Date: Oct 16, 2007

Hofstra University Museum Presents Premiere Exhibit of Readers Digest Association Art Collection

African American Highlights Features Works by 19 African American Masters

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra University Museum presents an exclusive Long Island engagement of an inaugural exhibition, “African American Highlights from the Readers Digest Association Collection.” This is the first time a selection of the Readers Digest Association Art Collection has been offered for public viewing.  The collection will be on display in the Hofstra University Museum’s - Emily Lowe Gallery, south campus from January 29 through March 20, 2008.

"As the first venue of a national tour of this major collection, the Hofstra University Museum is honored to present this exhibition,” said Museum Director Beth Levinthal. “This collection features groundbreaking artists of renown, who have opened doors to understanding through their work."

The show, which includes 36 master works of painting, printmaking, drawing, photography and sculpture by 19 African American Masters from the 20th century to the present, will be traveling from the Reader’s Digest headquarters in Pleasantville, New York to Hofstra with the oversight of Caulk Art Services.

Some of the highlighted works include Romare Bearden’s Quilting Time (1979), Willie Cole’s Man, Spirit, and Mask (1999), Jacob Lawrence’s Eight Passages (1990), Sam Gilliam’s Philadelphia (1987),  Howardena Pindell’s India: Lord Krishna (1985-86) and Lorna Simpson’s Odds (1991).

During the opening week of the exhibition artist Willie Cole will deliver a talk on Wednesday, February 6 at 7:00 p.m. and artist Howardena Pindell will speak at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 7, just prior to the opening reception held from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the Emily Lowe Gallery.  There is a fee of $5.00 to the public for both programs, the opening reception is free.

For more information on this exhibit and associated public programs call (516) 463-5672 or visit the Hofstra University Museum website at http://www.hofstra.edu/Museum 

The Readers Digest collection was started in the early 1940s by Lila Acheson Wallace, who co-founded Readers Digest with her husband, DeWitt. The collection presently includes 8,000 works in a variety of media, ranging from paintings, sculpture, drawings, and prints, as well as photography. The vision for the collection is twofold: to enhance the corporate working environment and to support the arts by acquiring works by established and emerging artists from the United States and abroad.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students find their edge to succeed in more than 140 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied human services, and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.