Telfair Museums, in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia, was the first public art museum in the Southern United States. Founded through the bequest of Mary Telfair , a prominent local citizen, and operated by the Georgia Historical Society until 1920, the museum opened in 1886 in the Telfair family’s renovated Regency style mansion, known as the Telfair Academy.
The museum currently contains a collection of over 4,500 American and European paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, housed in three buildings: the 1818 Telfair Academy ; the 1816 Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, which are both National Historic Landmarks designed by British architect William Jay in the early nineteenth century; and the contemporary Jepson Center for the Arts, designed by Moshe Safdie and completed in 2006.
The SCAD Museum of Art was founded in 2002 as part of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, and originally was known as the Earle W. Newton Center for British American Studies.
The museum's permanent collection of more than 4,500 pieces includes works of haute couture, drawings, painting, sculpture, photography, prints and more.
The SCAD Museum of Art is a teaching museum, serving Savannah College of Art and Design students and as well as members of the community and other visitors. A focal point is the Walter O. Evans Center for African American Studies, a multidisciplinary center for the study, understanding and appreciation of African American culture, art and literature. It is complemented by the new André Leon Talley Gallery, named for the Vogue contributing editor and SCAD Board of Trustees member.
On Oct. 29, 2011, the SCAD museum opened its doors to a new era, unveiling the most extensive rehabilitation project the university has undertaken since its inception. The revitalized museum features new galleries and classrooms, a 250-seat theater, a terrace and outdoor projection screen, a conservation studio, a museum café, as well as a 12-foot-long orientation touch table. An 86-foot-tall steel and glass lantern welcomes visitors and elegantly redefines the Savannah city skyline.
