Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 21 March 2002 — Page 23

The Muncie Times, March 21. 2002, page 23

Museum reopens with 2 displays of black art

The Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture marked its reopening with two exhibition spotlighting the work of Washingtonarea artists, collectors and historians. “Precious Memories: Collectors’ Passion: opened Feb. 11 in newly renovated and expanded space. “The sculptures of Bill Taylor” opened the same day n the first exhibition in the new John R. Kinard Gallary, named for the museum’s late founding director. Both exhibits will be on view until Sept. 30 at 1901 Fort Place SE. Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and admission is free. The museum was closed for nearly 2 years. “This renovation was not simply a matter of creating a better building,” said museum Director Steven C. Newsome. “It’s a physical manifestation of the museums renewed commitment to lead the nation in an effort to systematically collect and care for the materials that tell the stories of the African American experience. “Precious Memories” is designed to explore the work of Washington-area residents who have emerged as important collectors of African American art, memorabilia and archival material offering insight into the black experience in America. “This is the first in a series of exhibitions that will focus on how artifacts and images can tell our story in a unique and compelling way,” said curator Portia James, the museum’s senior historian and author of three books on various aspects of African American history. “With this and

subsequent exhibitions we will be linking today’s museum visitors to different times and varied experiences as embodied in photographs, objects, writings, and oral history.” The exhibition spotlights the work of the following collectors: Tina Clarke is a member of Montgomery, Md. County family whose history spans more than 12 years. Her collection includes a medicine jar, kitchen utensils, china and other household objects used in the family dwellings in Poolesville, Md. Under renovation is a late 19th century cabin once occupied by her ancestors. It stands on family property n about 20 acres of scenic land h featured on the recently developed Montgomery County African American Historical Map. It identifies 36 historical areas and more than 160 African American sites and attractions. Clarke is the African American liaison officer to Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan. Jerome Gray is a retired District of Columbia police detective and self-taught art collector. He has found fine art in places ranging from auction houses and antique stores to thrift shops and flea markets. He is represented in the exhibition with works by three celebrated African American artists: painter Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam and sculptor Augusta Savage. John Hope Franklin a widely published author and nation’s leading authority on African American history, and his son, John W. Franklin, are building a collection rooted in the family traditions of

scholarship and research. The younger Franklin specializes in the study of communities of the African Diaspora in the Smithsonian Center for Forklife and Cultural Heritage. Their collections document them at work and reflect a wide spectrum of interests Phillip J. Merrill of Baltimore has turned a childhood interest of collecting old things into a national reputation as a material culture specialist. He has appeared a a guest appraiser on PBS’s “Antique Roadshow” and is a frequent lecturer at schools, colleges and professional meetings around the country. His collection has been featured in motion pictures and in an array of exhibitions. The Quanders of Virginia and Maryland are one of the oldest recorded families in America. Their story is told through objects dating to the 1680s and the west coast of Africa. Judge Rohulamin Quander, activein Washington’s campaign to preserve historic buildings, and his cousin, Roberta Quander, lead the families efforts to preserve their heritage and strengthen links to relatives in Ghana. Eugene and Adele Redd of Prince George’s County have built a collection of prints, oil paintings, first edition books, scriptures, and items that tell the story of American Slave Trade. Including shackles, branding irons, instruments of torture and force feeding devices. „ The husband and wife team want to develop an interactive museum on slavery. The Late Henry Whitehead, upon his death in January, left a collection of posters, photographs and costumes from the 1920s

and 1930s, when Washington’s U Street was known as the Black Broadways. Objects of note include: an anti-slavery medallion made in England in 1840 n one of many worn, much like today’s political buttons, to promote the abolitionist cause in 19th century American. “Harp” in bronze by Augusta Savage (19001962) inspired by the anthem “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” and created to commemorate the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City. Buck Colbert Franklin’s manual typewriter, Remington, c. 1910 used by Franklin (1879-1960) for his work as an attorney, a newspaper columnist and author in Oklahoma around the time of the Tulsa race roits in 1921; from the collection of his son, John Hope Franklin. Sheet music for “I’m Always in the Mood for You” (1939) by Bill Robinson and Cab Calloway representative of the thousands of copies the composer sold to home musicians and local performers. “The Sculptures of Bill Taylor” is a retrospetive of an artist known for his welding and carved figures that address the varied concerns of women, and characterize the dignity and elegance of the female form. Born in Atlantic City, N.J., Taylor has lived in Washington D.C., since 1931. He studied at the Washington Institute of Contemporary Arts and taught at the Corcoran School of Art, Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia. He traces his connection to art to his mother, who painted, and his grandfather, who was a passionate whittler.

Nutritionist warns against diet quacks America’s diet industry attracts large numbers of quacks and other pseudo-scientist because consumers are so gullible, says a Ball State University nutritionist. Scam artists seek a piece of the $30 billion Americans spend annually on a multitude of diet supplements, said Katherine Beals, a registered dietician. “As a nation we are witnessing a large and rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity, with an estimated 61 percent of Americans currently overweight of obese,” she said. ‘Many people are desperate and are looking for an easy answer to their problems. Quick fixes are appealing to Americans.” Dietary supplements are products containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs and other botanicals, They are intended to supplement the diet. Beals said her research found people targeted by diet scam operators also include the elderly and athletes. “Older people want to feel like they did when they were young,” she said. “Athletes want a competitive edge. Both are looking for a miracle in a bottle.” Promotions for good and bad products are found daily in newspaper and magazine ads and television infomercials. The advertisements accompany products sold in stores, on the Internet and through mail-order catalogs. Because supplements are not regulated by the US. Food and Drug Administration, the best way to avoid fraud is to become a smart shopper, Beals said. Signs of potential quackery include half-truths, testimonials and anecdotes, unpublished or uncited studies, buzzwords, or pseudo-medical jargon, secret formulas, quick results and missing or questionable credentials. “Every year hundreds of people are injured permanently or die at the hands of people hawking fraudulent diet products,” she said. “You don’t know what you are getting in a bottle. You could get sugar in a pill or it could be something toxic.”