Anheuser-Busch Donates Great Kings and Queens of Africa Art Collection to UNCF to Educate and Inspire Generations to Come

pan>)--A popular and influential collection of artwork featuring African
leaders and rulers has returned for public viewing today at Morehouse
College in Atlanta. Valued at more than $1 million, The Great Kings and
Queens of Africa collection of paintings was commissioned by
Anheuser-Busch in 1975. Today, the company announced it has donated the
entire collection to UNCF (United Negro College Fund), the countrys
largest and most effective minority education organization, which will
distribute pieces from the collection to six UNCF member colleges and
universities: Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Fisk
University, Xavier University, Dillard University and Benedict College.
Anheuser-Busch also donated 30 college scholarships, valued at $2,500
each, to student leaders from the six UNCF member HBCUs. The
announcement was made as part of a leadership symposium hosted by
Anheuser-Busch and UNCF.
“The Great Kings and Queens of
Africa”
Anheuser-Busch believes in supporting educational opportunities,
advancing cultural awareness and preserving the historic legacy rendered
in the Great Kings and Queens series, said Vanessa Foster-Cooksey,
senior director of Community Affairs at Anheuser-Busch. We are proud to
add to the art collections at prestigious university and college
galleries to inspire future leaders.
Presidents and students from the six UNCF schools receiving the
donations joined Anheuser-Busch executives and the symposium keynote
speaker, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, at the Leadership Center on the
Morehouse campus. Mayor Reed shared his personal success story with the
young leaders, who also participated in workshops and a service project
with the American Red Cross, Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter.
Since the collection was first created, The Great Kings and Queens of
Africa has introduced and educated the public about African history. It
has been exhibited in such prominent venues as the United Nations,
Capitol Hill, the Martin Luther King Library and the Kennedy Center, and
viewed by more than 43 million people. Now the collection will continue
to educate generations to come as it hangs in university and college
galleries across the country.
Anheuser-Buschs donation of The Great Kings and Queens of Africa
paintings to UNCF for display in UNCF member HBCUs is an important
contribution to the artistic and cultural education that have always
been hallmarks of the HBCU experience, said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D.,
UNCF president and CEO. These works of art will help students
appreciate both the paintings artistry and the historical stories they
tell, while the scholarships help outstanding student leaders overcome
the financial obstacles that face so many of our HBCU students.
About the Anheuser-Busch Great Kings and Queens of Africa Collection
First commissioned by Anheuser-Busch in 1975, The Great Kings and
Queens of Africa is a series of 30 works by 23 African American
artists, many of whom went on to have successful careers in fine art. It
features the great leaders and rulers throughout African history,
researched by leading African history scholar, Dr. Henrik Clarke. The
paintings became a valued part of teaching African history throughout
the country. The collections award-winning artists included Jonathan
Knight, Alexander Bostic, Barbara Higgins-Bond, Paul Collins, John
Biggers, Lydia Thompson, Jerry Pinkney, Leo Dillon and Carl Owens.
Reprints of the artwork were featured in Anheuser-Busch advertising,
calendars and posters. To view the collection, visit http://anheuser-busch.com/index.php/our-responsibility/community-our-nei....
About Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch and its employees build on a legacy of corporate social
responsibility by focusing on three key areas: promotingalcohol
responsibility,preserving and protecting the environment andsupporting
local communities. In the past three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its
wholesalers have committed more than $930 million in national
advertising campaigns and community-based programs to encourage
responsible drinking and prevent underage drinking and drunk driving.
Anheuser-Busch reduced total water use at its breweries by 34 percent in
the last three years and the company has been a leading aluminum
recycler for more than 30 years. Since 1997, Anheuser-Busch and its
Foundation have invested in local communities through donations of
nearly $490 emergency million to charitable organizations.The company
also has provided more than 71 million cans of drinking water to people
impacted by natural and other disasters since 1988. For more
information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.
About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nations largest and most
effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community
and the nation, UNCF supports students education and development
through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 38 member
colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority
education and college readiness. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000
students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. UNCF
administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship
and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty
development programs. UNCF institutions and other historically black
colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding more than 20
percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. The UNCF logo
features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely
recognized motto, A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Learn more at www.UNCF.org.

Information Source: Business Wire