FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Bernard W. Kinsey, businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, will speak at the University of Arkansas at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, in Giffels Auditorium in Old Main.

The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences will host the free event, and the public is welcome, although seating is limited.

Kinsey holds a McIlroy Family Visiting Professorship in Performing and Visual Arts in Fulbright College and will speak about the importance of African American art, history and culture. He will also discuss The Kinsey Collection, which is a national touring museum exhibit of African American art and history dating back to 1600.

Kinsey and his wife Shirley have focused their attention on the collection for the past seven years. It has been viewed by over 3 million visitors, was on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and is currently on national tour in a partnership with Wells Fargo. 

Bernard W. Kinsey, and his wife Shirley, founders of The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection.

“We’re very excited to have Bernard W. Kinsey come to campus, and to empower our students and the community through his stories of untold African American history and artistic expression,” said Jeannie Hulen, associate professor of ceramics and chair of the Department of Art. “The Kinsey Collection is world-renowned and this is a ‘can’t miss’ event.”

In addition to his lecture, Kinsey will also visit several Fulbright College classes, including those from the African and African American Studies program focused on racial identity, politics, our society, art and more.

Kinsey is the president and founder of KBK Enterprises, a management consulting firm providing advice and counsel to senior-level executives. He has consulted on economic development with the governments of South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom and France, and was appointed Honorary Consul General by the U.S. State Department and the Central African Republic.

Kinsey also enjoyed a 20-year association with the Xerox Corporation and was one of the pioneers in breaking down racial barriers in corporate America. His leadership of the Xerox Black Employees Association led to the hiring of thousands of black employees, women and Latinos, and is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

Support for this event is provided by the McIlroy Family Visiting Professorship in Performing and Visual Arts. This professorship, established in 2005 through the philanthropy of Hayden and Mary Joe McIlroy and the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, supports the teaching and work of a professional artist who imparts highly specialized knowledge essential to students’ artistic, educational, and career enrichment and value to the community at large.

About the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with 19 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students and is named for J. William Fulbright, former university president and longtime U.S. senator.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.