Lincoln University Arts Library Curator kYmberly Keeton has opened an exclusive online art exhibition space where students and community members can now view African-American artwork dating back to the Great Depression era. The exhibit will take place through Dec. 1.
"As an academic librarian, I feel like I'm filling a major void within the community in regards to the African-American artwork," Keeton said. "The library is not just a place for learning, but it is a cultural center in itself."
The exhibition is titled "Part 1: Acts of Seated Experience" and portrays the work of 10 artists who participated in the Federal Art Project, which is an initiative funded under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 to help artists who were suffering during the Great Depression.
Artists like Charles Alston, Dayton Brandfield and Elizabeth Olds will be featured in LU's exhibit. The collection of work comes from the New York Public Library that is available for free to public university libraries across the United States.
"I selected these artists because I wanted to have something that was different for our university," Keeton said. "Learning about your history is a beautiful thing."
Rinalda Farrar, director of the Inman E. Page Library at LU, encourages everyone to "click-in" to view the exhibition.
"I am so excited!" said Farrar. "This exhibition will open so many doors for our students, staff as well as the faculty because this is something new that our innovative arts librarian has brought to Lincoln University and the community."
Prior to becoming the curator at Page Library, Keeton was known as the information literacy coordinator. She said part of the reason she was promoted to the curator position was because she utilized the campus community and created partnerships with groups like the Arts departments, Women's Resource Center and the Lincoln University Male Initiative Group.
Keeton later added, "A spirit of want and need has to be there in order for the community to embrace this collection."
Since Keeton came to LU two years ago, she has brought in seven different exhibitions, and hosted two literary talks and film screenings, as well as talking with individual students about art.
Patrons can view the exhibit at theartsatpagelibrary.omeka.net. Two additional parts of the collection will become available online in January and the summer of 2017.