Contemporary African-American Artists

February 3 - March 21, 2004

In honor of Black History Month, the Reading Public Museum with guest curator Mr. Fred Bacon, is presenting an exhibition of the paintings and sculpture of contemporary African-American artists, mostly from eastern Pennsylvania. The exhibit Contemporary African-American Artists is running February 3 – March 21, 2004 and will be in the Museum’s Atrium and Alcoves.

Contemporary African-American Artists is supported by the Friends of the Reading Museum, The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Regular Museum admission is $7 adults and $5 children 4 to 17. Museum hours are Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday 11am to 5pm, Wednesday 11am to 8pm and Sunday 12pm to 5pm.

The artists represented in the exhibition chosen by Fred Bacon are James Brantley, Moe Brooker, Barbara Bullock, Syd Carpenter, James Dupree, Jimmy Mance, Lloyd Toon and Richard Watson. Fred Bacon is the former head of the Art Department of Philadelphia Public Schools and has an extensive knowledge of the artists in the region. He has been a volunteer and docent at the Reading Public Museum in recent years since his retirement. Museum Director and CEO Ron Roth comments “This exhibition featuring the work of some of America's finest contemporary African-American artists was organized by Fred Bacon in cooperation with the African-American Museum in Philadelphia and it is a collaboration I hope will continue into the future.”

Related Programming for Contemporary African-American Artists

Sunday, February 8, 2004 at 3:30pm - Discovery Talk on Contemporary African-American Artists by exhibit curator Fred Bacon. Free with admission.

Wednesday, February 11, 2004 at 7:00pm – Discovery Talk “Collecting African Art” by Rhoda Dersh. Free with admission.

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at Noon –Noontime Knowledge Lecture “African Culture” by
Dr. Jeffrey Fleischer, Kutztown University. Free with admission.