This year marks Illa Sholla’s first shot at creating art from a Gretsch guitar. And her creation is a wonderful, fanciful piece called “Zinging!”

The colorful character is in great voice with mouth agape. That mouth was the guitar’s sound hole in which we now find teeth and other parts of the oral cavity!

Talented Illa Sholla is the first of over a dozen Savannah area artists completing new “guitar art” for display and sale by the Savannah Folk Music Society.

For the sixth year, the society takes guitars donated by the Gretsch Foundation and has generous artists transform them into unique objects of art. The “Noteworthy Art and More” exhibition and auction will come in the fall to support the free-to-the public 19th Annual Savannah Folk Music Festival, Oct. 10-12.

The art pieces will be on display at City Market’s Lobby Gallery all September, with the auction occurring at the festival at events on Oct. 10 and 12.

In addition to the “art guitars”, playable Gretsch guitars, banjo heads and other items will be auctioned, autographed by such celebrities as George Jones, Kathy Mattea, Bela Fleck, Chad & Jeremy, Ian Tyson, John McCutcheon, and Hazel Dickens.

For more information, call (912) 786-6953 or on the Web, www.savannahfolk.org.