Myrtle Jones Explained

Myrtle Jones
Birth Date:23 January 1913
Birth Place:Winder, Georgia
Nationality:American
Occupation:Artist

Myrtle Jones (January 23, 1913 – February 15, 2005)[1] was an artist whose paintings commonly featured streetscapes and architecture of Savannah, Georgia, as well as portraits.

Jones was born in Winder, Forsyth County, Georgia[2] and moved to Savannah in 1943. A professional hairdresser,[3] Jones formally took up painting in 1950 when she studied at the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences under Emil Holzhauer (among others).[4] Despite this training she has been identified as a self-taught artist, and considered herself to be self-taught. In 1964 she purchased a house on Gaston Street in Savannah's historic district and used it as her home and studio through the remainder of her career.

Jones' work is considered distinct for its balance of modern and representational approaches. During the 1950s and early 1960s, she utilized strong colors, brushstrokes and lines in her portraits, which Jones referred to as her "dark and bold period". Her later works gravitated towards light colors to create a "faded" effect. Throughout her career Jones depicted everyday life in Savannah, through subjects including urban streetscapes, buildings, landscapes, and portraits of locals. Jones was a prolific painter, possibly creating thousands of works within her lifetime. She posthumously donated some of her paintings to the Telfair Museum of Art along with a one million dollar endowment.

Selected exhibitions

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stoehr . John . 17 February 2005 . Artist, icon and friend to all: 'Miss Myrtle' remembered fondly after her death Tuesday of natural causes . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160418033313/http://savannahnow.com/stories/021705/2807006.shtml#.VxRVgEzP2Uk . 18 April 2016 . 8 April 2016 . Savannah Now.
  2. Web site: Phagan . Patricia . 2 February 2021 . 28 July 2006 . Art in Georgia from 1895 to 1960 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220206023945/https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/art-in-georgia-from-1895-to-1960/ . 6 February 2022 . 8 April 2016 . New Georgia Encyclopedia.
  3. Web site: Hersh . Allison . 19 May 2006 . Visions of Savannah: 'Myrtle Jones: A Tribute,' a small, thoughtful exhibit opening at the Telfair's Jepson Center for the Arts on Monday, celebrates the legacy of one of the area's most influential artists . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160418032214/http://savannahnow.com/stories/051906/3897279.shtml#.VxRS6kzP2Uk . 18 April 2016 . 8 April 2016 . Savannah Now.
  4. Book: Looking Back: Art in Savannah 1900 - 1960. Telfair Museum of Art. 1996. 0933075022. Savannah, GA. 63–64.
  5. Web site: Women Artists in Savannah (exhibition). 2015. Telfair Museums. April 8, 2016.
  6. Book: Exposed! Telfair Women Artists & Patrons. Telfair Museum of Art. 1996. Savannah, GA.

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