Telfair Museums in Savannah, Georgia, has opened a new exhibition titled "Off the Coast of Paradise: Artists and Ossabaw Island, 1961–Now," exploring the profound impact of the undeveloped barrier island on artists. The show focuses on the Ossabaw Island Project and Genesis, two multidisciplinary residency programs that operated from 1961 to 1982, and features work by 32 artists who were inspired or transformed by their time on the island. The exhibition runs through September 6, 2026, at The Jepson Center for the Arts.
This exhibition matters because it brings to light an overlooked chapter in American art history, highlighting how a remote, preserved natural environment catalyzed creative breakthroughs and career shifts for numerous artists. By documenting the legacy of these residencies, the show underscores the importance of protecting such landscapes as incubators for artistic innovation, especially as development threatens barrier islands along the southeastern U.S. coast.