Kinsey Collection on View in Pepperdine Gallery

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

The Cultivators: Highlights from Bernard and Shirley Kinsey’s African American Art and History Collection will be on display at Pepperdine University’s Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art from January 15 to March 27. The exhibit is slated to feature works of art, photographs, rare books, letters and manuscripts that “chronicle the achievements and contributions of African Americans over the last five centuries,” according to a press release.

“Representing the intersection between art and history, the exhibition covers the lives, accomplishments and artistry of African Americans from the 16th century through the years of slavery and emancipation, to the Civil Rights Movement and up to the present day,” according to the press release.

Important objects on display include bills of sale, advertisements, letters, and legal papers documenting the slave trade; hand-colored tintypes from the Civil War era; art and literature from the Harlem Renaissance; items spotlighting key moments in the Civil Rights Movement and more.

“The Cultivators” also features more than 30 exemplary works by Ernie Barnes, John Biggers, Bisa Butler, Elizabeth Catlett, Robert S. Duncanson, Sam Gilliam, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Augusta Savage, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Alma Thomas, Charles White and more.

“We see ourselves as stewards and caretakers of this collection and it is incumbent upon us to share these stories, this history—American history—with as many people as possible in as many places as possible,” Shirley Kinsey said in a statement. “Through our collection, we honor our ancestors who were lost, stolen, left behind, but not forgotten. The journey continues.”

The public opening for “The Cultivators” will be on Saturday, January 15, from noon to 5 p.m. with exhibition tours, food trucks, live music and activities for children and families. Longtime residents of Pacific Palisades, the Kinseys will also lecture on “The Myth of Absence.”

The day-long celebration is free of charge and open to the general public; advance registration is required.

For more information, visit arts.pepperdine.edu/museum.