Savannah – A Top Art Destination
Savannah finished sixth among American Style magazine’s 13th annual listing of the top 25 art destinations among mid-sized cities. The top mid-sized cities were St. Petersburg, FL; New Orleans; Alexandria, VA; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Buffalo, NY. Finishing in this prestigious list is outstanding and says a lot for Savannah’s art scene.
Not only is the city rich in art and art history but the Savannah College of Art and Design makes its home here, adding prestige to all areas in art.
The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, also known as Telfair Academy and Telfair Mansion, is a mansion house in Savannah, Georgia. Originally a family townhouse, it became a free art museum in 1886 known as the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976. The mansion is now the main facility of the Telfair Museum of Art, and features furnished period rooms and art from old Masters.
Devoted to the art of today, the contemporary Jepson Center links the Telfair’s future with its past, unifying the museum’s sites. The building, designed by Moshe Safdie and opened to the public in 2006, features over 7,500 square feet of gallery space for major traveling exhibitions of contemporary art and installations of works from the permanent collection. Educational programming takes place in the 220-seat auditorium, community gallery, education studios, and ArtZeum—a unique, 3,500-square foot interactive gallery for children and families.
The Jepson Center is home to the Telfair’s Kirk Varnedoe Collection, a cornerstone of the museum’s contemporary holdings. Assembled in honor of the late Savannah native, scholar, and MoMA curator Kirk Varnedoe, the collection features works on paper by some of the most pivotal artists of the past fifty years, including Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, Roy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, and Richard Avedon. The museum’s diverse contemporary collection also features important works by William Christenberry, Helen Levitt, Sam Gilliam, James Brooks, and many notable Georgia artists.
New artists and established artists have shops in the City Market area near Franklin Square.
Other prominent art galleries include:
2CarGarage Contemporary Art Gallery
Antique Art Market
A.T Hun Art Gallery
Barbara Archer Gallery
Chroma Gallery
Dimensions Gallery
Friedman’s Fine Art
The Gallery
Gallery 209
John Tucker Fine Arts
Kim Iocovozzi Fine Art
Maxine Helmey
Ray Ellis Gallery
Sharon Saseen Studio
Village Craftsmen
Whitney Gallery
William Armstrong Art Studio
