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Smithsonian Institution
An exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American Art from its collection, with related educational publications and family projects made possible by Chesebrough-Pond's Inc.
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PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCED FOR NATIONAL EXHIBITION FEATURING 19TH-CENTURY BLACK AMERICAN ARTISTS
A cultural affairs partnership between the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American Art and Chesebrough-Pond's Inc. was announced tonight at a reception hosted by Chesebrough held on the occasion of the National Urban League's 1984 conference in Cleveland.

The focus of the partnership is an exhibition "Sharing Traditions: Five Black Artists in 19th Century America," which will open at the National Museum of American Art on January 19th, 1985--Martin Luther King's birthday--and then tour for two years to other museums in the United States under the auspices of SITES, Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Related educational publications and family projects will be made possible by Chesebrough-Pond's as part of its overall commitment to arts in education, and the National Urban League has endorsed the national tour and will assist in audience development.

The National Museum of American Art, the oldest national art collection in the United States, will organization the exhibition from its extensive holdings of Afro-American art. The 45 oil paintings and sculptures will include portraits by Joshua Johnston, believed to be the first Afro-American to acquire fame as a portraitist; lyrical landscapes by Robert S. Duncanson who traveled extensively in Europe where his works were lavishly praised; landscapes by Edward M. Bannister who was influenced by the Hudson River and Barbizon schools; neoclassical marble sculpture by Edmonia lewis, the first known Afro-American woman sculptor; and expressive allegorical subjects and views of North Africa by Henry O. Tanner, who studied with Thomas Eakins and was an expatriate himself to France after 1981.

"These five artists contributed significantly to the mainstream of American art and were acclaimed in their time but are largely neglected today," Dr. Charles C. Eldredge, Director of the NMAA, says. "It is our intention to give these pioneers the renewed attention which they deserve."

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to share in this partnership and hope that the resulting effort succeeds in stimulating the public's awareness of the fine art tradition that black American artists have given this country, Kenneth R. Lightcap, Chesebrough's Vice-President of Public Affairs and Investor Relations says. Headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, Chesebrough is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of branded consumer products for the health and well-being of the entire family.

The National Urban League is a community service organization committed to securing equal opportunities for blacks and other minorities in all areas of American life. "This is a tremendously vital collection of work," John E. Jacob, President of the National Urban League, Inc., says. "We are pleased to be involved with such an important partnership."

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