Paul R. Jones African American Art Collection Exhibits at University of Delaware

Black Issues in Higher Education, Sept 23, 2004

NEWARK, DEL.

A groundbreaking exhibit at the University of Delaware presents the opportunity to recognize the distinct achievements of Black artists in the 20th century while placing them in the broader context of modern American art, organizers say.

"A Century of African American Art: The Paul R. Jones Collection," offers a glimpse at one of the largest collections of works by 20th-century Black artists, including Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence and Charles White.

"We're not trying to strip the work of its significance from the standpoint of the African American experience," said curator Amalia Amaki. "But we also want to expose the viewer to the roles of these artists ... throughout the development of artistic expression in America."

Offering 101 works by 64 artists, the exhibition follows the evolution of Black art in the United States from early representational works to modern abstraction. It opened Sept. 8 and runs through June 1, 2005, after which it will travel to Spelman College in Atlanta and Montana State University in Bozeman.

At the University of Delaware, the opening celebration for the inaugural exhibition in Mechanical Hall, which underwent a $4.5 million renovation to house the Jones Collection, will be held Nov. 11-13.

"That's sort of a milestone for me, seeing its own space," Jones said. "It sort of cements the relationship between a major university and a collector."

Jones, an Atlanta entrepreneur and pioneer in the acquisition of works by Black artists, agreed three years ago to donate his collection to the university (see Black Issue, March 29, 2001).