A generation ago, few people thought much of Georgia decorative arts, but 20 years of hard work by the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia in Athens have changed that mistaken impression. To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the Green Center, the museum has organized the exhibition “Material Georgia 1733 – 1900: Two Decades of Scholarship” which is on view  through March 15, 2020.

As the largest state east of the Mississippi River, Georgia was historically a prominent market for American decorative products, but much of the furniture made there was shipped to wealthier urban areas in the northern US. British taste ruled in Georgia collections until collectors like Bill and Florence Griffin and dealer Deanne Deavours shifted the focus to native products.

This exhibition takes a comprehensive look at Georgia’s diverse contributions to early decorative arts and summarizes the scholarship that has been done in the 20 years since the Green Center’s founding. It focuses on revealing new discoveries made in the field, pointing a way forward and making the case Georgia can hold its own against any other state in terms of the quality of its decorative arts.

Curator of decorative arts Dale Couch says, “The great narrative of decorative arts is its social history; the foremost conditioner of their design is their utility. These two factors alone provide major opportunities for study by numerous disciplines and bring a special educational opportunity to UGA.”

‘Material Georgia’ surveys Georgia decorative art in media including furniture, silver, pottery, textiles, basketry and portraits. Georgia has had a troubled history, shaped by the system of slavery and widespread inequality, but its diverse material culture tells about the lives of all its people. Included in the show will include the largest group of 18th-century pieces of Georgia furniture on view yet, demonstrating both cultural influences and regional style.

Many material elements have yet to be researched but this exhibition lays the groundwork for doing so in the future as the center embarks upon its next 20 years. ‘Material Georgia’ is the first of two planned exhibitions; the next exhibition is planned for 2022 and will cover decorative arts from the 20th century to the present, including studio craft.

For full of the collection and more, including complete programming, see: https://georgiamuseum.org/exhibit/material-georgia-1733-1900-two-decades-of-scholarship