Creative Vision celebrates the creativity of Sun City Residents

When a single photograph sparks imagination across paint, glass, and wood, the result is Creative Vision—Sun City’s signature celebration of art and photography—returning for its 13th year. The Creative Vision 2026 Show will take place over three days, from Friday, January 30 through Sunday, February 1, in Pinckney Hall, inviting residents to experience one of the community’s most popular cultural events.

Widely anticipated each year, Creative Vision is a joint effort of four Sun City clubs—the Photography Club, All About Art, Glasscrafters Club, and, making its debut in the show this year, Woodworker Artists—working together to present a unified exhibition. Co-chaired by Sue Grilli and Barbara Moschella, the 2026 show features 146 participants, including 73 photographers, 61 artists, 8 glasscrafters, and 4 woodworkers.

“The artists start with a photo from the photographer and then create their interpretation in their own medium,” said Grilli.

The result is a collection of paired works that reflect both individual creativity and the collaborative spirit of the participating clubs. The format has proven highly popular, drawing approximately 3,000 residents last year to view the artwork and take part in voting.

A favorite feature of the show—the Favorite Choice voting—returns this year with a new schedule. Voting will take place during the first two days of the exhibition, Friday and Saturday, allowing volunteers time to tabulate the results. Visitors are encouraged to come early in the show to vote for their favorites in five categories: Favorite Pair, Favorite Art, Favorite Photo, Favorite Glass, and Favorite Wood. While voting will close at the end of the day on Saturday, the show itself will continue on Sunday, giving residents another opportunity to enjoy the artwork on display.

Behind the scenes, much of the show’s random matching of participants and continuity is guided by longtime Photography Club member John Burrack, who has been involved with the pairing process since 2014 in advance of the 2015 exhibition and has served as Pairing and Participant Communications Chair since 2016.

Burrack joined the Photography Club in 2008 and is a former club president, and through the years has served in many roles including an instructor of photography classes, and a regular presence during weekly studio hours, where he assists members in producing prints—including many featured in the Creative Vision exhibition. He also leads the Canon-R Mirrorless user group.

Burrack first worked on the event when it was known as Double Vision. In those early years, photographers and artists were paired through a lottery-style drawing. from separate pools of registrants. For the most recent shows, the process has evolved into a digital random pairing system, now capable of creating more than 70 photographer-artist pairings.

Following the COVID-related closure that canceled the 2021 show, Double Vision was renamed Creative Vision to better reflect its intent. As Burrack explained, the exhibition is designed to present “two independent interpretations of a common scene or moment,” reinforcing the collaborative relationship between photographer and artist rather than a traditional arts-and-crafts format.

The show has also expanded steadily in scope. Originally limited to traditional artists, Creative Vision later added glass artists—first four, then ten—and in 2026 welcomes Woodworker Artists for the first time. Traditional artist categories now also include digital and graphic artists.

Burrack has personally participated as a photographer in every Creative Vision and Double Vision show. The 2026 exhibition marks his 13th pairing, though only his 12th different photograph, as one image selected by an artist in the first show was later chosen again by a different artist.

Over time, Creative Vision has become one of Sun City Hilton Head’s most recognized and well-attended annual events. Burrack credits its success to leadership that has consistently positioned the exhibition as a creative, artist-centered show rather than a craft fair—an approach that has helped it remain one of the community’s few multi-day art events. He also noted that Lifestyle Services has recognized the show’s strong community involvement and its continued role as a shared signature event among multiple chartered clubs.

Awards will be announced on Sunday, February 1, at 1 p.m. Show hours are Friday, January 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, January 31, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, February 1, from 10 a.m. to noon.