Grand Re-Opening of Hampton University Museum Offers New Exhibitions

By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide
HAMPTON

The Hampton University Museum recently reopened after being shuttered for an extensive revitalization.

The more than 150-year-old museum houses over 9,000 works and offers one of the most comprehensive collections of African, African-American, and Indigenous art in the United States. And significantly, admission is free.

New exhibits at the museum include a veteran’s display that honors Hampton alumni who served in the military, as well as a display featuring costumes on long-term loan from Oscar-winning designer Ruth E. Carter, and new additions to the African and Native American displays.

“This reopening marks a new chapter in our commitment to education, preservation, and community engagement,” said Lt. Gen. (retired) Darrell K. Williams, president of Hampton University.

The museum’s extensive collection, which began with the 1894 acquisition of two paintings by Henry O. Tanner, includes hundreds of artworks from the Harmon Foundation, as well as Harlem Renaissance acquisitions.

The museum houses the Countee and Ida Cullen Art Collection; a group of 29 works of art acquired from the widow of the famed Harlem Renaissance poet. Among the most outstanding holdings are works by three important figures connected to the visual arts at Hampton: John T. Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, and Samella S. Lewis. In addition to the African-American Fine Art Collection, the Museum features African, Native American, and the Hampton History Galleries as permanent exhibitions.

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“The Hampton University Museum is not just a repository of art; it’s a living testament to the resilience of Black artists and the power of storytelling through art,” said Dr. Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, who directs the Hampton University Museum. “Our collections and exhibitions remind the world that Black art isn’t peripheral but central to the broader narrative of American history.”

Visitors can also stroll past works by  trailblazing artists like Henry Ossawa Tanner and John Biggers, whose works capture the beauty, struggle, and triumph of the Black experience. Native American textiles, African artifacts, and even Asian ceramics that connect global histories in unexpected ways are also on display.

This isn’t just art – it’s a conversation with the past, present, and future, the university noted in a recent press release.