Telfair Museum of Art
left: Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences Facade; right: Owens-Thomas House Facade
Savannah, GA
912-232-1177
About the Telfair Museum of Art
Mary Telfair was a woman who loved art for its aesthetic beauty and wanted people in future generations to develop the same understanding and appreciation that she had. It was with that in mind, in 1875, that she left her mansion and a modest collection of fine and decorative arts to be preserved for all to admire. She would have been proud to see the opening of the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1886. Today, 114 years later, the Telfair Museum of Art stands on the threshold of a new millennium, poised to expand the vision of Mary Telfair's legacy.
The Telfair Museum of Art is the oldest public museum in the South. Its collection of over 4,500 works of art includes two National Historic Landmark Buildings, the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Owens-Thomas House.
The Telfair Academy was designed by English architect William Jay in the Regency style. Built from 1818 to 1819, the mansion was home to the Telfair family until 1875. Mary Telfair bequeathed the house and its furnishing to the Georgia Historical Society to be opened as a museum. After the addition of the Sculpture Gallery and Rotunda, the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences formally opened in 1886.
The Telfair's permanent collection of paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and decorative arts contains glowing examples of American Impressionism, inciuding major paintings by Childe Hassam and Frederick Carl Frieseke. Recent acquisitions include important works by respected 20th-century artists Gari Melchers, Robert Beauchamp, Helen Levitt, and Max Bill. The Octagon and Dining Rooms, restored to their original elegance, provide a splendid setting for the Museum's decorative arts collection.
A dynamic extension of the art experiences offered by the Telfair are exciting travelling shows from all over the world and special exhibitions from the collection. The Museum also offers a variety of programs for all ages, including hands-on youth activities in the Education Gallery, evening lectures, guided tours, and Family Sundays.
Please see the Museum's website for hours and admission
fees.
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