Telfair Museum: A Road Trip for the Artsy Soul

College Night at the Telfair Museum in Savannah, Georgia, will take place on March 30, and Mercer students are invited to participate. The “College Night” event was created because the Telfair team felt a need to showcase art at an affordable price to the college audience.

“We always try to provide accessibility through programs, but we never had things that catered to college students,” said Haley Clement, the Public Relations Coordinator for Telfair College Night, created in 2017.

“Art can be incredibly educational and therefore powerful and there are numerous benefits,” Clement said. “But art can also be really fun and college nights get students who might otherwise never come and show them that (art) doesn't always have to be taken too seriously. Students are also encouraged to do studio activities, create a piece and bring it home with them.”

Every year, there is a new theme for College Night. This year’s highlights are “Rembrandt and the Jewish Experience: The Berger Print Collection,” “Keita Takahashi: Zooming Out” and “Complex Uncertainties: Artists in Postwar America”.

Another one of the exhibits includes the work of renowned contemporary artist Jaume Plensa, who is known for his large scale sculptures.

At 6 p.m., students can view Jaume’s Talking Continents tour. At 6:30 p.m., there will be an “Artist Talk” with local artist Derek Larson, a professor at Georgia Southern who produced a feature-length film called “Tres Mall”.

At 7 p.m., the Totally Radical Tour starts.

“Totally Radical Tour is more about having fun and winning prizes along the way,” Clement said. “It’s a mixture of educational experience and fun with friends. We want students to take part in the art.”

There are many things to see and do at the College Night, and if all that makes you hungry, there’ll be a food truck around in the area called the Big Cheese, which sells gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

“So many students don’t go to museums because they are expensive,” Clement said. “But College Night is a free night and hopefully they can see art as worthy of their time and expense.”

Clement also said that discounts will be offered to students for membership. Student discounted memberships are $20.

College Night is from 5-8 p.m. on March 30 at the Telfair Museum’s Jepson Center, located at 207 W York Street in Savannah. The event is free for students with a valid student ID.