Purvis Young: Born in Liberty City – Paul R. Jones Collection

The Paul R. Jones Museum presents Purvis Young: Born in Liberty City, September 6 through October 25, 2019, in downtown Tuscaloosa. The exhibition of 27 pieces by the self-taught artist has been selected entirely from the Seiler Zaden Rimes Collection, with the assistance of UA alumnus Richard Zaden. The public is invited to a First Friday reception, September 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Purvis Young (1943-2010) was born in Liberty City, Florida, and spent most of his artistic life in Overtown, both historically black neighborhoods now in the Miami metro area. Through intensely personal iconography and a relentless output, Young conveyed life in Overtown with a perceptive eye, exposing the struggling aspects of living in an impoverished, forgotten town within a bustling city. With glass skyscrapers of Miami in the background, he painted his version of justice-themed issues, often expressing his thoughts and feelings about current events happening around him onto discarded wood and objects.

The Paul R. Jones Museum is located at 2308 Sixth Street, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35401. Hours are Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and First Friday of each month, 12 noon until 8:00 p.m. For more information about this exhibition and all our programs, call 205-345-3038 or go to the website: https://paulrjonescollection.ua.edu/.