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Richard
Hunt
Freedmen's Column, 1989
Bronze, 25'h x 8'w x 9'd
Gift of John S. DeBrew, Jr.
of the Mildred Andrews Fund, 1989.
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General Information
History
| Visit Hours | Directions
| Staff
HISTORY
Established
in 1928 by action of the Board of Trustees to "make revolving
exhibitions of contemporary arts and crafts available for visitation
and study to students," the Howard University Gallery of Art
was formally opened with a traveling exhibition of oil paintings,
water colors, and drawings assembled and circulated by the College
Art Association of America on April 7, 1930. After the success of
this exhibition, a policy and program leading to the development of
a permanent collection was adopted. James V. Herring, founder of the
Department of Art, and James A. Porter, internationally renowned art
historian and critic, were the earliest directors.
Henry O. Tanner's Return from the
Crucifixion, an oil tempera painting, which is the last completed
work of the artist, was one of the earliest acquisitions. This
historic work is still a jewel of the collection.
Since the initial acquisition,
numerous purchases and gifts from friends and faculty of the
University, private collectors, art foundations, and various
branches of the federal government have entered the permanent
collection. The artifacts of Alain Locke, the esteemed philosopher,
began the encyclopedia collection of African artifacts, while the
Kress Foundation set up the collection of Renaissance and Baroque
Paintings. Other significant contributions and acquisitions, such as
the Irving Gumbel Collection of European prints from the 16th to the
19th centuries, and the array of paintings, sculptures, drawings,
and prints by African American and other 20th century artists, have
allowed the collection to grow exponentially.
The Gallery, serving as a study and
research facility for the University and scholarly communities,
offers rotating exhibitions of national and international artists,
augmented with selections from the permanent collection in the
galleries named for the first directors, and the eminent professors
Lois Mailou Jones and James Lesesne Wells. VISIT
HOURS Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday, 12:00– 4:00 pm
NOTE:
The Gallery of Art will be closed for the 'Thanksgiving' holiday,
Thursday, November 22 - Sunday, November 25. The Gallery will re-open
on Monday, November 26th. Also closed for Veterans Day, Monday,
November 12, 2007.
DIRECTIONS The
Gallery of Art is located in Childers Hall, home of the Fine Arts
Division of the College
of Arts and Sciences. The main campus is easily accessible by car
or subway. STAFF Tritobia
Benjamin, PhD, Associate Dean for the
Division of Fine Arts and Gallery Director
Scott Baker, Assistant
Director
Eileen Johnston, Registrar
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