A Beautiful Mix — Art & History …NMAAHC

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey — Where Art and History Intersect

Organized by the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation for the Arts and Education
NMAAHC Gallery, National Museum of American History
14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

Throughout their over 40-year marriage, collectors Bernard and Shirley Kinsey have celebrated their heritage by seeking unusual souvenirs. From an early version of the Emancipation Proclamation to correspondence between Malcolm X and Alex Haley, the couple has amassed a trove of rare artifacts and artwork that spans four centuries and embodies the hardships and triumphs of the African American experience. Originally housed in a wine cellar in the Kinsey’s Los Angeles home, items from their private collection form The Kinsey Collection.

The Faces of My People
Margaret Burroughs (b. 1917)
Woodcut on paper

Over 100 artifacts, documents, and artwork spanning some 400 years of history will be on display in NMAAHC’s exhibition The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey — Where Art and History Intersect. Select items from the extraordinary collection of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, originally housed in their Los Angeles home, will illustrate the hardships and triumphs of the African American experience.

Organized by the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation for the Arts and Education, The Kinsey Collection will be on view in the NMAAHC Gallery at the National Museum of American History from October 15, 2010 through May 1, 2011. The exhibition will honor the lives of famous African Americans such as Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as those whose history is not as well known. The Kinsey Collection will use objects including slave shackles, photographs, and written documents from the periods of slavery through the Civil Rights movement.

“What You Didn’t Learn in High School History”
2:00 – 3:30 pm, Saturday, October 16
Carmichael Auditorium, National Museum of American History
14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

In celebration of the opening of the exhibition The Kinsey Collection: The Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey — Where Art and History Intersect, join Bernard and Shirley Kinsey as they take visitors on an extraordinary journey through art and history that is certain to transform your perspective on the African American experience. A book signing will follow.

Special Tours with Bernard and Shirley Kinsey
Personal Tours
11:00 am – 12:00 pm, Sunday, October 17
NMAAHC Gallery, National Museum of American History
14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

Join Bernard and Shirley Kinsey as they lead a special and very personal tour of their collection. Hear how they amassed their collection while traveling to exotic destinations around the world. Free and open to the public. Ongoing tours. No reservations required. A Q&A and book signing will follow.

“A Conversation: Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Discuss Collecting”
1:00 – 3:00 pm, Sunday, October 17
NMAAHC Gallery, National Museum of American History
14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

Join Bernard and Shirley Kinsey as they discuss what lead them to begin collecting and how they combined their love of art with their personal quest to understand their history. A Q&A and book signing will follow.

Smithsonian Teachers’ Night 2010: Tours for Educators Only
7:15 & 9:00 pm, Friday, October 22
The Kinsey Collection Exhibition
NMAAHC Gallery, National Museum of American History
14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

Meet Bernard and Shirley Kinsey in the exhibition and learn about their history and art collection. The Kinseys will introduce teachers to their artifacts and tell how their materials have been used in school systems around the nation. Space is limited; please do not bring children or other guests. Register for this free event at www.TeachersNight.org. A book signing will follow.

Special Tours with Bernard and Shirley Kinsey
Personal Tours
10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Saturday, October 23
NMAAHC Gallery, National Museum of American History
14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

See October 17 listing for details.

Book Signing
1:00 – 1:30 pm, Saturday, October 23
The Kinsey Collection Exhibition
NMAAHC Gallery, National Museum of American History
14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

Bernard and Shirley Kinsey sign copies of their book “The Kinsey Collection: The Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey.”

All Programs are free and open to the public, unless otherwise stated.
Books will be available for purchase and signing after author event.
For more information, call 202-633-0070 or visit nmaahc.si.edu.

More information about our programs or exhibitions is available by
calling 202-633-1000 or email the Museum at NMAAHCinfo@si.edu.

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