Smithsonian To Examine Art Of William H. Johnson

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Smithsonian Institution is creating a traveling exhibit with Morgan State University to feature rare paintings by African-American artist William H. Johnson.

Curators say the exhibit announced this week, "William H. Johnson: An American Modern," will trace the stages of Johnson's career as a modernist painter.

In the 1960s, Johnson's collection of more than 1,000 works was donated to what is now the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Under terms of the agreement, the Smithsonian donated artworks to several black colleges and universities, including Morgan State in Baltimore.

The exhibit will debut Sept. 10 at Gari Melchers Home and Studio in Fredericksburg, Va. That's the start of a 10-city tour running through 2014. It is scheduled to be shown at museums in Orlando, Fla.; Baltimore; Cleveland and elsewhere.

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