Savannah’s Story as Told by Silver

The Artful Table “Silver Lining” event highlights Telfair Museum Silver Exhibition

SAVANNAH, GA (January 19, 2010) In March 2010, the Telfair Museums will mount TheStory of Silver in Savannah: Creating and Collecting since the 18^th Century.  The exhibition explores the history of Georgia’s largest coastal city from the mid-18^th century forward, using hundreds of unique pieces of silver from the Telfair’s collection and beyond.  To complement the show Telfair Academy Guild presents “The Artful Table: Discovering Savannah’s Silver Lining”, a two-day event featuring expert lectures, maker’s mark demonstration, luncheon, and preview party—all of which support the exhibition.

The Artful Table: Discovering Savannah’s SilverLining begins Thursday, March 11, with a Preview Party featuring Savannah’s top restaurants and caterers, and small artist-made table vignettes sparkling with silver.  The event continues on Friday, March 12 with presentations by two internationally known silver experts, Beth Carver Wees, Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Ellenor Alcorn, Consulting Curator of the Jerome and Rita Gans Collection of English Silver at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, followed by a speaker luncheon.  Additionally, the speakers will present a hands-on demonstration of maker’s marks, place and date marks.  The day will be rounded out by an auction of the artist-made “tiny tables” - all silver-themed - and the raffle drawing.

The Story of Silver in Savannah opens March 6 and runs through August 1, 2010.  The exhibition will feature more than 400 pieces of silver connected to the city. The show will explore the evolving relationship between this prized metal and the inhabitants of Savannah, and includes items ranging from simple spoons made by area silversmiths to elaborate tea sets and dinner wares owned by historic local families  and to contemporary collections featuring important examples of American and English silver.  A hardcover catalogue including more than eighty high-quality reproductions of silver objects featured in the show will accompany the exhibition.

The Artful Table is an annual fundraiser event produced by the Telfair Academy Guild in support of a selected exhibition at the Telfair museum.  The cost is $75.00 for the preview party and $75.00 for the lectures and luncheon.  Reservations are available by calling 912-790-8869.

ABOUT THE TELFAIR MUSEUMS: Located in the heart of Savannah’s historic district, the Telfair Museum of Art is the oldest public art museum in the South. It is comprised of two National Historic Landmark Buildings—the Telfair Academy and the Owens-Thomas House—and the contemporary Jepson Center for the Arts. With three unique buildings housing three distinct collections, the Telfair bridges three centuries of art and architecture.  For more information visit www.telfair.org.

Media contact:  Mary Siceloff, msiceloff@gmail.com, 912-667-6089