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The Art Museum of the University of Memphis (AMUM) received a First Tennessee Foundation Award for Innovation in the Arts to support the Paul R. Williams exhibition, which is part of the multi-faceted Paul R. Williams Project. In order to promote artistic excellence, the First Tennessee Foundation selects local art projects and groups for its annual Innovation Awards, formerly called the Bravo Awards. The award goes to organizations that are looking to expand audiences and improve artistic quality.

"This is a very competitive award and that AMUM was selected speaks to the significance of the Paul R. Williams Project and exhibition," says Leslie Luebbers, director of the Art Museum.

AMUM's exhibition, Paul R. Williams, Architect, scheduled to open at the end of September, will consist of vintage and new photographs, drawings, video sequences and interviews, new models. Part of the exhibition is an interactive timeline that will allow visitors to explore specific projects and topics as well as the social, cultural, and political contexts of their times. The exhibition will chronicle Williams' life in three stages: his youth in a burgeoning Los Angeles, his education, mentors, and the opening of his first office (1884-1924); Williams' early practice, including the grand houses and watering holes for the stars and others among Hollywood's rich and famous, the development of his institutional and commercial designs and the spread of his career across the country (1925-1950); Williams' growing importance as a national and international architect and as a participant in American cultural life until his retirement and death (1951-1980).

The exhibition will emphasize Williams' unique role as an architect of African American descent, the unusual scope and defining characteristics of his architectural work, and his legacy that includes contemporary efforts in historic preservation and new scholarship.

The Paul R. Williams Project, a collaboration of several organizations, began in 2006 as an initiative of the Memphis chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in honor of the 150th anniversary of the AIA. The original project focused on an exhibition that would recognize and honor Williams' life and work. However, it soon became apparent that a more comprehensive approach was necessary to develop basic resources. Since then the project has expanded to include a website designed to encourage scholarship and an educational component, intended to increase the use and knowledge of design disciplines in K-12 classrooms.