Discovering the Artist Within

Connected to beauty, to history and heritage, to the abundance of both nature and society, the view from the Harbour Town Lighthouse inspires people every single day. What people discover here, when they breathe in this air of inspiration, can be as varied and personal as our guests themselves.

A first kiss, a proposal, a wedding, a career choice, a business enterprise – the things that people experience here are a joy to consider. One of our favorite stories is that of our friend Jeff Keefer, the art photographer of VIVID Gallery, in the nearby Shops at Sea Pines Center.

Our gracious lighthouse keeper, Nadia Wagner, would probably never take credit for it, but the way we see it, Nadia was the magician who helped Jeff discover the artistic spirit, waiting within him, and helped Jeff see the path to sharing his art with the world.

A Change of Direction

Jeff Keefer retired to his vacation home near the Harbour Town Yacht Basin, within sight of the lighthouse, after a career that culminated in his serving as chief financial officer of the global science and innovation company, Dupont.

Few companies are larger and more influential than Dupont. Few responsibilities are more insistent and comprehensive than CFO. And few careers are seemingly more 180-degree opposite from art than finance. And yet, here we are. Of all the artists who make Hilton Head Island their home, their source of inspiration, we know of few if any who are more respected, beloved in fact, than Jeff.

The story of his discovery is one reason why.

With a Camera in Hand

Jeff picked up a video camera in retirement, as a tool for capturing the beauty he was grateful to find beginning at his doorstep. He met Nadia on a visit to the Harbour Town Lighthouse – likely in the process of courteously asking permission to capture the view. When Jeff added a drone to his camera technology, he became the finest source we know of aerial footage of the ever-changing horizons and colors and shapes and shadows that emerge as a day at the lighthouse unfolds.

In fact, when time came to produce a new generation of Harbour Town Lighthouse TV commercials, there was no better source of footage than Jeff’s. Nadia decided to offer recorded videos of Jeff’s soaring views in the shops atop the lighthouse and at the foot of the stairway.

Nadia asked Jeff for a “freeze-frame,” a sill image from one of the videos that she could use as a poster to offer the videos for sale.

With an Eye for Possibility

As Jeff tells it, selecting this still image for a video poster was the moment that started him on a new course. The possibilities of frame, perspective, lighting, composition, and color that a still image could embrace – this realization set Jeff on the path that led him to become a successful and sought-after art photographer.

Today, visitors and residents each week by the hundreds stroll Jeff’s VIVID Gallery, selecting images of the world as Jeff sees it, from Hilton Head Island to Europe and beyond. So many people want to make this the memory of Hilton Head Island that they cherish in their home, that Jeff made one of the rooms of the Gallery to resemble a dining area, so that folks could imagine it more easily.

With a Heart Full of Purpose

In gratitude for discovering the artist within, Jeff decided to donate all the proceeds from the sale of his art photography to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Jeff has served on the Foundation’s advisory board, and each year he hosts a fundraising event called Fun with the Fox at VIVID Gallery. This year’s event raised more than $50,000 for the cause, thanks to generous sponsors and fun-loving ticket buyers.

The team at Harbour Town Lighthouse is beyond grateful to have played a part in such a story. Come visit and see how the view from the lighthouse can inspire you.