Black Artists Work Displayed At Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

 

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) will host an exhibition of work from the Paul R. Jones Collection April 27-June 27. The legendary art collector was nationally renowned for accumulating one of the largest and most comprehensive private holdings of works by African American artists.

The exhibition, titled A Tribute—Piece by Piece: The Paul R. Jones Collection, will feature more than two dozen works from Jones’ collection. As part of the opening of the exhibition, BCRI will host an invitation-only opening night reception to pay tribute to Jones’ legacy.

Jones, who died earlier this year at the age of 81, amassed more than 1700 works of art—many of which he donated to institutions of higher education. In August 2008 he donated 40 works of art to BCRI.

Jones was a Bessemer native who became involved in the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement when he was active in the Birmingham Interracial Committee. He began collaborating with BCRI in 2004 through annual exhibitions from his collection.

“Paul Jones always spoke of the importance of preserving the artwork of African American artists and educating others about them,” said Birmingham Civil Rights Institute President and CEO Dr. Lawrence J. Pijeaux, Jr. “We are proud to continue honoring his legacy by fulfilling his desire to use these treasures for educational purposes.”

This will be the sixth year BCRI has exhibited works from the collection of Paul R. Jones

 

 Contact: Lesley Bruinton

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