1 Feb Georgetown County Watercolor Society artists offer a bird’s-eye view The Georgetown County Watercolor Society is presenting “Winged Wonders,” a collection of original artwork in celebration of the birds of the Hammock Coast® – and beyond. The show will be open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily from Feb. 3 through Feb. 15 at Old Town Hall, 321 Myrtle Ave., on historic Pawleys Island. The “Winged Wonders” art show will feature nearly 70 framed paintings and prints at all price points. Small pieces and notecards will also be for sale. The show will be judged by Abbe Joseph, an artist and art instructor who relocated from New York City to North Myrtle Beach. For the art show, the GCWS is partnering with the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce as part of the 3rd annual Hammock Coast Birding Festival, hoping birding enthusiasts visiting from across the country will also visit the show, in addition to local residents. The Hammock Coast is the official and registered trademarked tourism moniker for Georgetown County. The 2025 Birding Festival is already sold out. The event has attracted birders to visit the Hammock Coast from Canada and nearly 30 states, including California, Oregon, Rhode Island, Nebraska, Utah, Michigan, Nebraska and Maine. “We hope birding enthusiasts from far and wide, including locals, will flock to support our local member artists,” shared Brew Hellman, newly elected president for GCWS. The Georgetown County Watercolor Society was founded in 1977 to promote the interest and appreciation of watercolor painting in Georgetown and surrounding areas. It now includes members from across the Pee Dee. The group endeavors to provide educational and professional outlets for the visual arts. The Hammock Coast Birding Festival is held in February when many species of birds are migrating in and through Georgetown County. The festival is an intensive birding experience over four days with special birding tours at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Hobcaw Barony, Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington Beach State Park. This year, two more tours have been added — at the Black River Cypress Preserve and the Georgetown County Landfill, where Bald Eagles, vultures and seabirds can almost be counted on to be seen. In addition to the tours, attendees have art shows, lectures, photography classes and more to attend. In addition to the Georgetown County Watercolor Society Show, the public can also attend one of the festival’s main events – the showing of the movie “Purple Haze.” The documentary, by South Carolina filmmaker Zach Steinhouser, will be shown from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Waccamaw Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 6, and then again on Friday, Feb. 7. Steinhouser will be at both showings and will hold a question-and-answer showing after the movie. “Tourism on the Hammock Coast isn’t just about our pristine beaches, it’s also about nature and our tens of thousands of preserved acres here,” said Mark A. Stevens, director of tourism development for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce. “The festival highlights the best of our nature-centric tourism. We love showcasing our beautiful area – and the hundreds of species of birds that call it home – to visitors from all over the United States. And you couldn’t find a nicer, more-respectful group of tourists to welcome to the Hammock Coast than the folks who register for the Hammock Coast Birding Festival.” About the Hammock Coast® Georgetown County’s casual charm and Southern hospitality earned it the nickname Hammock Coast. Adventure and relaxation blend together in perfect harmony, like the flowing and ebbing of waves on the county’s famed beaches. With six communities – southern Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, Pawleys Island, Georgetown and Andrews – comprising the pristine coastal area between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, visitors can experience South Carolina’s Hammock Coast like never before. 0 Hammock-All, Birding
