The Magnificent Seven: Hayward Oubre's Students--Works from The Paul R. Jones Collection" is the title of an art exhibition that is on display noon-4 p.m., weekdays through Saturday, May 31, in the gallery of the Perkins Student Center.
Sponsored by The News Journal, the exhibition of approximately 40 works includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, photographs, prints and mixed media by Oubre, former art professor at Alabama State College (now University) and his students William Anderson, Herman Bailey, Arthur Britt, Floyd Coleman, John Feagin, Paul Gary and Harper T. Phillips.
Hayward Louis Oubre Jr. (1916- ) is a sculptor, painter, printmaker, educator, author and civil servant known for his contributions to the art world and the color wheel (a clarified approach to color mixing and color relationships). Among his renowned works are his wire sculptures: Prophet, Young Horse and Convolutions.
Oubre, was born in New Orleans, grew up in the city and attended local schools. In 1939, he was the first art major to earn a bachelor's degree from Dillard University. He continued his art studies at the prestigious, predominantly black Atlanta University, where he studied with two great artists, Harlem Renaissance sculptor Nancy Elizabeth Prophet and painter/muralist Hale Woodruff.
In 1940, he ventured to Tuskegee Institute to assist in putting some artistic work in the new student union being built on the campus. His stay was cut short when he was drafted into the Army in 1941 and sent to Alaska to help build the Alcan Highway, a 1,523-mile military supply route that extends from British Columbia to Fairbanks.
After his military tour of duty, Oubre returned home to complete his education under the G.I. bill and became the third African-American to receive a master of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa.
He went on to teach at Florida A&M University (1948), Alabama State College (now University) (1949-65) and Winston-Salem University (1965-81). After retiring from the Winston-Salem faculty in 1981, Oubre returned to the school to serve as curator of the Selma Burke Art Gallery, once located on the campus.
The imagination and creativity displayed in Oubre's work has earned him more than 50 exhibits, including permanent collection status at Atlanta University, and numerous awards, including North Carolina's highest honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
For more information on the exhibition and the Jones Collection, contact curator Amalia Amaki, assistant professor of Black American Studies and art at UD, at 831-4075 or via e-mail at [amaki@udel.edu].
--Beth Thomas
Re-engineering Mechanical Hall for art
Mechanical Hall, built a century\ago to house the University's engineering department, is being transformed into an art gallery.
The building will look the same from the outside, but the spacious art gallery inside will house the Paul R. Jones Collection, one of the oldest, largest and most complete holdings of African-American art in the world.
In addition to the art gallery, the building will include research and study space, collection storage area and office space. The project should be completed by the fall. *
Spelman College visitors
A lecture by Gloria Gayles and a performance by members of Spelman's Resonance verse choir were among the many special events held in conjunction with "The Magnificent 7" exhibit. Shown sporting Delaware caps are (front row, from left) Jessica Palmer; Ayo Cummings; Yomi Adesanya; and Hatshepsitu Tull; second row, collector Paul Jones; Gloria Gayles, Eminent Scholar's Chair at Spelman College; UD President David P. Roselle; and Jennifer Freeman; and third row, Arthur L. McClenton of Morris Brown College; Amalia Amaki, curator of the Paul R. Jones Collection; Radia Turay; and Leslie Ibeanusi.