Durham, N.C. - The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University will present a new exhibition of the art of Romare Bearden, one of the most important American artists of the 20^th century, beginning March 4.

"Conjuring Bearden" is the first exhibition of its kind to focus on the idea of the "conjur" woman and "Obeah man," seminal and recurring themes in Bearden's art and in southern African-American culture. The exhibition is on view through July 16.

The Nasher Museum of Art is a major new arts center on Duke's campus that serves the university, Research Triangle area and surrounding region with exhibitions and educational programs.

"Conjuring Bearden" will include 58 works of art by Bearden from public and private collections, including photo montages, collages on masonite and wood, watercolor works on paper, fabric collage and silkscreen on cotton. The exhibition will also include photographs of the artist by renowned photographers Sam Shaw and Frank Stewart.Many works will be on public view for the first time.

"Conjuring Bearden"was organized by Richard J. Powell, Duke's John Spencer Bassett Professor of Art and Art History. Powell is the author of "Black Art: A Cultural History" (2002) and many other works on African-American art. He serves on the board of advisors of the Romare Bearden Foundation. He co-curated the exhibition with four undergraduate students: Margaret DiGiulio, Alicia Garcia, Victoria Trout and Christine Wang.

"We are excited to present Romare Bearden through the eyes of our colleague Rick Powell, a leading authority on the artist," said Kimerly Rorschach, the Mary D.B.T. and James H. Semans Director of the Nasher Museum. "This scholarly show breaks new ground in advancing our understanding of Bearden, building upon 'The Art of Romare Bearden,' the recent retrospective organized by the National Gallery of Art."

The exhibition will run concurrently with "Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection of African American Art," from the collection of NBA basketball player and Duke alumnus Grant Hill, which also includes Bearden works. Both shows will be accompanied by a range of interdisciplinary programs, including a two-day scholarly symposium on Bearden, a film series, jazz concert and Family Day event. A 100-page color catalogue will include images of works in the exhibition, a biography of the artist, and essays by Powell and his students.

The exhibition is made possible by the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, Duke's President's Fund and the Provost's Common Fund, the Duke Semans Fine Arts Foundation, the North Carolina Arts Council, Primus First Realty and Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, PLLC.

_ _ _ _

The $24 million Nasher Museum of Art, designed by Rafael Vinoly, is located at 2001 Campus Drive at Anderson Street. The new museum, which opened Oct. 2, 2005, also includes a cafe and gift store.

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday; and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The museum is closed Mondays.

Suggested admission is $5 adults, $4 for seniors and members of the Duke Alumni Association, $3 for non-Duke students with I.D. and free for children 16 and younger. Admission is free to Duke University students, faculty and staff with Duke I.D. Admission is also free to Durham residents who present a valid I.D. with proof of residency, courtesy of the Herald-Sun.

Additional information is available at www.nasher.duke.edu.