The Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art at The University of Alabama

Item

Legacies Classification
Memorial Artwork
Memorial Type
Visual Work of Art
Memorial Context
Pro-Civil Rights
Reparative
Memorialized Subject
Jones, Paul R.
Title
The Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art at The University of Alabama
Background and Context
The Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art at The University of Alabama was donated to the university in October 2008 by Paul R. Jones himself. At that time, it consisted of over 1,700 pieces valued at over $10.3 million. In 2013, 300 more pieces were donated, increasing the total to over 2,000 artworks. The collection includes a variety of media and represents over 600 individual artists.

Paul R. Jones was an African American man who applied to law school at The University of Alabama in 1949 after completing his bachelor’s degree in political science at Howard University in Washington D.C. Despite being originally accepted into Alabama’s law program, Jones would receive a letter revoking this on account of school officials finding out he was African American. Jones would go on to attend Yale University, the University of Chicago, the University of California, and receive a master’s degree in Urban Studies from the Governor’s State College in Illinois.

Jones collected art by African American artists after noticing the lack of representation in museums and galleries. He wanted the body of work to be more than just a personal collection of art, and so donated it to The University of Alabama and the University of Delaware. After this, Jones would go on to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Alabama.

The Paul R. Jones collection at Alabama is used to educate students on the importance of art, and the collection is incorporated into certain curricula at the school. The collection is stored on campus and the Paul R. Jones Museum, located in downtown Tuscaloosa, presents exhibitions throughout the year, drawn both from the collection and guest artists.

Of the pieces donated to the university, there is one that pertains directly to Jones's personal history with the school; it is an unnamed painting by artist Zebra commissioned by Jones himself. The painting is 71” x 50”, and it consists of a copy of Jones’s rejection letter from the university superimposed on closed, yellow doors. Above the doors is an open window with Jones’s eyes looking out. Additional text includes the words “Paul R. Jones Collection” at the very top of the painting and the words “when there’s a door closed, a window is opened” below the window. The latter is written in blue, the only part of the painting not in yellow. This painting serves as a memorialization of the school’s mistreatment of people of color.
Physical Description
A collection of over 2,000 works of art from more than 600 artists in a variety of media including prints, paintings, drawings, lithographs, ceramics, and more. A museum building off-campus in downtown Tuscaloosa displays works from the collection, which is mostly held in storage space on campus within Mary Harmon Bryant Hall. The collection is majority African American art.
Creator/Participating Person(s)
Jones, Paul R.; the artist Michael Bailey, known as Zebra
Date created, installed or dedicated
October 2008
Date Modified
2013
Historical Period
1945-1976: Era of Civil Rights Movement and resistance to Civil Rights Movement
2000-Present: Memorialization in the Era of Universities Studying Slavery and the Black Lives Matter Movement
Funded by
gift of Paul R. Jones
Location: Institution, City, State
University of Alabama; Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Position: 12162 (5 views)