News

UA’s Jones Museum Awarded Grant from State Arts Council

Visitors look at artwork in a gallery

Paul R. Jones Museum was awarded a grant by the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) for the 2022 exhibition season. The grant will support three exhibitions in the works for 2022: the annual Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art (PRJCAA) K-12 Exhibition, a solo show of work by artist Celestia Morgan and an exhibition of recent acquisitions from the Paul R. Jones Collection.

“A project grant like this is important,” said Daniel White, director of the Paul R. Jones Museum. “Exhibition support of this nature helps boost our ability to fully realize our role as an art museum…and help artists, like Celestia Morgan and others, realize their vision for their projects. Being able to partner with the Alabama State Council on the Arts for the second year in a row has been a great way to connect with those around the state and bring visibility to our museum. With this grant, ASCA has given us a platform and an opportunity to continue to be vibrant and connect with our community at a local and statewide level.”

In a statement, ASCA chairman Jim Harrison III noted the importance of the arts to an improved quality of life in Alabama towns. “Funds awarded through the Council’s grantmaking process,” he said, “elevate arts in education, strengthen cultural expression, and attract tourists and new industry to our colorful and vibrant state.”

Each year, the PRJCAA K-12 Outreach Program partners with a local school or organization to create and learn about art from the Jones Collection in their classrooms for a semester. The Jones Museum hosts an exhibition of artwork created by the schoolchildren inspired by that artwork. Central Elementary School in Tuscaloosa will participate and present an exhibition opening in January, supported in part by the ASCA grant award.

Two other exhibitions at the Jones Museum will be supported by the funding. Artist Celestia Morgan, whose acclaimed work has been shown in the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and others, will hold a solo exhibition of new work at the Jones Museum in March, April and May of 2022. In August and September, curator and collections manager Emily Bibb will present a selection of recently acquired artworks from the Jones Collection and produce a catalog for the exhibition.

The Paul R. Jones Museum, located in the heart of downtown Tuscaloosa, presents a year-round schedule of exhibitions of works from the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art at The University of Alabama and hosts guest exhibitions. The museum honors Jones’ vision of art, community and continuous learning by hosting a lecture series, concerts, workshops and theatrical performances. The Paul R. Jones Museum is also a classroom for the arts, where students from kindergarten through college experience learning in a new and exciting environment.

The museum is located at 2308 Sixth Street, Tuscaloosa, just a block from the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. Hours are Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information, call (205) 345-3038, or go to the website.

For more information about The University of Alabama’s programs in studio art and art history, visit our Degree Programs page.