Telfair Magazine May-August, 2012

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Above: Therman Statom; Glass House, 2006. Photograph by Holly Akkerman.

Telfair Magazine is designed by Holly Akkerman, graphic designer.

ISSUE 13 / MAY–AUGUST 2012

TELFAIR ACADEMY / OWENS-THOMAS HOUSE / JEPSON CENTER

WWW.TELFAIR.ORG

MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE

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Director's Message I am honored to be your museum's new director!

Thank you for extending such a warm welcome to my family and me during this period of transition.

Over the past four months, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many amazing people who make up the Telfair family. I’ve listened as you have shared personal stories about why the museum matters to you, and its relevance to our community. I have witnessed the excitement of great programs and events, including the Telfair Ball and the amazing PULSE: Art + Technology Festival. I have been deeply touched by the level of commitment and passion that so many of you demonstrate for the museum.

The Telfair is truly an inspiring place, and I look forward to building on this history and passion as we chart a course for our next 125 years. I invite you to attend Telfair Museums Annual Meeting and reception on May 24 at 6 pm as we celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and set our sights on the exciting years ahead.

We have a lot of exciting exhibitions and programs in store for you this summer, so I hope you will plan to visit us often! At the Telfair Academy, we will present an exhibition of permanent collection works by Kahlil Gibran, followed by a show of Low Country inspired works by local artist Preston Russell. At the Jepson Center, we will present an incredible show of works by Reverend Howard Finster, one of America's most widely known and prolific self-taught artists.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Studio Glass Movement, we will present a show more than thirty glass objects from the museum's permanent collection as well as incredible glass pieces from local collectors.

We are pleased to unveil new additions to our ArtZeum on April 19. These new additions, which offer activities for ages 3–5, were made possible through the support of TAG. We also are pleased to offer a great lineup of summer camps for children of all ages. Remember, the Telfair is a great place to bring your children and grandchildren on a hot summer’s day!

In closing, I would like to say a few words of thanks. First, I would like to thank each of you, our members, for your ongoing support. It is thanks to your generous support that we are able to offer world-class exhibitions and education programs that bring the arts to thousands each year. I would also like to thank the Telfair’s Board of Directors for offering me this opportunity to lead such an amazing institution in this wonderful community.

And finally, I would like to thank Cathy Solomons for her dedication and hard work as Interim Director. I can’t imagine better footsteps to follow in than Cathy’s—she is such a genuine and giving person whose passion for the Telfair is evident in everything she does. We all owe Cathy a huge debt of gratitude. Thank you, Cathy.

I'm delighted to be part of the Telfair family and the Savannah community, and I look forward to seeing you at Telfair Museums soon!

Lisa Grove, Director/CEO

Howard Finster; Emages of Visions of Other Worlds Beyond (3077) [detail], n.d.; Tractor enamel on Plexiglas; Courtesy of the Arient Family Collection.

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Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster June 29–August 19 / Jepson Center A self-proclaimed “Man of Visions,” Howard Finster was one of America’s most widely known and prolific self-taught artists, producing over 46,000 pieces of art before his death in 2001. Finster saw himself as a sacred artist, tirelessly recording his visionary prophesies and providing glimpses of a celestial outer space world that God revealed to him. These visionary journeys provided a limitless variety of images for his creative endeavors.

Born in rural Alabama in 1916, Finster went on to become a preacher, tent revivalist, and “master of 22 different trades” before building his roadside tribute to inventors, the Plant Farm Museum, in Summerville, Georgia. Later dubbed “Paradise Garden” by Esquire magazine, this rock- and junk-encrusted wonderland was the focus of Finster’s life work. In 1976, however, this focus shifted slightly. As he was using his hands to apply paint to a refurbished bicycle, Finster noticed that the paint smudge on his finger had created a perfect human face. A voice spoke to him saying “paint sacred art.” In response, Finster churned out thousands of sermon-laden artworks with subjects ranging from historical characters and popular culture icons like Elvis Presley to evangelistic fantasy landscapes and futuristic cities.

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Finster’s preaching experience and showman-like personality helped shape his public persona and everincreasing celebrity. To spread his vision beyond Paradise Garden, Finster designed record album covers for rock groups such as R.E.M. and Talking Heads. Interviews, films, and his famous appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson further advanced his evangelical message. Well-known and often misunderstood, his position remains polarized, suspended somewhere between awe for his tireless, faith-driven creativity and reluctance by the art community to accept his place in the pantheon of contemporary art.

Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster is curated by Glen C. Davies, organized by Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and sponsored in part by Fox Development Corporation; Thomas E. Scanlin; Office of the Chancellor, U of I; Office of the Provost and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, U of I; Illinois Art Council; Krannert Art Museum Director’s Circle Fund; and Krannert Art Museum Council.

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RELATED PROGRAMS Film: “Athens, GA/Inside-Out” June 28, 7 pm / Jepson Center Free to members. $5 non-members Folk art and rock and roll converge in this rarely screened classic documentary about Athens, Georgia, in the 1980s. In the film, Howard Finster is shown painting with his fingers and jamming on his banjo with rock musician Dexter Romweber. Though Finster was based in Summerville, Georgia, his work was championed early on by Athens musicians R.E.M. who appear in the film along with legendary artists from the classic city including the B-52s, Pylon, Love Tractor, the Flat Duo Jets and many others. (82 minutes)

* Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster, Lecture by Glen C. Davies July 12, 6 pm / Jepson Center Join Glen C. Davies, curator of Stranger in Paradise for a look into the life and work of the Reverend Howard Finster. Mr. Davies is an artist, lecturer, and curator, noted for his mural work in venues across the United States.

* Docent Training and Gallery Talk on Howard Finster by Glen C. Davies July 13, 10 am / Jepson Center *Folk Art Family Day July 14, 1–4 pm / Jepson Center

Opposite page top to bottom: Howard Finster; Big Watch Dog of Space (2659), 1983; Tractor enamel on wood; Courtesy of the Arient Family Collection.

Howard Finster; River of Life (5253), 1986; Tractor enamel on wood; Courtesy of the Arient Family Collection. This page top to bottom: Howard Finster; The Super Powers (4581), 1985; Tractor enamel on wood; Courtesy of John Denton. Howard Finster; Emage of Elvis at Three Years Old (2021), 1981; Tractor enamel on wood; Courtesy of the Arient Family Collection.

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Celebrate the inventive world of Howard Finster and folk art with this afternoon of activities for all ages. Telfair will present demonstrations by local self-taught artists and live old-time music by Joe Nelson. Kids can make different art projects using recycled items from the Chatham Country Recycling Center. Grownups will want to hear a fascinating talk by Jordan Poole, preservation advocate for Howard Finster’s Paradise Gardens.

* Programs are FREE and open to the public, sponsored by the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs.

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Visions of The Prophet: The Visual Art of Kahlil Gibran May 26–September 16 / Telfair Academy The ever-popular collection of drawings, watercolors, and paintings by the Lebanese-born, visionary artist and writer Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) will be on view all summer. Although best known for authoring The Prophet, a collection of short, philosophical essays that became one of the topselling books of the twentieth century, Kahlil Gibran first pursued visual art. Beginning in childhood, his early efforts set him on a lifelong path of creativity that ultimately made possible his literary achievements.

Inspired by painters from the Renaissance, the PreRaphaelites, the French Symbolists, and others, such as visionary William Blake, Gibran sought to express symbolic ideas about life, humanity, and the interconnectedness of all things in his own unique way.

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The Telfair’s collection spans the artist’s career beginning with The Vision of Adam and Eve, a work exhibited in his first show at photographer Fred Holland Day’s studio in Boston in 1904, to works created during the last years of his life, including six works used as illustrations in his last book The Garden of the Prophet. The show includes numerous illustrations from six of his English-written books, photographs of Gibran, interior views of his New York studio, a portrait of the young artist painted by Lilla

Cabot Perry, portraits of Gibran’s family and friends, including patron Mary Haskell Minis(1872-1964) and her other protégés, as well as drawings and sketches on Minis’ personal stationery. Minis gave her collection of nearly one hundred works to the Telfair in 1950. She had been thinking of the donation from as early as 1914 when she wrote Gibran about her first experiences at the museum: And of course I am thinking of other museums next. Perhaps Boston-Chicago— and the unique little Telfair Gallery in Savannah, Ga. that Gari Melchers chooses pictures for. There when I was a visiting child, form burst on my astonished little soul…Art has a southern beginning at the Telfair.

Originally from South Carolina, Minis retired to Savannah after running an elite girls’ school in Massachusetts for nearly two decades. She married her cousin’s widower Jacob Florance Minis, a wealthy businessman and Telfair Trustee, in 1926.

Organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Tania Sammons, Curator of Decorative Arts and the Owens-Thomas House.

Images left to right: Kahlil Gibran; The Greater Self, 1917; Pencil on paper; 10 1/2 x 8 in.; Gift of Mary Haskell Minis, 1950; 1950.8.20. Kahlil Gibran; The Summit from Sand and Foam, c. 1925, Watercolor and pencil on paper; 11 x 8 1/2 in.; Gift of Mary Haskell Minis, 1950; 1950.8.14.

RELATED PROGRAMS BBC Broadcast about Kahlil Gibran May 4 BBC World will broadcast worldwide a program about Kahlil Gibran, including an interview with Curator Tania Sammons. Check Telfair’s website for details closer to the date of broadcast.

Gallery Talk by Tania Sammons

Second International Conference on Kahlil Gibran May 3-6 / University of Maryland Curator Tania Sammons will present a lecture on "Kahlil Gibran’s Representations of the Feminine Divine" She will also co-edit the conference proceedings with Dr. Suheil Bushrui, The George and Lisa Zakhem Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace at the University of Maryland, which will be published later in 2012.

June 18, 1pm / Telfair Academy Free to members or with museum admission

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Blown, Assembled and Cast: A Celebration of Contemporary Glass July 7–October 28 / Jepson Center For the 50th anniversary of the United States Studio Glass Movement, Telfair Museums will host its first exhibition on the subject of contemporary glass. Blown, Assembled and Cast: A Celebration of Contemporary Glass will feature approximately thirty works from the museum’s collection of studio glass, as well as works from collectors Danyse and Julius Edel, Betty Melaver, and Jackie and Stephen Rabinowitz.

The exhibition will explore a variety of techniques used in the creation of studio glass—blown, cast, and assembled—through the work of nationally and internationally-recognized artists including Dale Chihuly, José Chardiet, Stephen Dee

Edwards, Jon Kuhn, David Levi, Dante Marioni, Charles Miner and Bertil Vallien. One of the most important contemporary glass objects in the Telfair’s collection includes a custom-built glass house by Therman Statom. The piece was created in 2006 for the ArtZeum in the the Jepson Center.

Organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Tania Sammons, Curator of Decorative Arts and the Owens-Thomas House.

David Levi, (American b. 1959); Artichoke Jar, 1999; Colored glass; 20 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 11 inches; Gift of Danyse G. and Julius Edel, 2007.7. David Levi (American b. 1959); Bird Vase, 1999; Colored glass; 24 1/2 x 13 1/4 x 7 1/4 inches; Gift of Danyse G. and Julius Edel, 2007.6. José Chardiet (American, b. Cuba, 1956); Milano, 2003; Blown, solid hot worked and sand-cast glass; 25 x 11 x 6 1/2 inchesGift of Moses Luski, 2009.17.1.a-d.

This exhibition is sponsored by the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, Danyse and Julius Edel, and Mr. and Mrs. Lawerence Gutstein. * Programs are FREE and open to the public, sponsored by the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs.

RELATED PROGRAMS Gallery Talk by Tania Sammons July 23, 1 pm / Jepson Center Free to members or with museum admission.

* Blown, Assembled and Cast: A Celebration of Contemporary Glass Lecture October 18, 6 pm / Jepson Center Join renowned glass sculptor Therman Statom and other featured artists from the exhibition for talks on processes used in the creation of their work. Statom’s primary medium is sheet glass. He cuts, paints and assembles the glass, adding found objects along the way. Statom exhibits internationally and his work is represented in major collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Toledo Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution’s Renwick Gallery.

*Glassblowing Workshops at Drayton Glass Works October 20, 2-4 pm/ Drayton Glass Works, 2424 1/2 Drayton St. Local master glass artist Jon Poirer will give provide short glassblowing workshops to introduce participants to the medium. Workshops are 45 minutes and free by advance registration only at 912.790.8823.

Director’s Circle Preview Dinner celebrating Blown, Assembled and Cast and Dan Winter's America September 12 , 6 pm / Jepson Center Call Catherine Renner at 912.790.8844 for more information.

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Journey to the Beloved Community: Story Quilts by Beth Mount July 20–October 14 / Jepson Center Journey to the Beloved Community: Story Quilts by Beth Mount features quilts created by Beth Mount, a Georgia native living in New York City. Mount uses her textile skills in a creative format to build communication among the diverse groups of people with whom she works. Her life's work is devoted to supporting people with disabilities in becoming valued members of the community and she uses quilts as a way to connect people and ideas, art and activism.

Mount’s quilts serve as metaphor and example of the weaving together of the colorful interests of many into tapestries of shared concern. Her quilts display vibrant collections of diversity – fabrics, patterns, and identities – from people of many cultures finding a way toward an aesthetic that expresses harmony, balance, rhythm, vitality, beauty, and joy in the process of creation.

While Mount’s quilts are created with a communal purpose, her aesthetic is rooted in both quilting traditions and contemporary eclecticism. Like many women, Mount learned to quilt and embroider from her grandmother. She hand sews her quilts, but uses a machine to complete her work. Her colorful designfilled creations are inspired by the people she meets and knows, but her aesthetic is largely informed artist Faith Ringold, who is best known for her mixed-media story quilts. Mount also admires the work of the Gees Bend quilters from Alabama.

Organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Tania Sammons, Curator of Decorative Arts and the Owens-Thomas House.

RELATED PROGRAMS Located at the Jepson Center unless otherwise noted

Beth Mount, Speaker, 2012 TEDxCreative Coast May 18 / time TBA

Seeing Savannah: Lyn Bonham’s View of Citizen Advocacy July 20–December 16 Photographer Lyn Bonham has documented several advocate/ protégé relationships established through Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy. The photos in this exhibit, which span several years,showcase Bonham’s talent in revealing the essence of her subjects’ relationships.

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July 19, 6 pm Free and open to the public.

I Am The Beloved Community: Story Quilts of Our Savannah August 10–December 16 Organized by Loop It Up Savannah of West Broad Street, this exhibition is a collection of neighborhood story quilts made by the children of the West Broad Street YMCA, Boys and Girls Club of the Coastal Empire and the seniors of the City of Savannah Hudson Hill Golden Age Center, and documented by international students from the Savannah College of Art and Design English as a Second Language Department.

Waddie Welcome and the Beloved Community Program September 27, 6 pm Lecture will feature Beth Mount, Tom Kohler, and Susan Earl.

Free and open to the public.

Eye to Eye: The Making of We September 28–October 24 / Indigo Sky Gallery, 915 Waters Avenue / Opening reception September 28, 7 pm / Coordinated

by Jerome Meadows, five Savannah artists exhibit original art created in response to the interplay and personal dynamics that exist between people involved in collaboration with ChathamSavannah Citizen Advocacy.

Beth Mount; Everyday Heroes, 2002 [detail] ; Cotton; 88 x 86 inches; On loan from Beth Mount.

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Opening Reception

Above: Sarah Mary Taylor (American, 1916-2000); Appliquéd Quilt, c. 1980; Cotton; 78 x 33 inches; Gift of the Judith Alexander Estate, 2011.20.5.

Quilts from the Telfair’s Collection July 20–October 14 / Jepson Center Quilts from the Telfair's Collection highlights colorful coverlets that are composed of fabrics from the rarest silks to the simplest cottons, corduroys, wools and modern polyesters. The makers represent Americans of all ages, races and creeds with one important factor in common – the need to express themselves through their textile artistry. Providing warmth and comfort as well as communicating their makers’ message, in the most tactile of mediums, these quilts tell their stories.

The Telfair's eclectic quilt collection ranges from a pieced patchwork quilt made in 1785 by Ann Jack of Virginia to an appliquéd story quilt made in the 1980s

by Sarah Mary Taylor of Yazoo, Mississippi. Given by the Judith Alexander Foundation, this most recent addition to the museum’s quilt collection represents

a continuation of artistic expression passed through generations. Taylor inherited a love of quilting from her mother Pearlie Posey and Aunt Pecolia Warner.

For many years, Taylor made pieced quilts out of clothing remnants, but began making appliqué quilts in 1980 after her Aunt Pecolia received recognition for her appliquéd work.

Organized by Telfair Museums and co-curated by Tania Sammons, Curator of Decorative Arts and the OwensThomas House, and Cyndi Sommers, Owens-Thomas House Administrative Assistant and long-time quilter, Quilts from the Telfair's Collection provides a historical perspective for the contemporary quilts featured in Journey To the Beloved Community: Story Quilts by Beth Mount. Together, the works in both shows exhibit the continuum of the quilting tradition in America.

Gallery Talk by Tania Sammons and Cyndi Sommers August 27, 1 pm / Jepson Center Free to members or with museum admission

Low Country Memories: Works by Preston Russell

August 18, 2012–January 6, 2013 / Telfair Academy For nearly forty years, artist Preston Russell has created paintings inspired by the people, architecture, and history of Savannah and the Low Country.

Often populated with ghost-like figures from the past, Russell’s canvases possess an enigmatic quality and a surprising element of tension, further heightened by the artist’s unique compositional choices.

Viewing Russell’s work, it seems fitting that he cites Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper as his greatest artistic influences. Russell, who is primarily self-taught, has lived and worked in Savannah since the early 1970s and was a founding member of Gallery 209 on River Street. In 1976, three of his paintings were selected by the French government for inclusion in the American Artists in Paris Bicentennial exhibition. His work can be found in private collections around the country and in Europe, as well as in museum collections including the Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, and Telfair Museums.

Raised in Tennessee, Russell attended Tulane University and Vanderbilt Medical School. He went on to practice medicine in Savannah for over 30 years. Russell paints nearly every day in his studio, a converted carriage house behind his 1860s home in historic downtown Savannah. He is also active as a historian; Russell and his wife, Barbara, co-authored Savannah: A History of Her People Since 1733, first published in 1992 and currently in its sixth printing.

Low Country Memories: Works by Preston Russell is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Courtney McNeil, Curator of Art. Above middle: Preson Russell (American, b. 1941); W.W. Law and His Mother, Late 1980s, King-Tisdell Cottage, 2000; Acrylic on board; 16 x 20 inches; Gift of the artists, 2011.5. Left: Preston Russell; Fish on Barnard Street, 1989; Acrylic on

RELATED PROGRAM Lecture: Preston Russell November 1, 6 pm / Telfair Academy Savannah-based painter Preston Russell discusses his work. Free to members or with museum admission.

Reception will follow lecture.

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May–June 2012

May

June

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FOT Garden Party 5 pm, OT

Gallery Talk: Visions of The Prophet: The Visual Art of Kahlil Gibran

6

1 pm, JC

FAAA Member Appreciation Event

21

5:30 pm, OT

9 WibiTAG Meeting 6 pm, JC

9

Toddler Third Thursday 10 am, JC

22 Juneteenth performance 6 pm, JC

Melchers Society Annual Meeting

23

6 pm, JC

Juneteenth at the Jepson

12 SketchCrawl

10 am – 4 pm, JC

14

12 pm, JC

28 FAAA Meeting 6 pm JC

Gallery Talk: Juliette Gordon Low and Her Contemporaries

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1 pm, TA

7 pm JC

15

29

Film:“Athens, GA/Inside-Out”

Lecture by Oliver Everett 6 pm, JC , Free for FOT,

Stanger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster Opens

$5 Telfair Members, $10 non-members

JC, through August 19

17 Toddler Third Thursday 10 am, JC

17 WJS Event 5 pm, OT

18 Tedx Event 8:30 am, JC

19 ArtZeum Opening Celebration 11 am, JC

TA - Telfair Academy OT - Owens-Thomas House JC - Jepson Center FAAA - Friends of Aftrican American Art FOT- Friends of the Owens-Thomas House Melchers- Gari Melchers Collectors' Society TAG-Telfair Academy Guild WibiTAG-Women in Business in TAG WJS-William Jay Society

24 Telfair Museums Annual Meeting 6 pm, JC, reception to follow

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Visions of The Prophet: The Visual Art of Kahlil Gibran Opens

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TA, through September 16

Events are subject to change. Visit telfair.org for more information.

31 FAAA Meeting 6 pm, JC

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TELFAIR.ORG

July–August 2012

July

August

7

4

Blown, Assembled and Cast: A Celebration of Contemporary Glass Opens

Monte Carlo 7 pm, JC

JC, through October 28

16

11

10 am, JC

WibiTAG

5:30, Davenport House

12 Lecture: "Stranger in Paradise" by Glen C. Davies 6 pm, JC

14

FREE Family Day

Toddler Third Thursday

18

Low Country Memories: Works by Preston Russell Opens TA, through January 6, 2013

27 Gallery Talk: Quilts from the Telfair's Collection

TA and JC

1 pm, JC

19

30

Journey to the Beloved Community: Story Quilts by Beth Mount Opening Reception

FAAA Meeting 6 pm JC

6 pm, JC

SAVE THE DATE

19

November 9

Toddler Third Thursday 10 am, JC

19

Seeing Savannah: Lyn Bonham’s View of Citizen Advocacy Opens

Arty Party, Telfair Sqaure

November 10 -11 18th Annual Telfair Art Fair, Telfair Sqaure

JC, throughDecember 16

PROGRAMS

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Blue Star Museum

Quilts from the Telfair's Collection Opens

JC, through October 14

For the third year, Telfair Museums is proud to participate in Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Active duty members of the U.S. military and their families will receive free admission to the Museum between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

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Bank of America-Museums On Us

JC, through October 14

20

Journey to the Beloved Community Story Quilts by Beth Mount Opens

Gallery Talk: Blown, Assembled and Cast: a Celebration of Contemporary Glass 1 pm, JC

Free admission to Bank of America cardholders the first full weekend of every month

26 FAAA Meeting 6 pm, JC

ART + HISTORY + ARCHITECTURE

Images below left to right: Preston Russell; Grandmothers, 2002; acrylic on canvas. Kahlil Gibran; Untitled (Rose Sleeves), 1911; Oil on canvas; 25 3/8 x 18 in.; Gift of Mary Haskell Minis, 1950; 1950.8.42. Howard Finster; Matthew Arient’s Angel (6927), 1987; Tractor enamel on wood; Collection of Matthew J. Arient. Mame and Kathryn Armstrong (American, late 19th century); Crazy Quilt, 1885; Silk embroidery on silk and velvet; cotton, line; 77 ½ x 66 ½ inches; Gift of Barbara Armstrong Church, 2003.21.

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Dan Winters’s America: Icons and Ingenuity September 14–November 11 / Jepson Center

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Dan Winters is a nationally-known photographer who has spent more than two decades creating memorable images for publications such as the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, GQ, Rolling Stone, and many others. Best known for his iconic and distinctive celebrity portraits, Winters has photographed public figures ranging from the Dalai Lama to President Barack Obama, Hollywood celebrities from Leonardo DiCaprio to Dame Helen Mirren, and authors and artists from Jeff Koons to William Christenberry. In addition to portraiture, Winters has produced a remarkable body of work

depicting subjects including space shuttle launches, street photography, and poignant black-and-white images of friends and family. The artist’s deftlycrafted constructions and collages, often originally fabricated to serve as props in his elaborate photo shoots, will also be included in the exhibition. Dan Winters’s America: Icons and Ingenuity will be the first museum show dedicated to the work of this accomplished artist.

Dan Winters’s America: Icons and Ingenuity is organized

by Telfair Museums and curated by Courtney McNeil, Curator of Art.

This exhibition is sponsored in part by Dr. and Mrs. Morris R. Geffen, Mrs. Robert O. Levitt, and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Rabinowitz.

A fully illustrated hardbound catalogue, sponsored in part by the Telfair Academy Guild, will accompany this exhibition.

RELATED PROGRAMS / Jepson Center Director’s Circle Preview Dinner celebrating Blown, Assembled and Cast and Dan Winter's America September 12 , 6 pm Call Catherine Renner at 912.790.8844 for more information.

Lecture by Dan Winters and Members' Opening September 13 , 6 pm

Sponsored by the Telfair Academy Guild

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Offering of the Angels: Paintings and Tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery December 7, 2012–March 30, 2013 / Jepson Center

Stunning works by masters of the Italian Renaissance, including Botticelli, Tintoretto, Titian, Lorenzo Monaco, and Parmigianino, will be on view at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center this winter during the exhibition Offering of the Angels: Paintings and Tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery. The Uffizi Gallery, located in Florence, Italy, is one of the world’s oldest and most renowned art museums, and the 45 works in this exhibition have never before been on view in the United States. The exhibition includes Biblical scenes from the Old and New Testaments, each hand-selected by the director of the Uffizi Gallery, Antonio Natali, to provide a compelling overview of the role of religious art during the Renaissance. Offering of the Angels also demonstrates the powerful Medici family’s impact on art patronage, which helped to create a climate that allowed these master artists to flourish during what is now regarded as one of the greatest periods of artistic achievement in the history of Western civilization.

Offering of the Angels: Paintings and Tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery is organized by Contemporanea Progetti, Florence, and curated by Antonio Natali, director of the Uffizi Gallery.

Lead Corporate Sponsor: Gulfstream. Lead Sponsor: Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Jepson Jr. Contributing Sponsors: Courtney Knight Gaines Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis G. Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Bergen, Mrs. Inge A. Brasseler, Mr. and Mrs. Darryl Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Gary T. Capen, Mr. and Mrs. Glen M. Darbyshire, Mr. and Mrs. Domenico De Sole, Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Faircloth, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Kane, Mr. Ronald A. Kronowitz, Ms. Candace Lanier, Dr. Richard F. Leighton, Mrs. Robert O. Levitt, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. McWhorter, Mrs. B.H. Rutledge Moore, Mr. J. Wilson Morris and Mrs. Linda R. Fisk Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Muller, Mr. John T. Neises, Mr. and Mrs. E. Michael Powers, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas V. Reilly, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin R. Roach, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ruddy, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sirlin, Mr. and Mrs. Philip J. Solomons Jr., Mrs. Helen R. Steward, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Tucker, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Vernick, Mr. and Mrs. Don L. Waters, Ms. Anne P. West.

Above:Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) (and 19th-century restorer); Madonna and Child (detail) , c. 1466-67; Oil on panel; Collection of Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

Below: Fabrizio Boschi, (Firenze 1572-1642); The Miracle of the Manna, c. 1594-97; Oil on canvas; 144 x 229 cm; Collection of Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Opposite clockwise from top left: Dan Winters; Helen Mirren, Los Angeles, CA, 2007. Dan Winters; Discovery Launch; Kennedy Space Station, FL, 2011. Dan Winters; Haircut, Tybee Island, GA, 2006. Dan Winters; Photobooth, Driftwood, TX, 2003.

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LEARN Telfair membership affords a unique opportunity to enhance your artistic skills against the backdrop of the Telfair's permanent collection and visiting exhibitions, all at a discounted price. Check out 2012 classes at telfair.org or contact Kip Bradley at 912.790.8823 or bradleyk@telfair.org to reserve your space today!

Adult classes

Teen Classes

Sketchbooking is Hip!

Introductory Photography Weekend

Session A: Thursdays, May 3–May 31 / 12–2 pm Session B: Thursdays, May 3–May 31 / 5:30–7:30 pm Age: 16 and up Members $95/ Non-members $120 Instructor: Kip Bradley The more technology is integrated in to our lives, the more trendy low-tech activities like sketch booking becomes. It’s time to enjoy the simplicity, the growth and the delight that comes from sketching. This five week class will introduce the concept of keeping a sketchbook, move beyond any insecurities, and assist in developing sketchbooking methods. Four different types of sketchbooks will be initiated and explore why they are all important. Each class will introduce easy exercises that will help find individual unique sketching style. Learn how to sketch, draw, paint, and collage with a variety of simple techniques. Perfect for the beginner and experienced artist. Materials provided.

May 25–27/ Friday 4:30–6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 am–1 pm/ Ages 13–16 Members $100, Non-members $125 Instructor: Charlie Ribbens This weekend program focuses on black-and-white, digital photography and the basic functions of 35mm SLR manual cameras. While instruction emphasizes the advancements of digital media, we will also instruct conventional methods of film photography to supplement the experience. Camp features include student use of pin-hole cameras, film and digital cameras, field-trip to a downtown gallery, visits from established photographers, on-location shoots in the historic district, access to Telfair Museums’ photography collection and more!

Exploring Photography Weekend June 1–3 / 10 am–1 pm/ Adults only Members $100, Non-members $125 / Materials included Instructor: Charlie Ribbens This adult weekend program focuses on black-andwhite, digital photography and the basic functions of 35mm SLR manual cameras. While instruction emphasizes the advancements of digital media, the class will also cover conventional methods of film photography. Class features include student use of both manual and digital cameras, on-location shoots in the Historic District, a morning field trip, access to Telfair Museums’ photography collection and more!

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Summer Camps The program culminates with a reception and exhibition of the participants’ work in the Jepson Center’s Morrison Community Gallery.

Master Artist Photography Camp Session A: June 18–22 / 9 am–3 pm / ages 10-12 Session B: June 25–29 / 9 am–3 pm / ages 13-16 Member $200 / Non-members $235 This intensive week-long program focuses on black-and-white and digital photography and the basic functions of 35mm manual cameras. While instructors emphasize the advancements of digital media, they will also cover conventional methods of film photography to supplement the experience.

Camp features student use of both manual and digital cameras, field-trip to a downtown gallery, visits from established photographers, on-location shoots in the Historic District, access to Telfair Museums’ photography collection and more!

Geek Bling, Tecno-Jewelry and Fashion Accessories Ages 13–18 July 9–13 / 9 am-3 pm Members $175/ Non-members $195 Learn basic jewelry-making skills and explore accessory design by transforming outdated technology into wearable art. Students will create unique necklaces, bracelets, earrings and even a handbag using recycled computer parts, LEDs and electro luminescent wire. This class is ideal for middle school to high school students with an interest in jewelry and fashion.

Video Game Development Ages 14–18 July 9–13 / 9 am–3 pm Members $175/ Non-members $195 In this week long camp student will build their own video game. Students will explore, play, and develop video games while learning computer programing from scratch using Game Maker.

Learn to Draw with Robots and Lights Ages 6–10 July 16–20 / 9 am–3 pm Members $175/ Non-members $195 Go beyond pencils and crayons and learn to draw with robots and light. Explore the fundamentals of line, shape, and color to create exciting contemporary works of art. Learn to make your own “doodlebot” drawing machines and draw with lasers using extended photo exposures.

Art with the Pros Studio Camp Ages 6–10 July 30–August 3 / 9 am–3 pm Members $175/Non-Members $195 Each day, this camp will feature a different local artist providing a unique lesson based on his/ her medium. Lunch in Telfair square (weather permitting), breaks & games in ArtZeum, and special tours of the galleries are all included.

Students will learn to give constructive criticism on their and their peer’s artwork.

what can we make? Tinker/Hacker Camp Ages 8–12 July 30–August 3 / 9 am-3 pm Members $175, Non-Members $195

wcwm? camp allows students the opportunity to become inventors. Children are encouraged to take on interesting projects that explore their own creativity using real tools. Taking a close look at the Howard Finster exhibit, students will take apart, modify and tinker with everyday objects to create new art. Students will learn safe use of real tools, like drills and saws, and build projects using a variety of materials such as electric motors, batteries, wood or upcycled electronics.

Creative Transformations Pre-K Camp Ages 4-6 August 6–10/ 9 am–12 pm Members $100, Non-Members $125 Students in this camp will be met each day with a creative challenge. Inspired by current DIY trends, we will encourage your Pre-K student to turn the everyday into art. They will explore craft, sculpture, and fine art materials to make their own ingenious nothing/something. Projects include making your own water color kit and sketch book, building the best paper airplane, sculpture and light with LED’s.

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Family Programs wcwm?

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays/ 10 am–2 pm Note* Wcwm? will only be held on Saturdays during June, July and August

Jepson Center’s Melaver Studio Free to members and visitors with paid admission. Open to adults and children accompanied by an adult caregiver.

What Can We Make? (wcwm?), a drop-in studio, focuses on developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills through imagination. In addition to the wcwm? project kits, the studios provide watercolor and collage opportunities. The Family Design Challenge is an activity in which participants are assigned a theme each month and a secret ingredient or tool to use to make art from the most unexpected materials. Check our website for a list of talking points and activities you can complete as a family.

May

Toddler 3rd Thursdays Jepson Center / 10–11:30 am Ages 3–5 and parents Admission is $5 per child, $12 per adult. Museum member adults are free. Registration is required.

Designed especially for preschoolers and their adult companions, Toddler 3rd Thursday introduces toddlers to artwork in Telfair exhibits before completing a related take-home project. To register, please contact Kip Bradley at 912.790.8823 or bradleyk@telfair.org.

Sponsored in part by JCB, Inc. May 17 Owens-Thomas House

June 21

Family Make

Poetic Portraits

June Collaged concrete/ and digital poetry portraits

July Found object creations

July 19 Found Object Paintings

New ArtZeum Exhibits for Preschool Children Telfair Museums announces the opening of four new exhibits designed for preschool children and families. Funded by the Telfair Academy Guild, the new activities are installed in the ArtZeum–the children’s interactive museum space at Telfair’s Jepson Center.

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New activities for ArtZeum will include an architectural play space based on a house shown in one of the museums’ bestloved paintings, The Unpretentious Garden by Gari Melchers.

Children can weave vines into an arbor and enter the house to sort, select and hang Telfair collection images on the walls.

Other activities include a shape station, inspired by the work of artist Alexander Calder, in which children may construct two and three dimensional shapes with colorful magnetic tiles.

An “art garden” activity also allows for creative play, with an opportunity to build a flower bed with recycled materials. A fourth activity introduces children to symmetry in the three Telfair Museums buildings.

RELATED PROGRAM Opening Celebration May 19, 11 am- 2 pm / Jepson Cener Featuring activities in the ArtZeum and museum studios.

Admission is free to families during this event.

Sponsored by the Telfair Academy Guild.

Images: Gari Melchers’ house, an architectural playspace shown in construction at Studio Displays Inc.

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Juneteenth Celebration June 21–23 Telfair Museums’ 5th annual Juneteenth Celebration will include acclaimed author Beverly Jenkins, a concert of traditional music and percussion by David Pleasant and a Gullah Geechee day with programs and demonstrations by local artists. Juneteenth, is the celebration of the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Considered to be June 19, Juneteenth is the oldest celebrated remembrance of African American Emanicipation day and is often celebrated with acknowledgements, speakers and events.

Juneteenth Lecture by author Beverly Jenkins June 21, 7 pm / Second African Baptist Church Beverly Jenkins is the nation's premier writer of African-American historical romance fiction and specializes in 19th century African American life. She has 30 published novels to date and has also been featured in many national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, PEOPLE Magazine, Dallas Morning News and VIBE Magazine. Jenkins has lectured and spoken at such prestigious universities as Oberlin University, the University of Illinois and Princeton.

Bring on the Blessings, her first faith-based, women's fiction work, was published in Jan 2009, and her newest historical work, Night Hawk was released in October 2011. The fourth book in the Blessings series, A Wish and A Prayer, is due out in 2012

Performance by David Pleasant June 22, 6:30 pm / Jepson Center David Pleasant is a multi-faceted percussion virtuoso, rhythm effects vocalist, avant-garde performance artist , storyteller and lecturer who specializes in African American traditions. Born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in McIntosh County, he grew up in the rich Geechee-Gullah culture. The Gullah culture has played a major role in the development of Pleasant’s RiddimAthon, a performance and teaching method developed from African, Caribbean, and African American musical traditions.

Juneteenth at the Jepson June 23, 12–3 pm / Jepson Center Area performers, storytellers and art activities related to the Geechee-Gullah culture and inviting the participation of neighborhood associations including Cuyler-Brownsville, Tatemville and the communities of Sandfly and Pinpoint.

Jamal Toure, a griot or living historian, is founder of The African Spirits of Day Clean -an organization dedicated to preserving the history and culture of African Americans.

Toure will present a living history exhibit based on the Geechee-Gullah culture.

Louise Cohen, a fifth generation native Hilton Head Islander, is a captivating storyteller and speaker of Gullah—a language she grew up speaking. As rooted as she always was on this history-rich sea isle, with its gentle beaches and sanctuaries of oak forest that echo with the praise of her ancestors, Louise found that something was missing. It has become Louise’s mission to tell the stories of her people.

Culture Music by DJ Shaka Zulu, a Reggae DJ heard weekly on WHCJ Radio.

All Juneteenth events are FREE and open to the public, sponsored by the City of Savannah Department of Cultural Affairs.

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EVENTS Telfair Stores are a great place to find unique gifts for Mothers' Day, Graduation, and Father's Day. Museum members receive a 10% discount!

TEDx Creative Coast May 18, 8:30 am– 4 pm / Jepson Cener

The third annual TEDxCreativeCoast takes the podium Friday, May 18. This is Savannah’s version of the international conference TED, an intense gathering of today’s leading thinkers, doers and visionaries presenting world-changing ideas in 18 minutes or less. TEDXCreativeCoast brings together the local area’s brightest, most forward-thinking visionaries to verbally paint visions of the future for the Savannah region, new realities in their industries or even strategies for world peace. It’s an entire day fueled by 18-minute blasts of pure genius and imagination! For more details and tickets visit tedxcreativecoast.com.

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Call For EntriesTelfair Art fair The 18th Annual Telfair Art Fair will be held November 10–11 in the heart of historic downtown Savannah.

The opening night preview event, Arty Party, will be held on Friday, November 9.

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This popular southern open air art fair attracts thousands of high-end art collectors, tourists, area residents and families and is open to artists displaying and selling works in various artistic disciplines including painting, printmaking, drawing/ pastel, digital media, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics/ pottery, photography, furniture, glass, textiles/fiber, and mixed media. Approximately 120 artists will be selected for the 18th Annual Telfair Art Fair and $10,000 in prizes will be awarded.

To apply please visit www.zapplication.org. There is no fee to join Zapp or to create a Zapp account. All artists must submit a $35 non-refundable application fee accompanying entry materials, due to Telfair no later than June 1, 2012. Competition is open to artists 18 years of age or older. For questions, please visit us at www.telfair.org, or call 790.8869 The Telfair Art Fair promotes the mission of developing awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the arts and serving as a dynamic cultural center connecting people of all ages and backgrounds. For more information, please visit telfair.org/specialevents

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Shop!

1 The Art of Kahlil GIbran $29.95

5G eorgia Quilts $34.95 Assortment of notepads, cards, stickers, and labels for the quilt lover.

2 The Gate Collection by Victoria Ward: 100% silk scarf 72x16 captures the charm of old southern architecture in classic black and white or the perfect summer teal. $65

6 Great new colors in snake jewelry $18-$25

3 Monkeys Monkeys everywhere: Plush toys, books and notecards. $8.95-$12.95

9 Contemporary yet Traditional: Unique tableware pieces are an asset to any style. $14.95-$22.95

4 We’re going hi-tech with the new Telfair Museums QR shirt and tote. Shirt $14.95 tote $5.95

10 Tweet Tweet Home: assorted birdhouses made from recycled plastic. Indoor/ outdoor use. $15

7 Animal Crayons $6.95 8 Glass Wall Pockets by Jan Wilcox $22

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