Telfair Academy Guild March 9 Meeting

Join TAG on March 9 at the Jepson Center for a 10 a.m. coffee and 10:30 a.m. meeting.

Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs at Telfair Museums, Courtney McNeil, will share her experience curating the exhibition, Collecting Impressionism: Telfair’s Modern Vision, which opens March 6 and runs through August 16 at the Jepson Center.

Well-known Telfair art advisor Gari Melchers traveled the country and throughout the world to find examples of avant-garde art to add to the Telfair’s collection. McNeil has organized this exhibit following Melcher’s path. The exhibit features more than 36 works, including paintings by Gari Melchers and a variety of other Impressionist artists such as Jean-François Raffaëlli, George Sauter, Ernst Oppler, George Hitchcock, Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf, William Merritt Chase, and more.

The revolutionary style of Impressionism became known in 1870 and spread from the art center of Paris throughout the world. With their attention to light and atmosphere as well as bright colors and thick brushstrokes creating images of contemporary life, artists found a new way to paint. Telfair Museums started to acquire Impressionist paintings from France, Germany, and America in 1906, amassing more than 7,000 works for the permanent collection.

McNeil earned a BA in English with a minor in art history from Georgetown University and an MA in the history of art from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She oversees collections, exhibitions, and education programs for Telfair Museums, directing a schedule of 15 to 20 annual exhibitions. She ensures that Telfair’s activities fulfill the organization’s strategic vision and engage diverse audiences.

Members and their guests are welcomed to attend this meeting. Non-members wishing to attend, please contact Betsy McCullar (betsy2mccullar@gmail.com or 917-556-9101).