DUMA Exhibit to Celebrate Career of Mary Lou Williams

Friday, January 26, 2001

The life of jazz musician, composer and arranger Mary Lou Williams, who capped her career with a four-year residency at Duke University, will be celebrated with a retrospective exhibition of her life and art at the Duke University Museum of Art from Friday through March 18. When Mary Lou Williams was named artist-in-residence at Duke in 1977, she celebrated the appointment not only as a personal triumph, but also as evidence that jazz was recognized as an important American art form. At a time when other types of music had supplanted jazz in the popular arena, Williams was a vocal advocate for a music she believed was not only a central part of the cultural heritage of African Americans, but was also a strong political and spiritual force. The exhibition features excerpts from Williams' extensive writings, never-before-exhibited art and artifacts from her private collection and a lively audio-visual component. As the exhibition follows Williams' career, viewers will learn more about women's history, about African-American life and culture, and will gain a remarkably full account of the history and evolution of jazz.