Collector's Conversation with Harriet Kelley
Programs
July 15, 2023 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Join us as collector Harriet Kelley shares stories and insights about the artists and their works of art that can be found in The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art: Works on Paper.
Event Details
Harriet Kelly guides the audience through a journey of discovery highlighting significant African American artists and their works from the 19th and 20th centuries. This presentation shares her personal reflections and artistic expertise acquired through more than 30 years of study and assembly of one of the finest collections of African American art in the country.
This program is available as an on-demand recording for CPE credit. To get access to the link and a certificate email Education@thestoryoftexas.com.
Native to Texas, Mrs. Harriet Kelley met her husband, Dr. Harmon Kelley, at Prairie View A&M University. The Kelleys began collecting works by African American artists in 1987 and amassed a collection that has been described as the finest holdings of African American art in the country due to its breadth and depth. In 2019, Harriet Kelley was honored with the Distinction in the Arts for Arts Patronage by the City of San Antonio’s Arts Commission. Last year, in 2022, the 150 works owned by the Kelleys became the first private collection of African American art ever exhibited by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Two of their pieces will be displayed at a new exhibition at the Met in 2024. Dr. Harmon Kelley passed away in January 2023. Mrs. Kelley carries on the educational mission of the Foundation they established together.
Public programs at the Bullock Museum explore relevant history and celebrate the culture that has shaped our modern world. Through engaging discussions, performances, and scholarship visitors are invited to see local connections and discover how Texas fits into a broader national story.
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The Bullock Museum, a division of the Texas State Preservation Board, is funded by Museum members, donors, and patrons, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the State of Texas.
The exhibition The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art: Works on Paper was organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA.
Sponsored by the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall Fund.
