Aug 21, 2008 12:36 pm US/Eastern
NCC To Host African American Exhibit
PHILADELPHIA
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia will host the national debut
of "America I AM: The
African American Imprint,"
a four-year touring museum exhibition that
will celebrate 400 years of African American contributions to this
country.
The exhibition is developed in partnership with The
Smiley Group, Inc., and organized by
Cincinnati Museum Center
and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), which recently brought the King
Tut exhibition to Philadelphia. The exhibition will run January
15 to May 3, 2009, presenting a historical continuum of pivotal moments in
courage, conviction and creativity that solidifies the undeniable imprint of
African Americans across the nation and around the world.
"As Americans, we all want to live in a nation as good as
its promise. This exhibition essentially tells the role that African Americans
have played to make real the promise of American democracy," said Tavis Smiley,
who is presenting the exhibition. "Given its historic role in
America's back story, there
is no better place to premiere this exhibit than the city of Philadelphia."
"The National Constitution Center is proud and honored to be the
premiere venue for this groundbreaking exhibition," said National Constitution
Center President and CEO Joseph M. Torsella. "The Center is dedicated to telling
the story of 'We the People' in ways that inspire visitors to become active
citizens. This exhibition conveys the struggles, contributions, and triumphs of
African Americans in a way that will inspire
all Americans to engage in an important cultural and historical dialogue."
Tickets will be available in the fall and are
available for pre-registration as of today at www.AmericaIAM.org.
Those who have pre-registered will have an advance opportunity to secure tickets
once they are available.
"Philadelphia boasts a long list of firsts and
prestigious events in our nation's history," said Mayor Michael Nutter. "The
debut of 'America I AM' at the National Constitution Center is yet another benchmark moment for
the city, and we are proud to host this extraordinary
exhibition."
The twelve galleries, each with its own music thematic
and theater experiences, will convey a journey from struggle to triumph to
celebration. Featuring more than 150 artifacts culled from every period
of U.S. history, the exhibit will
include objects, texts, religion, music, narration and media. An interactive
component of the exhibition will allow visitors to leave their own video
"imprints," and this collection will grow throughout the life of the exhibit to
become the largest recorded oral history project in U.S.
history.
Exhibition organizers have worked with some of the most
notable scholars in the field to develop this exhibition. Among others, advisory
panel members include Howard Dodson, director of the Schomburg Center for
Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library; Lawrence J. Pijeaux
Jr., president and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and immediate
past president of the Association of African American Museums; and Cornel West,
professor of religion and African American studies at Princeton University. John
Fleming, president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and
History and director emeritus of museums at the Cincinnati Museum Center, serves as the executive producer
for the exhibition.
The National Constitution Center is working to create a local
advisory panel, as well, to identify and
develop collaborative programming to supplement the exhibit and carry the
experience outside of the Center's walls.
"We are proud to premiere this exhibition about the
history of a people at a museum that tells the story of 'We the People' in such
an inspirational way," said John Norman, president of AEI. "We know from
bringing past exhibitions, such as King Tut, to Philadelphia that there is an appetite here for
major cultural endeavors, and we look forward to another well received
exhibition."
This
exhibition is made possible by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., which serves as its
presenting sponsor.
"All of us at Wal-Mart are proud to be a part of
America I AM," said Hank Mullany, SVP
& President for the Northeast Division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "Our support
is an extension of our commitment to honoring the contributions that African
Americans have made to our great nation. These words, sounds, images and
artifacts bring to life 400 years of the African American experience. We are
excited to play a role in presenting history to our Philadelphia area
associates, customers and partners, who will be among the first to experience
this extraordinary exhibit."
More details about the exhibition, including a gallery walkthrough
moderated by Tavis Smiley, are available at www.AmericaIAM.org.
(National Constitution Center)
