Live Oak Public Libraries and Telfair Museums have announced a new partnership to offer free family passes to area residents.
At 16 library locations across Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties, library card holders can now check out a seven-day family pass—usable for up to eight people per visit—that grants free admission to the Jepson Center for the Arts and the Telfair Academy in downtown Savannah. Each library location will have one pass available.
“We are proud to partner with Telfair Museums to offer this special opportunity to the community,” said Lola Shelton-Council, interim library executive director. “It is exciting to be able to provide access for individuals and families to visit these wonderful museums and experience in person the impact of art, technology, and history.”
Both museums are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days per week and house much of Telfair’s over 7,000-item permanent collection, as well as featured exhibitions, stunning architecture, and historical context. Upcoming exhibitions at the Jepson Center include Pulse: Chul-Hyun Ahn, (Jan. 13-Aug. 7), a series of interactive digital works by the Korean artist; Bruce Davidson: Face to Face (Feb. 4-May 1), a major career retrospective of the noted New York photographer; and Contemporary Spotlight: New Acquisitions from the Brandywine Workshop (Feb. 4-May 1), a selection of print work from leading Black artmakers including Emma Amos, Sonya Clark, Faith Ringgold, and Betye Saar.
“This is the beginning of a unique partnership with Live Oak Public Libraries that we hope to grow,” said Ben Simons, Telfair’s executive director/CEO. “We’re the first museum in Savannah to have this pass checkout program with them, and we’re excited to broaden our longtime commitment to getting thousands of Savannah families into our museums for free—through free programs for students, youth, and outreach participants, Free Family Days, and now our local library system.”
In addition to visiting the Telfair Academy and the Jepson Center, Live Oak Public Libraries card holders can also check out free passes and obtain discounted tickets to state parks, museums, and other cultural centers across Georgia.
This new pass partnership is a natural continuation of the collaboration between Telfair Museums and Live Oak Public Libraries, who have also worked together through the Legacy of Slavery in Savannah Initiative virtual book club and STEM/STEAM programs for youth.
Super Museum Sunday
From noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 6, Telfair also will offer free admission to all of its sites as part of Super Museum Sunday. This free day includes tours of the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters. Family activity kits will be offered at the Jepson Center, with investment provided by the City of Savannah, the Georgia Council for the Arts, and other sponsors.