James E. Lewis Museum Presents "Something All Our Own"

- Grant Hill Collection of African American Art Opens September 17th -

Morgan State University’s James E. Lewis Museum of Art (JELMA) is bringing to Baltimore the exhibition of 46 works of art from the personal collection of NBA star Grant Hill. Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection of African American Art will run from September 17 through November 30, 2004.

The collection features the works of such celebrated African American artists as Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett. But it also includes the art of Hughie Lee-Smith, John Biggers, John Coleman, Phoebe Beasely, Edward Jackson and Malcolm Brown, among others.

“We are pleased to be able to feature the work of these very talented African American artists,” says Gabriel Tenabe, director of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art. “Grant Hill has amassed a fine art collection for such a young man, especially one who is better known for his work as a professional basketball player than an art collector.”

Hill, who was exposed to fine art by his parents, Calvin and Janet Hill, at a very early age, believes young people should see African American role models who are successful, but outside of the traditional sports and entertainment venues. He says he allowed his personal art collection to travel the country because he wanted to expose more people to African American art, which, he says, has not been fully appreciated.

The collection is currently on a national tour, which began in the Fall of 2003 at the Orlando Museum of Art in Orlando, Florida, making stops in New Orleans (New Orleans Museum of Art), Houston (Texas Southern University Museum) and Morgan State University in Baltimore, before moving on to Dallas (Dallas Museum of Art), Springfield, Massachusetts (Basketball Hall of Fame) and, finally, Durham, North Carolina (Duke University’s Nasher Museum of Art) in the Spring of 2006.

While at Morgan, Grant Hill hopes to make his collection of African American art available to as many school children as possible and expects to spend some of his time speaking to Morgan students with wife, Tamia.

The James E. Lewis Museum of Art is located on the campus of Morgan State University in the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center at 2201 Argonne Drive. The museum is open six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. There is no charge for admission. Call 443.885.3030 for museum hours.

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EDITORS NOTE:

Grant Hill will be available for brief interviews by local media outlets on Thursday, September 23, 2004 between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

For interview requests, contact Clinton R. Coleman, Office of Public Relations and Communications, Morgan State University at 443.885.3256. All requests will be handled on a first-come-first-served basis.

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.