New Gullah culture exhibit opens at Brookgreen Gardens

“Gullah Culture … Remembering While Evolving,” an exhibit of visual art by Patricia Sabree, will be displayed in Learning Lab I of the Wall Lowcountry Center at Brookgreen Gardens from noon to 4:30 p.m. daily from Jan. 11 through March 13.


Sabree’s art reflects her Gullah experiences growing up on a farm with 15 brothers and sisters in Lake City.


Vibrantly colored and filled with energy, each painting tells a story about Gullah culture and lore. “Love Grows” depicts the work ethic of a woman and child planting vegetables. “Son Raise” showcases the pride of a father and son fishing. And “Before Convenience” portrays the discipline and joy of hard work as a woman cooks on a wood burning stove.


Sabree, a resident of Bluffton, said her work provides reminiscences of the “Deep South.”


“My paintings are shaped by the stories I lived,” she said. “Fishing off the river bank or swamp land, walking barefoot in the rain, running in the blazing sun, playing in a game of outdoor basketball, being whipped across the legs for not doing a chore, and even enjoying ice cream and cake on a sunny summer’s Sunday.”
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Sabree is owner/operator of Sabree’s Authentic Gullah Art Gallery, Savannah, Georgia; Sabree’s Headquarters, Charlotte, North Carolina; and an online gallery at www.sabreesgallery.com.