Artist and Savannah native Julia Roland will take the helm as Telfair Museums’ #art912 featured artist in the new year. Roland’s exhibition, “A Seat at the Table,” will debut at Jepson Center on January 9, 2026 and be on display through December 6, 2026.  The selection of Roland signifies a bold new era for Telfair Museums’ Art912 gallery program as the nonprofit organization demonstrates its ongoing commitment to supporting Savannah’s artistic talent. Telfair Museums will host an Artist Talk with Roland on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 6 p.m. at the Jepson Center, 207 W. York St., to launch the new exhibition. The event will be free and open to the public. 

Roland, a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), creates her signature works using expressive hairstyles, layered color, contrasting backgrounds, and shifting poses, allowing each unique subject’s face to become a focal point, meeting the viewer’s gaze with insistence—a site of recognition and resistance. Encouraging all voices to engage in the room, “A Seat at the Table” asks viewers not just to look, but to witness human connection and empathize with ongoing struggles.

Roland’s identity as a queer Black woman from the American South informs her practice, but she sees the works speaking broadly to the human need for community. The exhibition invites painted figures and the viewer to meet in quiet dialogue, gathering around a table in both a physical and metaphysical sense.

Dr. David Brenneman, Executive Director/CEO of Telfair Museums, said the collection brings important storytelling to the gallery. “We’re honored to usher in a new chapter for #art912 with Julia Roland’s powerful exhibition, this relaunch underscores our commitment to showcasing the remarkable creativity that flourishes in Savannah,” said Brenneman. “For our members and the broader community, #art912 is more than an exhibition—it’s a celebration of the region’s vibrant artistic voices and Telfair Museums’ role in fostering and elevating that talent.”

Erin Dunn, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art agrees.

“Telfair Museums is thrilled to showcase Julia Roland’s solo exhibition ‘A Seat at the Table,’ including a site-specific mural, as part of Telfair’s longstanding #art912 program next year,” said Dunn. “Her eye-catching figurative paintings make an important statement about community and belonging that will resonate with the museum’s visitors.”

The exhibition 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. The exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Dunn.

Telfair Museums is offering another opportunity for Chatham County artists to feature their art in the Jepson Center through the Boxed In/Break Out program. Boxed In/Break Out is part of Telfair Museums’ #art912 initiative and is intended to highlight and provide an exhibition opportunity for the work of a local artist through public display, promotional materials, and an artist talk. In addition to museum-sponsored promotion, the artist will receive a $1,500 honorarium and up to $500 in material reimbursement. Chatham County artists may submit entries now through January 9, 2026. This year’s guest judge is Michael Dickins, Director and Chief Curator of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston, SC. Email proposals to Erin Dunn, [email protected]. Please visit https://www.telfair.org/boxed-2026/ for more information.

For more information about Telfair Museums, please visit www.Telfair.org.