Chattanooga Has Fun 2.5

Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. Martin Luther King Blvd. (423) 266-8658.

Dorothy Wilson’s long passion for learning and educating inspired the latest exhibition at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Collecting is a Legacy: The Thompson-Wilson Collection.  The exhibition, co-curated by Dorothy Wilson’s son, Lamar Wilson, will showcase the family’s outstanding collection of 48 works including paintings, sculptures, and drawings from talented African American artists ranging from Romare Bearden, Joseph Holston, Paul Goodnight, Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett, John Riddle, and Louis Delesarte.

Wilson, a retired Howard University professor, began collecting African American art in the 1980s.  Realizing that there were a small percentage of individuals across the U.S that collected African American artwork, she decided to develop an educational outreach focusing on collecting art.   She personally met with many African American artists to learn about their art forms and influences.  Once she acquired a diverse African American art collection, Ms. Wilson began hosting educational sessions in her home.  Her sessions eventually outgrew her residence, so Ms. Wilson decided to expand her vision by opening art galleries in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

The exhibition, Collecting is a Legacy: The Thompson-Wilson Collection has traveled to more than 10 cities throughout the United States. Through this unique exhibition, Ms. Wilson hopes to both educate and inspire individuals to begin their own family legacy through collecting art.

Exhibition on Display thru September 24.