SAVANNAH, GA – May 28, 2025 –Telfair Museums is excited to announce the opening of Heroes and Hosts, the tenth annual Boxed In/Break Out exhibition which will be on public display in the Barnard Street windows from June 13, 2025 through April 26, 2026 at the Jepson Center, 207 W York St., Savannah. This collaboration between Savannah-based artists Lisa D. Watson and Dana W. Richardson, places a necessary spotlight on Georgia’s indigenous yet vulnerable species, inviting visitors to witness the divide between human-made and wild spaces. The artists will expand on their research and process in a conversation on Thursday, June 12 at 6 p.m.
Watson is a native plant advocate with the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance and the Georgia Native Plant Society and serves as a guide for painter Richardson to explore indigenous plant habitats as inspiration for her paintings. Combining sculpture, painting and text, the artists will transform each window into a theatrical narrative where fragile ecosystems take center stage. Unique stories, from ancient trees in Maritime Forest to Longleaf habitats, fleeting grasslands and wildflowers and the adaptations of bog life, are revealed to evoke a sense of wonder, urgency and education. By casting the Coastal Plains’ indigenous plants as both hosts and heroic performers, the installation underscores their critical role in sustaining life while highlighting the precariousness of their existence.
“We believe in the power of art to inspire meaningful connections in the world around us,” said Dr. David Brenneman, Director and CEO of Telfair Museums. “Heroes and Hosts exemplifies this by celebrating the beauty and resilience of Georgia’s native plant life through the unique vision of Lisa D. Watson and Dana W. Richardson. This exhibition not only highlights the talent within our community but also reflects the essential role artists hold in shaping a more informed and sustainable future.”
Heroes and Hosts is part of Telfair Museums’ #art912 initiative, which is dedicated to raising the visibility and promoting the vitality of artists living and working in Savannah. This exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Erin Dunn, curator of modern and contemporary art.
For more information about the exhibition, visit https://www.telfair.org/exhibitions/heroes-and-hosts/. To learn more about Telfair Museums, visit http://www.telfair.org.
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For more information, please contact Kristyn Beasley at kristyn@lesleyfrancispr.com or 229–393–6497, Lesley Francis at lesley@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-429-3950, or the LFPR team at 912-417-LFPR (5377).
Editor’s Note
Lisa D. Watson (b. 1967) is a Georgia-based artist and gardener whose environmental concerns are expressed in each project. She has used salvaged objects as her medium for over 25 years including paper products, metal, industrial wood, produce netting and more. Watson seeks balance between urbanization and conservation in her artwork and garden design. Her company, Plan It Green Design, LLC consults homeowners with native, drought tolerant and pollinator friendly landscapes. She is currently working with The Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance and The Longleaf Alliance to document imperiled plant species and assist with restoration projects. Watson holds a BFA from Columbus College of Art & Design in Ohio and a Certificate of Interior Design from LTU in California. Her work has been shown in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, among other places. For more information about Lisa D. Watson’s work visit https://www.art-ldw.com/.
About Telfair Museums
Opening in 1886, Telfair Museums is the oldest public art museum in the South and the first U.S. museum founded by a woman. The museum features a world-class art collection in the heart of Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District and encompasses three sites: the Jepson Center for the Arts, the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, and the Telfair Academy. For more information on Telfair Museums, please visit www.telfair.org.