Telfair Museums opens Monet and American Impressionism

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 2, 2015 Contact: Michelle Riley, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, or Kayla Medina, Public Relations Coordinator 912.790.8837, medinak@telfair.

1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 2, 2015 Contact: Michelle Riley, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, or Kayla Medina, Public Relations Coordinator , Telfair Museums opens Monet and American Impressionism Exhibition brings Monet to Savannah for the first time Savannah, GA...Telfair Museums announced today a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition that brings four paintings of French master Claude Monet to Savannah for the first time in the city s history. Monet and American Impressionism will be on display at the Jepson Center for the Arts from October 16, January 24, The museum will host a lively, French-country themed opening celebration on October 15 and will offer a variety of speakers, family days, painting workshops, and other activities during the run of the show. We invite visitors to bask in the open landscapes and idyllic afternoons portrayed in this beautiful exhibition, said Telfair Museums director and CEO Lisa Grove. As viewers move through dozens of paintings, they will see how Monet inspired some of the greatest American Impressionists of all time. Claude Monet ( ) galvanized the work of countless artists as a founder of the French art movement called Impressionism. Monet s use of bright colors, his loose brush strokes, and his focus on painting the fleeting effects of light were a shocking departure from traditional European art of the time. Monet and other Paris-based artists introduced Impressionism to the French public in the 1870s, and beginning in the 1880s, American artists took up Monet s modern approach to light and color. The movement was promoted by American artists, collectors, and art writers. Its popularity continued for forty years, making Impressionism one of the longest-lived and most enthralling artistic expressions in the history of American art. Leading American artists including Mary Cassatt, J. Alden Weir, and Childe Hassam adapted the innovations of French Impressionism and began to create a uniquely American style of painting, said Courtney McNeil, Telfair Museums curator of fine arts and exhibitions. In Monet and American Impressionism, the viewer can see how these artists captured moments from everyday life, including domestic scenes of women and children, sweeping landscapes, and images of modern life in American cities.

2 Page 2 of 6 Exhibition Organized in Five Thematic Groupings: The American paintings presented in the exhibition span the years between 1887 and The oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, and prints are grouped along five themes that parallel many of the subjects found in Monet s work. The American pieces indicate an awareness of Monet s innovations, but it is evident that the Americans responded to Monet in different ways and to varying degrees. The Allure of Giverny Early American Impressionist pioneers felt Monet s influence most profoundly. A number of the artists spent extended periods of time in Giverny, the township on the River Seine where Claude Monet made his home and famous garden. In Giverny, the Americans painted outdoors and enjoyed the camaraderie of other artists, many of whom stayed at the Hotel Baudy. Notably, during the same time that Telfair Museums will be showing Monet and American Impressionism, the museum also will offer Mickalene Thomas at Giverny, a dazzling mixed media, 21 st century exhibition. Mickalene Thomas works in Brooklyn, New York and completed an artist s residency at Monet s home in Giverny in A Country Retreat During the summer, American artists often escaped the city for the countryside, where they painted landscapes inspired by Monet. Many painters gathered in artist colonies in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire to paint outside together. The Vibrance of Urbanism Americans painting during this time found a popular subject in contemporary city life. Common themes included views of city streets and harbors, skyscrapers and bridges that celebrated feats of modern engineering, and city parks populated with figures enjoying leisure activities. The Comfort of Home Painting domestic scenes was very important to the American Impressionists. The images often depict women s daily lives in comfortable interiors or in beautiful gardens, representing domestic tranquility of middle- and upper-class society. --MORE

3 Page 3 of 6 A Graphic Legacy The French Impressionists are known today primarily as painters, but they also worked experimentally in printmaking. A number of American artists represented in the exhibition were attracted to the opportunities for fresh expression offered by the medium of print, and created etchings, drypoints, and lithographs that could be enjoyed by the middle class. Monet did not make prints with his own hands, but collaborated with other artists to translate some of his paintings into the print medium for publication in the press. Six Canvases from Telfair Museums Permanent Collection on Display: As the oldest public art museum in the South, Telfair Museums holds numerous major works from American Impressionists in its permanent collection. Six Telfair paintings are on display in the exhibition, including three from American Frederick Carl Frieseke ( ). Frieseke rented a house in Giverny next door to Claude Monet from Monet and his family had a cordial relationship with the Friesekes, and they sometimes enjoyed tea together. The six Telfair paintings are: The Garden Umbrella by Frederick Carl Frieseke, 1910 The Hammock by Frederick Carl Frieseke, 1915 Reflections (Marcelle) by Frederick Carl Frieseke, 1909 Avenue of the Allies, by Childe Hassam, 1917 Unpretentious Garden, by Gari Melchers, Buttercup Time by Willard Leroy Metcalf, 1920 Monet and American Impressionism is organized by the Harn Museum of Art in partnership with Telfair Museums and the Hunter Museum of American Art. Major sponsors for Telfair Museums exhibition are Chatham Capital Group, the City of Savannah s Department of Cultural Affairs, Bob and Jean Faircloth, Richard H. Middleton Jr., SunTrust, the Telfair Academy Guild, and Visit Savannah. Much of the information in this news release is located in the catalogue for Monet and American Impressionism, by Dulce M. Román, published by the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida. The catalogue can be purchased at Telfair Museums gift shop. Photo credits for two attached images: Claude Monet (French, ) Champ d avoine (Oat Field), 1890 Oil on canvas, 26 x 36 7/16 inches Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida Gift of Michael A. Singer

4 Page 4 of 6 Gari Melchers (American, ) Unpretentious Garden, Oil on Canvas, 33 ¾ x 40 ¼ in. (85.7 x cm) Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia, Museum purchase, Button Gwinnet Autograph Fund Editor s Note: On Friday, October 9, we invite the media to a Sneak Peek tour of Monet and American Impressionism with Courtney McNeil, who is curating the exhibition. Please contact Kayla at medinak@telfair.org or for exact time and to RSVP. Related Programs Garden Party Thursday, September 17, 7-9 pm / Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens 2 Canebrake Road, Savannah, GA Telfair and Coastal Georgia members free, non-members $15 To reserve tickets, contact Liz Lubrani at Coastal Gardens, , ext. 221 Join Telfair Museums at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens for the unveiling of the Spirit of Monet Plant Collection. For more information visit coastalgeorgiabg.org/events. Monet Soirée Opening Celebration! Thursday, October 15, 5-10 pm / Jepson Center Members Free / Non-members $15 Reserve tickets at telfair.org/monet or by calling Lauren Flotte at Telfair Museums invites members and the public to a special evening celebrating the opening of Monet and American Impressionism. Courtney McNeil will tell the story of Impressionism and the Telfair, followed by a dazzling party at the Jepson Center with artists, music, activities, drinks, and French-inspired food! You won t want to miss this! Lecture starts at 6 PM / Jepson Center s Neises Auditorium An online reservation and a printed e-ticket are required to attend the lecture. Lecture reservations will be available beginning September 15. Register at telfair.org/monet. Monet and American Impressionism Lecture Series All lectures will begin at 6 pm in the Jepson Center s Neises Auditorium. Lecture attendance requires an online reservation and printed e-ticket. Reservations will be available one month prior to the lecture date. Members Free / Non-members $12 October 15 Courtney McNeil, Curator of Fine Arts and Exhibitions, Telfair Museums Paris to Savannah: The Story of Impressionism and Telfair Museums

5 Page 5 of 6 October 29 November 3 Nancy Mowll Mathews, Visiting Associate Professor, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts & Eugénie Prendergast Senior Curator and Lecturer Emerita Williams College, Modern Light, Monet and the Americans Courtney McNeil, Imprinting Impressionism: The Graphic Work of Mary Cassatt, Frank Benson, and Childe Hassam Lectures are sponsored by the Telfair Academy Guild. Free Family Day: Impressionism Saturday, October 10, 1-4 pm / Jepson Center Create lasting impressions by exploring plein air painting and the developments in color theory that inspired one of the greatest movements in art. Guests will make their own color theory books and play color games. Free Family Day: Art Fair and Monet Saturday, November 14, 1-4 pm / Telfair Square Take time to enjoy the annual Telfair Art Fair. Guests will make paper water lilies, try plein air painting, explore the color wheel, learn how to mix color, and more. Painting Workshop Wednesdays, October 21 December 2, Members $300, non-members $325 The class will meet once a week in the morning and afternoon for an intensive study in color, light, and mark making. Working with instructor Woody Cornwell, students will earn to create strong compositions and designs. See for more. Arty Party Friday, November 13, 6 pm / Telfair Square Kick off this fabulous weekend with Arty Party with a Monet flair for an Art Fair preview bash in Telfair Square. This highly anticipated event gives guests an exclusive opportunity to preview and purchase the featured art and meet the artists at a chic cocktail reception. Patron tickets are available and start at $175 and includes a VIP hour from 6 7 pm. General tickets are members $85, non-members $130. For more information or to purchase Arty Party tickets, please call Marcya Burton at or visit telfair.org/artfair. About Telfair Museums Founded in 1886, Telfair Museums is the oldest public art museum in the South and features an excellent art collection in the heart of Savannah s National Historic Landmark District. It encompasses three sites: the Jepson Center for the Arts, the Owens-Thomas House, and the Telfair Academy.

6 Page 6 of 6 The Jepson Center is where Savannah s residents and visitors seek out world-class art; large traveling exhibitions such as October s Monet and American Impressionism; and the Bird Girl statue, made famous in the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Inside, guests experience Savannah s interactive children s play area; shop for one-of-a-kind finds; eat at the friendly Jepson Café; and enjoy art classes, Free Family Days, movie screenings, lectures, and parties. The Owens-Thomas House and the Telfair Academy are both National Historic Landmark Buildings. The Owens-Thomas House, completed in 1819, is one of the finest English Regency homes in America. It tells of the lives of the Southern elite in young America, with an English-inspired parterre garden, exquisite period furnishings, and an original carriage house with one of the earliest intact urban slave quarters in the South. The Telfair Academy is the grand old Telfair family mansion. It was designed by British architectural prodigy William Jay in 1819 for Alexander Telfair, son of Revolutionary War patriot and Georgia governor Edward Telfair. Expanded greatly in the 1880s, the Telfair Academy brings to life the passions of the Victorian-era wealthy of the South. The 19 th century period rooms showcase decorative arts and furnishings. Telfair Museums is a registered, tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Telfair is wholly funded by generous individuals, corporations, and grant-making institutions. Tickets: For a fee of $20 plus a $1 preservation fee, visitors may purchase a triple-site pass that expires a week after purchase and gives one-time entry to the Jepson Center, the Telfair Academy, and the Owens-Thomas House. Group tours are available for groups of 10 or more. Military active, reserve, and veterans and their families are invited free of charge to the Jepson Center through October 14 and to the Telfair Academy through November 11, 2015, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Fifth Third Bank (Georgia). Museum Hours: Telfair Museums opens Sunday and Monday 12-5 pm, Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm. For more information, call or visit Jepson Center W. York Street, on Telfair Square Telfair Academy Barnard Street, on Telfair Square Owens-Thomas House Abercorn Street, on Oglethorpe Square ###

PROGRAMMING FEBRUARY 17 MAY 13, 2018 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 5:30 7:00 PM VIP PREVIEW PARTY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 7 9 PM MEMBERS-ONLY PREVIEW PARTY

PROGRAMMING FEBRUARY 17 MAY 13, 2018 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 5:30 7:00 PM VIP PREVIEW PARTY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 7 9 PM MEMBERS-ONLY PREVIEW PARTY EVENTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 5:30 7:00 PM VIP PREVIEW PARTY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 7 9 PM MEMBERS-ONLY PREVIEW PARTY Members get a sneak peek of the groundbreaking exhibition Women Artists in the Age