Paul R. Jones
Encyclopedia
Paul Raymond Jones was an important American collector of African American art
.
Jones, one of five children of Will and Ella Jones, grew up in Muscoda, a Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company
mining camp near Bessemer, Alabama
. After his mother formed a favorable impression of Northern schools while visiting the 1939 New York World's Fair
, he was sent off to continue his education there. He returned to Alabama
during high school and attended Alabama State University
on scholarship. He was elected president of his freshman class and played on the Bulldogs football team. After two years he decided to pursue the study of law. He transferred to Howard University
in Washington D. C. to complete his undergraduate studies. His application to the University of Alabama Law School in 1949 was officially discouraged on the basis of race. He completed a year of graduate work at Howard before returning to Bessemer.
In the 1960s, Jones was part of the "Birmingham Interracial Committee" of the "Jefferson County Coordinating Council for Social Forces" and later worked for the United States Department of Justice
on Civil Rights issues and later the Department of Housing and Urban Development
, where he was recognized for his work on the Model Cities Program. He also served as deputy director of the Peace Corps
in Thailand
.
In the early 1960s, Jones was inspired by the annual African-American art shows organized by Hale Woodruff
at Atlanta University. He began collecting works by African-American artists, often befriending the younger artists from whom he purchased works. He hosted receptions at his home to encourage colleagues to purchase art and put pressure on galleries and museums to recognize African-American artwork.
Jones eventually amassed an important collection with over 2,000 pieces. A selection of his collection made its public debut in a 1993 exhibition at the University of Delaware. In 2001 Jones donated hundreds of the more valuable works to that University with several stipulations for how the school should leverage it to provide more opportunities for black students and art professionals. In 2008 he donated most of his remaining collection, 1,700 works, to the University of Alabama
. Dr. Amalia Amaki
is the Curator of the Paull R. Jones Collection of African American art at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.
Jones, who lived in Atlanta, died in January 2010. He was survived by a son.
African American art
African American art is a broad term describing the visual arts of the American black community . Influenced by various cultural traditions, including those of Africa, Europe and the Americas, traditional African American art forms include the range of plastic arts, from basket weaving, pottery,...
.
Jones, one of five children of Will and Ella Jones, grew up in Muscoda, a Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company
Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company
The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company , also known as TCI and the Tennessee Company, was a major American steel manufacturer with interests in coal and iron ore mining and railroad operations. Originally based entirely within Tennessee, it relocated most of its business to Alabama in the...
mining camp near Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
. After his mother formed a favorable impression of Northern schools while visiting the 1939 New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
, he was sent off to continue his education there. He returned to Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
during high school and attended Alabama State University
Alabama State University
Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :...
on scholarship. He was elected president of his freshman class and played on the Bulldogs football team. After two years he decided to pursue the study of law. He transferred to Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington D. C. to complete his undergraduate studies. His application to the University of Alabama Law School in 1949 was officially discouraged on the basis of race. He completed a year of graduate work at Howard before returning to Bessemer.
In the 1960s, Jones was part of the "Birmingham Interracial Committee" of the "Jefferson County Coordinating Council for Social Forces" and later worked for the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
on Civil Rights issues and later the Department of Housing and Urban Development
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
, where he was recognized for his work on the Model Cities Program. He also served as deputy director of the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
In the early 1960s, Jones was inspired by the annual African-American art shows organized by Hale Woodruff
Hale Woodruff
Hale Aspacio Woodruff was an African American artist known for his murals, paintings, and prints. One example of his work, the three-panel Amistad Mutiny murals , can be found at Talladega College in Talladega County, Alabama...
at Atlanta University. He began collecting works by African-American artists, often befriending the younger artists from whom he purchased works. He hosted receptions at his home to encourage colleagues to purchase art and put pressure on galleries and museums to recognize African-American artwork.
Jones eventually amassed an important collection with over 2,000 pieces. A selection of his collection made its public debut in a 1993 exhibition at the University of Delaware. In 2001 Jones donated hundreds of the more valuable works to that University with several stipulations for how the school should leverage it to provide more opportunities for black students and art professionals. In 2008 he donated most of his remaining collection, 1,700 works, to the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. Dr. Amalia Amaki
Amalia Amaki
Amalia Amaki is an African American artist, art historian, educator, film critic and curator who currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where she is a Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa since 2007.Amaki graduated from Georgia State University in...
is the Curator of the Paull R. Jones Collection of African American art at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.
Jones, who lived in Atlanta, died in January 2010. He was survived by a son.
External links
- Paul R. Jones Collection at ua.edu
- Paul R. Jones Collection at udel.edu