Remember the Ladies: Women Who Made Telfair
October 9, 2026 to January 24, 2027 Jepson Center
When Mary Telfair (1791–1875) bequeathed her family home to become a public art museum, she likely had no idea of the small revolution she started. The first art museum in the United States founded by a woman opened on May 3, 1886, and, for the next 140 years, generations of women stepped forward to ensure that the museum and its collections would grow, and that future Savannahians would be able to learn and enjoy art.
Remember the Ladies honors just a few of the many significant women who have impacted Telfair Museums with a new examination of their important contributions. It features highlights written by women curators to inspire the next generation to continue Mary Telfair’s legacy for years to come.
This exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Dr. Elyse D. Gerstenecker, director of curatorial affairs & curator of decorative arts, with contributions by Erin Dunn and Ahmauri Williams-Alford, Telfair Museums curators; Lori Gascon, Gibson Hartman, and Miranda Wright, Telfair Museums interpretive guides; Dr. Shawnya Harris, Georgia Museum of Art; Tania Sammons, Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum; and Rachel Waldrop, Lamar Dodd School of Art, University of Georgia.
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Emma Cheves Wilkins (1870–1956); Wisteria, c. 1932, oil on canvas; Gift of Richard and Dorothy Dunlap, 2010.11
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Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931); Profile of Mary Haskell, 1922, Pencil with watercolor on paper; Gift of Mary Haskell Minis, 1950.8.36
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Cecily Brown (b. 1969); Untitled (Aujourd’hui Rose), 2005, Gouache and watercolor on paper; Kirk Varnedoe Collection, Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia, Gift of the artist, 2006.7.2
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Jasper Johns (b. 1930); Untitled, 2001, Intaglio print in two colors on Tokusuki Torinoko paper; Kirk Varnedoe Collection, Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia, Gift of the artist, 2006.12
