Ossabaw Island Foundation Named Beneficiary of Kobo Gallery Holiday 2023 Ornament Sale

Ossabaw Sunrise #1 by David Kaminsky
Archival pigment print on canvas

Ossabaw inspired holiday ornaments by Joy Dunigan

(Savannah, GA - November 20, 2023) -  Kobo Gallery has named The Ossabaw Island Foundation (TOIF) as its non-profit beneficiary for the 2023 holiday season. Throughout the month of December, holiday ornaments that are hand-crafted by Kobo artists are on display and for sale exclusively in the gallery. All proceeds of the sale of these ornaments go directly to The Ossabaw Island Foundation.

An annual holiday art opening happens Sunday, December 3rd from 2-6 p.m., at Kobo Gallery located at 33 Barnard Street in downtown Savannah, GA. This event will officially kick-off the holiday ornament sale and also provide an opportunity to browse and purchase the latest works from Kobo’s jewelers, sculptors, painters, photographers, ceramists and fiber artists. Several pieces of art in the gallery were inspired by Ossabaw Island.

“I don’t think we could have chosen a better beneficiary than The Ossabaw Island Foundation,” said Kobo artist and photographer Teake Zuidema. “Most Kobo artists have visited Ossabaw Island and find it to be an incredible source of inspiration. It’s the unspoiled jewel of the Georgia coast and we need to support the work of the TOIF to make sure that the island will be there for future generations.”

Negotiated by the Torrey and West families as a condition of their sale to the State in 1978, Ossabaw Island is the first state-owned property to receive the designation of Heritage Preserve via an Executive Order by then Georgia Governor George Busbee “…to protect, conserve, and preserve the natural and cultural resources of this Island for the benefit of present and future generations, and that Ossabaw Island shall only be used for natural, scientific, and cultural study, research, and education, and environmentally sound preservation, conservation, and management of the Island’s ecosystem.”

"Kobo artists represent a rich diversity of media and style," said Elizabeth DuBose, Executive Director of The Ossabaw Island Foundation. "Many of them have come to Ossabaw for creative retreats, turtle trips, and indigo dyeing. I am eager to see how their creativity and Ossabaw inspiration will be revealed in these Christmas tree ornaments. This ornament sale is a unique opportunity for Savannahians to take home your own little piece of Ossabaw Island, created by Kobo artists. We are honored that this remarkable group chose us for their yearly benefit."

Georgia Southern University graduate student Luke Sundquist shares his sea turtle hatchling knowledge with the Ossabaw turtle day trippers.

Georgia Archaeology Field Schools on Ossabaw Island

Since 1998, The Ossabaw Island Foundation has restored or stabilized twelve historic buildings on Ossabaw, and hosts about 2,000 individual visits each year for natural, scientific, or cultural education, research or study, while continuing to maintain those historic structures. To keep island use financially accessible to more people, island user fees comprise only about one-third of TOIF's yearly income. The Ossabaw Island Foundation fundraises for the remaining two-thirds of its annual operating budget, and pays an annual rental fee to the State of Georgia for use of the island.

It’s a holiday tradition for Kobo Gallery to select a non-profit organization to support during the gift giving season. Recent beneficiaries include: Savannah/Chatham CASA, Chatham-Savannah Citizen’s Advocacy, and Savannah Speech and Hearing.