The exhibition and its related programs and national tour were organized by the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, Ohio and were sponsored by the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund. The Educational Outreach Program for this exhibition was funded by a grant from The Nathan Cummings Foundation. The exhibition presentation in San Diego was funded in part by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and the County of San Diego Community Enhancement Program. In-school and community educational programs in San Diego were sponsored by the Institute for Arts Education. Extensive educational programming accompanied the exhibition including special curriculum materials for teachers and students in grades K-12. A film highlighting a number of artists represented in the exhibition was shown during regular Museum hours. The Institute for Arts Education sponsored a series of three related cultural events in Forum Hall.
Exhibition catalog by the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center
This exhibition was part of a groundbreaking effort. Presenting a wide-ranging survey of contemporary work in an artistic genre increasingly acknowledged for its importance, this was the first exhibition of African-American craft art to travel to museums nationwide. Shown here were more than 100 works by some 50 artists, drawn from 200-plus objects by 100 artists in the original installation in Ohio.