Famed Artist Claude Julian met with renowned fine art collector Paul R. Jones in Miami Beach

Paul R. Jones is in early discussions with Claude Julian about exhibiting his "World of Celebrity Art" as part of the Paul R. Jones collection at the University of Delaware in the Fall of 2004.

Claude Julian, Agent Jamison Adams, and Paul R. Jones recently toured, The Wolfsonian-FIU gallery to view CLOSE-UP in BLACK African American Film Posters. This exhibition recounts the extraordinary story of black film history through the exquisite graphic art of the American movie poster. Beginning with ministrel show stereotypes, the story develops into a nuanced depiction of a complex culture.

CLOSE-UP in Black was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in Collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Smithsonian's Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture.

The Paul R. Jones Collection is counted among the world's oldest, largest and most complete holdings of works by African American artists. The collection of more than 1,500 pieces includes paintings, photographs and three-dimensional works by such noted artists as Joseph Delaney, Hale Woodruff, Howardina Pindell, James Van der Zee, Lois Mailou Jones, Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, and P.H. Polk.

The collection began to take shape in the 1960's when Jones developed an affinity for art. He first purchased several prints of works by the old masters but soon came to the realization that his primary interest was in the creative expression of fellow African americans, and he started to search out their work. Jones found that he could meet an important need because museums and major art galleries at the time were acquiring and showing few works by African Americans.

Jones started with a handful of pieces, but through his personal contact with artists, that became several hundred pieces and eventually grew to become the current collection. The collection filled the walls, drawers, and closets of Jones's estate in Atlanta. Pieces were frequently loaned as he worked to provide artists of color exposure at museums and galleries nationally, reaching fellow collectors and the public at large.

The Paul R. Jones Collection was given to the University of Delaware during a ceremony on Feb. 14, 2001. The collection will be housed in space renovated expressly for it in the historic Mechanical Hall.

In November 2003, Jones plans to visit Chicago to view the 50-piece art collection by Claude Julian.