1 p.m., April 5, 2007--Alison Saar, an award-winning, internationally known artist, will be the guest speaker at this year's Paul R. Jones Lecture, set for 5 p.m., Thursday, April 19, in the Theatre of the Trabant University Center.

A native of Los Angeles, Saar earned her bachelor's degree in art history from Scripps College in 1978 and her master's degree in fine art from Otis/Parsons School of Design in 1981. She is a scholar on self-taught African-American artists and on the art and religions of several African, Latin-American and Caribbean cultures.

Saar will lecture on her work, which addresses spiritual evolution by drawing on lore, myth and legend, as well as everyday rituals. She will discuss how her creations, which use common found materials such as tin, wood, dirt and roots, focus on contemporary spiritual themes.

The free lecture, which is open to the public, is sponsored by the University of Delaware in conjunction with the Paul R. Jones Collection and the Paul R. Jones Initiative.

An exhibition of Saar's latest prints will be on display at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art on Wilmington's Waterfront, from April 20-Aug. 5.