Chicago, IL. (4 August 2008) —- “America I AM Across America,” a traveling exhibition preview leading to the “America I AM: The African American Imprint” museum exhibition, will visit the DuSable Museum of African American History on its nationwide tour as it brings the exhibition’s inspirational message to the hearts of more than 40 communities across the country. The traveling exhibition will be on display, Thursday, August 28, 2008 and Friday, August 29, 2008 from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM at the Museum which is located at 740 East 56th Place (57th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue) in Chicago. “America I AM Across America,” will also be one of the highlights of the Association of African American Museums Conference for which the DuSable Museum is serving as host institution and which will take place in Chicago from August 27 through August 30, 2008.
“America I AM Across America” is a multi-sensory experience complete with artifacts, text, video, music and a unique visitor interactive opportunity. In a customized mobile recording booth, visitors can leave their own “imprints” as recorded video messages that will become part of the main exhibition, “America I AM: The African American Imprint.” This exhibition will begin its four-year national tour in November celebrating 400 years of African American contributions to the nation through artifacts, documents, multimedia, photos and music.
Tavis Smiley launched the mobile tour of “America I AM Across America,” last month at the ESSENCE Music Festival in New Orleans. “America I AM encourages all people to connect in a meaningful way with the foundations of democracy, cultural diversity, exploration and free enterprise, which began when the first Africans arrived in Jamestown,” said Tavis Smiley. “By telling the stories of the events of the past, we can help the leaders of the future set the stage for active participation in the democratic process for years to come.”
Developed in partnership with The Smiley Group, Inc., and organized by Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI) and Cincinnati Museum Center, “America I AM: The African American Imprint” is a four-year touring museum exhibition that will tell the story of the nation’s African people and their legacies through objects, texts, religion, music, narration and media culled from every period of the nation’s history. Featuring more than 150 extraordinary artifacts, the exhibit will present a historical continuum of pivotal moments in courage, conviction and creativity that solidifies the undeniable imprint of African Americans across the nation and around the world. More details about the mobile tour and then exhibition, including a gallery walkthrough moderated by Tavis Smiley, are available at http://www.AmericaIAM.org
The exhibition, “America I AM: The African American Imprint,” is made possible by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc, which serves as its presenting sponsor, and also will host the mobile tour in several cities. ExxonMobil joins the mobile tour as the sponsor fueling the truck across America. Details and a schedule are available at http://www.AmericaIAM.org.
The Chicago presentation of “America I AM Across America” is made possible in part by the Chicago Park District; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; the Illinois Bureau of Tourism; The Association of African American Museums and United Airlines, the official airline of the DuSable Museum.
Admission to the DuSable Museum is $3 for adults; $2 for students and senior citizens; $1 for children ages 6 through 12 and children under the age of 6 are admitted free. Sundays are FREE TO ALL courtesy of “Bank of America FREE SUNDAYS.” Summer hours for the DuSable Museum are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM –5:00 PM and Sunday, 12:00 NOON – 5:00 PM.
The DuSable Museum of African American History, the oldest institution of its kind in the country, has been dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation and dissemination of the history and culture of Africans and Americans of African descent for 47 years. For more information on the Museum and its programs, please call (773) 947-
0600 or you may visit our website at http://www.dusablemuseum.org.
ABOUT The Smiley Group, Inc.
Founded in 1998 and based in Los Angeles, The Smiley Group, Inc., (TSG) is a communications corporation dedicated to supporting human rights and related empowerment issues. The mission of TSG is to achieve positive results through advocacy and education on issues of concern to African Americans and other people without substantial economic or social standing. TSG is the holding company for Tavis Smiley Presents, Smiley Radio Properties, High Quality Speakers Bureau, TS Media and SmileyBooks. The Tavis Smiley Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides leadership development training for youth. Tavis Smiley is the host of Tavis Smiley on PBS and The Tavis Smiley Show from PRI and the author/editor of 11 books including the New York Times bestsellers Covenant with Black America, What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America, and THE COVENANT In Action. For more information, visit http://www.tavistalks.com
ABOUT Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI)
Founded in 2003 by president John Norman and international vice president Andres Numhauser, AEI produced the award-winning exhibition “Diana: A Celebration” in association with the Althorp Estate in the United Kingdom, two touring exhibitions dedicated to the treasures of King Tutankhamun and “Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship.” Norman and Numhauser have nearly 40 years combined experience in the entertainment and exhibition business, working over the years on such projects as “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit” and “Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes.” The company has relationships with the most important museums in the world and has presented traveling exhibitions on four continents.
AEI is part of AEG Exhibitions, an affiliate division of AEG LIVE. AEG LIVE is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance and the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based ARG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. For more information, log onto http://www.artsandexhibitions.com
ABOUT Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is home to the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children’s Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Archives & Library. It is a nationally recognized educational and research resource and one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest. With more than one million visitors each year, Museum Center is the top cultural attraction in Cincinnati and the most visited museum complex in the State of Ohio. Originally built in 1933 as the Union Terminal train station, the building is a national historic landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990. For more information, call 513-287-7000 or 1-800-733-2022 or visit http://www.cincymuseum.org.
ABOUT Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week, millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at http://www.wal-mart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to communities in the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.wal-martfacts.com, http://www.wal-martstores.com, or http://www.walmartfoundation.org.
ABOUT ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing Company
The Fuels Marketing organization, one of Exxon Mobil Corporation’s Downstream Business Units, provides nearly 5 million barrels per day of ExxonMobil fuel products to a globally diverse customer base in over 80 countries on five continents. Our business is comprised of four (4) Business Lines: Aviation Fuels, Industrial & Wholesale, Marine Fuels and Retail. The Exxon, Mobil, and Esso brands serve motorists at nearly 34 thousand service stations and provide over 1 million industrial and wholesale customers with quality fuel products. In addition, fuel products and services are provided to aviation customers at over 650 airports and to marine customers at 200 marine ports around the world.
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