Icons of the Permanent Collection Gallery

A 1964 New York Post headline announced, “In Jackson, Mississippi, art is a matter of black and white. Whites won’t come to the Negro art gallery and Negroes aren’t allowed in the white museum.” The sentiment was penned from a distance, and somewhat liberal in its reference to a museum; nevertheless, the boundaries that separated black and white were clearly defined—and vehemently maintained—in some segments of the local art community. Yet, two institutions, on either side of the social divide, were developing complementary art collections, and in some cases works from the same artists. A Tale of Two Collections offers one chapter in the visual story of the relationship between the Mississippi Museum of Art and Tougaloo College by showcasing works from eight artists held in both collections.

Artists featured: Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Joan Miró (1893-1983), Marie Hull (1890-1980), Hale Woodruff (1900-1980), Romare Bearden (1911-1988), Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), Benny Andrews (1930-2006) and Thomas Eloby (1944-2001).The two earliest works are of the same subject matter interpreted by two different artists Robert Seldon Duncanson (1821-1872) and Heppie EnEarl Wicks (1857-1940).

Curated by Dr. Redell Hearn, Curator of Art & Civil Rights for the Mississippi Museum of Art and Tougaloo College.

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This exhibition is presented as part of the Art & Civil Rights Initiative, a partnership of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Tougaloo College that presents joint exhibitions and programs, and facilitates increased scholarship surrounding the Tougaloo Art Collection. The Art & Civil Rights Initiative is supported by the Henry Luce Foundation.