MESDA Conference: Atlanta and the Lower Southern Piedmont
March 14-16, 2024 Atlanta, GA–
MESDA Conference
Atlanta and the Lower Southern Piedmont
March 14-16, 2024
Atlanta, GA
Join us as we celebrate the decorative arts of Atlanta and Georgia’s Lower Southern Piedmont. The conference will offer an unparalleled opportunity to get behind-the-scenes looks of local sites and exhibits, with a reception and conference sessions held in Midtown and Buckhead Atlanta. Special themed rambles will give you an up-close and personal look at rarely-viewed private collections and homes, while lectures will provide the latest in decorative arts and material culture research. Georgia’s decorative arts have never looked better–and now it is time to celebrate and enjoy the architecture, landscape, and material culture of the Lower Southern Piedmont.
REGISTRATION
| Full Registration with Ramble I Gems of Georgia: Decorative Arts in the Piedmont |
$625.00 | $615.00 Frank L. Horton Society* |
| Registration includes participation in Ramble I and the Opening Reception, one continental breakfast, two lunches, one dinner, all lectures proposed on the agenda, and admission to all sites proposed on the agenda. | |
| Full Registration with Ramble II High Fired: Southern Decorative Arts in Atlanta |
$525.00 | $515.00 Frank L. Horton Society* |
| Registration includes participation in Ramble II and the Opening Reception, one continental breakfast, two lunches, all lectures proposed on the agenda, and admission to all sites proposed on the agenda. | |
| Full Registration with Ramble III Deep Roots: Collections and Gardens at the Atlanta History Center |
$425.00 | $415.00 Frank L. Horton Society* |
| Registration includes participation in Ramble III and the Opening Reception, one continental breakfast, two lunches, all lectures proposed on the agenda, and admission to all sites proposed on the agenda. | |
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| Ramble I: Gems of Georgia: Decorative Arts in the Piedmont |
$300.00 | $290.00 Frank L. Horton Society* |
| Registration includes participation in Ramble I, one lunch, and one dinner. Please note this registration only includes Ramble I for those who would also like to participate in Rambles II or III. | |
| Lectures Pass | $325.00 | 315.00 Frank L. Horton Society* |
| Registration includes participation the Opening Reception, one continental breakfast, one coffee break, one lunch, all lectures proposed on the agenda, and admission to all pertinent sites proposed on the agenda. | |
| Lectures Only: Museum Professional & Student Discount |
$250 (To register at this rate, please email [email protected] or call 336.721.7328) |
| Registration includes participation in the Opening Reception, one continental breakfast, one coffee break, one lunch, all lectures proposed on the agenda and admission to all pertinent sites proposed on the agenda. To apply for a scholarship, please click here. |
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| Twenty-First Century Frolic Pass | $200.00 |
| Registration includes participation in the Frolic Fundraiser for the MESDA Conservation Fund. | |
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Application for scholarships for emerging professionals and students available here!
*This program is anticipated to sell out. Please note that members of the Frank L. Horton Society receive priority registration privileges, as well as a discount on their tickets. To receive your Frank L. Horton Society discount, please be sure you register and/or sign in with your Old Salem Museums & Gardens username and password. If you would like to join the Frank L. Horton Society, or if you would like to learn more, please click here.
RAMBLES
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Join us on an exclusive journey into the heart of the Georgia Piedmont. Home to the University of Georgia, Athens is more than just the Georgia Bulldogs. We will enjoy exclusive access to some of Athen’s most important architectural and cultural treasures in the company of legendary Georgia scholar Dale Couch and MESDA’s Chief Curator Daniel Ackermann. In addition to visiting some of Athen’s oldest and most distinguished private residences, we will also explore the new Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum at the State Botanical Garden at the University of Georgia, and enjoy culinary delights provided by a legendary Athens caterer, preservationist, and bon vivant. Our time will conclude with a Georgia supper hosted amid one of the region’s best collections of Georgia and southern decorative arts. |
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Atlanta is home to some of the most important public and private collections of decorative arts made below the Mason Dixon Line. Our day will begin with a rare tour of an exceptional private collection of southern ceramics, maps, and furniture. Afterward, we’ll indulge in lunch at the prestigious Piedmont Driving Club, savoring a taste of Southern hospitality. Our day will conclude at the High Museum of Art where Curator Monica Obniski will take participants on a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum’s famed decorative arts collection, and Metropolitan Museum of Art Curator Adrienne Spinozzi will lead a special tour of Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield. |
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Immerse yourself in Atlanta’s rich history and culture during this wide ranging exploration of southern objects and landscapes with experts from the Atlanta History Center. We’ll explore much of the History Center’s extensive collection of Georgia decorative arts with an intensive collections tour focused on textiles and furniture. After lunch in the gardens, we’ll visit the Shaping Traditions folklife exhibit with Guest Curator Dr. John Burrison to learn more about folk art’s southern forms and influences. Then join us for a tour of Goizueta Gardens, a 33 acre expanse in the heart of Atlanta, with Sarah Roberts, the History Center’s VP of Gardens. We’ll learn about Georgia’s collection of native plants, and the various landscapes that are integral to the city’s history to close out the day. |
FUNDRAISER
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We’re thrilled to join Mr. and Mrs. Bo DuBose at their Atlanta home for our 21st Century Frolic, with funds raised benefiting the MESDA Conservation Fund!
Bo and Eileen’s rigorous collection includes what was regarded as the largest private collection of American Civil War artifacts, which took decades to assemble. It is now partially on display at the Atlanta History Center. In addition, Bo and Eileen’s passions have included collecting Chinese Armorial Porcelain as well as early copperware and 17th and 18th century Chinese Blue and White. Early metalware, art, and portraiture also round out their fascinating collection. Cohosted by Anne and Berny Gray, and Elizabeth and Sheffield Hale, please join us for a wonderful evening amidst one of Atlanta’s greatest private collections as we celebrate a successful MESDA Conference and raise our glasses to the conservation of MESDA’s collection of magnificent southern decorative arts. |
PROGRAM
THURSDAY, MARCH 14
| Afternoon | Ramble I: Gems of Georgia departs from the Atlanta Marriott Suites Midtown |
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| Evening | Ramble I returns to Atlanta, GA |
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FRIDAY, MARCH 15
| Morning | Ramble II: High Fired departs from the Atlanta Marriott Suites Midtown and Ramble III: Deep Roots begins at the Atlanta History Center | |
| Evening | Opening Reception at 5Church Midtown before walking over to view the Hear Me Now exhibit at the High Museum of Art |
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SATURDAY, MARCH 16
| Morning | Lectures begin at the Atlanta History Center |
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| Featured speakers include:
Adrienne Spinozzi– Curating the Met’s Hear Me Now exhibit Victoria Hensley- “The Absconded Jeweler:” George Sharp, Jr.’s Sterling Housewares and Tarnished Reputation Lea Lane– Georgia and Alabama Quilts in the MESDA Collection Staci Catron – Seeking Eden and Georgia’s Historical Gardens David and Janice Miller – Collector’s Talk Michelle Miller – William Lycett & Atlanta Porcelain Michael Rose– Atlanta’s Architect, Shutze, as a Collector |
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| Evening | A Twenty-First Century Frolic in support of MESDA’s Conservation Fund, hosted at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bo DuBose. Separate registration required to attend. |
PROGRAM PRESENTED BY:
WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:
Anne and Berny Gray
Elizabeth and Sheffield Hale
TRAVEL DETAILS