Date: Jan 17, 2007

HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

An Art Exhibit, Readings and a lecture on the Archaeology of Slavery highlight Black History Month at Hofstra

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY - Hofstra University will celebrate Black History Month in February with short readings, a lecture on slavery in early New York and an exhibit of works by Black artists.

Bearden, Lawrence and Parks: Artists of Influence exhibit opens on January 29, 2007 and runs through April 5, 2007 in the Hofstra University Museum's David Filderman Gallery on the ninth floor of the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, south campus. The exhibit highlights three twentieth-century American artists acclaimed for their artistic talents and for the way in which they communicated the African American experience, in essence, turning it into the human experience, states Director of the Hofstra Museum Beth Levinthal.

Romare Bearden is best known for his collage work that began with his founding of the Spiral group in 1963, which was comprised of African American artists who met to discuss their commitment to the civil rights movement and how, as artists, they would express that commitment. His works on exhibit include The Train and Homage to Mary Lou (The Piano Lesson).

Jacob Lawrence trained as a painter in Harlem during the 1920s and 30s and is considered among the best known twentieth-century African American painters. His works, such as Confrontation at the Bridge, are infused with simplified forms and brilliant colors which addressed many of the social concerns such as the migration of African Americans from the south to the north, poverty and racial strife.

Gordon Parks' used his camera lens to depict social injustices. His earliest documentary photographs for the Farm Security Administration, his photo-essays on the Fontenelle family in Harlem, and portraits of Ella Watson of Washington D.C. are all a part of the exhibit. One of the featured works by Gordon Parks is Labyrinth.

"These men with paintbrush, lens and printmaking equipment have, through their art, influenced the social conscience of a generation," said Eleanor Rait, Curator of Collections at the Hofstra University Museum.

The Hofstra University Center for Civic Engagement is also marking Black History Month by presenting The Archaeology of Slavery and Freedom in Early New York, a lecture that explains how archaeologists interpret the record of early New York City artifacts using illustrations from a variety of archaeological sites.  The lecture, conducted by Associate Professor of Anthropology Christopher Matthews, will explore the archaeology of slavery and freedom in New York. The lecture will take place on Thursday, February 8, 2007 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Monroe Lecture Center Theater located on Hofstra's south campus.

The Hofstra University Center for Civic Engagement is also hosting an international peace exhibit at Hofstra that focuses on three individuals who promoted peace and social change through non-violent action.  Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace, which looks at the lives and works of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Japanese peace activist Daisaku Ikeda, will debut Feb. 2, 2007 with an opening reception at 7:30 p.m. in the David and Sondra Mack Student Center, Plaza Room, north campus and run through March 23, 2007.

The Joan and David E. Axinn Library will celebrate Black History Month with Short Readings in Celebration of African-American History Month.   The readings will be conducted by Hofstra students, faculty, staff and administrators from works by or about people of African descent.  The readings will take place on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.For more information please contact David Woolwine at 516-463-6431.

All of Hofstra University's celebrations marking Black History Month are free and open to the public.  For more information please visit our website at www.hofstra.edu.

Hofstra University provides a dynamic college experience tailored for innately ambitious, outcome-oriented individuals. Students find their edge at Hofstra, through small classes, a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence, cutting edge technology, extensive library resources, internships and special educational programs that appeal to their interests and abilities. The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.