An exhibition titled “On Their Walls: Area African American Collectors and Their African American Art” will run at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, from Saturday July 11 through September 13. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, July 11, from 7 to 9 p.m.

A gallery talk focusing on collecting African American art will take place Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m. and the exhibition will be on display in conjunction with the Trenton African American Cultural Festival held in Cadwalader Park August 15.

Curated by Kali McMillan, the exhibition will showcase works of art by a select group of African American artists collected by four local African American women.

Highlights of the show include five serigraphs from the “Prevalence of Ritual Portfolio” by Romare Bearden completed in 1974 as well as a few rarely seen paintings by noted Trenton artist Tom Malloy. The artists in the exhibition range from established to rising local and international artists, including Frank Morrison, Sanford Biggers, Ellen Powell Tiberino, and Mercy Moyo.

Ms. McMillan, a former West Windsor resident, is an art historian who recently earned her masters in art history from the University of Glasgow: Christie’s Education, London. Her thesis “How Ya Like Me Now?” explored issues of redefining black identity in contemporary art. Ms. McMillan received her BA in art and art history from Colgate University. Also an accomplished photographer, her work has been exhibited both in the U.S. and abroad. She was selected as an emerging photographer at Milk Underground Gallery New York City in the fall of 2011. She currently is a cataloguer at an estate auction house.

“This exhibition is not only an assortment of fantastic works held in private collections created by a wide range of African American artists, but it visually translates the role of ritual and tradition in the African American experience and shows how artists use their lives and stories to convey these multi-generational values,” said Ms. McMillan.

The exhibition includes pieces collected by New Jersey resident Diana Tyson who also fosters the development of emerging female African artists including Mercy Moyo. When asked why she collects art, Ms. Tyson said, “My collection reflects my life: experiences that I have had, social commentary, and flights of fantasy inspired by abstract works.”

The exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, visit ellarslie.org.

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