PMoA to Exhibit Famous Harlem Renaissance Painter

7 Jun. 2010

Loïs Mailou Jones was one of the original Harlem Renaissance artists and many of her pieces are influenced by African art, Caribbean culture and her fascination with color.

CONTACT: Meredith Spresser, Public Relations & Marketing Manager, 863-688-7743 ext. 235, MSpresser@PolkMuseumofArt.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/7/2010

Polk Museum of Art to Exhibit Works by Famous

Harlem Renaissance Painter

LAKELAND, FL - Polk Museum of Art is pleased to announce the opening of the exhibition Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color. The exhibition will open July 3 and will run through September 26, 2010.

Loïs Mailou Jones was one of the original Harlem Renaissance artists and many of her pieces are influenced by African art, Caribbean culture and her fascination with color. Jones graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and started her career as a textile designer. She later focused her efforts on fine arts and became a teacher at Palmer Memorial Institute, North Carolina. For 47 years, she was a professor of art at Howard University in Washington, DC. Her outstanding achievements in the art world have been honored by President Jimmy Carter, and her work can be found in various international museums as well as in numerous corporate and private collections. This exhibition will include Jones’s paintings, textile designs and drawings spanning her career of more than 70 years.

The museum will be hosting an exhibition reception for Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color on Friday, August 27 at 6pm. This reception will feature a lecture by Dr. Tritobia Hayes Benjamin, Associate Dean of the Division of Fine Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences and Director of the Gallery of Art at Howard University in Washington, DC. The lecture will be followed by light refreshments and a cash bar. The reception will be free for members and $10 for non-members.

Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color is organized by the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC, in collaboration with the Loïs Mailou Jones Pierre-Noël Trust, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. The exhibition is sponsored locally by ALPI and Tinsley Family Concessions, Inc., with additional support by Blackmon-Roberts Group.

For any questions or for further information about upcoming events, please contact Polk Museum of Art at 863-688-7743.

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