African-American gallery to be inaugurated at Birmingham Museum of Art

[Blue_Tires]

A new gallery dedicated to African-American art will open next Sunday at the Birmingham Museum of Art, and an exhibit called "Lift Every Voice" will mark the occasion.

The gallery will draw from the museum's permanent collection and highlight new acquisitions, traveling exhibitions and loans from other institutions and private collectors. Situated in the Bohorfoush Gallery near the Eighth Avenue entrance, it will rotate its display every few months.


Although works by African-Americans are displayed throughout the museum, this is a way to draw attention to a rich heritage, says Emily Hanna, BMA's curator of the Arts of Africa and the Americas.

"So many people in the city are interested in African-American art, but they don't necessarily know what to look for when they walk into the museum," Hanna says. "We have it everywhere, but you have to know what to look for."

Hanna says race does not define style or form in African-American art, but the gallery can lead to deeper cultural understanding.

"There are shared cultural experiences, histories and artistic influences that are interesting to explore," she says. "Our new gallery affords the opportunity to consider the wonderful threads of connection that exist among and between artists of African descent."

http://blog.al.com/mhuebner/2009/08/africanamerican_gallery_to_be.html