Paul R. Jones Museum

04/29/2026

The Paul R. Jones Museum of American Art is pleased to present The Domestic Liminal from May 1 to August 21, 2026. The public is invited to a reception on Friday, May 1, from 5-8 p.m. during the First Friday Art Walk.

The Domestic Liminal is a curatorial project led by Dr. Lucy Curzon’s course, Art History 580: Twentieth Century seminar, which has selected pieces from the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art at The University of Alabama to highlight themes of the everyday in 20th-century art and culture.

The department thanks the following students for developing and installing the show:

Tiffany Hawkins
Tayler Allen-Galusha
Peninah Feltman
Shakiba Ebrahimpour
Taylor Knudsen
Amelia Beacham
Erin Yother
Andrew Morgan
Sarah Riches
Scott Moore

This exhibition was inspired by Hyperallergic’s feature essay in February 2026, “How Liminalism Became the Defining Aesthetic of Our Time,” by Ed Simon. In this essay, Simon writes about the growing internet sensationalization of the “liminal aesthetic.” Defined by a sense of ambiguity and placelessness, the liminal zone, according to Simon, “flattens experience in the same way that digital homogenization obliterates distance.” This feature, paired with themes within the students’ coursework, inspired them to survey the collection for artwork that evoked the liminal in everyday settings or locations.

Liminality is a term that resists easy definition; it is a state of “in-betweenness” that is experienced by everyone. The night before marriage, puberty, moving homes, or awaiting a call are all examples of the liminal that speak to human experience. In the 21st century, photography, technology, and social media have captured images of these moments. This has led to the creation of online groups on Facebook and Reddit that are dedicated to sharing these odd images because of their widespread appeal and understanding from our own day-to-day experiences. By bringing the liminal from the internet into the gallery setting, the students hope to encourage visitors to reflect on the ways they have experienced moments of liminality in their everyday lives.

This exhibition features works of art from notable artists such as:

Beverly Buchanan (1940-2015) a Black female artist who investigated southern dwellings in sculpture, painting, drawing, video, photography, and land art
Hans Bhalla (1927-1977) the former Department Chair of Art at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA
Molly Brooke Threadgill, an alumna from The University of Alabama and Art Teacher in the Tuscaloosa City School system
Wendel A. White, a documentary and experimental photographer who serves as a Distinguished Professor of Art at Stockton University, NJ.

Note: This press release was contributed by ARH 580 student Tiffany Hawkins.

Image below: Showcard image featuring an artwork by Beverly Buchanan titled Shack.

03/28/2026

Thank you for joining us for the book release and reading of Jack Drake's Be Not Afraid today! We were delighted with the wonderful crowd and the conversations that ensued. Drake's readings from his book was an honest and personally reflective account of his career as a civil rights lawyer. A memorable day for all.
The featured exhibition, Biophilia, curated by Collection Manager Rowan Murry, features several works from a large gift given by Rebecca and Jack Drake to the collection in 2023.
Images by Rowan Murry.

03/12/2026

Please join us on March 28th, at 2pm for the book release and reading of Be Not Afraid, a civil rights attorney’s unflinching memoir about the fight against segregation and systemic racism through landmark legal battles in Alabama. Jack Drake will be here reading passages from his memoir and signing purchased copies for anyone interested.

Be Not Afraid: A Southern Journey Through Law, Liberty, and Civil Rights is a timely and unflinching memoir from civil rights attorney Jack Drake, who has spent decades on the front lines of Alabama’s legal battles for racial justice. Raised in a segregated community in Gardendale, Alabama, Drake came of age during the civil rights movement and became a pivotal figure in cases that reshaped the state’s legal and moral landscape.

Drake helped reform Alabama’s grossly inadequate mental health system and supported voting rights efforts throughout Alabama. His career underscores the crucial role private attorneys and grassroots advocates played in enforcing civil rights laws long after their passage.

Through vivid recollections of courtroom battles, civil rights alliances, and personal transformation, Be Not Afraid offers an intimate view into the persistence and courage required to challenge systemic injustice. At a time when debates over equity and democracy remain pressing, Drake’s story is both a powerful reflection on the past and a call to action for the present. It speaks to the enduring importance of legal advocacy and community solidarity in the fight for a more just society, making it essential reading for those engaged in civil rights history, law, or social change.

“A Birmingham native, Drake offers an insider’s view of the quiet negotiations, courtroom battles, and pivotal protests that reshaped the state during the fight for racial justice. Written with clarity and conviction, this compelling memoir is essential reading for anyone interested in the ongoing struggle for equality in America.” —John M. Giggie, author of Bloody Tuesday: The Untold Story of the Struggle for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa"

2308 Gary Fitts Street
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Published through The University of Alabama Press.

02/12/2026

Thank you, WVTM 13 and Jarvis Robertson, for visiting us yesterday!

Paul R. Jones' name may not be as recognizable to some, but his goal to foster the imagination among black artists is on full display in Tuscaloosa

02/09/2026

Thank you Holt High School and their art teacher, Mr. Matt Daugherty, for another wonderful exhibit as part of our PRJCAA k-12 Outreach Program! This long-running program, administrated through the Department of Art & Art History, supports an area school art program each year and is funded through the J. Frank Barefield College of Arts & Sciences. This exhibition is on view through February 26th.

Students from a local high school’s art program were given the opportunity to see their work displayed in the Paul R. Jones on Friday for its annual K-12 Outreach Program Exhibition which runs through Feb 26.. Every year a school from Tuscaloosa County is chosen, and this year’s selection was Ho...

01/21/2026

The Paul R. Jones Museum is pleased to present Creative Minds- Holt High School, our annual k-12 outreach program exhibit. This long running program takes us out into the community every year by adopting a school in Tuscaloosa county and providing support to their art programs. This support includes involvement with the Paul R. Jones Collection and providing generous support for art supplies. This year, we were proud to partner with Holt High School, and their art teacher Matt Daugherty. They chose numerous works in the collection to draw inspiration from and created response works. We have brought them together in a dynamic exhibition that celebrates what we can do together when we support one another. We will have a public reception on First February February 6th, from 5-8pm. The exhibition will run through February 26th.

Image:

Self Portrait
Ezra Ekmatti
Acrylic on canvas
18” x 24”

12/03/2025

Please join us this Friday, December 5th, for First Friday! This will be the last day for “February 1956: The Photographs of Gus Robinson”. This immersive photography show documents when Autherine Lucy became the first African-American student to enroll at the university and attempted to attend classes.

All images by Gus Robinson, courtesy of Jeff Robinson.

11/24/2025

The Paul R.Jones Museum will be closed November 24 through November 28 and will reopen on December 1.
February 1956: The Photographs of Gus Robinson runs through First Friday December 5.
Image by Gus Robinson, courtesy of Jeff Robinson.

10/28/2025

The Paul R Jones Museum will be closed Thursday, 10/30, and Friday, 10/31 for Fall Break. We resume normal hours on Monday, 11/3.

09/03/2025

The Paul R. Jones Museum proudly presents February 1956: The Photographs of Gus Robinson. The exhibition will run from September 5 – December 5, 2025, with a reception on September 5 from 5-8 p.m.

The museum’s hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and First Fridays, 12 noon to 8 p.m.

Gus Robinson (1928-2001) was a Tuscaloosa photographer who served the community his entire life. He began working as a staff photographer for The University of Alabama’s Audio-Visual Department in 1953. And on Friday, February 3rd, 1956, when Autherine Lucy became the first African-American student to enroll at the University, Robinson was there to immortalize her moment.

Robinson stayed on campus that evening and the following days, witnessing the subsequent violent riots the continued through Monday night. Rioters and Klansmen burned crosses, terrorized the Black Tuscaloosa community, and marched downtown brandishing confederate flags. And Robinson, wielding only his camera, chose to be more than a bystander, but an active witness. His photographic records of the riots have helped historians piece together the events that unfolded, and in some cases, have helped to identify perpetrators of the violence. Robinson’s photographs are indisputable evidence of the hate and violence that African-Americans faced in the Jim Crow Era.

In the wake of the riots, The University’s Board of Trustees ultimately expelled Lucy, citing her safety as the reason. However, Lucy’s educational journey did not end with her expulsion. Her determination and passion led her to serve as a lifelong educator and Civil Rights advocate, and her spirit continues to inspire our campus today.

Gus Robinson went on to open his own photography studio on University Boulevard, where he continued to document the people and the history of Tuscaloosa until his passing in 2001. He captured decades of football games, homecoming parades, family portraits, weddings, downtown street scenes, and historic events that have all come to define Tuscaloosa, including Autherine Lucy’s bravery at The University of Alabama.

“If I am a master teacher, do you know what I hope I’m teaching you? That love will take care of everything in our world.”

– Dr. Autherine Lucy Foster

The Paul R. Jones Museum is an essential part of the education and development of UA students and our community. Admission to the museum is free. The museum is located at 2308 Gary Fitts (Sixth) Street, in downtown Tuscaloosa, one block from the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. Hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and First Fridays, 12 noon to 8 p.m. Have questions or need assistance? Call (205) 345-3038 or go to their website.

To learn more about The University of Alabama’s studio art and art history programs, visit our Undergraduate Programs page.

Image courtesy of Jeff Robinson.