Black & Beautiful

By Riki Altman

published: April 17, 2008

Before you go rushing out to see “In the Hands of African American Collectors: The Personal Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey,” please be aware that, no, Bernard and Shirley aren’t the sex-research Kinseys. Instead, they are a California-based couple who have amassed an impressive collection of slave-owners’ documents, artifacts, and works of art. The items they share provide a historic thread, starting with the introduction of Africans in the Americas and leading to today. More than 90 items from their collection are on view at the Norton Museum of Art (1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach) Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m through July 20. Also check out the companion exhibition of works from the 1920s to the 1960s, entitled “Highlights: African American Art from the Norton Collection,” through August 31. General admission is $8. Call 561-832-5196, or visit www.norton.org.
April 23-Aug. 31, 2008