Aug

3 2023

JEA Art Gallery Reception

5:00PM  

Jewish Educational Alliance 5111 Abercorn St.
Savannah, GA 31405
912-355-8111

Contact Vicky Lunick
912-355-8111
vicky@savj.org

Gabriel Drabek & Tommy McMillan

“Two Friends and a Brush”

Gabriel Drabek was born and raised in Savannah, GA, where he was homeschooled through eighth grade with his two younger brothers. His parents surrounded him with music and art as his father, Michael, is a drummer, and his mother, Tiffany, is a sculptor and potter. The greatest inspiration to create art from a very young age came from the hours of family reading, pouring over beautifully illustrated books with exciting stories about people and animals. After each dose of literature, Gabriel would then translate the story onto paper with paint, pen or pastels.

Gabriel continues to experience live stories every day in his work and school. During high school at Savannah Arts Academy, he won numerous art competitions, including being the semi-finalist for Governor’s Honors Program and the Gold Key Recipient for Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. At Georgia Southern University, where he is currently completing his junior year pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, he was the recipient of the Bert & Beatrice Liles Art Scholarship, the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art Scholarship, the Betty Foy Sanders Incoming Freshman Scholarship, and the First Place $1000 Scholarship Winner of the World’s Largest (Not So) Still Life Challenge.

What fuels Gabriel’s art is his everyday interactions with people as a First Mate working summers at Derek’s Dolphin Adventures on Tybee Island, and just being a college student. If he is not working on his art, he is either enjoying outdoor life with his friends, family, and dog, Nola, competing in club soccer, golfing with friends, or meeting with his church fellowship. Although Gabriel has worked in pencil, charcoal, watercolor, and acrylics, his favorite medium is oil. Oil allows him to pull out unique storytelling features in his portraits, and musically paint his landscapes.

Tommy McMillan - Tommy McMillan is a painter who lives in Statesboro, Georgia. He was born in Tifton, Georgia, and grew up in Ocilla, Georgia. He is a graduate of Shorter College where he earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. He also has a Master of Music degree. He is a musician who worked in music all of his life. 

Tommy studied painting with Kyung Ai Mock in Brunswick, Georgia. He later studied painting and drawing with Jeff Lemieux, Professor of Art at Coastal Community College in Brunswick. He moved to Statesboro, Georgia, in 2013, and is continuing his art studies at Georgia Southern University. While at GSU he has studied painting and drawing with Pat Walker, Elsie Howington, Matthew Mogle, and Melissa Huang.