Jamie R.
Yelp
An architectural show piece that anchors the neighborhood where SCAD (Savannah School of Design) is making its presence known, restoring hundreds of buildings and bursting doors with 10 thousand students. Completed in 2006, the Jepson houses the Telfair family's Kirk Varnedoe Collection, so named for a Savannah native who went on to become curator at MOMA, NYC.
You're teased with a street sighting of the maiden statue who is displayed in the second story gallery window. Made popular when it was pictured on the cover of the novel cum movie, "Garden of the Good and Evil",the little maiden was moved to this aerie after too ardent fans / pranksters stole her from her Savannah garden home. We are told this happened more than once, and in typical,Savannah mystery form, we weren't told how the statue was recovered each time. Perhaps one of the many local ghosts escorted her.
I thought it particularly Southern to venerate Elvis with a fantastic, temporary exhibit of black & white photographs taken when the singer was about 21 years old.
Interesting, contemporary, student works were also on display. They were guarded by an over zealous guard who stalked us through the rooms. Weird. Funny, in contrast, were the couple of museum patrons who passed us between galleries. They wore patron name tags, in case there was any doubt. One elderly gentleman stopped us and asked if we had heard about the kidnapping..."No!"...well, don't worry. He said the kid woke up. His friends kept walking as he cornered us, armed with his corny joke, but which was now saved for strangers since its welcome had obviously worn thin with his friends.
I wandered into the kids' area and lab. Volunteers come for several hours at a time and staff a wondrous workshop where any one, of any age, can pick up a colored pencil or manipulate colored paper at will. Lovely!