SAVANNAH, GA, Nov. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Telfair Museums announces a strengthening of its leadership team with the appointment of Stefanie Epstein as its new Director of Institutional Advancement and the promotion of Dr. Elyse D. Gerstenecker as its new Director of Curatorial Affairs and Curator of Decorative Arts. These are key appointments for Telfair Museums to encourage growth and greater community engagement as the nonprofit organization demonstrates its deep commitment to cultural stewardship in the Southeastern USA.
Stefanie Epstein’s appointment is effective January 2026 when she joins Telfair Museums from the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami after nine years where she was the Director of Advancement, Senior Director of Advancement, and Vice President of Advancement. She has a proven track record in strategic fundraising and donor engagement with experience in leadership of this premier science museum where she secured contributions to bring the first Paleontology Exhibit and onsite Paleontology Lab to the state of Florida. She is a graduate of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York and has a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management. In the position of Director of Institutional Advancement at Telfair Museums she will report to the Executive Director and CEO and combine responsibilities in both development and marketing.
“As someone born and raised in the South, I’m honored to be returning close to home,” said Epstein. “Telfair Museums’ dedication to enriching lives through creativity and exploration inspires me, and I look forward to advancing a mission that has such deep roots in this community. I’m excited to build on the foundation of expanding access, elevating impact, and helping Telfair shine as a cultural destination that reflects Savannah’s unique spirit and history and becomes one of the defining reasons people choose to experience this remarkable city.”
Dr. Elyse D. Gerstenecker has been curator of decorative arts at Telfair Museums since 2021. Her previous projects for Telfair have included recent installations at the Telfair Academy, Craft Along the Coast and Stay Awhile: Interiors in Art, the exhibitions The Moss Mystique: Southern Women & Newcomb Pottery and Lingua Flora at Jepson Center, and the 2023 Look/See intervention by Sharon Norwood at the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters. Gerstenecker came to Telfair after completing her doctoral studies in History of Art & Architecture at the University of Virginia, where she contributed to several projects surrounding Jacob Lawrence’s Struggle series and the catalogue for the Peabody-Essex Museum’s exhibition Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle. She has also written for exhibition catalogues for the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and has held previous curatorial positions with the Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, Philadelphia Art Museum, Bok Tower Gardens, and William King Museum. Gerstenecker holds a master’s degree in History of Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture from Bard College and a bachelor’s degree in Historic Preservation and Art History from the University of Mary Washington.
“I am honored to lead Telfair Museums’ team of immensely talented curators, registrars, and exhibition designers. I have had the privilege of working alongside them for four years, and I am thrilled at this new opportunity to help my colleagues realize their visions for our collections and exhibitions,” said Gerstenecker. Her appointment to Director of Curatorial Affairs and Curator of Decorative Arts at Telfair Museums recognizes her many contributions to the organization’s mission. “As a scholar and a curator, I have long been passionate about arts and stories from the American South. I grew up visiting art museums, and it is important to me that members of the greater Savannah community feel as comfortable to explore art as I have. Telfair Museums has been a wonderful place for me to put passion into practice and grow,” she comments. “I look forward to expanding on these stories, because I think there is far more for the world to learn about our region, both past and present.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Stefanie to Telfair Museums and to recognize Elyse’s invaluable contributions over the years,” said David Brenneman, Telfair Museums Executive Director and CEO. “I am excited to have both Stefanie and Elyse’s expertise and commitment as we look forward to celebrating the 140th anniversary of the Telfair Academy and 20 years of the Jepson Center in 2026.”
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For more information, please contact Kristyn Beasley at [email protected] or 229-393-6457, Genelle Williams at [email protected] or Lesley Francis at [email protected] or 912-429-3950, or the LFPR team at 912-417-LFPR (5377).
About Telfair Museums
Opening in 1886, Telfair Museums is the oldest public art museum in the South and the first U.S. Museum founded by a woman. The museum features a world-class art collection in the heart of Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District and encompasses three sites: the Jepson Center for the Arts, the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, and the Telfair Academy. For more information on Telfair Museums, please visit www.telfair.org.