Misericordia University to Display a Selection of the Harriet and Harmon Kelley Collection

Misericordia University will present a selection of works from the Harmon and Kelley Collection of San Antonio, Texas, one of the country’s major collections of African American art. The exhibition will be on display until Sunday, April 10. The forty works on paper in this exhibition date from the early 1900s to 2002 and feature works by such noted artists as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Aaron Douglas, Henry Ossawa Tanner, William Henry Johnson, and Alma Woodsey Thomas. The Kelleys personally selected each drawing, print, or painting for its ability to share African American history and creativity with viewers. Being able to present this exhibition has special meaning for Mrs. Harriet O’Banion Kelley, whose nephew Charles Louis O’Banion, who passed away in 2019, graduated from Misericordia University in 2006. This touring exhibition was organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions of Los Angeles, California. Presenting this exhibition at Misericordia University was made possible in part by the Sandra Dyczewski Maffei Endowment Fund for the Modern Visual Arts.

A free public reception with has been scheduled for Saturday, March 19, from 2-5pm. Kas Williams, Misericordia University Assistant Vice President for Mission Integration and Institutional Diversity, will give the University Welcome. Live music will feature vocalists Wendy Hinton and LaToya Martin, accompanied by Patrick Temple, Misericordia University Adjunct Professor of Guitar. Space is limited. RSVP required by contacting Alexandra Svab Isaac at (570) 674-8422 or aisaac@misericordia.edu.

Regular gallery hours are 12-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday or by appointment. Admission is always free. Masks are required indoors on campus regardless or vaccination status. Please refer to the Pauly Friedman Art Gallery website www.misericordia.edu/art for any changes in protocols, and art gallery event and calendar updates. Free tours led by Gallery Director Lalaine Little are available on request. To schedule a tour or private appointment, or for more information, please contact Alexandra Svab Isaac at aisaac@misericordia.edu or (570) 674-8422.