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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. —Kerry James Marshall, distinguished painter and printmaker, will give a lecture on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. during Museum Nights at the Harn Museum of Art. Marshall is widely known for his large acrylic paintings that examine aspects of African-American culture in the United States.

The subject matter of Marshall’s paintings, installations and public projects can often be traced to his upbringing.

“You can’t be born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1955 and grow up in South Central [Los Angeles] near the Black Panthers headquarters, and not feel like you’ve got some kind of social responsibility,” said Marshall. “You can’t move to Watts in 1963 and not speak about it. That determined a lot of where my work was going to go.”

Marshall received his BFA from Otis Art Institute in 1978. His work has been displayed in many domestic and international exhibitions, including Portraits, Pin-Ups and Wistful Romantic Idylls and Mementos. His work has also been shown at the Venice Biennale (2003); Whitney Biennial (1997); and the Documenta (1997 and 2007).

In 1997, Marshall was awarded the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. In 1996, he received the Civtella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Art. He has also been the recipient of the Illinois Arts Council Fellowship (1992); the National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship (1991); and the Studio Museum in Harlem Resident Fellowship (1985).

This lecture is funded by the University of Florida Visiting Artist and Scholars Committee and the Harn Museum of Art. Additional support is provided by University of Florida Student Government, making it possible for the Harn Museum of Art to stay open every Thursday evening from 5 – 9 p.m. during the UF academic term.

Admission to the Harn Museum of Art is free. For more information call 352-392-9828 or visit www.harn.ufl.edu.

Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
The Harn Museum of Art at SW 34th St. and Hull Rd. is one of the largest university art museums in the country with nearly 7,000 works in its collection focusing on African, Asian, modern and contemporary art and photography. The museum enhances the activities of the University of Florida and serves a culturally diverse audience through educational programming. Admission is free. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Parking is free on weekends. The Camellia Court Café is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum and café are open until 9 p.m. Thursdays for Museum Nights during the UF Academic calendar due to the generous support of UF Student Government. For more information call 352-392-9826 or visit www.harn.ufl.edu.

Media contacts:
Tami Wroath, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
352.392.9826 x116
twroath@harn.ufl.edu