RELEASE-Larson & Steele Face-Off On "Live @ Morgan" Program

Morgan State University President Earl S. Richardson is pleased to announce the reopening of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art in its new space as a part of the Carl Murphy Fine Arts Center at 1901 Argonne Drive, on Morgan's south campus. To celebrate its reopening, the museum is unveiling the largest exhibit of its extensive collection in its history.

"I am proud of the fact that Morgan is among a select group of colleges and universities around the country with significant art collections and galleries," said Dr. Richardson. "It represents a considerable advantage to our students as we look for ways to augment their educational experience, and to the city and state, providing yet another cultural enhancement to the community."

Convergence, which opens for a private showing on December 14, 2002, features select works from around the world that are a part of the Lewis collection. The exhibition opens to the public on December 15th and will run through April 13, 2003.

"We have tried to include something for everyone in this exhibit," said Gabriel Tenabe, director of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art. "We are happy to be working with A. M. Weaver as visiting curator on this exhibit, and together, I believe we have selected pieces from our vast collection that will appeal to almost anyone who loves great art," he said.

The James E. Lewis Museum of Art has more than 4,000 pieces of art and artifacts from Africa, Oceania, Europe and America. Convergence represents some of the most compelling pieces in the museum's collection, highlighting several notable works by African American artists throughout the 20th Century as well as African artifacts. The exhibit will also include paintings and other works of art from Europe that date from the 1800s to the present.

Two intricately carved wooden doors adorn the entrance to the museum. They are divided into three distinctive panels carved from the hard mahogany wood of the Iroko tree, and were created by Nigerian artist Lamidi Fakeye. The doors are a gift from The Pierians, Inc., in memory of founder Annette C. Johnson. The Pierians, Inc., founded in Baltimore in 1958, is a national organization devoted to the purpose of promoting and encouraging the study of fine arts.

Established in 1951, the James E. Lewis Museum of Art is celebrating its 51st anniversary at Morgan State University. In 1990, the name was officially changed to honor its founder, Mr. James E. Lewis, a former professor at Morgan who traveled the globe, with funding from various sources, to assemble many of the pieces reflected in the exhibition, Convergence.

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a coeducational institution offering more than 60 academic programs leading to bachelor's degrees as well as programs at the master's and doctoral levels. As Maryland's public urban university, Morgan serves a multi-ethnic and multi-racial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information on Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

NOTE:

The James E. Lewis Museum is open to the public as of Sunday, December 15, 2002. Regular hours are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.