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NCCU Year
in Pictures

NCCU home

Art exhibit shares history
By Veronica Harley
Echo Staff Writer

A national art tour is stopping at N.C. Central University Art Museum, and it promises to take us on a historic journey. 

"To Conserve a Legacy: American Art from Historically Black Colleges and Universities," will be on display from Oct.15-Dec.1. 

 It's part of a seven-city national tour that features collections from six HBCUs: Clark Atlanta University, Fisk University, Hampton University, Howard University, N.C. Central University and Tuskegee University. 
 

Charleston S. Livington's print of George Washington Carver

The exhibit was featured in The Smithsonian Magazine, American Visions and Parade. The exhibition and national tour is funded by AT&T and Ford Motor Company.

It began in 1995 as a collective effort with the Addison Gallery of American Art and the Studio Museum of Harlem to conserve African American artwork.

Many of the six HBCUs didn't have money to restore their collections. This is where the Williamstown Art Conservation Center stepped in. 

"The Williamstown Art Conservation Center greatly assisted HBCUs whose collections were in need of conservation," said Kenneth G. Rogers, NCCU museum director. 

In the summer of 1997, two NCCU students interned at WACC and learned conservation and collection care. 

In 1998, the tour opened at the historic Studio Museum of Harlem. 
 Michelle Patterson, adjunct assistant professor of the art department, took art majors to see the exhibit. 

"It's a wonderful show," said Patterson. The tour comes from Clark Atlanta University. 
 

Frances Benjamin Johnson's print "The Hampton Albums: Class in American History."

The exhibit displays over 200 collections from the 19th and 20th centuries including drawings, paintings, photography, sculptures and prints. 

It is divided between three venues: NCCU Art Museum, Duke University Museum of Art and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. 

NCCU art museum features "Forever Free" by Edmonia Lewis.Her sculpture of a man looking toward heaven, thanking God for his newfound freedom shows the significance of emancipation and freedom. 

"She was the first sculptor of African American decent to achieve national acclaim," said Rogers. 

NCCU will also feature "The First American." Francis Benjamin Johnson's platinum print, "The Hampton Albums: Class in History" shows a Native American wearing full tribal dress as he stands in front of a classroom. He represents the educator and the educated. 

The Duke Museum of Art will showcase three exhibits. "American Expressionism" teaches us about black life in America, while "Modern Lives, Modern Impulses" shows the struggle for racial equality. 

"The American Portrait Gallery," includes Arthur P. Bedou's, gelatin silver print of Booker T. Washington. 

The Center for Documentary Studies will display "Training the Head, the Hand, and the Heart." It explains the importance of educating and empowering the black community for the future. 

"This body of work is a collective statement about our American legacy," said Richard J. Powell, co-curator and chair of the Duke University department of art and art history.

In addition to the exhibition, many cultural events will be offered. 

Rogers has worked with many departments at NCCU to plan six weeks of events including "Blues Conservation Night" with Tim Duffy, "The Darker Face of the Earth," a play by Rita Dove, and a gospel concert featuring Fisk University Jubilee Singers. Many events are free.

To promote the exhibit the art department mailed "legacy kits" to 40 public and private schools in Durham. These packets inform teachers about the exhibits and invite students to attend. 

Rogers hopes NCCU students will take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime exhibit.

"It's an opportunity to see firsthand some of the best art produced in   America," said Rogers. Call 560-6211 for more information.