This column is the sixth in a series devoted to promoting cultural tourism in coastal Georgia. It will be published in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper in Kingsland, GA, appearing on Wedenesday (September 28, 2005).
In the past five weeks, we have taken a short tour of what is possible. It is clear that, on a national scale, our affluent and mobile population looks for ways to experience the heritage of the places they visit during leisure and business travel. That search for entertainment and learning translates into local revenues: for residents as wages, for businesses as earnings and for local government as taxes and fees. This significant development means that our “Eden on the rivers” (the description of one local pundit) is ready. We meet the criteria: we are imbued with a gigantic local history that is colorful and unique; people love to come to coastal Georgia for fun, relaxation and business, we are located on a primary thoroughfare between opposite climates, and we have a community spirit that knows how to back a winner (go ‘Cats!).
Research and discussion has taught us how important it is for communities to use their treasured history and unique qualities when creating cultural tourism events and opportunities. However, there is an even more critical element shared by successful endeavors such as these. To build success and popularity among tourists and visitors, the most crucial factor is local support. Only through community belief in and participation in Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three will regional and national awareness become reality. Only by making the Crooked Rivers saga interesting and vital to ourselves, will we make it an essential “must see” for others.
Bill Grow, an original participant in the inception of Swamp Gravy in Colquitt, GA, believes this is a vital requirement for success. His observations are pointed. According to Grow, Colquitt’s success did not come from starting big. They did not seek big grants or major corporate donations until after they had successfully produced and shared their cultural tourism vision with their neighbors and friends. Grow’s formula for success is simple: start at home; build through local participation; and grow large through the excitement and demand you create in your own community.
Since a group of local patrons saw Swamp Gravy in 2002 and asked Grow come to Camden to give a workshop on how to get such a production together, Crooked Rivers has been building its local base. Arts Camden embraced it and local participation began to develop. By 2004, it had a name (Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three) and a breath of life in the form of a script based on hundreds of transcribed interviews of people of all ages, races and backgrounds in Camden County. Portions of the show have been performed at the waterfront park in St. Marys and at the Okefenokee Festival in Darien, GA, receiving positive popular acclaim. Displaying the vision and community commitment to sustain Crooked Rivers’ momentum, local companies such as Bayer Crop Science, Satilla River Landing, and Cumberland Harbour have provided essential funding that allowed the creative and organizational elements of Crooked Rivers to proceed and continue. Community leaders and elected officials in Woodbine have displayed remarkable vision that will allow Crooked Rivers to have a permanent home there in a few years, as the lovely improvements and development in that historic city continue.
Over the next weeks and months, your neighbors and friends here in Camden County will ask for your participation. They will ask for your donations and your time. It will personally be worth it for you to give both; it will be good for your community for you to give more.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Exploring the Stories Along the Crooked Rivers
This column is the fifth in a series devoted to promoting cultural tourism in coastal Georgia. It appeared in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper in Kingsland, GA on Wedenesday (September 21, 2005).
Last week, I introduced you to Three Sisters: Woodbine, Kingsland and St. Mary’s, cities with particular personalities and unique histories that inform and bring character to Camden County, Georgia. These communities, and the people that developed and populated them, grew up along the banks of the region’s winding waterways, the Satilla, Crooked and St. Mary’s Rivers. All of them are tied to the treasure that is coastal Georgia’s history. It was the allure of this historical and remarkable context that encouraged local residents to seek a way to bring the stories of the three sisters to life.
The ideas germinated in a time of economic despair, when things seemed about as bad as they could be. Significant local employers had turned into empty promises. Discussions about finding new meaning in life and community gained urgency and vitality. In the need to look forward, visionaries found it necessary and inspiring to look backward. The oral and written histories held new promise: an opportunity to bring visitors and locals alike together in a place called “the fairest, fruitfulest and pleasantest of all the world” by French Captain Jean Ribault, the first European explorer to set foot in what is known today as Camden County, Georgia. These tales would not only pass on the stories of our coastal ancestors, but would help us reaffirm our own lives through their legacy.
Certainly, the stories would have to acknowledge and poke fun at certain givens of the region: like the problem visitors and locals alike have dealing with insects (you know why there isn’t a single gnat in Camden County? They are all married and have large families!); the fact that cultivating tourists has a long and colorful history in the area (you know in the summer, we skin ‘gators. In the winter, we skin tourists!); our penchant for long and involved church services (what do we want the Pastor not to preach on? Sundays!); and the source of the alligators in the sewers of New York City (sold as babies to northbound Yankees from roadside stands along highway 17!).
Other stories would disclose truths about the character and nature of the region from its origins and settlements (the clearly marked rice plantation on the plat map from the early 1800’s). Yet more tales would reveal the underpinnings of many folk’s properly developed distrust of authority (why you don’t ever want to fish with the deputy and how you avoided a ticket while driving on city streets when you were twelve). It would also be necessary to explore some of the characters captured in lore, including the would-be lothario that got himself elected state legislator to change the marriage laws. That way he could get married again after his divorce. And on it goes. There are so many more stories to tell; it seems that they are around every bend in the meandering rivers of Camden County.
As we continue to investigate the possibilities of the stories found along the paths of our crooked rivers, acknowledging their potential for providing entertainment, tourism and therapy, maybe we will discover new truths and new heroes. And, more importantly, maybe the stories we find and share will offer us some new brand of hope and a new sense of community that we can cast into a memorable cultural experience, creating stories of its own for those who come to share it with us.
Last week, I introduced you to Three Sisters: Woodbine, Kingsland and St. Mary’s, cities with particular personalities and unique histories that inform and bring character to Camden County, Georgia. These communities, and the people that developed and populated them, grew up along the banks of the region’s winding waterways, the Satilla, Crooked and St. Mary’s Rivers. All of them are tied to the treasure that is coastal Georgia’s history. It was the allure of this historical and remarkable context that encouraged local residents to seek a way to bring the stories of the three sisters to life.
The ideas germinated in a time of economic despair, when things seemed about as bad as they could be. Significant local employers had turned into empty promises. Discussions about finding new meaning in life and community gained urgency and vitality. In the need to look forward, visionaries found it necessary and inspiring to look backward. The oral and written histories held new promise: an opportunity to bring visitors and locals alike together in a place called “the fairest, fruitfulest and pleasantest of all the world” by French Captain Jean Ribault, the first European explorer to set foot in what is known today as Camden County, Georgia. These tales would not only pass on the stories of our coastal ancestors, but would help us reaffirm our own lives through their legacy.
Certainly, the stories would have to acknowledge and poke fun at certain givens of the region: like the problem visitors and locals alike have dealing with insects (you know why there isn’t a single gnat in Camden County? They are all married and have large families!); the fact that cultivating tourists has a long and colorful history in the area (you know in the summer, we skin ‘gators. In the winter, we skin tourists!); our penchant for long and involved church services (what do we want the Pastor not to preach on? Sundays!); and the source of the alligators in the sewers of New York City (sold as babies to northbound Yankees from roadside stands along highway 17!).
Other stories would disclose truths about the character and nature of the region from its origins and settlements (the clearly marked rice plantation on the plat map from the early 1800’s). Yet more tales would reveal the underpinnings of many folk’s properly developed distrust of authority (why you don’t ever want to fish with the deputy and how you avoided a ticket while driving on city streets when you were twelve). It would also be necessary to explore some of the characters captured in lore, including the would-be lothario that got himself elected state legislator to change the marriage laws. That way he could get married again after his divorce. And on it goes. There are so many more stories to tell; it seems that they are around every bend in the meandering rivers of Camden County.
As we continue to investigate the possibilities of the stories found along the paths of our crooked rivers, acknowledging their potential for providing entertainment, tourism and therapy, maybe we will discover new truths and new heroes. And, more importantly, maybe the stories we find and share will offer us some new brand of hope and a new sense of community that we can cast into a memorable cultural experience, creating stories of its own for those who come to share it with us.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
The Three Sisters Reside Amongst the Crooked Rivers
This column is the fourth in a series devoted to promoting cultural tourism in coastal Georgia. It was published in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper in Kingsland, GA and appeared on Wedenesday (September 14, 2005).
Storytelling is one of the great traditions of the South. When you think of writers spawned in that tradition, it evokes names like Hemingway, Conroy, Faulkner, Welty and Williams. It recalls humorists and commentators such as Grizzard, Hiaasen, Clower and Barry. When you combine the Southern penchant for storytelling with the lure of the water, you understand why so many sailors, fishermen, shrimpers, and shippers are colorful and loquacious.
Richard Owen Greer, the original Swamp Gravy playwright, commenting on this particular regional characteristic, said: “I don't know what it is in the Southern psyche that breeds storytellers: a past too painful to be told plain? A love of reading endlessly between the lines? A genetic talent for turning monotony into entertainment? Northerners tell stories in private and call it therapy. Southerners tell stories in public and call it swapping lies.”
Ever since humans moved from a Stone Age existence to farming, communities and cultures developed most prominently along rivers, coasts, waterways and estuaries. From the Sumerians to the French Canadians, the Amazonians to the Spanish Conquistadors, the key to survival and progress for all was the presence of water for travel, sustenance and trade. Coastal Georgia has all this – the water, the history and the stories. St. Mary’s, the nation’s second oldest city, with its historical district and its role as the gateway to Cumberland Island; Kingsland, known for years as the place to stop during trips north and south along the Atlantic Coastal Highway; and Woodbine, the former rice plantation, that became the county seat – sister cities created and sustained amongst the crooked rivers that wind their way through Camden County. And around every bend in the crooked rivers is a story.
About five years ago, local folks, intrigued by the stories of the “three sisters,” the cities of Camden County, got the idea that if the farmers and locals in Colquitt, Georgia could muster up a play – a “happening”– set in that hot and culturally stunted place, surely they, too could do something similar. Possessed of all the intrigue, history and cultural advantages of the region, these visionaries believed they could collect, craft and retell the stories of the area in a way that would bring locals together, create a new sense of community and also gain outsiders’ attention and dollars. The resulting offering would combine the stories of the Native Americans, the sailors, the fishermen, the traders, travelers, and settlers (gentry, and hard scrabble alike) whose lives converged in the moist arms of the “three sisters,” nestled by the flowing waters of the Satilla, Crooked, and St. Mary’s Rivers.
Next week, more about the genesis, travails and future of the Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three saga.
Storytelling is one of the great traditions of the South. When you think of writers spawned in that tradition, it evokes names like Hemingway, Conroy, Faulkner, Welty and Williams. It recalls humorists and commentators such as Grizzard, Hiaasen, Clower and Barry. When you combine the Southern penchant for storytelling with the lure of the water, you understand why so many sailors, fishermen, shrimpers, and shippers are colorful and loquacious.
Richard Owen Greer, the original Swamp Gravy playwright, commenting on this particular regional characteristic, said: “I don't know what it is in the Southern psyche that breeds storytellers: a past too painful to be told plain? A love of reading endlessly between the lines? A genetic talent for turning monotony into entertainment? Northerners tell stories in private and call it therapy. Southerners tell stories in public and call it swapping lies.”
Ever since humans moved from a Stone Age existence to farming, communities and cultures developed most prominently along rivers, coasts, waterways and estuaries. From the Sumerians to the French Canadians, the Amazonians to the Spanish Conquistadors, the key to survival and progress for all was the presence of water for travel, sustenance and trade. Coastal Georgia has all this – the water, the history and the stories. St. Mary’s, the nation’s second oldest city, with its historical district and its role as the gateway to Cumberland Island; Kingsland, known for years as the place to stop during trips north and south along the Atlantic Coastal Highway; and Woodbine, the former rice plantation, that became the county seat – sister cities created and sustained amongst the crooked rivers that wind their way through Camden County. And around every bend in the crooked rivers is a story.
About five years ago, local folks, intrigued by the stories of the “three sisters,” the cities of Camden County, got the idea that if the farmers and locals in Colquitt, Georgia could muster up a play – a “happening”– set in that hot and culturally stunted place, surely they, too could do something similar. Possessed of all the intrigue, history and cultural advantages of the region, these visionaries believed they could collect, craft and retell the stories of the area in a way that would bring locals together, create a new sense of community and also gain outsiders’ attention and dollars. The resulting offering would combine the stories of the Native Americans, the sailors, the fishermen, the traders, travelers, and settlers (gentry, and hard scrabble alike) whose lives converged in the moist arms of the “three sisters,” nestled by the flowing waters of the Satilla, Crooked, and St. Mary’s Rivers.
Next week, more about the genesis, travails and future of the Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three saga.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
When Communities Create, the Gravy is Plentiful
This column is the third in a series devoted to promoting cultural tourism in coastal Georgia. They will be published weekly in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper in Kingsland, GA. This column appears Friday (September 9, 2005).
Recognizing and celebrating common community heritage in a unique and positive manner is one form of cultural tourism that has become an economic and public relations engine. This column will explore an example of an instance that attracted tourists, dollars and encouraged community rejuvenation and growth.
A decade and a half ago, Colquitt, Georgia, was a sleepy Southern town suffering under the load of double-digit unemployment, the complete absence of an industrial base, and the continued exodus of most of the young people out of town. Farming, the community’s chief industry seemed every summer to suffer from drought or flood. For people here, theater either meant a 45-minute drive to Tallahassee, Florida, or a trip to Albany, GA, the largest neighboring town, for a visit to the multiplex. This hot, dusty corner of Georgia, just north of the Florida line, held little promise of offering the world a musical comedy/drama so unique—and successful—that it could transform the concept of local theater and bring a new meaning to economic development.
The efforts of interested community members created an offering called Swamp Gravy, named after a local concoction using whatever ingredients are at hand and thrown into a pot to stretch a meal for growing families. This stage production has been presented in dozens of cities throughout the South and performed for sell-out audiences at Atlanta. It was named Georgia’s Official Folk Life Play and won several awards during performances at the 1996 Atlantic Olympics. That same year, Swamp Gravy performers wowed an audience at D.C.’s Kennedy Center and were featured in USA Today. During its run, Swamp Gravy has attracted more than half a million dollars in grants from corporate contributors. More importantly to residents, Swamp Gravy has become a source of $1 million in annual revenues through ticket sales and the injection of tourist dollars into the local economy.
All of this is impressive for a production that began with a simple idea: to collect stories from the community and transform them into theater. The resulting play would tell stories the locals already knew, but would do it in an entertaining manner, and just maybe a few out-of-towners would drop in. More than 15 years later, not only have the locals developed an affinity for their “Gravy,” tourists and aficionados have lauded it and continued to attend, bringing money, fame and new business to Colquitt. Today, the Swamp Gravy site is a renovated cotton mill, and it is surrounded by business spawned by this new cultural tourist attraction: museums, learning centers, shops and restaurants. All of these establishments provide income for operators, jobs for residents and revenue for local governments.
Karen Kimbrel, a Swamp Gravy musical composer, found the play to be a great tool of economic development in a region that has few. “Not only has this play put our little community on the map, but it is lifting the spirits of us all,” she says. “Teachers here will tell you that the school children who perform in Swamp Gravy are better students. This play is giving all of us a sense of pride and a better understanding of each other. It has also made us an important part of the Southern cultural scene. And we did it all in spite of difficult obstacles and challenges. For us, theater has become an awakening to the potential that rests in the human spirit.”
What a tribute to the power of ideas, the arts and community.
Recognizing and celebrating common community heritage in a unique and positive manner is one form of cultural tourism that has become an economic and public relations engine. This column will explore an example of an instance that attracted tourists, dollars and encouraged community rejuvenation and growth.
A decade and a half ago, Colquitt, Georgia, was a sleepy Southern town suffering under the load of double-digit unemployment, the complete absence of an industrial base, and the continued exodus of most of the young people out of town. Farming, the community’s chief industry seemed every summer to suffer from drought or flood. For people here, theater either meant a 45-minute drive to Tallahassee, Florida, or a trip to Albany, GA, the largest neighboring town, for a visit to the multiplex. This hot, dusty corner of Georgia, just north of the Florida line, held little promise of offering the world a musical comedy/drama so unique—and successful—that it could transform the concept of local theater and bring a new meaning to economic development.
The efforts of interested community members created an offering called Swamp Gravy, named after a local concoction using whatever ingredients are at hand and thrown into a pot to stretch a meal for growing families. This stage production has been presented in dozens of cities throughout the South and performed for sell-out audiences at Atlanta. It was named Georgia’s Official Folk Life Play and won several awards during performances at the 1996 Atlantic Olympics. That same year, Swamp Gravy performers wowed an audience at D.C.’s Kennedy Center and were featured in USA Today. During its run, Swamp Gravy has attracted more than half a million dollars in grants from corporate contributors. More importantly to residents, Swamp Gravy has become a source of $1 million in annual revenues through ticket sales and the injection of tourist dollars into the local economy.
All of this is impressive for a production that began with a simple idea: to collect stories from the community and transform them into theater. The resulting play would tell stories the locals already knew, but would do it in an entertaining manner, and just maybe a few out-of-towners would drop in. More than 15 years later, not only have the locals developed an affinity for their “Gravy,” tourists and aficionados have lauded it and continued to attend, bringing money, fame and new business to Colquitt. Today, the Swamp Gravy site is a renovated cotton mill, and it is surrounded by business spawned by this new cultural tourist attraction: museums, learning centers, shops and restaurants. All of these establishments provide income for operators, jobs for residents and revenue for local governments.
Karen Kimbrel, a Swamp Gravy musical composer, found the play to be a great tool of economic development in a region that has few. “Not only has this play put our little community on the map, but it is lifting the spirits of us all,” she says. “Teachers here will tell you that the school children who perform in Swamp Gravy are better students. This play is giving all of us a sense of pride and a better understanding of each other. It has also made us an important part of the Southern cultural scene. And we did it all in spite of difficult obstacles and challenges. For us, theater has become an awakening to the potential that rests in the human spirit.”
What a tribute to the power of ideas, the arts and community.
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