3:44 p.m., Sept. 25, 2009----A celebration of a new University of Delaware Press book about African American art collector Paul Jones brought out friends and colleagues of the book's co-authors, as well as the subject of the book himself.

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The book, Living Art, The Life of Paul R. Jones, African American Art Collector, is written by Margaret Andersen, Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor of Sociology at the University, and Neil F. Thomas, II, senior associate director of the UD's Office of Communications & Marketing. It chronicles Jones' multifaceted life and his journey to becoming an important art collector and a benefactor to the University.

Jones traveled to the campus from his home in Atlanta for the event, held Sept. 15 in the Gore Recital Hall of the Roselle Center for the Arts.

UD President Patrick Harker welcomed guests, noting Jones "changed the University of Delaware" when he donated a large portion of his world-class collection of works by 20th century African American artists to UD.

"When Mr. Jones donated a sizable portion of his collection to the University -- a gift whose value is immeasurable -- he had one important caveat: That the works be woven into the fabric of UD, that they be used for teaching as well as exhibitions ... in short, that they make a difference," Harker said. "They have made a difference, and they continue to do so."

Noting that the exhibition "Sound: Print: Record," held its opening the night before in Mechanical Hall, home of the Paul Jones Collection, UD Provost Tom Apple said that the exhibition and accompanying two-day symposium "must be exactly what Paul Jones had in mind when he made his gift to the University.

"Over the years the collection has been used by faculty and students from diverse disciplines and has been the focus of research, seminars, institutes and a multitude of other activities that have enriched our campus and our students, many of whom have joined us this afternoon. What a legacy!" Apple said.

Apple noted that the book's co-authors "spent countless hours and days in research, interviews, writing and editing, and it is obvious that it was labor of love, since both are devoted friends of Paul Jones."

Affirming that relationship, Thomas said the prospect of working on the book was one he eagerly accepted since he had long respected Andersen's work and since "Paul Jones is one of my favorite people in the world."

"The opportunity to help write a book about Paul enabled me to relive an exciting time in my life, when teams from what is now the Office of Communications and Marketing and University Media Services were dispatched to Atlanta to find out as much as we could about this art collector and benefactor in advance of his priceless gift to the University of Delaware [in 2001]," Thomas said.

"The process of writing reminded me that through the years I have come to know Paul not just as a great man, but also as a great friend," he said.

Andersen said her research and training focus on racial and gender inequalities, and it is that perspective that she brought to thinking about and interpreting Jones' life. "The book we are sharing today, though still anchored in social history of inequality, also shows the importance of human creativity and agency," she said.

"Like many of you in the audience," Andersen said, "I have found the richness of the Paul R. Jones Collection to be an extraordinary asset in my teaching, and among other things, I hope that this book ... is a tribute to Paul and the gift he has provided not only for those of us here, but also for future generations of students and faculty on our campus and beyond."

After reading selected passages from the book, Andersen said that working on the project has made her think differently about her discipline. "I have come to see that working with aesthetic images and a life that is rooted in beauty and aesthetic works of those often devalued by dominant institutions is a new lens through which to complement the usually more empiricist forms of sociological inquiry."

Concluding the event, Jones recounted his life as a collector and his experiences with the University of Delaware. "One of the joys of my giving has been giving at Delaware," he said.

Photo by Duane Perrry