Telfair Museums will present Welcome to the Dollhouse, a new
large-scale installation by Savannah artist Joanna Paige Silver, on view June 5, 2026 through May 9,
2027 in the Barnard Street Windows at the Jepson Center, 207 W York Street.

This exhibition is the eleventh annual installment of Telfair Museums’ Boxed In/Break Out series, part of the nonprofit organization’s #art912 initiative, which promotes and raises the visibility of artists living and working in Savannah. Welcome to the Dollhouse features five large-scale wooden dollhouses filled with wallpaper patterns inspired by Silver’s memories, experiences, and photo diaries. Through domestic scenes, often shown in states of disrepair, Silver explores themes of nostalgia, disappointment, and hope.

Drawing inspiration from Savannah’s distinctive residences and architectural details, Welcome to the Dollhouse also addresses the growing housing affordability crisis impacting communities across the country. Using vibrant floral imagery, peel-and-stick patterns, and layered assemblages, Silver creates immersive environments that reflect both the beauty and fragility of the idea of home.

As part of the exhibition, Telfair Museums will host the #art912 Boxed In/Break Out Artist Talk with Joanna Paige Silver on June 4 from 6–7 p.m. at the Jepson Center. The free public program will feature a conversation between Silver and curator Erin Dunn about the exhibition and Silver’s artistic process. Registration is encouraged.

Guest judge Michael Dickens, Director and Chief Curator of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, selected Silver’s proposal for the 2026 exhibition.

“Welcome to the Dollhouse engages the growing affordable housing crisis through the specific lens of Savannah, a city celebrated for its picturesque architecture and stately homes,” Dickens said. “Like many cities across the United States, Savannah’s beauty exists alongside the reality that homeownership is increasingly out of reach for many residents. This exhibition sits in that uncomfortable space between what we admire and what we struggle with.”

Silver works across painting, printmaking, and installation to capture remnants of the past and explore emotional connections to domestic spaces. She earned her BFA from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C., and her MFA in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2025. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including at the Lowe Art Museum in Miami and the 2025 Atlanta Art Fair. Silver was also awarded a 2026 residency at the Vermont Studio Center.

The exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Erin Dunn, curator of modern and contemporary art. To learn more, please visit www.telfair.org