UA’s Jones Gallery to Display Newly Acquired Works

William Dooley Untitled (Composition with Oxbow) ca. 2008 Pencil, gesso, organic inks on paper PJ2013.0417
William Dooley
Untitled (Composition with Oxbow)
ca. 2008
Pencil, gesso, organic inks on paper
PJ2013.0417

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A small sampling from more than 400 pieces of art that were recently acquired by The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences will be displayed at the Paul R. Jones Gallery of Art in downtown Tuscaloosa beginning June 22.

The pieces are part of the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art and were recently received as part of an estate gift of more than 2,100 works from the late Paul R. Jones of Atlanta.

The collection is valued at $10.3 million and was given to UA in 2008.

The exhibit, “Lately: Recent Acquisitions to the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art,” will be displayed through Aug. 7. A reception will be held at the gallery July 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Both the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

The recent acquisition includes works from familiar artists in the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art including Jacob Lawrence, Benny Andrews, Howard Finster and Fahamu Pecou, all of which will have pieces on display.

New artists to the collection include famed painter and printmaker Robert Motherwell; painter, writer and mixed media sculptor Faith Ringgold; fine artist Harry Greaver; and UA’s own William Dooley, associate professor in UA’s department of art and art history and director of UA’s Sarah Moody Gallery of Art.

Motherwell was one of the youngest artists in what is known as the New York School of artists. He worked alongside such other well-known artists as Willem De Kooning, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.

Ringgold, professor emeritus at the University of California at San Diego, is represented in many private and public art collections including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Museum of American Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Boston Museum of Fine Art and others.

Greaver specializes in watercolor, woodcuts, lithographs and etchings. His art is held by the British Museum, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution and New York Public Library.

Dooley joins the list of well-known artists to be included in the collection with his piece, “Untitled (Composition with Oxbow).” His artwork has been included in numerous regional and national juried exhibitions. His drawings and paintings have been curated into group exhibitions and several solo exhibits.

The gallery honors the late Paul R. Jones who, during his lifetime, amassed one of the largest collections of African-American art in the world. Jones was known as a passionate collector who sought to collect from both well-known and lesser-known artists, a quality which makes his collection distinct.

The Paul R. Jones Gallery is located at 2308 6th St. in downtown Tuscaloosa. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the first Friday of every month from noon to 8 p.m.

The Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, 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 Fulbright Scholarships.

Contact

Stephanie Kirkland, communications specialist, College of Arts and Sciences, 205/348-8539, stephanie.kirkland@ua.edu

Source

Katie McAllister, gallery manager, College of Arts and Sciences, mcall007@as.ua.edu