Works from UA’s Paul R. Jones Collection Exhibited

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences will present an exhibit of works from UA’s Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art, “Branching Out: Surrounding the Spiral Group,” in the art gallery of the UA Ferguson Center Sept. 7-30.

An opening reception will be held Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The Spiral Group, 1963-1965, formed as an artist group during the peak of the civil rights movement. They met to discuss and debate the role of African-American artists in America.

This show will look at the influences, contrasts and reach of the Spiral Group through the work of artists who were part of the group, of artists influenced by Spiral Group members and of artists working as contemporaries to Spiral Group artists.

“We are very pleased that we can share these works with the University community and the public,” said Dr. Robert F. Olin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Collectively, the works tell a story about an important time in our country’s history that I think will resonate with everyone who views them.”

The Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art was donated to UA in October 2008 by the late Paul Raymond Jones of Atlanta. It is one of the world’s largest collections of 20^th-century African-American art.

As Jones wished, it is being used at UA as a teaching collection and is being exhibited in galleries on the UA campus and at other educational institutions and venues.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards, including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.