Beyond the Blues: Reflections of African America in the Fine Arts Collection of the Amistad Research Center July 2, 2010

The Amistad Research Center, located on the Tulane University campus, is the nation's largest independent archive specializing in the history of African Americans and other minority ethnic groups. A lesser known aspect of the Center is its extraordinary collection of fine art dating from the nineteenth century to the present day. 'Beyond the Blues: Reflections of African America in the Fine Arts Collection of the Amistad Research Center,' presented by the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Amistad Research Center, marks a long overdue public access to these remarkable works of art. The exhibition will feature nearly 150 works including paintings, prints, and sculpture, as well as archival materials such as letters and sketchbooks, providing a fascinating glimpse of the artistic process. Like the Collection itself, the exhibition is a map that charts change in American visual arts while highlighting African American connections passed, like a baton, over the course of a century from one generation to the next.