Reflections: African American Life from the Myrna Colley-Lee Collection

Reflections tells a highly personal story of community and place through a selection of the extensive collection of costume designer and arts patron Myrna Colley-Lee. Featuring 50 works, including paintings, works on paper, photographs, and fabric works, Reflections presents the lives, traditions, and environments of African Americans from the 20th century to the present. The exhibition focuses largely on the figurative and representational, presenting pieces by such noted artists as Romare Bearden, James Van Der Zee, Elizabeth Catlett Mora, Eudora Welty, and Betye Saar. Together, these complementary works present a snapshot of life from within the African American community as well as by artists working in close proximity to it.

Myrna Colley-Lee is credited as one of the foremost costume designers in the Black Theatre movement. Her collection juxtaposes work by leading artists with that of lesser known, yet equally compelling creators, offering a wide view of African American life and culture.