October 1, 2009 - August 1, 2010 
"A Land of Liberty and Plenty":
Georgia Decorative Arts, 1733 - 1860

See some of MESDA's newest objects and explore the diverse decorative arts traditions of Georgia, the last of Great Britain's North American colonies and the center of the modern American South.

August 16, 2010 - November 1, 2010
Southern Silver: Style & Substance

The silver in southern homes of the 18th and 19th centuries reflected the wealth and sophistication of its owners and makers. 

This special exhibition of MESDA's unparalleled collection of Southern Silver is in honor of the establishment of the James H. Wilcox Jr. Silver Purchase Fund at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.

November 9, 2010 - Fall 2011
The Furniture of Piedmont North Carolina

The Piedmont of North Carolina was home to a diverse community of cabinetmakers from the late 18th century, a region that today is synonymous with fine furniture making. 

March 22, 2011 - August 14, 2011
Art In Clay: Masterworks of North Carolina Earthenware

Masterfully decorated slipware, sculptural bottles, refined creamware, and faience are but part of the rich artistic legacy of North Carolina's first earthenware potters.  During the last half of the eighteenth century, artisans of European descent introduced a variety of old world ceramic traditions to the Carolina backcountry.  From both an artistic and technical standpoint, the work of these craftsmen often surpassed that of their Middle Atlantic and New England contemporaries.  North Carolina potters transformed the simplest of materials into vessels of practical utility, astonishing beauty, and deep cultural significance.  This exhibit is the first major survey of this work and the context in which it was created.

Fall 2011 - Spring 2012
Our Spirited Ancestors: The Decorative Art of Drink

From imported maderia at mahogany tables to local whisky sipped from stoneware jugs, antebellum Southerners drank to their health in the company of family, friends, and strangers.  This exhibit explores the furniture, silver, and ceramics that helped to enliven the days and nights of the early American South.

Previous Exhibits

February 1, 2009 - September 15, 2009
Southern Seats:
Turned Chairs in the American South

"A southern chair is no more complicated than a southern family" quipped one scholar at MESDA's 2009 Furniture Seminar.  This exhibit explores the diversity of southern seats and southern sitters.

April 15, 2008 - September 15, 2008
"Black and White all Mix'd Together":
The Hidden Legacy of Enslaved Craftsmen

Enslaved black and free white craftsmen worked side by side across the southern landscape. This exhibit recovers the stories of the many named and nameless individuals whose hidden hands shaped the southern landscape.

September 1, 2007 - April 1, 2008
Where South Meets North:
The Decorative Arts of Maryland, 1720 - 1820

In geography, politics and culture, early Maryland was the quintessential border state.  Situated between Virginia and Pennsylvania, the decorative arts of Maryland bespeak its role as a cultural crossroad between North and South.