Arts and culture thrive on St. Simons Island.
A wide variety of creative artists are drawn to St. Simons Island as both residents and visitors. Painters and photographers work to capture the scenic landscape, and their work is on display in several island galleries. Glynn Visual Arts is a non-profit organization serving local artists with exhibits, festivals, and classes in several media including painting and drawing, pottery, photography, mixed media, jewelry, and many others. The Literary Guild of St. Simons Island supports writers with literary and cultural events. A non-profit theater group, The Island Players, schedules productions in the Pier Village Casino Theatre. Craft shows are held throughout the year in Postell Park in front of the Casino Building at the Pier Village.
There is a vibrant music scene on St. Simons Island, with local bands and musicians appearing in several venues, including summertime concerts on the oceanfront lawn by the Lighthouse, and classical music concerts sponsored by the Island Concert Association.
A number of local museums and sites preserve Island history and culture:
- Arthur Moore Methodist Museum
- World War II museum at the Historic Coast Guard Station
- St. Simons Lighthouse Museum and the A. W. Jones Heritage Center
- Mildred Huie Plantation Museum at Mediterranean House
- Fort Frederica National Monument
- Christ Church
Books and Film:
Novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons Island as she was driving from Chicago to Jacksonville in 1961. Fascinated by the island, she spent the next few years doing research that eventually resulted in three novels known as the St. Simons Trilogy. She lived on St. Simons from 1965 until her death in 1996.
The film Conrack (1974) was partly filmed on Saint Simons Island. The 1974 film is based on the 1972 autobiographical book The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy. Directed by Martin Ritt and starring Jon Voight in the title role, the movie featured Paul Winfield, Madge Sinclair, Hume Cronyn and Antonio Fargas.
Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Simons,_Georgia#The_Twentieth_Century
