Entry No. 20 — the Savannah file — filed under: artist-studios
Sulfur Studios (ARTS Southeast)
A converted building holding 20 working artist studios plus two rotating galleries (the Ellis Gallery and the Supporter Gallery), run by the nonprofit ARTS Southeast — exhibitions swap out monthly, with First Fridays letting visitors wander open studios and catch installations mid-build rather than finished and roped-off.
The story
In a city where fine art often gets locked behind historic district price tags or reserved for SCAD thesis reviews, Sulfur Studios operates as the real engine room for Savannah's working creators. Spearheaded by co-founder and photographer Emily Earl under the nonprofit umbrella of ARTS Southeast, the converted building at 2301 Bull Street doesn't bother with hushed velvet-rope pretense. It houses 20 private working artist studios alongside a local retail shop and two distinct exhibition spaces: the Ellis Gallery and the Supporter Gallery.
The genius of the space is how aggressively public it makes the creative process. Beyond the monthly exhibition swaps in the galleries, the building hosts the ON::VIEW Artist Residency—a program that places a rotating artist into a high-visibility, street-facing studio right on Bull Street. Instead of hiding the messy phase of art-making behind closed doors, passersby can literally watch work get cut, inked, and built through the glass in real time.
What it's like
Drop in during regular daytime hours if you want to browse the front shop for local prints or inspect the current gallery rotation in peace. But if you want the genuine experience, show up on a First Friday evening. The doors unlock, the back hallways open up, and you can walk straight into the 20 private studios to talk directly with artists surrounded by wet paint, print presses, and raw materials. Confirm their current hours before heading over, as public access shifts around exhibition setups.
The move: Go on a First Friday evening, walk the open studios to see works-in-progress and talk to the artists directly, then catch whatever the current Ellis or Supporter Gallery show is before it rotates out.
- 📍 Thomas Square / Starland District
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2301 Bull St, Savannah, GA 31401
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Graveface Records & Curiosities — Walk just a minute down Bull Street after browsing the studios to dive into vinyl records, VHS tapes, and taxidermy oddities.
- Cosmic Corner — Head three blocks north in the Starland District to swap contemporary studio art for tarot decks and herbal supplies.
- Savannah Ice Tub Club — Pair an evening walk through the open studios with a community cold plunge down the street at Starland Yard.
Good to know
What is the ON::VIEW Artist Residency?
It is an ARTS Southeast program at Sulfur Studios that gives artists a free, street-facing studio space on Bull Street to produce work in direct view of the public.
What can I buy in the front shop?
The shop right inside the entrance stocks small works, prints, and handcrafted goods made directly by Savannah-area artists.
When are the artist studios open to the public?
While the galleries and front shop have regular weekly hours, the 20 private working studios unlock their doors for public walk-throughs during First Friday events.
How often do the gallery shows change?
Exhibitions across both the Ellis Gallery and Supporter Gallery rotate on a monthly schedule.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · savannahnow.com · savannahmagazine.com · Reddit · resartis.org
last checked: 2026-07-20