Jepson Center for the Arts

Covered with glistening white Portuguese stone and consisting of two separate structures connected by glass bridges over a protected lane that is part of Savannah's town plan originally conceived in 1733 by Georgia's founder General James Oglethorpe, the building has a soaring, light-filled atrium and sweeping, three-level staircase that provides access to its expansive galleries. The Jepson Center for the Arts has a total of 14,000 square feet of additional exhibition and studio space that permit the Telfair to mount temporary exhibitions that are considerably larger than has been possible in the landmark Telfair Academy. Education is a vital element of the Jepson Center for the Arts. In addition to expanded studio space, a teacher and docent resource center, a community gallery, and the auditorium, the Jepson Center features a unique, two-level hands-on gallery especially for children and their families entitled ArtZeum. Designed to answer questions such as "What is art, anyway?" "Why do we make art?" "Why do we care so much about art?" and "What does art mean to me?," the gallery uses works from the Telfair's permanent collection and examples of Savannah architecture to challenge novice viewers to question their assumptions and explore "big ideas" about art.