capture the 1998-99 "Functional Follies" - 20 pieces of landscape architecture commissioned in celebration of SCAD's 20th anniversary.

"I know people will come out of these rooms and say, 'Oh, where is that?' " said Rowan. He hopes that such visitors will head to the SCAD campus to search out the "Functional Follies."

For those artists with work on the walls, the work will serve as a permanent exhibit for visitors to the hotel.

"I think it's very exciting, the space is just amazing," said artist Chris Brannen.

But the artwork is not the result of a public relations arrangement. It is carefully chosen to suit the space and requirements of a resort hotel.

"We identified art locations and we identified pieces, trying to be sensitive to what the Westin's ideas were," said Cannon. "It was really a quality level we were trying to achieve."

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